Sometimes I feel the weakest link in Barths production was their electrical department. This is probably not justified and most of the problems are due to 15 years of Shake, Rattle, and Roll, but most of the time when something doesn't work on the coach I find a bad ground.

The Hadley air horns didn't work. Problem solenoid not getting a good ground.

The generator couldn't be shut down from inside the coach. Problem ground wire from switch broken.

Transmission Temp gauge didn't work. Problem bad ground.

Generator water temp gauge didn't work. Problem bad ground.

Various lights didn't work. Problem bad ground.

Drivers windshield wiper didn't work. Problem air leak. Just thought I would throw that in to see if your paying attention.

There are atleast a half dozen ground buses located through out the coach. Periodically check them all for tightness and security.

Nick

Amen to that!

With a lifetime of boat trailers and RVs, I carry a full-length jumper wire. One end is a regular alligator clip, the other is a larger clip to grab a battery terminal. I use it for trouble shooting (or get-home bodges), either providing a ground or hot, depending. I have come to providing a ground first, because that seems to be the problem more often.

On boats and boat trailers, I have gone so far as to permanently run a bare solid copper wire around the perimeter, and just solder to that instead of using a chassis ground or trusting a circuit. Eliminates a lot of trouble.

Sometimes when I need to relax, I lie underneath the Barth and look and think. This often leads me to notice chassis grounds that could use a little cleaning. I remove the screw, remove all corrosion, and reassemble with e new screw. Then the connection gets a squirt of LPS 3. Battery terminal coating would work, too.

Resist the temptation to use liquid electrical tape on a chassis ground. I have seen corrosion grow underneath it, escaping notice until a problem surfaced.

I must agree with the observation. Most of the electrical problems that have troubled my coach have been related to a groundwire. These have lead to many hours tracing down the problem. There are other posts on this website about wire corrosion and protection. A quick search of the site may help other readers discover so other good tips.

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:Sometimes when I need to relax, I lie underneath the Barth and look and think.

Me too, Bill. A good place to hide for few minutes of peace and quiet.

Yup, check the GROUND!

To make a long story even longer, after leaving the Cagles last September, I stopped at a rest stop to dump the waste tanks. The starter barely turned over, but I got it started, and made it to the nearby star party. Once there, I replaced the battery - no improvement - then the starter.

Now it cranked OK, but subsequently it would crank, but wouldn't fire - sometimes I had to crank it for 2 or 3 20-second bursts util it would catch, with a cloud of white "smoke".

Simple issue thought I - replace the glow plug controller. No improvement. Replaced the fuel lift pump (which was bad - and relocated it to an accessible spot), which comes on during the "start" postion on the ignition switch. No improvement. Replaced the glow plugs (they were apparently the originals). No improvement.

I began to suspect the new battery - it didn't hold a charge well, so replaced it. Slight improvement.

Messing with it over several months, I had discovered that atomized fuel was coming out of the exhaust when cranking and not firing, so fuel supply was not the issue, preheat had to be. The "hot" side of the glow circuit tested all good.

So, the weakness in the circuit had to be the engine ground, one of the few grounds I hadn't cleaned. I disconnected the three ground wires and discovered they and the boss were very grungy.

I cleaned 'em up and the engine fired right up after 5 hours cooling. Will test again tomorrow, but now the glow plug light stays on about twice as long, so I think the problem is solved.

Just by cleaning the grounds.

Epilogue: Fired right up this morning at 43°F w/o the block heater.

forgive me but I'm not a mechanic or engineer are grounds typically wires screwed or bolted to the frame? Is there a diagram somewhere on the site that shows possible locations? for Breakaways?
Thanks
Wayne

There are no diagrams that I know of. The wires could be screwed or bolted to the chassis, transmission, bell housing, or engine block.Further, some of these ground wires service bus bars with several grounds for other things.

quote:

Originally posted by w&bknocke:
forgive me but I'm not a mechanic or engineer are grounds typically wires screwed or bolted to the frame?

They can be short wires screwed or bolted to the frame, to the skin, or even pop-riveted to the skin. Or, in the case of some lights, the mounting screw going into the skin is the ground.

quote:

Is there a diagram somewhere on the site that shows possible locations? for Breakaways?
Thanks
Wayne

Not that I know of. Airliners are the only vehicles I have seen that have that.

In my coach there are multiple bus strips here are some of the locations of mine.

In the front above the generator easily seen
• In the bedroon closet beneath the floor. You must lift the floor panel (also the water drain valve located here)
• Of course in the external electrical compartment.
• I'm going off memory I believe one more I found beneath the refrigerator

When I got the coach I re-tightened and checked all these I could find. Also if you know the offenders wires to where they may be attached to any metal piece by screw, bolt or rivet

Throw my 2bits in here. No MH mfger give out electrical diagrams that I know of. On the spartan chassis all the wire from spartan are labeled. From Barth????

One of the joys of our GM4106 (bus) was the documentation. You knew where every wire went. If it went to ground the ground symbol was used and made the assumption you knew about grounds.