Breakdown Information
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Driveline: 454 Chevrolet, 3 spd AT
Make: Pace Arrow
Year: 1984 (on February-built, '84 chassis)
Symptoms: Noise like AC compressor engagement, on and off while driving.
Effect: Starters burning up (4 in 6 weeks)in 1999, and mechanics couldn't find the reason.
Cause: Chevrolet decided to replace their ignition/starter in-line solenoid with a small relay with points. Mechanics weren't aware of a switching device existing, so didn't look for it. It was mounted to the engine, curb-side front, hidden behind wires and hose bundles. In frustration and determination, I read through my Chev Motorhome Chassis Service Manual (glad I ordered it on Motorhome Magazine's recommendations years ago) and discovered the bulletin where Chevrolet decided to go back to the old (Ford type) solenoid in March of '84, 2 weeks after mine was built. The little relay's points carbon up over time thus shortening the point gap so that a bump in the road could close the ignition circuit to the starter, thus engaging it while the engine was already running, and overheating the starter's motor, burning it up. I was aware of the noise when the starter engaged on the road but thought it was an odd AC compressor sound or something, although I couldn't zero in on it 'cause it only happened while we were moving and I couldn't get under the rig to look.
Outcome: I located the relay, removed it and broke it open. Sure enough, the point on one side had carboned up so much the gap between it and the opposing point was a third of what it should have been. I could've cleaned it and put it back, but eventually it would have left me stranded again. So I replaced it with the solenoid originally used in Chev motorhome chassis', and in the process cleaned up and improved some of the wiring (soldered & sealed connections, and better bundling & routing). Ne'r a problem since.
Make: Pace Arrow
Year: 1984 (on February-built, '84 chassis)
Symptoms: Noise like AC compressor engagement, on and off while driving.
Effect: Starters burning up (4 in 6 weeks)in 1999, and mechanics couldn't find the reason.
Cause: Chevrolet decided to replace their ignition/starter in-line solenoid with a small relay with points. Mechanics weren't aware of a switching device existing, so didn't look for it. It was mounted to the engine, curb-side front, hidden behind wires and hose bundles. In frustration and determination, I read through my Chev Motorhome Chassis Service Manual (glad I ordered it on Motorhome Magazine's recommendations years ago) and discovered the bulletin where Chevrolet decided to go back to the old (Ford type) solenoid in March of '84, 2 weeks after mine was built. The little relay's points carbon up over time thus shortening the point gap so that a bump in the road could close the ignition circuit to the starter, thus engaging it while the engine was already running, and overheating the starter's motor, burning it up. I was aware of the noise when the starter engaged on the road but thought it was an odd AC compressor sound or something, although I couldn't zero in on it 'cause it only happened while we were moving and I couldn't get under the rig to look.
Outcome: I located the relay, removed it and broke it open. Sure enough, the point on one side had carboned up so much the gap between it and the opposing point was a third of what it should have been. I could've cleaned it and put it back, but eventually it would have left me stranded again. So I replaced it with the solenoid originally used in Chev motorhome chassis', and in the process cleaned up and improved some of the wiring (soldered & sealed connections, and better bundling & routing). Ne'r a problem since.
