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lBumster1's avatar
lBumster1
Explorer
Oct 12, 2013

Cummins engine dies and then !!!

2002 National- Islander, 40 ft. - Cummins Diesel.
on trip to Bremen,In.in Sept.2013 our coach quit running and after pulling off to side of road we determined engine was idling but when pressing gas peddle unable to increase RPM's and then coach died. Coach immediately restarted and we continued for about an hour and then same thing happened EXCEPT, after engine died and I turned key to restart there was no electrical in the dash. After a few tries it come back to life and restarted. Had this problem in the past and replaced ignition which didn't help and then cleaned up all ground wires that I could find and that seemed to solve the problem at least for a while. One occasion in which this happened it appears the cause was battery cables vibrated loose and after tightening problem seemed solved. August 2013 happened again and was able to get to the Cummins Dealer and computer readout said fuel transfer pump was going bad. Pump replaced and it was about 600 miles before issue popped up again. Looking for IDEAS/THOUGHTS
Class A
  • prism's avatar
    prism
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2013
    coach quit running and after pulling off to side of road we determined engine was idling but when pressing gas peddle unable to increase RPM's

    That to me sounds like the electronic gas pedal is not operating correctly?
    I dont think the transfer pump comes into play once the engine is running?
    at least thats how i thought things worked?
  • wolfe10's avatar
    wolfe10
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2013
    Did you replace the ignition switch or ignition SOLENOID. I would check the solenoid.
  • hershey's avatar
    hershey
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2013
    prism wrote:
    coach quit running and after pulling off to side of road we determined engine was idling but when pressing gas peddle unable to increase RPM's

    That to me sounds like the electronic gas pedal is not operating correctly?
    I dont think the transfer pump comes into play once the engine is running?
    at least thats how i thought things worked?

    Heres what little I know about a Cummin's and its fuel pump issues since I had the problem.
    The 5.9 Cummin's has two fuel pumps. The first one is what I suppose we are calling the transfer pump. It does in deed run all the time. When the engine is running at full load or idle. The secondary pump is what I heard referred to as the injector pump. Thats the puppy that forces the fuel to the injectors. Very expensive unit.
    The Cummin's will run with the first (transfer) pump completely in-operational. The injector pump will actually pull the fuel from the fuel tank to its injectors but at a very reduced rate, not enough to run at road speeds. And some backfiring and some black smoke.
    My input is from the experience I had in UT and ended up with at 90 mile towing to replace the "transfer" pump...about a $180 item. Its electrical was completely burnt up and the pump completely inoperational. But I could move at 20 to 30 mph.
  • 2gypsies1's avatar
    2gypsies1
    Explorer III
    Oct 13, 2013
    We just now had to have the fuel pedal replaced.....Ours immediately died - absolutely no warning. We were so fortunate to have space to coast to the side of the road. After a while it would start and run again...until next time. Very scary. We limped from Flagstaff to Phoenix and had it replaced there. By the way, it was a Spartan part, not Cummins.
  • ArchHoagland's avatar
    ArchHoagland
    Explorer
    Oct 13, 2013
    2gypsies wrote:
    We just now had to have the fuel pedal replaced.....Ours immediately died - absolutely no warning. We were so fortunate to have space to coast to the side of the road. After a while it would start and run again...until next time. Very scary. We limped from Flagstaff to Phoenix and had it replaced there. By the way, it was a Spartan part, not Cummins.


    You had the fuel PEDAL replaced???

    Tell me more as I don't understand.
  • 2gypsies1's avatar
    2gypsies1
    Explorer III
    Oct 13, 2013
    Yes, the pedal. Well, not more to tell other than what I did already...the symptoms and the cure. :)
  • oldmattb's avatar
    oldmattb
    Explorer
    Oct 13, 2013
    I had a similar happening last week. Coach would not accelerate, pulled to the side of the road and then it was fine. Later, it failed to accelerate,m pulled over, shut it off and it would not restart. I found a corroded battery connection. Cleaning it seems to have fixed the issue.

    I suspect that Bumster's accelerator pedal is electrically operated, like mine.

    Matt B
  • lBumster1's avatar
    lBumster1
    Explorer
    Oct 13, 2013
    I replaced the ignition switch and fuel transfer pump. Sometimes vehicle shutsdown to an idle, sometimes completely, sometimes after dying and turning the key off and then back on it doesn't appear to have any electrical and then after turning key on/off for a few times the electrical to dash comes back.
  • prism's avatar
    prism
    Explorer
    Oct 13, 2013
    ArchHoagland wrote:
    2gypsies wrote:
    We just now had to have the fuel pedal replaced.....Ours immediately died - absolutely no warning. We were so fortunate to have space to coast to the side of the road. After a while it would start and run again...until next time. Very scary. We limped from Flagstaff to Phoenix and had it replaced there. By the way, it was a Spartan part, not Cummins.


    You had the fuel PEDAL replaced???

    Tell me more as I don't understand.


    gas pedal as we all know it as in the big Diesel puhers are electronic
    kind of like a TPS on a FI gas system although most last model vehicles are all elctronice gas pedals now

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