Author Topic: Saved My Bacon  (Read 7682 times)

Robin Goffrier

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Saved My Bacon
« on: March 16, 2019, 10:43:32 PM »
A week or so ago I posted my tale of woe on the Tech board.  08 Contessa was absolutely dead in the water in our gated Indio, CA park, from unknown causes/causes.  Hadn't been run for a month and gauges began to bounce around with no key in the ignition.  Tried ignition and nothing.  Checked batteries, all good, and tried again.  Lots of strong cranking but no ignition, only an error code telling me Engine Comm Failure.Closest Cat Dealer is in Riverside who will not make house calls for motorhomes.  Found one local commercial truck service that came out and charged me $650 to determine it could not be fixed on site.  It needed to be aired up, towed off our lot into the street and then loaded on a lowboy and hauled the 75 miles to Riverside.  It was  then I posted my plight on the BAC Forum.... and guess what?  I got a call from our own Mr. David Atherton, Retired Cat mechanic and board contributor.  He told me that I was about to start writing big, big checks and would I mind if he drove from his base in Quartsite, AZ and looked at my situation. Well, my momma didn't raise no raging idiots and I welcomed his help.  Long story short three trips and long hours later he and his capable assistant, Gale had thoroughly diagnosed and addressed the problem and the old Cat was back on  linewith a new ECM.  He was able to get the old toasted ECM off and install a new one, freshly programed to my engine, on site with only limited disassembly of the engine.  So now, we can drive this thing back to Bend, whereas for a while there it was looking like it would turn into an 8 tired park model.  The guy is an old school pro and I want to thank him publicly.

Bill Sprague

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2019, 11:18:44 PM »
Wow!  Thanks for the story! 
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Dave Atherton

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2019, 03:11:48 PM »
Bill, that was nice of Robbin to post I got him up and running. I’m just part of the beaver team
that provides technical knowledge for our membership which is why this forum is run so well.
Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic

Stan Simpson

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2019, 04:04:24 PM »
Thank you, Mr. Atherton. For all you do for the BAC membership. Very much appreciated.
Stan Simpson & Becky Glover & Moe the cat
2005 Monterey Laguna IV
C9 400 Cat
Honda CRV toad
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Robin Goffrier

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2019, 02:45:02 AM »
OK, now i need some counsel from this learned body of experience.  As you may have previously read, Dave Atherton healed my sick Beaver and in a week or so we will plot a course for home, Bend, OR. She who must be obeyed and I have sat across the salon table and had a serious discussion about our shared desire to continue motorhoming.  And we are in agreement: Absolutely want to. But not powered by the current power plant, so while down here in S CA we started checking out options. The parameters are, probably, about a similar year, +_ 2, 38-42'  and a no regen engine. We looked at Tiffin, Monaco and Newmar. Big problem, nothing compares to the old Beaver, at least to our tastes. So then, IT'S  trade for a used Contessa or Patriot or change engines in a coach we love and already own.  Thoughts?

Dave Atherton

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2019, 03:32:20 AM »
Robin, the suggestion on repower is one. Install a used Caterpillar C-9 engine complete with
engine ECM. Reguardless of the naysayers wiring harness will plug into a C-9 ECM and few changes
retro fit piping. Option used engines easy to locate with low milage. Down time approx 3 weeks.
Needs to cut rear panel above hitch width of frame rail for access engine removel. Cost approx.
$ 20,000. For turn key for used engine and removel and install. ( based on used takeout from
motorhome with 45,000 miles.)

Plan number two make phone contact with party I talk to you about ( which is the best option
for your question.) the engine at present anyway you push the pencils is a money pit as I indicated
on our first meeting. Trading motorhome will also be an experience because of the engine and
it’s track record.and additional money outlay unless you trade upward. My suggestion again is to
weight in on plan number two. Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic

Robin Goffrier

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2019, 04:22:53 AM »
Thanks, Dave. I have called individual twice. Must be busy. Leave request for return call with no response.

Keith Moffett

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2019, 06:43:32 AM »
There is a promising Marquis on Seattle Craigslist.  2004 I think.
2007 Patriot Thunder
45' C-13
2006 Explorer Ltd.
DW is Carol
Safe travels and
May God bless!

Gerald Farris

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2019, 04:13:02 PM »
Robin,
There is no way to financially justify repowering your present coach just to get away from the regen engine. You will be out $20,000 and the coach will not be worth any more in trade and maybe less, especially in a place like California where there are very stringent pollution regulations that might even make the coach illegal.

When it comes to another coach, it depends on what you are looking for in a replacement coach. You need to decide what is important in the way of a new coach. If fuel mileage and performance is important, and you want the fantastic Beaver interior, you need to look at C 12 powered coaches, and that puts you in the 2004 or older model Marquis or Thunder. However if fuel mileage is not important, the C 13 equipped 05 to 07 Thunder or Marquis or the C 15 equipped 07 Marquis will work, but be careful because the late 07 models started getting regen engines. Also, for a little less performance and luxury and a little better fuel mileage the C 9 equipped Contessa or Monterey will work up to the late 07 coaches that started getting the regen engines.

Gerald     

Fred Cook

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2019, 08:04:17 PM »
Please excuse my ignorance but.... what is a regen engine?
Fred & Cindy
2002 Beaver Patriot Thunder 455, C12 CAT
Towing 2019 Chevy Equinox, AWD Diesel
South Central Missouri, US Army Retired

Bill Lampkin

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2019, 08:33:58 PM »
Fred, I think a regen engine has a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that takes out soot from the exhaust. The filter has to be 'regenerated' at intervals, to burn off the soot, hence 'regen'. The DPF was industries first response to EPA diesel smog rules (tier 4, if I remember) which started in 2007 for 2008 coaches. Not sure, but I think DPF has been replaced with Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) engines to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NO2).
2005 Patriot Thunder Lexington, 3 slides
40' tag axle (short wheelbase)
525 hp C13

"Goin where the weather suits my clothes..."
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Lee Welbanks

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2019, 08:37:27 PM »
Fred, What their talking about is diesel smog motors, after about 07 all had to run DEF and most had a particulate filter in the exhaust stream that has to be regenerated when it gets full of exhaust particulates. If at all possible you don't want a DEF motor. The regen system is one of the main reasons Cat stopped producing highway motors.
Most of your high end owner operators in the trucking business are buy new glider kit and installing pre-def motors and a lot are going back to pre 2K motors.
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Gerald Farris

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2019, 03:44:43 PM »
A regen engine is one that was built after Jan 1,2007 that has a DPF (diesel particulate filter). A DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) engine is one that was built after Jan 1,2010, and it also has a DPF.

The DPF captures soot particles in the exhaust stream and holds them until sensors on both sides of the DPF detect a restricted exhaust flow. At this point the engine goes into regen by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust stream after the turbo charger and igniting it to burn the soot particles in the DPF until it is free flowing again. One of the downsides to this engine is that it can not use a conventional exhaust brake, so the small displacement engines like the C 9 have to use a variable geometry turbocharger that has a high failure rate as an exhaust brake, but the larger engines with compression brakes do not have the turbocharger issue.

A DEF engine injects a urea/water solution known as DEF into the exhaust stream as a consumable in the SCR (selective catalytic reduction) system to reduce NOx (nitrite oxide) from the exhaust stream. These engines also have a DPF to eliminate the soot particles in the exhaust stream.

The confusion that some owners have if their coach was built around the introduction of one of these pollution control systems arises because many of the coaches that were built after the mandated engine change had older stockpiled engines installed to avoid the new pollution standards. So most of the 07 Contessa coaches actually have an 06 built engine that does not have a DPF, so it is not what is called a regen engine. No Beaver coaches use DEF engines.

Gerald

     
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Stan Simpson

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2019, 05:38:22 PM »
Just a thought, Robin. In your search, see if you can find a 2009 Monterey with a tag axle. Very rare. Built for the Canadian market only. I see them once in a while. There is one sitting in the RV Park in Clearwater, FL where we stay for a month or so in the winter. I've only seen it gone from that spot once. Its clearly in storage because its in their storage lot.

You are out West where I would guess they would be more prevalent. A C-9, I'm sure, but 42 ft long.
Stan Simpson & Becky Glover & Moe the cat
2005 Monterey Laguna IV
C9 400 Cat
Honda CRV toad

Fred Cook

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Re: Saved My Bacon
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2019, 01:05:57 AM »
Thanks guys for explaining the regen engine. Certainly glad for my C12.
Fred & Cindy
2002 Beaver Patriot Thunder 455, C12 CAT
Towing 2019 Chevy Equinox, AWD Diesel
South Central Missouri, US Army Retired