OK, I know that it only takes a day to get there from Tucson but we like to take our time and allow for the unexpected.  We plan to take 2 days.

The coach ran well for the first 4 hours or so except for that exhaust leak on the driver’s side manifold – I am getting tired of it so I think I’ll try some of those thick gaskets – Remflex – that Jim K sells.  Something to do this winter.

Starter problems

We stopped in Wickenburg to get gas and the coach wouldn’t start.  Turn the key and nothing, no noise of any kind coming from the starter, not even a click.  Since I had just replaced the solenoid I suspected that immediately but I knew it could be something else, like the neutral safety switch.

I had no idea where the safety switch is and had no internet to investigate.  I thought, incorrectly, that the switch was up under the dash but I could not find it.  I tried to check at the starter but no test light (just a DVM) and I couldn’t reach the terminal on the solenoid.  I gave up and bought a new solenoid and installed it.  At first it had the same symptom but eventually, after much thrashing around, it started but I didn’t know why.  I decided that I would not turn the coach off until we were parked for the night at a campground just short of Kingman.

Home for the night

When we parked at Kingman it again wouldn’t start.  I started tracing the wire back from the starter to see where I could check for voltage. I moved the wire going to the starter from the top of the engine and the starter came to life.  I also located the neutral safety switch and got some info from the GMCnet on how to jumper around it.  If it happens again the plan of attach is to check the wire to the starter followed by jumpering the safety switch.

We should be able to get to the rally by noon tomorrow.