ZF Tranny Help

[Dave]

I just took the bus out of storage to load up for a trip tomorrow.
(1990 36SP, Cat 3208 Turbo with ZF Tranny) After fueling up and
driving about 15 miles, I came to a stop light and the bus went to
neutral and would not go back into any gear. This tranny has the push
button gear selector, tried them all, nogo. I sat at the light for
maybe 3 or 4 minutes, then turned the motor off and sat for maybe
another minute or 2. When I started up again, she went into gear and I
got about 3 blocks, made a right turn, and out of gear she goes again.
Turned her off again for about 5 minutes, started her up and she will
go into gear. By this time i was only about a half mile from home. I
made it home and it is parked in front of the house as I type. We are
supposed to leave on a trip tomorrow, but this is obviously a nogo
situation. Anyone have any ideas where to start? I would guess that
the problem is electrical in nature as opposed to mechanical, but that
is just a guess. Any help will be much appreciated.
Best Regards,
Dave
1990 36SP

[davidkerryedwards]

Have you checked the transmission fluid?

Kerry
82 FC 35
Denver-

-- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" wrote:
>
> I just took the bus out of storage to load up for a trip tomorrow.
> (1990 36SP, Cat 3208 Turbo with ZF Tranny) After fueling up and
> driving about 15 miles, I came to a stop light and the bus went to
> neutral and would not go back into any gear. This tranny has the push
> button gear selector, tried them all, nogo. I sat at the light for
> maybe 3 or 4 minutes, then turned the motor off and sat for maybe
> another minute or 2. When I started up again, she went into gear and I
> got about 3 blocks, made a right turn, and out of gear she goes again.
> Turned her off again for about 5 minutes, started her up and she will
> go into gear. By this time i was only about a half mile from home. I
> made it home and it is parked in front of the house as I type. We are
> supposed to leave on a trip tomorrow, but this is obviously a nogo
> situation. Anyone have any ideas where to start? I would guess that
> the problem is electrical in nature as opposed to mechanical, but that
> is just a guess. Any help will be much appreciated.
> Best Regards,
> Dave
> 1990 36SP
>

[Jeff Miller]

The ZF has some low-voltage issues, is quite likely your problem. Try
to duplicate the problem with the genset running and charging the
batteries, or be sure that the batteries are fully charged, watch the
voltmeter on the dash to see what it reads if it drops out of gear.

There is a fix listed for the control box voltage, might be in the
files of this or possibly on the wanderlodgeforum site, I'm not sure,
but that would be the permanent fix if this is your problem. It
probably won't get better.

- Jeff Miller
in Holland, MI


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave"
wrote:
>
> I just took the bus out of storage to load up for a trip tomorrow.
> (1990 36SP, Cat 3208 Turbo with ZF Tranny) After fueling up and
> driving about 15 miles, I came to a stop light and the bus went to
> neutral and would not go back into any gear. This tranny has the
push
> button gear selector, tried them all, nogo. I sat at the light for
> maybe 3 or 4 minutes, then turned the motor off and sat for maybe
> another minute or 2. When I started up again, she went into gear
and I
> got about 3 blocks, made a right turn, and out of gear she goes
again.
> Turned her off again for about 5 minutes, started her up and she
will
> go into gear. By this time i was only about a half mile from home.
I
> made it home and it is parked in front of the house as I type. We
are
> supposed to leave on a trip tomorrow, but this is obviously a nogo
> situation. Anyone have any ideas where to start? I would guess that
> the problem is electrical in nature as opposed to mechanical, but
that
> is just a guess. Any help will be much appreciated.
> Best Regards,
> Dave
> 1990 36SP
>

[pattypape]

I am not the expert, but a few suggestions.

Check the fluid level, There is also a cable to the throttle
controll, I believe it is a reostat, On our FC it is located under
the driver floor area next to the battery tray.
Also behind the carpeted area below the shift buttons is a Bosh
relay that needs 12 volts, THis relay may be hanging out of this
compartment near the driver left foot, check the wires and
connections.

Bill 88 FC Michigan


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave"
wrote:
>
> I just took the bus out of storage to load up for a trip tomorrow.
> (1990 36SP, Cat 3208 Turbo with ZF Tranny) After fueling up and
> driving about 15 miles, I came to a stop light and the bus went to
> neutral and would not go back into any gear. This tranny has the
push
> button gear selector, tried them all, nogo. I sat at the light for
> maybe 3 or 4 minutes, then turned the motor off and sat for maybe
> another minute or 2. When I started up again, she went into gear
and I
> got about 3 blocks, made a right turn, and out of gear she goes
again.
> Turned her off again for about 5 minutes, started her up and she
will
> go into gear. By this time i was only about a half mile from home.
I
> made it home and it is parked in front of the house as I type. We
are
> supposed to leave on a trip tomorrow, but this is obviously a nogo
> situation. Anyone have any ideas where to start? I would guess
that
> the problem is electrical in nature as opposed to mechanical, but
that
> is just a guess. Any help will be much appreciated.
> Best Regards,
> Dave
> 1990 36SP
>

[Dave]

>The fluid looks fine, I have had the genny running the entire time.
Jeff, any advice on where to check the voltage? I took for a spin
around the block, it is getting worse, 1st try got about a mile, after
that, it would engage after being off for a few minutes, then would
disengage. It actually felt a little different this time, I was
climbing a slight grade and it just gradually lost power, not off all
at once. Everything sounds fine, no noises, no sign of any leaking
fluid under the bus.
Thanks again,
Dave

If anyone has any brainstorms, feel free to call my cell at 336-402-
0943. Looks like the trip tomorrow is off for now.

[Dave]

11:00 update. I have checked voltages everywhere I can find to check,
at the shift buttons, connector to the eprom under the shift buttons,
all fuses that are transmission related in the front panel, all
voltages look good (12.5 to 13.5 volts). In the dark on the street I
did not do much crawling around under the bus, is there a way to check
the voltage at the transmission without too much trouble? I will be on
the phone with Bluebird and ZF and anybody local I can find in the
morning, if anyone has any ideas, I would still like to try to salvage
this trip tomorrow.
Dave
>

[Gregory OConnor]

David, May be a good Idea to do what Jeff M. said and just charge up
the batteries. Then make your calls in the AM. When voltage is the
problem 11.9 is very different than 12.0 and maybe now that you have
charged up there is no longer a problem. I remember some one having a
problem when they turned on head lights. If it was me and I did
anything, I would isolate the power input and hook it up to one new
battery that was grounded to the coach. I think that may rule out a
short in one of the batteries on the bank that is now powering the ZF
I understand the circuit board is 6 grand to replace. ( maybe some one
can comment if a bad battery would reduce voltage and cause this
periodic failure)

I dont know much about electronics , but I know poking an awl wont
work on diagnostics in this case.

I hope it is simple and you make your trip
Gregory O'Connor
94ptRomolandCa

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" wrote:
>
> 11:00 update. I have checked voltages everywhere I can find to check,
> at the shift buttons, connector to the eprom under the shift buttons,
> all fuses that are transmission related in the front panel, all
> voltages look good (12.5 to 13.5 volts). In the dark on the street I
> did not do much crawling around under the bus, is there a way to
check
> the voltage at the transmission without too much trouble? I will be
on
> the phone with Bluebird and ZF and anybody local I can find in the
> morning, if anyone has any ideas, I would still like to try to
salvage
> this trip tomorrow.
> Dave
> >
>

[Juergen]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" wrote:
>
>
> Hello Dave
It is Aug 19th now and I don't know if you read this message.My bird
has the same set-up as yours. 91 sp36 with cat 300 tac and 5 speed ZF
tranny. My tranny would not engage several times and then run for a
while, then not engage again untill it finally would not engage at
all. Got towed to a shop. They fixed a burnt wire in the ECM, it
worked great for a while BUT, I did go to PHiladelphia where there is
a ZF Tranny shop. Big time. The mechanic could not engage the tranny
to drive into the shop. He put a meter on the harness (PR-61) and
said"I SEE YOUR PROBLEM." It was a low voltage going from the relay
into the ECM. This ECM needs ( Volts MINIMUM and mine flactuated
between 8.99 V and 9.01 Volts. The relay gobbled up like 12Volts in
and 10 Volts out. (Thank you Blue-Bird E-Engineers). Time did the
corrosion and low volts.
Mechanic installed a wire from the 12 V bus directly into the ECM and
we tested the coach for 20 miles and checked all systems.
Call BOB ESSWEIN (the expert ZF Mechanic) at ZF in Philly at
215-828-3447 and he can tell you what you need to do.
Try also the main shop at 215-822-8300
Good Luck
Juergen in PA
1991 WLSP36

[pattypape]

Hi Dave,

Did the ZF issue get solved??
Hope you did not need to cancel your trip plans.
I would be interested in the repair solution.

Bill 88 FC ZF Michigan




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave"
wrote:
>
> I just took the bus out of storage to load up for a trip tomorrow.
> (1990 36SP, Cat 3208 Turbo with ZF Tranny) After fueling up and
> driving about 15 miles, I came to a stop light and the bus went to
> neutral and would not go back into any gear. This tranny has the
push
> button gear selector, tried them all, nogo. I sat at the light for
> maybe 3 or 4 minutes, then turned the motor off and sat for maybe
> another minute or 2. When I started up again, she went into gear
and I
> got about 3 blocks, made a right turn, and out of gear she goes
again.
> Turned her off again for about 5 minutes, started her up and she
will
> go into gear. By this time i was only about a half mile from home.
I
> made it home and it is parked in front of the house as I type. We
are
> supposed to leave on a trip tomorrow, but this is obviously a nogo
> situation. Anyone have any ideas where to start? I would guess
that
> the problem is electrical in nature as opposed to mechanical, but
that
> is just a guess. Any help will be much appreciated.
> Best Regards,
> Dave
> 1990 36SP
>

[Dave]

Just an update on the ZF situation. I talked to both ZF and tech
support people at their distributer Precision Transmission in PA. The
guy at Precision seemed to think I may have a major mechanical
problem, with pieces of the tranny clogging the filter. When I turn
the bus off for a while he thinks the trash is draining off the
filter, then when I start again, it picks the trash back up and clogs
again, thus will not go into gear but for a few seconds.
The tech at ZF leaned more toward a voltage problem. At any rate, i
had to have the bus towed to the local ZF facility, Cummins Atlantic
in Greensboro, NC. First order of business is to drop the filter and
see what it looks like, we will go from there. As of today, they have
not been able to look at it yet.

The trip became a mini-trip in the car. Disappointing, but all was not
lost. I will update again when I have any answers.

Thanks so much for everyone's help, this is a great resource.
Dave
>