Tonight's Fun with the Allegro

[Jim Stoltz]

I'm headed to the Pocono Raceway next Friday for the NASCAR race. But before then, my daughter is having some friends over to camp out in the RV. I figured I'd move it to the driveway and level it. 

It won't start. Not getting any fuel.

I checked the fuel filter at the tank. It's full of fuel so I figure the pump is drawing it out of the tank at least.

I took the fuel feed off at the carb and cranked it. Nothing.

I unhooked the feed at the pump and fuel poured out. Pump isn't pumping up to the carb. Easy enough, right?

Installed new pump and it does the same thing.

I replaced the fuel filter. Same thing.

I unhooked the feed from the tank and dipped it in a 5-gallon can of gas. Fuel was drawn into the filter but not the whole way to the carb (again - new pump and filter).

I put compressed air on the line that runs to the pump. I hear sssssssssssssssssss somewhere. The line goes from rubber to metal at the tank, and then metal to rubber right at the fuel pump. The friggin hose clamp up by the pump had come loose and it couldn't draw fuel from the tank. Two turns of a screwdriver and it fired right up. Expensive lesson both in time and parts.

Great - it runs now. My relief turned to frustration when I needed to pump up the air suspension to get the butt off the ground. Pump won't run. I had just installed a new solenoid instead of a relay. It was working great, but not today. I jumped from the constant hot across to the hot side of the solenoid and the pump ran. Went up front and the controls for the air suspension are dark. Can't get air into the bags. Jumping the power across that solenoid back fed juice to the controller box. I found a baked ACC fuse but replacing it didn't fix it. 

I couldn't find my scan of the wiring diagram so I googled it. I came up with my own scan from a couple of years ago. Go figure. It looks pretty simple. Nothing really "electronic" to cook - all switches. I need to find out where the control box should be getting power from and trace it back.

Worst case I can manually air up the bags but that's a pain because the left one leaks. Grrrr.

Moral of the story: With the fuel thing look for simple stuff first. With the air suspension - don't go jumping wires until you're sure what the implications might be. I thought that the controller was isolated from that circuit.

[Jim Stoltz]

It's a made-in-China special from airbagit.com. If there is a next time, I'm going to get a better unit. But it works (sort of). It says max draw is 21 amps, 200 PSI, 100% duty cycle.

[Jim Stoltz]

Good idea. It grounds at the air tank and it is pretty dirty.

[Rick Faunce]

And if it is like mine the air tank is wedged between the frame rails. Not a real good connection there either. I ran a ground directly to the frame and cleaned and bolted it. Feel the connection after the compressor has run and if it is warm then it is a bad connection. If you get another compressor look for CFM rating and not pressure. You only need a max of about 125 PSI but having a couple CFM is nice for faster fill ups and less compressor run time. These compressors are sold by pressure since big numbers impress people, 2.1 CFM means nothing to most people but 200 lbs. PSI!!!

It's all about marketing.

[Jim Stoltz]

I'll do that next time. It fills pretty quick though. I have a leak so I often have to fill it from empty. I will fill the tank and bags in less than 5 minutes. 

The tank is mounted on the left frame rail at the very back. The drain on it was the low point under there so when it scrapes the pavement the petcock gets torn off. I finally gave up and plugged it. When there's no pressure in the tank I pull the plug to let the moisture out. I'll check out those wires after it runs and move the ground if necessary.

Thanks!

[Jim Stoltz]

In other news, while I was fiddling with the Jet Ride controller, standing outside the cab, this guy came sniffing around. The Allegro is just off camera to the left. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and jumped in the cab and closed the door. He took off into the woods - he was as startled as I was!

[Rick Faunce]

Love bears, Grew up with them staying at a cabin just about every weekend and many weeks where there were many bears around since it was in between two waterways and against a mountain. Never had a problem with them in 30 years. Learned their habits and respected them. They learned ours and respected us, for the most part. If you did something they did not like they would warn you and you just stopped and backed up, end of discussion. Never in thirty years ever had one charge and we were consistently that close or closer to them. This is a bad time of the year to get too friendly with them though since they are still trying to fill their bellies from the winter.And that one looks a bit thin.

[Jim Stoltz]

Yeah that one was a bit skinny. Looked like an adolescent. I've only been here since December. It's a 3.5 acre wooded lot but it's not "in the woods" - I'm surrounded by 12 other houses and 2 busy roads. We have seen fox, deer, coyote and a few million squirrels and feral cats. I didn't expect to see a bear, though. He would have to have traversed at least one busy road to find his way in here. I'm pretty sure the other animals live on the property.