Freightliner Service

[smo99]

Well, I just got back from three days at a Freightliner Service center (and I'll just say in the NW). I have to say I just haven't been impressed with FL shops after visiting two (one for parts and the other for actual work).

My problem has existed since I bought the coach used. The cruise wouldn't disengage when I step on the brake (fun! ). So I really wanted this fixed. I tried getting the guys at two different Cummins Coach Care places to look. The first just said it's chassis, go to FL. This time they looked, found a disconnected wire, tried it, and then it messed up the brake lights/turn signals and they put it all back the way it was and said go to FL. So I did.

After three days, 15 hours of labor labor later, they said we can't figure out the brake lights. And put it all back the way it was, made me pay $1750, and I had the exact same issue. They could get the cruise to disengage, but then if I used a turn signal, all my tail lights blinked (including brakes--remember, turn signals are separate amber from the brake/tail which are red). If I depressed the brake, my right turn signal came on steady too.

I just don't think this should be that hard to diagnose as a trained technician. I'm left with a very sour taste. To be fair, they discounted the labor rate from $150/hr to $100...but with tax, etc. it was still a major bite. What have been your experiences...I've been pretty darn pleased with the Cummins Coach Care shops.

Very frustrated...and I still can't disengage my cruise with the brakes.

[ShermanD]

Do you have a brake controller installed on that Chassis? If so, it is probably hooked up wrong and messing with the chassis on board computer.

Disconnect the brake controller, hook that wire up, see if the lights work properly, the cruise control works properly, and see if the problem goes away.

If it does work properly, you need to rewire the brake controller so it is no longer messing with the chassis onboard computer.

The Cab and Chassis work independently from the coach portion of a motor home. due to this the power brake light signal at the brake pedal is from a different power source than the brake light signal at the trailer light wiring controller. Unfortunately the brake light signal wire is most likely not run forward to the cab and whoever installed the brake controller picked up the brake signal from the brake pedal which is the source of your problem.

All of the wiring for the brake controller must originate at the seven pin trailer wiring socket and if the trailer brake socket was installed when the coach was built, only three wires would have been run forward into the coach. You need to add a fourth wire, the brake light signal wire.

If you don't have a brake controller installed. then sorry, I am at a loss as to the problem.

[NO3putt]

Sorry about your troubles, lucky for me we have a very good frightliner/cummins authorized dealer down here. Have you checked the fuses for your brakes lights? since you have the same model as us, there is a black fuse box up and behind your inverter in the passinger side rear cabinet. not everyone know that it's back there.

Skip

[RodneyD]

2011 FREIGHTLINER CUSTOM CHASSIS XC RECALL - #12V552000

RECALL FOR VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL : CRUISE CONTROL

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Freightliner brand XB and XC custom chassis manufactured January 1, 2010, through September 20, 2012. The chassis are equipped with diode jumpers that may come loose in their connectors resulting in an open circuit. Two circuits are affected: The one that disengages the cruise control with brake pedal use, and the one that illuminates the brake lights with brake pedal use.

Information provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Does this recall apply to your problem? I thought I have heard of this problem before

[Phil57]

I happen to have a very good FL shop close by in Kalamazoo MI. They do a great job and are very helpful.
As to your problem I will only say that if I was given a bill for fixing nothing the reaction from me would have been memorable. Most likely ending in ball money being needed.

[ShermanD]

Originally Posted by Phil57

I happen to have a very good FL shop close by in Kalamazoo MI. They do a great job and are very helpful.
As to your problem I will only say that if I was given a bill for fixing nothing the reaction from me would have been memorable. Most likely ending in ball money being needed.

I wouldn't have gotten that irate, but I would have paid with a credit card and then disputed the charge due to the fact that they not only failed to fix the problem but in reality did absolutely nothing. I could care less if they said they tried to diagnose the problem and failed. You pay for service, something they did not provide.

[smo99]

ShermanD, you are correct--there WAS a brake control module installed and sort of half un-installed when I got it. I had an RV dealer in Atlanta take it out. The brake switch didn't work before they did the extraction and nothing changed when they got it out. They couldn't figure out how to make the brake switch disengage the cruise at that time and told me to take it to FL.

But I'm confident that you are correct in your diagnosis that power is being supplied in the wrong spot.

I think this information will help me--so thank you. I'm going to work with a friend that is a mechanic and see if we can't solve this in the near future.

[I-RV]

Mark
Regular Freightliner dealers mostly deal with trucks. You should seek out Oasis Freightliner dealers that deal with RV's. I am not sure that the Oasis would have done better, but its best to be in the right church. Look up the Oasis dealers on the internet.
Hank