Deezl Smoke

Following.

 I knew I was missing something lately here. Thanks for pointing it out. I too hope he is well and just experiencing a computer glitch or something easy.

 Basically it's a simple physics thing. Just the rear axles of any tandem hdt weigh more than most any travel trailer.

 A couple analogies come to mind. If you ride motorcycles for example, and you were to weigh say 180lb, and ride a 150lb motorcycle, you will have good control over it. If on the other hand you were to jump on a 800lb motorcycle, that motorcycle will control you, not the other way round.

 Or, opposite of you hdt towing a tt, think about a toyota corolla trying to tow your 32' tt. It'll beat the crap out of the toyota.

 An f350 towing your 32'er, there will be some allowance between the pu and the trailer. They are closer to the same weight, so when though the pu should control the tt, the tt has some say in the matter. It will let the pu know it is back there.

 With the hdt, there is no allowance. The tt can be tipped on its side, sparking away on the asphalt, and the only way you would know with the hdt is if you see it in the mirror. The hdt wont even know it, or give any feed back as to what is going on back there as it is so much heavier and more powerful. That weight of the hdt will not have any mercy on the tt going down the road. It will not "give" at all. An f350 will have plenty "give" as the trailer hits bumps etc.

 So ya, I'd tow it with an hdt all day long, but would have a hitch between them that has some allowance capacity.

 Here in the PNW, western Oregon, near Hillsboro, there is a local owned shop that has been in business for decades. Many mechanics have served their entire career at this shop. I use them first.

 Hillsboro Diesel. 503-640-4669

 They do not have all of the laptop softwares, but high level Cummins and Cat ET I know they have.

 They are also Detroit 2 stroke specialists. Very few of those left in the world. But many older conversion buses have Detroit 8v and 6v engines.

 As Mr. Cobb once said "it's smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon".

 If ecm failure is a known issue on any brand truck, then yes, maybe having one on hand is a good thing. IMO, the only issue with your ecm availability is the D12. If it were a D13, I'd bet ecm's are plentiful.

 There's not much else that is different from a truck with a D13. Again IMO, I'd only look for things that are specific to my truck that may be hard to find. Otherwise, and I don't know anything about Canada or Mexico, but all across the USA, there will be people that "know things". Once sourced, those people can find things that no longer exist. It's a culture. Some are on craigslist and other ad media, some are word of mouth, but once you get a feel for your local underground resource, it'll work anywhere.

 This is one of those deals where even though it can be an inconvenience to be shut down on the side of the road, these sensors can save an engine failure.

 I'm old enough to remember when engines started running on electronic controllers. Oh boy would the older guys cuss them there new fangled electronic gizzies. 🤬 But now with engines having so many sensors to warn, then take over and stop an engine before catastrophic damage of untold expense,.....I'd say it's a win for the electronic application.

 Glad you were able to locate the issue and that it was, though still a spendy repair, a very inexpensive by comparison repair.

 Break down again in 2 weeks near Spokane and you can go watch the swamp boat races. It's a real kick to watch.

Other than that google is your friend.

 Typically it is an air filter restriction gauge. Should be plumbed in between the air filter and turbo. It tells you how much restriction your air filter is causing as it gets dirty.

 Hmm....I've never met you nor had any contact with you, so I dont know how my luck could've rubbed off on you. But.......

 Hopefully the shop you are at will do a good job and has a tech that still possesses some ethics and morals. (<that is not saying that all techs are pos losers, but as the pendulum is swinging hard the opposite way, and finding people willing to get their hands dirty gets harder and harder, complacency and arrogance seem to be gaining dominance anymore)

 Good luck. If you ever see this rig on the road, dont stop, just keep an eye on your gauges and watch your tires till you're far enough away that my luck can't catch you......

 Did they show you the faulty cooler and point out just what happened?

It is aerated fluid. There is an air pocket in the system from when you had it apart.

 Let it sit over night and cool. Before bed, find a power steering bleeding air video and then tomorrow try to bleed the air from the system.

6 hours ago, RV_ said:

Tell me these things:

1. What are you using for an anti malware app?
2. Do you do Windows updates every month?
3. Do you open attachments or link in emails that were not expected.

 Windows defender. I do so little online socializing, just a couple forums like this, and youtube. I have no facebook or other "social media" to use the common broad description. I do not surf porn, and any time I search for anything, I usually start on youtube.

 I have it set to notifiy me of an update, but let me shoose when. I usually do update. Well, I guess I pretty much always do.

 NEVER. Never do I open any attachments from any sender that I can not confirm the sender's ID. I'm not curious enough I guess. I have actually had businesses I do business with get hacked and then received emails from those businesses with attachments or requesting that I follow a link to fix some account issue etc. I always call the business and ask what gives. Don't matter how urgent or threatening the message is, it's an email. To me, that means it's "just an email". Nothing to get excited about.

 I am in no way anti technology. Quite the opposite. However, I am from the old school, and choose not jump into tech just to say I did. I have to need it, or in some way it has to benefit me. Then, I'm all over it. I doubt I use 5% of the capacity of my android, but the features I do use,....it'll take a big pry bar to pry it out of my cold, dead hand. And yes, location is turned on.😉

 My 2021 Pete 567 has the factory navigation system that allows cameras to be hooked up. I'm just wanting to have dash cams to aid fault determination. Even if it is me, so be it, I will man up to it.

https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/forums/trucks-eighteen-wheelers.130/

 I don't know anything about facebook, but they likely do have a page or some presence there.

 J1939, at least what I've read so far, doesn't always mean something expensive. It very well could just be telling you that a corroded pin is prohibiting communication.

Yes.

 I went to the truckers report forum and searched for J1939. Interesting reading. If you have'nt already, you might do that.

Unless your coolant is old and needs replaced, or you lost it with the cooler failure, you should be able to block the lines and make the repair, then unblock the lines. Since the cooler is on the frame rail, the lines must be flexible, hopefully hose, then even harbor freight sells hose pliers that you can use to clamp off the coolant while making the repair. Just release all pressure with the radiator cap.

7 hours ago, RV_ said:

Or learn your tech

 That's what I'm trying to do. It's not the tech that scares me, it's my ignorance of how to keep it safe that scares me. That's why I do not do online banking. It's not the service that is bad, it's my lack of ability to keep my own computers free of malware that keeps me from it.

 I dont care if someone wants to watch where I'm going or how my driving is, I just want to "learn my tech" so I know if they are. Not that they are, but can they and are they?

 Googling 2008 vnl 780, looks like a round reservoir? Not finding any reference to passenger side power steering parts. Does it look like it has radiator fins? Maybe a cooler?

 If it's a cooler, you should be able to route around it to get through to a dealer.

11 hours ago, RV_ said:

Does Huawei make dashcams???

 Even if they do not make it under their parent name, I'll bet a months wages they make or have made many brands of cameras, dash type included, under many other names. They are a massive company structure.

1 hour ago, bruce t said:

If you have no connections, ie cell phone or Wi-Fi turned on in your vehicle, how does your navigation work?

Just saying. If your vehicle knows where it is then what other devices are also working without your input?

I have no idea. Just posing a question.

 

 Legit.👍

 Buy a new monitor for your computer and see how many people look for the cameras and put tape over them.

 People can think whatever they want about Edward Snowden, but he does bring even interesting details like making sure all of the batteries are out of his phone etc......

 I have a few of the dashcams that Harbor Freight used to sell, and they work great. I wish they still sold them, or that I could get more as I am used to running them. Outlook I think was the brand on the box.

 I'll still buy the dashcam(s) even if it has wifi or whatever. I'm just a blue collar farm worker and pose no threat to anyone, much less a government agency. I have far, far better things to do than break the law. But I live here in Hillsboro Oregon, home if Intel, and within any trip to town for parts, I go by at least one "data center". There are several data centers here. They don't even try to disguise them anymore. Huge buildings with just one bay door and a couple man doors.

12 hours ago, Rotorhead said:

Thanks Deezl Smoke. I have been using Pittsburgh Power Max Mileage. I will look around and see what else is out there. I talked to a guy who is a O/O and working for Landstar. He said it made a huge difference in how his engine runs and got better gas mileage. He said his engine actually runs quieter now. 
I plan on just cleaning the DOC and DPF since buying new are out of reach right now. If I can’t get them clean then I will go have them baked to see how that goes. 
It’s a never ending education on maintenance that’s for sure. Keeps the wheels turning.

Chuck

 That's the very same product that I keep hearing good things about.

 I have a 500 Economy Cummins in my rv. Trying to drive it while in regen,.... So any product that I can safely put in the tank and reduce the regen frequency?...I'm all in.

 Again, I'm not very savvy on modern tech, but there are several dashcams that allow wifi viewing on your phone and have apps that allow instant download to your phone so you can upload to the www.

 I'm not concerned really as I am old enough and learned many years ago, that not only is being on the public road a privilege, not a right, but that there really is just no reason to do illegal things when on the road or in public. It don't matter if one thinks that what is illegal is stupid, it is illegal and should not be practiced. Not in public anyway.

My question came about after reading a comment that there are camera makers that have contracts with governing agencies, likely for selling cameras for things like police or mass transit etc., that purposefully make their cameras broadcast, via whatever means, wifi or bluetooth, or whatever now days, so that these "agencies" can view them and record the footage with any recording device they have at any time they are in range or just wish to have that footage. ?? I have not idea if that is possible, but it made me wonder with all of the other public monitoring. So that's why I ask.

 Today we have electronic wizards that can do amazing things. They exist on both sides of the fence, for good and for bad.

 I have had really good luck with Wirefy for everything 10g and smaller. They seem to be consistent quality and the heat shrink seems to be sized right and will seal proper. Your mileage may vary, but as your picture shows, the ring out lasts the connection to the stranded wire.

 There will always be better methods, but I usually refer to an old steam fitter friend that taught me to dope, tape'n dope pipe fittings. So when I replace wire any wire connections, including heat shrink covered ones, I strip the wire, then push the wire end into a tube of dielectric grease before crimping.

 You likely already know these tips and tricks, but using the right wire stripper to eliminate cutting into the wire strands is important, as well as using a crimper that crushes the terminal onto the wire correctly will extend the service life of that connector greatly.

 I tend to shy away from solder connections at the battery or for anything that may experience higher amp draw as the heat generated, and/or the heat absorbed in the battery box, can soften the solder and cause loose connection issues.

 FWIW, just my opinion.

 So I admit I am quite technology challenged, and not too awful ashamed. While looking at dash cameras, someone in a youtube comment (I know....) mentioned that some of the new dashcams with wifi and other connectivity means for downloading to your phone etc, can, or might, or do, depending if the manufacturer has contracts or ties with a governing agency, send video as it is recorded without you knowing about it. ?

 I know, right? Normally I would have a good chuckle and tell myself it takes a lot of tin foil nowdayz. However, giving that it is 2023 and the amazing amount of other public monitoring cameras etc., now I'm not laughing so much. So is it possible and/or probable for this to be going on?

1 hour ago, SuiteSuccess said:

Voltage to the ECM has been suggested once before by someone on a phone conversation.  I really don’t have the know how to diagnose that issue so going to try everything else I can safely do myself and then if no success…off to dealer.  One bit of good news (if you call it that), I priced the tow to the dealer and it was quoted half of what I thought it would cost.  Oh well, one or two more days of getting greasy and a little blood then decision time.  Thanks everyone for the help.

 If you have a good relationship with your dealer, they would print a pin out diagram for you from the manual, that shows the pins with voltages. It is a simple thing to do, but for sure can be daunting to think about as it is dealing with a very expensive ecm to replace should things go wrong.

 Low voltage, or many loss of signal issues at the ecm will/can cause random and inconsistent dash codes. Some of them show up on a obd hand held scanner, but many do not. And to make matters worse, you can have these issues one day, and a few days later if the weather changes, the issues can go away.

 On the Davco. This is a youtube link to how the Davco works.

 If you would rather not follow links, youtube search "how the davco fuel filter works" and you will see a video put up by Davco technology. This video will explain to you how the system works and why the davco bowl is clear to view the fuel level inside.

 My opinion.

 Fix it right. Then look into "snake oil" additives for the fuel. Additive is a very controversial subject and will get no end of heated discussion from both sides. I however, find credible information from those that share their company fuel and repair info in hard copy.

 Preferably, an additive with a catalyst approved for DPF and SCR emissions. I'll not promote any particular product brand or any particular company for info, as that is up to you to find so that you can trust the sources that you look for, but truck shows are a great place to find actual info, and/or sources for further info.

 I was able to find several Cummins owner/operators that had tried several products to reduce regens and derates from clogging. Many products that I had considered were debunked and no longer on my list. I'd like the best fuel economy that I can get, as my rv is not making me any money, but my priority now is to reduce the cost of emission maintenance over fuel economy. Idling is the death of the DPF. Do not idle any longer than absolutely needed.