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I do mean really embarrassing as it can get. Can anyone figure out what I diiiiidddddd. Wrong. I need to have some fun time as you can see this subject was frustrating to say the least. This is a lesson for anyone that has a Cummins n14 in a Volvo. It could be a lesson for other Cummins engines in a Volvo truck.

I will say the next problem was 1000000000 percent my fault. Time to make breakfast. Be back tonight for my stupid, (. )??????? Nesssssss answer.

So the next day about 10:30 am the new ecm arrived. But by 1 pm I have not seen the new n14 wiring harness. Call where I bought it. Person on the other end said there is not one in there system. At all??? None has been shipped either. Now what do I do. Cummins said it would be like 40 days until they would have one. The next day I locate one in Florida. Ordered it for overnight. This is in the early am. 11:00 am my first harness arrived. Called second harness business and canceled the order. They were understanding as I have bought parts from them before. In the meantime I have removed all the connections for the wiring harness. The plug mount that holds the connector for the Cummins harness to the Volvo harness, is in a tough place to work. It has two bolts holding it tight. After say 2 hours trying to get the upper bolt loose, I twist it off. Ok get the second bolt off. I decided not to cut any wires on the old harness. I learned that lesson, say 30 years ago. I wanted to just push the old harness away from the engine and install the new one. I would say when Volvo set that engine in place they incorporated the Cummins harness into there’s. So separating those two could be needed done on a nice day. That could prove to be a real (blank) to separate them. So I install the wiring harness and the ecm. I use to know a person at a Volvo dealership in Missoula Mt. I tried to call him. Shop is closed, as far as I can tell. So I have no one that I can think of for real life help in this situation. Try to start the truck. Nope it is not trying to fire once. Ooooo nooo. Dam computer readout says. Something that does not seam recognizable. Call tech support at ecm rebuilder. ( ) ( ). Better fry more bacon for tonight’s popcorn Rick.

Check the 12vdc fuse that powers the fridge.

So the next morning I had the truck idling for a short time. The manager for the complex showed up with there two diesel mechanics. I told them what was happening. Main mechanic pushed on the lower outside ecm connector. Pushed it towards the engine. Engine starts to missfire. He pulls outwards on it, jut past its normal position. Truck idles nice. Push in just a tad, engine misses. Pull out engine runs fine. Never touched the fuel filters. ECM is less than two weeks from being rebuilt. So manager comes back in about an hour and says we can stay on the property with 50 am hookup. So we move the fifthwheel to that site. Unhook and park the truck next to the fifthwheel. Discuss ecm with rebuilder and search the net for a wiring harness for a n14. The next day I ordered a rebuilt ecm, again. And a wiring harness for a Cummins n14. Found one is Flagstaff Az, to be overnighted. Get some more popcorn Rick As things sorta gets more interesting as this event continues.

While sitting in a gas station parking lot, I look for a campground. One exit north on the interstate. But there is a side road that we can get there. So we head west from the interstate. Note: I never shut the engine off while sitting in the gas station. So we travel say 2 miles west to a cross road. Wife notes sign that says we are over weight for that road. It also looks like it curves around a hill on a narrow road. On the left is a gravel parking lot. Pull in and turn around. Head back towards the interstate. And engine starts to miss more. Driving in 4 th gear and throttle position does not effect the miss. I noted some motorhomes or busses sitting on the South side of the road we are on. Pull in, asked about staying there. Nope , you need to leave as it is a private buse company. Pull around there bog shop building and it is really missing. Shut the motor off. I really nice gentleman comes over and we talked. He said to pull onto a gravel area, straight ahead. Pull up and stop. He comes along the truck and said another 7’ to get off there pavement, as busses travel there numerous times a day. Start the truck again, and I will say that is the longest 7’ I ever measured. But I finally got where I needed to be. After different conversations that nice gentleman said we could sit there over night. And I could have 15 amp power to operate out residential fridge.

So we figured that going straight through Nashville on the interstate would be the fastest way north. So heading towards Nashville the truck is running really good. Straight through Nashville we go . And then I see the skyscrapers in Nashville. Looking good so it is. Then there is a miss in the engine. Do not look at wife. There is a exit, I take it. Not the friendly place to be. I am from the the country, so being in town seems out of place. Finally find a place to get off the street and change filters, again. Look on a aerial photo of where we are and how to get on the beltway again. So the street we are on goes east to the beltway. Truck is running good again. Get on the beltway and head around the beltway to the interstate north. Now heading away from traffic. Sorta feeling good. And then there is a miss again. Get off the next exit. Find a place to change filters again. But that is going to have to wait. No real place to change filters. Truck is idling good. .??? And then more ????

We figured since we got 200 miles out of those filters.. Remember the algae problem. We should get 300 miles for our next set of filters. Ok. Ok. Looking at the map. What is the shortest way to get past Nashville. I can say that was a bad. Bad thought, baddd thought.

Rpsinc. (This is a recap of our travels from South Carolina, to Montana. We started this episode in the last of March. And arrived in Montana mid July.) More to follow on this adventure.

Still trying to get a photo from that customer

So we take the first exit there is. I have never been on this street before. Engine still has a occasional miss. Make a right turn, next intersection there is a lot of traffic coming from right. Luckily I do not need to stop for a right turn, but this street has a incline, more missing , finally get over the top. No place on the right to park, but finally going down hill gently there appears a open parking lot on the left. But there is ongoing traffic coming from the other direction. Finally get into the parking lot. Wife gets her stuff for changing filters. Change both filters. Start truck and test drive it for several laps around the big parking lot. Not one miss. Park at the back side of the lot. The building is a medical facility, but not open on Sunday. Spend the night there. Sorta feeling good the engine will run good tomorrow. But a good night of sleep will help.

I can tell you it is serious when your engine miss fires while traveling around Atlanta on Sunday afternoon. At 4:30 pm. And the look on your wife’s face is memorable. (Will continue storytelling tomorrow.)

You mean there is more to this story. Yikes? What else could happen. We are cruising towards Atlanta. Feeling good.

I apparently deleted mine, as they were for warranty work. I did test the customer to see if he has any. A few days ago he needed info on my contact to there company. I will respond one way or the other about pictures on said subject.

I will look if I have any. Or the customer may have pictures

While the ecm was being rebuilt, I cleaned everything I could to make sure the ecm will be grounded properly. Get the ecm back. Installed it. Engine starts, idles good and takes throttle like it should. Make sure I have my tow insurance card with me. And have a driver to come pick me up if needed. Drive two laps in the campground, then take a side road for the first test drive. So the truck runs good. Drove about 80 miles up and down hills even loaded the Jeep on the back of the truck. Everything works good. Start packing the fifthwheel for our travels back to Montana. Leave Sunday about 2 pm for Atlanta Ga. truck is running great. Not one miss. Even on uphill grades. The wife is real good at what to do if it starts to not operate correctly, so we can change both filters quickly. So we are feeling good, talking about what we want to do this summer in Montana. Or what is left of the summer. You can finish your popcorn Rick.

Last year I had to do as you are saying. For one of my customers, What I did was measure the length I needed. Bought a piece of 1/4” thick by 4” flat aluminum plate and made it the length I need. I would say I staggered holes every 8” . I cannot remember exactly, but I wanted enough to hold it in place. I made sure the seals were not affected with this in place. I purchased the appropriate screws and installed it. I was in that rv about two weeks ago and it is still working as needed. I would check to see where the water was getting in before you fasten the metal in place. If you use dicor lap sealant just before you set the metal in place, it will rm around the metal and not hold the metal in a crooked shape. Maybe do a dry run with a few screws holding the metal in place. Before you glue it in with the lap sealant. Just my thoughts, Vern

The engine has started, idles good and revs up just like normal. It did it the second day. Ok. Thinking of what needs done leave for Montana. Third morning it starts. Idles for about 5 minutes. We are timing it. Then it started to miss? .?L? I have been talking to a ecm rebuilder and several shop mechanics. Do some more checking. Both fuel filters are somewhat full. No fuel leaks that can be found. Next day I started the truck. It will idle good for 2 minutes, then start missing. Onboard diagnostics now. Now says no communications with engine. Or something to that effect. Call ecm rebuilder. Sent the ecm to be rebuilt. So we are going to Costco today. I will buy popcorn there.

So It looks like the filter base is slightly warped. And has a few scratches across the sealing surface. So I call Cummins and ordered one. So I want to visit that 5 volts on the fuel solenoid wire When the engine is turned off. I had watched a video on YouTube that explains why and how there can be 5 vdc on that wire going to the fuel solenoid, on a Cummins N14. There is a 10 amp ground fuse on the upper right corner on the ecm, as you look at the ecm. If that 10 amp fuse is blown, the ecm will ground threw the fuel solenoid. Mine was blown. So I replaced it. Along with putting a separate ground directly to the ground side of the batteries. As was suggested on the video. But in that video it also stated that that fuse being blown could cause ecm problems. So I installed the new filter housing, filled the filter and installed it. Start the truck and it idles nice. Check vacuum and it is where I think it should be. So there was a question about the ecm? Is it ok? But the truck will take throttle, without smoking. There has been some odd complaints on the computer readout, on the dash. So I asked several people, and most thought the ecm would relearn it’s proper operation. Just test drive it if you feel like it may run. Well now I do have tow insurance. I will cook bacon this am for my evening popcorn, Rick

Where are you at in Montana. There may be a Volvo dealership in Billings. The one in Missoula closed I think. Is it eclectically operation or air. Were you in Kalispell Montana Friday afternoon. Where are you now.

Let’s go back to having 5 volts on the fuel solenoid when the key is turned off. Yes I have 5 volts dc on the fuel solenoid wire. How could that be. That 5 vdc is sitting there just laughing at me. It will cause a big problem, farther along my diagnostics. But now I am trying to get the fuel situation under control. Now I will throw in another possible problem, to complicate the 5 vdc on the fuel solenoid situation. If you remember I had posted a topic about the hood seal not sealing to the cab. Water comes into the mix of things. Thinking about popcorn, so I am.

So after thinking about fuel running out of first filter, there has got to be a air leak from the fuel pump, or near there. As the second filter is higher than the first filter. I already put new seals between the fuel pump housing and fuel filter base that is on the side of the fuel pump. I already removed the compucheck fitting from the filter base. That is where I plumbed the vacuum gauge in. Get my remote camera and look at the filter base that is on the side of the fuel pump. Look at where the filter seals to the base. Not looking good there. Just order a new base from Cummins. Get some fresh popcorn for tonight’s episode, Rick

Well now I went back to the fuel line thoughts. I stop at a local repair shop and purchased what new, original size fuel that they had. I had enough to get from the check valve (which now was holding fuel) at the top of the ecm, to the first filter in front of the steer tire. And enough to get back to the fuel filter on the fuel pump housing. With 16” left over. Bought new ferrels for the connections. The original nuts were longer than what was available locally. Put the new fuel lines on. Filled both filters. Started the truck. Ok watching the vacuum gauge, looking for fuel leaks. Just really checking things out. Hey now it is running and idling good. After a few minutes I rev it up. Darn thing starts to roll smoke again. It’s not as much, but wife looks really disgusted. Shut the engine down. Pull first filter off in front of passenger tire. By darn it is full of fuel. Then fuel runs out over the filter. That’s odd. How could that be. That takes some more thinking. Tighten all fittings that I have taken apart. Second filter that is on the pump housing is low on fuel? Think about that situation. And the vacuum gauge was sorta near where it should be. But that was at idle. I need a break from this thing.

I was hoping someone would have that answer to that voltage question. That is a interesting situation that I will explain later in this story.

Ok ok. Now how does the fuel solenoid have 5 volts on the wire from the ecm when the engine is turned off. This is on a Cummins N14, 1999 vintage. Remember this statement.