SuperNova at 33000 miles

[Texas TC]

I turned 33000 miles just a few miles out of Dallas on our way to Phoenix to visit the kids and grands. This is a trip we have made three times. However, as we arrived at our destination today, I have some interesting events to report.

For some reason, the engine got much quieter at this new mileage milestone. Also, we were able to climb the grades with greater ease than on our previous trips while towing our Jeep Wrangler.

I am relatively new to diesels. This is my second diesel coach but the first one with this many miles on it. I have always heard that diesel engines need more time to break in than their gasoline counterparts. I now am a believer.

As much as I think the DT466 would be nice to have in the SuperNova, I am very pleased at how my VT365 is running after actually putting some miles on it.

I tend to cruise at 70-75 on the interstate. My GPS said we got to 81 today and I really do not know when that occurred. I just set back and enjoyed the 1100 miles I drove in the past two days.

[RedRocker]

If things get quieter around me, I usually suspect I'm just
getting a bit more deaf. :D

[Texas TC]

You may have a point, I'm turning 62 this year so hearing may be one of the things that is going!

[RayChez1]

The answer to the original post is YES, it takes about that many miles for a diesel to break in. I notice it on my Caterpillar engine that it started running smoother when it hit around 35K miles.
I notice that you drive pretty fast. I hope you are not towing a toad when you drive that fast in California. Speed limit here towing is 55 and those highway patrols are constantly checking speeders. :roll:

[Texas TC]

Thanks for the reply. I really like the new found power and quieter engine.

[RedRocker]

I'll be 62 tomorrow, headed to Moab Wednesday, you going?

[Texas TC]

It has been a year since I started this original thread. We just returned from our February trip to Arizona and I turned 45,000 miles on this trip. As most of you know, I lost four injectors last April and have been using diesel fuel additives ever since that event. I must say the engine seems to be getting stronger as the miles mount up and, knock on wood, I have not experienced any more injector issues. If that pesky glow plug controller unit will keep working, I hope to report next year, at approximately 57,000 miles, that I have had a complete year without any engine issues!

The longer I own this coach, the better I like it. I hope that continues to be the case.

Happy traveling,

TxTC

[RedRocker]

Good to see you're still rolling, thanks for the update.

[PieEye]

I haven?t been on here in a while. but am glad to hear your still going strong.

I lost 2 injectors on a trip out to Colorado last year which had the coach in the shop for a whole week. luckily we were able to come up with alternate transportation and lodging plans. Then on the way home I had the turbo exhaust gas sensor throw a code and shut the turbo down. eventually it reset and I was able to limp home. Had that taken care of and its been running pretty good until this last weekend.

I had one instance where it didn?t want to start....just cranking over and over. Took half a dozen tries and it finally turned over, ran rough for a bit and then smoothed out. I'm thinking that might be the glow plug controller issue. It ran fine for the 500 mile trip home. Then just as I came coasting around the corning into the development it just shut off. No warning, no buzzers, just shut off. Like someone turned the key off. Came to a stop, put it in neutral and it started right back up. Got home and let it sit in the driveway idling for a while and it did it again, just shut off. This time I noticed "Warn Eng" on the dash.

Anyone run into anything like this before? I just turned about 26000 miles on the 09 6400 and guess its time for another trip into International.

[Georunner]

Something very similar happend to us last year, in the middle of Wyoming. It turned out to be a fuse, on top of the battery, that broke. This fuse shut down communication between the computer and the transmission, so the engine shut down. Counting tow and time in the shop, at $1.50 part cost over $800. Good Sam roadside service and an extended warranty plan save the day for sure.

[RayChez1]

I don't have a Nova, but I had something like that a few years back in Baker, California. We had pulled over and parked for the night because of high winds. Next day the coach would start and then it seemed like somebody would turn the switch off. I started to roll and again it seemed like the switch would turn the engine off. So I took the switch off the dash and noticed that the back end of the switch was spread out about 1/8 inch. I pushed it back to a tight fit and it just so happened that I had some thin wire and I tied it together real tight. It started right away and I have not even bothered to buy another switch. It has worked perfect with the problem never coming back. :wink:

[Texas TC]

Because of Goe's post last year, I started carrying an extra really large fuse that fits the fuse case over the battery. I have not needed to use it yet but better to be safe than sorry.

[michaelmangine]

i also had that fuse blow i think it's a 20 or 30 amp fuse that powers the ecm computer from what my mechanic told me they recalled all the bus chassis for that fuse but nothing else, i also just turned 33,000 and am waiting for a difference in the engine, we'll see were leaving for Dayton,Fla Thursday.