Born Free won't start

[Bonnie McDowell]

I went out for one of my routine starts over the winter, and while the battery tried, the engine wouldn't turn over. I thought maybe I had just let it go too long between starts. Last week my friend came over and charged up the battery, and still no go. He said he thinks it may be the cam sensor? Any thoughts?

[Roger H]

Can you be a little more descriptive please? What does "the battery tried" mean?

What's it actually doing? Is it making any kind of noise when you hit the key? How old is your starter battery? Have you had it checked recently?

If you're hearing a clicking noise but the engine won't turn over, the first thing I'd check would be the battery cables and battery terminals. It's likely that they've corroded enough that you're not getting enough juice to the starter. Often, removing the battery cables and cleaning both the cable ends and the battery terminals will fix that problem. And don't be misled if you don't see obvious signs of corrosion; there may not be anything noticeable, but remove them and clean them anyway and see what happens.

That's a free and relatively easy thing to check first.

Next on the hit parade would be a load test on the battery. You may have one or more cells that have sulfated out and the battery just can't provide enough juice any more. If it's sulfated out, you'll need to replace the battery.

My guess is that one of those two things will fix it.

[tomzleapin]

Another possibility is the fuel pump. When my fuel pump failed the engine would crank but would not fire. Replacing it requires dropping the fuel tank since the pump is inside the tank.

[whemme]

If in fact your engine is not turning over as you say but you can hear a clicking noise when the ignition switch is turned to the start position, I would suspect a bad starter. If the engine is turning over when trying to start it but it never fires, then the electric fuel pump inside the tank would be the probable problem.

[Bonnie McDowell]

Battery sounded as though the engine should be starting this winter, but it wouldn't. Normal sound of battery trying to start the engine, but it got weaker after I tried 3 or 4 times without luck. So I had my friend (who works on and restores cars), come put on a battery charger this spring to be sure it was fully charged (battery is less than 2 years old). He said engine should be starting, but just won't.

[whemme]

Bonnie,

Please verify whether the engine is turning over (cranking) or not during your starting attempts. Your statement - Battery sounded as though the engine should be starting this winter, but it wouldn't. - is confusing because the battery does not normally ever generate a sound.

[Bonnie McDowell]

It sounds totally normal when I turn the key, engines cranks but does not "start."

[Roger H]

Ok, does it crank strongly or tend to go much more slowly after a couple of spins?

I'm still trying to determine whether it's electrical or fuel-related.

Is it stored outside or in a barn somewhere? Are there any signs of twigs, dried grass, or other signs of squirrel or rodent activity on the engine, in the engine compartment, or up in the frame underneath the coach near the transmission or fuel tank?

Squirrels and mice love wiring insulation to chew on. If you don't see any evidence of rodent or squirrel activity, and the engine spins strongly without laboring (indicating a bad battery or bad connections) the next thing to check would be the fuel pump relay and fuse. They're in the fuse box under the hood, and should be clearly marked on the lid (or use your owner's manual)

If you don't see signs of rodent activity on your engine or frame, your battery is good, your battery terminals and cable ends are clean, and your fuel pump fuse and relay are good, you've done about as much as you can do on your own. It'll be time to call a mechanic.

[whemme]

OK since your engine is cranking when trying to start it but it won't fire, it could be a defective electric fuel pump in the tank. If as Roger has stated you check the rule pump fuse and find it OK, the next step I would recommend is that you have someone climb under your coach and put an ear near the fuel tank. With the ignition switch in the run position but not the start position, the person listening near the fuel tank should be able to hear the fuel pump pumping. If no pumping sound is heard, it is time to have your coach towed to a repair facility as under the described conditions, the problem is most likely a defective fuel pump.

[bcope01]

My 2¢: replace the battery. Sounds like it has an internal short in one or more cells since it is running down so quickly. Any battery can fail, even if only two years old.

Bill

[David and Susan Bratt]

Sounds like our problems. In Oct we had to replace the fuel pump. In February Rover would not start again and we had a loose wire from the starter to the engine.

[jobrien]

Would attempting to start it off the house batteries accomplish anything?

When I had issues with my battery I would jump it off the house battery and it would start. The battery was replaced and the problem was fixed.

[Bonnie McDowell]

I don't think starting off the house batteries is an option in a 2002 BF.

[jobrien]

If you have a house battery and a jumper cable long enough to reach, it's possible

[Roger H]

Any idea what's going on yet, Bonnie?