dandick66

Jim, More than likely, that is actually a TE connector. I believe the style is Mate N Lock. They used to be AMP, then TYCO (just name changes). If you look at Monaco drawings, most of them show an “X pin AMP connector”. Go to “te.com”. The website isn’t too bad. You can look up the style and number of pins/connectors. I believe they even have ones with pigtails. They also have drawings with plug dimension dimensions. If you have the patience, you can try to “chat” or call them for help in identifying the connector.

You might want to call Directv support and talk to them. Be prepared for a run around asking you to check everything under the sun. You need to get the issue escalated to the department that has a higher level of support. Tell them you’re trying to find out if they’ve made programming changes in the last 3 months that would affect your unit. Also, you might want to try googling the problem you’re experiencing. There are a few forums that deal with Directv and Dish problems. I think 1 of the is Satguys.

Another option is to try filling the tank from an external source. If you have a leak you will definitely hear it. Sometimes trying to hear a leak with the engine running can be difficult. Based on your description - front tank sits at zero and rear tank toggles from max to min - I’d say you might have 2 problems. 1) There is a massive leak in the front tank system, 2) Your PCCV(pressure control check valve) is defective. The way the system is supposed to work is the air goes from the compressor to the dryer to the wet tank. The wet tank supplies both the front and rear tanks. There is an internal check valve in the wet tank that connects to the front/dry tank. The check valve I mentioned is at the rear tank and it allows the air to flow from the wet tank to the rear tank. When the governor cuts out the compressor, the valve allows about 10 PSI to flow back to the wet tank and purges the air dryer. If the valve is defective, air will continue to flow from the rear tank to the wet tank and then the front/dry tank.

My 2012 Diplomat does not have an automatic entry light. I try to make a habit out of turning on the step lights when I leave the coach if I know I’ll be returning after dark. I did make a mod to the keyless entry. As others have mentioned, the porch light comes on when you unlock the door. I found the Trimark module under the dash and ran a wire to the map light wire on the headlight switch. Now, when I unlock the coach with the keyfob the porch light and map light (above driver seat) illuminate for about a minute. That gives me time to get inside and find the other overhead switches.

The date could be the the 15th day of 2004 if they are using a Julian calendar.

Glad you found it. It probably shorted the 12 volt signal to the antenna when the coax broke and blew the fuse.

I don’t know why the photo is so blurry. The fuse in question is number 8, 10 amp, marked “T-Stat, Sat PWR, TV Boost”. Look for a small fuse panel above drivers seat. It’s not in the FRB.

The fuse is probably not marked as “Winegard”. Here’s a photo from a schematic I had. It’s the same fuse that powers the thermostat. 10 amp

I’d do extensive troubleshooting before running a new cable. The problem could be elsewhere. Your amplifier might be bad, or it’s another cable inside the RV. There are a few splitters, etc. You should be able to locate the “coach side” of that cable on the amplifier. Disconnect it and run a new cable outside the coach up to the antenna. If everything works fine, then you know the existing cable is defective. If it still doesn’t work, then you need to start looking internally. I don’t know how many TVs you have, but you should check the coax connection on each one.

Here’s a picture of the connector on my 2012 Diplomat. It has both the 4 pin and 7 pin connections . I assume this was from the factory.

I had problems, too. Sometime late last year there some problems. For the longest time I wasn’t receiving the daily digest. I contacted Scotty and he said it was probably an Outlook / Hotmail issue. I went into my settings and made a rule that Bill D’s Monacoers emails were to be sent directly to my inbox. I haven’t had an issue since then.

Does anyone know where I might find the PPV in the attached photo. I know REV has it for $60, but I am not inclined to give them any money since they don’t support our models any longer. The valve is about 1 1/2 inches in height and 1 1/2 in diameter. It is marked “D11”. It looks very similar to the Hendrickson VS-38941. I tried to email Hendrickson, but they don’t allow “free email” addresses. First I’ve ever heard of that. I will try to call them on Monday.

Here is the AAR/Lessons Learned from my air leak debacle. I owe a world of thanks to Frank, Ben, Bill R, Jim J, Tom and everyone else who offered advice and encouragement. BLUF - Drain your air tanks periodically and perform the pre-trip brake test. Drain the wet tank first, then the front, then the rear. When you drain the wet tank, the front and rear tanks should hold their pressure. When you drain the front tank, the rear tank should hold pressure. Finally, drain the rear tank. Background - Coach is a 2012 Diplomat 43DFT. I purchased it in December 2017. This was my first diesel pusher and first time with air brakes. Ever since I’ve owned it I’ve noticed the air compressor cycle every 2 or 3 minutes while driving. I didn’t think anything about it because “it’s always done that”. The coach held air for at least a few days while parked. About 3 years ago I noticed the coach was losing all the air overnight. I went to a local bus garage and they said they’d look at it. They replaced 2 brake hoses (passenger side steer and driver side drive) and the governor. When I got it home it still lost air overnight. I decided to just live with it. In early May 2023 I decided I would try to see if I could find the source of the leak(s). I followed the pre-trip brake checklist - admittedly, this was the first time I did the checklist - and discovered problems with my tanks. With the help of Frank, Ben and Bill, I was able to determine that my shuttle valve and pressure control check valve (PCCV) were bad. I replaced the valves and still had problems. I found out the new PCCV was defective. The check valve portion was working, but it was not allowing the air back flow for regeneration. Ben suggested I put the old valve back in. So, back under the coach again… I put the old valve back in and the regeneration was working, but the check valve was still defective. I ordered another PCCV. At this point I also discovered I had a leaking spring brake hose. I had never before crawled under the coach with the wheels chocked and parking brake released. I could hear the hose leaking. I was so excited to find my problem, that I went and god a new hose made. When the replacement PCCV and new hose was installed everything appeared to be working properly, but I still had a leak with the parking brake off. I discovered the other spring brake hose was leaking, too. In my excitement I never thought about checking the second hose. I decided to check all the hoses. I had my son come over and apply the brakes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Both tag hoses were leaking as well as the passenger side drive hose and the driver side steer hose. So, that was 7 of the 8 hoses leaking in the past 3 years. I decided to also replace the 1 hose that wasn’t leaking. I figured it was going to leak soon. I replaced all the hoses and checked for leaks. Everything is working as it’s supposed to now. I have learned so much from this adventure. I wasn’t draining my tanks because I figured they were draining themselves. I discovered that wasn’t really the case. Just because they leak, doesn’t mean you’re getting the moisture out. Also, I looked at the pre-trip checklist but never actually performed it. I thought my brakes were working ok. Obviously, that was not the case. The reason I didn’t notice all of my hoses leaking is that when I did test them I always had the engine running. What was happening is the compressor would reach cut out pressure and then drop about 10 PSI for regeneration. When the brake pedal was pressed the pressure would drop to about 105 PSI at which point the compressor would engage and basically hold the pressure or slowly increase. It was just barely keeping up with the leaks. If I would have had the engine off, I would’ve have seen the steady decrease in pressure. Also, I never released the parking brake with the engine off. Again, had I done that I would have seen (or heard) the decrease in pressure. Once again, thanks to everyone who helped me get this fixed. I still have some cleanup to do, but otherwise I consider this case closed.

Ben, So sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is. Like others have said, take time to grieve. Enjoy the memories of your time together. Dan

Yes, the hoses are labeled DOT/J1402. They were Gates brand. I questioned it too, but I replaced the hoses today and am pleased to report that the leaks are fixed. I pulled the remaining 4 bad hoses and the 1 good hose and took them to a shop to get new hoses made. I replaced the hoses and then started the coach and let it build up pressure. Then I depressed the brake pedal for 2 minutes and there was no drop in pressure. After that I left the parking brake disengaged for 30 minutes and there was no drop in pressure. Thank you for all the help in solving this problem. I learned a lot. I will post a detailed “Lessons Learned “ this weekend.

I replaced the spring brake hose and started the coach and let the pressure build up. Then I released the parking brake and noticed I was still losing pressure. So, back under the coach only to discover the other spring brake hose leaking. I should have checked both hoses initially, but I was so excited to find a leak that I didn’t think about it. I decided to check the other hoses, but had to wait for my son to come over so he could push the brake pedal. What a surprise. Both tags and the right front hose had leaks. I had 2 hoses replaced 3 years ago when I took it to a shop to try and find leaks. So, counting the hose I just replaced and the 2 that were replaced 3 years ago, that is a total of 7 bad hoses. I might as well replace the last hose, too. I wonder if there was a bad batch of hoses in 2012. I hope I have time to get the hoses off and new ones made tomorrow. Standby for updates…

Well, I got the valve reoriented today. I looked at pressures before draining the tanks to reposition the valve. It was still losing about 1 PSI per hour. I’ll install the new brake hose tomorrow and look at pressures before I start. I think I’m finally getting to the end of this project. I wonder if I should replace my PPVs based on the condition of the charging valve. Plus, they seem to be cutting out around 45 PSI instead of 65 PSI. Does that mean they are starting to fail/get weak? I looked online for this style PPV and can’t find them. I certainly don’t want to pay REV $61 each. I guess I could put “normal” PPVs in.

Sounds like you have a hose disconnected somewhere. The vacuum isn’t hard to remove. Try disconnecting the vacuum inlet hose and seeing if you have suction. If the vacuum doesn’t turn on, try removing it and opening it up. There’s a circuit board in there. Give the relay on the board a tap with a screwdriver handle. Sometimes they stick.

I didn’t get it plugged until this afternoon. I will see if it drops any overnight. One thing I noticed is my PPVs are different than the ones I’ve seen mentioned here. Here’s a screenshot from the REV website. I haven’t seen this type advertised before. Also, mine appear to drop out at about 45 PSI instead of 65.

I would think this valve, the PCCV would be installed the same way - pointing down. It makes sense. The theory of operation is similar, I think. The PPV only allows airflow above a certain PSI. The PCCV allows airflow one way until a certain pressure is reached, then turns into a check valve.

Jim, That’s interesting. The valve in the picture has a small piece of red plastic in the top. The new valve was open at the top. I emailed WABCO and they couldn’t tell me if the new valve was supposed to have the plastic piece or not. They did however, tell me it didn’t matter which way the valve was oriented. I can see that if the valve was mounted downwards, the water could not accumulate in the bottom. I think I’m going to reorient the one I just installed. Back under the coach tomorrow. I think I’m going to put a cooler under there…

I decided to not crawl under the coach too much today. I did pull the front tank PPV and put a plug in the tank. I let the pressure build up and I’ll see how it is in the morning. I did notice the coach squatting in the passenger rear. I sprayed around the Valid manifold, but didn’t see any signs of leaking. I’ll investigate it more later this week. I did do some failure analysis on the PCCV. I can see why the check valve part didn’t work. The spring actually broke in 2 places and there’s a lot of rust. I guess that proves that you should drain your tanks…

You got that right! I can’t wait to get this fixed…

Yes, that might be easier. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Ok. I’ll try that a little later today…