[hbens]

That was a common fix for my old muscle car and many driving simulators from the 1960's. Unplugged connectors and disassembled things. Put them all back together without finding a definitive reason for the "no workie" situation and viola, it works again!

How many box tops for a decoder ring?

[Richard]

Sigh…..

This saga continues, and karma is on vacation. 15 miles after leaving the last campground, the demon returned. I was able to coast into a parking area. The reboot procedure was not effective this time. However, some quick persuasions with a percussive instrument (large screwdriver handle) and the beast came back to life. After all it is literally a sealed potentiometer, so it makes sense that the wiper may not be making contact with the windings. All was well for the next 150 miles, and we reached the campground in Tok with not a single issue.

Since I had ordered a spare and had it two day FedEx shipped to this campground, I was feeling pretty good about the situation. I inquired at the desk, the desk lady asked how it was shipped and gave me the ugly face when I said FedEx. She said it could be one to two weeks, maybe more. I have tried my best to track the package, and all I get from FedEx is that it has been in Anchorage since last Friday. No delivery scheduled. Another sigh……

Tok is the last stop before beginning the long and remote Alaska highway through Canada. It would not be a good move to drive into that wilderness with a known disabling problem. So we wait. So we drive the desk crazy asking about deliveries. And we order a second part delivered USPS. Who knows about it’s delivery.

The good news is that it’s been 50 and pouring rain since we have been here. Lots for me to do outside while we wait. Not!

Yes, I have checked with Napa. Yes, I have called the truck supply places in Anchorage and Fairbanks. They can get the part, but it has to be shipped from the lower 48. No, there is not a potentiometer in town that I could jury rig in an emergency.

I know that some of you would remove the one from your coach and send it to me. The problem is getting anything shipped to Tok AK.

So we wait. Patience is not my virtue.

I have a bunch of resistors as part of an Arduino kit. I wonder if I made a board I could have Rhonda move a jumper on the board while we drove. I can see it now. More Rhonda! Less Rhonda!

Travel, the journey is the adventure.

[Johnnyboy]

Another thing to check. 

I had a brake light pressure switch act up. The coach thought I was braking and I had no throttle.

[Jack Houpe]

I'm not sure if this will help but I removed a drive-by-wire system off a Ford truck I'd not certain but I believe it was mid 80s, I was going to use this on one of my car projects but never got around to it the question is do you have an auto parts store available? And if it is resistor or optical encoder. I'm doing this by speak text so please forgive me for any errors. You have internet so at least you have the ability to research.

[Richard]

Thanks for the suggestions. It is definitely resistor. It takes a 5VDC input. The ECM is looking for 0.5 to 4.5 VDC as the actuator rotates through it’s range. I have measured the resistance as I manually turn the actuator.

Napa is the only parts place within 200 miles. They can get it, but it will take 10 days. Ha.

Progress since this morning. I obtained a tele number for the contract company that ExLax uses to deliver out here. They have the package, said it would come tomorrow. We shall see, but at least, I talked to a person, and they acknowledged the existence of the package.

[ccjohnson]

As my Dad would say,"patience Richard, this too shall pass". One suggestion would be to try & find a salvage part in a truck wrecking yard or maybe just an old truck sitting unused in someone's field.

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the suggestions. It is definitely resistor. It takes a 5VDC input. The ECM is looking for 0.5 to 4.5 VDC as the actuator rotates through it’s range. I have measured the resistance as I manually turn the actuator.

Napa is the only parts place within 200 miles. They can get it, but it will take 10 days. Ha.

Progress since this morning. I obtained a tele number for the contract company that ExLax uses to deliver out here. They have the package, said it would come tomorrow. We shall see, but at least, I talked to a person, and they acknowledged the existence of the package.

Hate it when a little small electronic device takes everything down. I had this issue on one of my cars, it was the feedback wiper for the transmission selector. I disassembled it, cleaned the wiper paths, and bent the little springy arms to make better contact. Unfortunately that would be difficult to do with that little potentiometer. But maybe tear the old one apart to see what the failure mode is. 
Can you tell for sure it’s the potentiometer causing the issue, not wiring. Maybe something got jostled loose on those good Alaskan roads.

[Jack Houpe]

Well that's good news you're going to get your parts soon. When you get the new one installed you can take apart the old one to see what failed just for kicks.

[Richard]

One, there is nothing in Tok AK. Nothing. Salvage yards would be someone’s backyard. I found one abandoned Freightliner, but alas it has a Cummins engine. Not compatible.

The unit is sealed. My first step would have been to disassemble and diagnose. Disassembly in this case would be destructive beyond repair.

Alas, the part came, and it is installed.

On the road again………….Sing it Willie.

[Jack Houpe]

Awesome, thumbs up.