Aircraft pilots call them "gremlins" and I got one or two....

Company truck, 06 Intnl 9200i CAT C-13 10spd..

This started out when pulling our 6-10yr old Fontaine flatbeds:
1. After a short period of time, the following lights would begin to 'blink' - from slow to fast and sometimes just shut down completely:
A. Tractor: Dash lights, marker lamps, tail lights and front turn signal lights.
B. Trailer: Side and rear turn signal lamps, rear marker lamps, rear side marker lamps.. But NOT the front amber marker lamps!

Running down the road I discovered two ways to stop the Blink - might last from 2 minutes to 4 hours:
1. Leaving the headlamp switch on - hit the All Kill position on the Marker Lamps switch and hold it down for 30sec. (Any time less didn't do squat.) Then flip the Marker Lamps back on.
2. Much later on in this nightmare I discovered that turning the Panel Dimmer Switch completely down (off) would stop the blinking - although I was left with no dash panel lights.... After 30sec or more and back on - about the same result. May be 2 min to 4 hr before the Blink came back.

Notes: I have replaced the Headlamp Switch & the Marker Lamp Switch. Made no difference.. After consistent blinking with the older trailers, the problem now occurs occasionally with our newer trailers, even Brand New Danes and Fontaines both.
My company Shop personnel are bumfuzzled. My local International dealer is bumfuzzled.. There are no reports of any of our other 06 9200i's having this problem.

Any suggestions?

The company/ freight situation is such that they're reluctant to pull a '5yr driver' off line to have a truck sitting in some shop where No One wants to deal with an electrical problem (gremlin) especially since I have a method of overcoming a complete lighting failure thus far.
I'd give my left nut for a factory Wiring Diagram but the company has a distinct fear of a driver having such knowledge in his possession..... matter o fact, my terminal shop is having undue trouble getting a schematic from the HQ. Go figure.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

You might try going to your local International dealer and see if they can print a schematic off for you. You might also go to the Navistar website and see if they have one that can be downloaded. It may be a sensor. One thing that comes to mind is to take a battery cable loose for a few seconds and reconnect it. Perhaps it will reset your computer. I don't know that the problem is your ECM, but it is worth a try.

 

Does it do it without a trailer? It sounds like a dead short heating up a breaker. Are these trailers ABS equipped? If so make sure the module is working correctly. IH went to multiplexed wiring if I'm not mistaken so I would get them to check that also. Good luck it sounds like a good time to leave it at the shop and tell them "Call me when it's fixed!"

 

Thank you for the response, sir. At my local Dealership I was hit with the same issue I found with Mack when we ran CX613s.. In a Fleet Situation such as ours the boys behind the counter are anal about having the "Line Set Ticket #", being the Specifications assigned to the fleet purchase units when ordered by the Company HQ.
This is "guarded information" denied to mere Drivers by company personnel... They know what you can do with that data - and they don't want you in possession of that data. You know from experience -> it only takes one driver fiddling around with a Company Truck (successfully or otherwise) to cause those pervasive Company Policies that bedevil the competent and incompetent alike...
At least with Mack I developed a relationship with one o the Olde Hands behind the Parts Counter whom drew forth a generic GSO # - with which I was able to acquire the full Shop Manual series for my CX along with the full electrical schematics that saved my cookies out in the bush in the middle o the night time after time...
I have not yet had the opportunity to develop a similar relationship here locally with International in TX. The fleet was purchased thru a dealership in Mississippi... And they're on Notice concerning inquiries such as mine.
Indeed: the IH website was the first place I went... and their Inquery Format requires not only the Line Set Ticket # but also the Co Name and your Authority to request... Even if I 'hash' thru that, my Visa # would be on record.
No Joy.


One of many.. or one of several Voltage Regulators now inter-associated with the plethora of sensors. Oh for the good old days and a single bag of hand tools. ; )

The batteries (3) have been changed out recently with no change in the prob.. The ECM was "flashed" recently also, with no improvement.

For the moment I am delayed in my pursuit.. but I remain undaunted. :thumbsup: Many thanks for your response, sir. Deeply appreciated.

 

No, sir... Trailers only.

Dead short or at least a bad/ corroded connex, possibly in the Ground circuit which seems to present the most probs on the older trailers (that spend a good deal o time along the Gulf Coast.) All circuit breakers associated with the lights affected have been replaced, with one 'boosted' from a 5A to a 10A breaker with no change. No breakers have tripped in relation to the prob..
ABS!? Oh Lordy. Our ABS situation is bad - faulty modules, wiring harnesses, (miscommunications between our specs/ tractors and the Mfrs), plus the Corrosion Factor... plus hard headed shop personnel.. ; )
I do indeed suspect possible ABS involvement. But getting the schematics on any of the ABS circuits is as big a hickey as my above-posted issues with getting IH Manuals...

Multiplexed is correct. And one major reason I'm seeking to acquire manuals & schematics on the truck is the apparent lack o same in our own terminal Shop, (ie: they're not showing their cards and they know what I want...). If I had the dope, I'd be willing to share it for the good o the whole.
As I posted originally, my shop here has indicated to me sufficiently that they have no idea where to start and Don't Want To. :roll: That's warning enough for Me. As for going to a Dealership, once it was discovered that I found a workaround for the time being - there's a profound hesitation to get me 'worked in' for an unknown amount o Downtime.. coupled with my need to "get while the getting's good" out on the pavement.

Rest assured - if the whole thing goes Bloooey or becomes otherwise unsafe, you betcha I will Park It and get medieval. :thumbsup:
Until then, if this gig was easy - they wouldn't need Us.

Many thanks for the response.

For the benefit of others in similar distress, I will keep any news posted..
Surely this can't be that isolated a problem out there! LOL

 

How about a weak relay in the fuse box, change out the relay with a new one or switch it out with another.

Next time they start blinking, park and shut the truck off, sometimes you can hear a relay working...

 

Thanks, Colt. I forgot to mention that I changed out the two Relays on the circuits the Breaker Diagram (in glove box) shows for the only two circuits with the problem, this was early on in the game.. To be safe, I used the same amperage ratings of the originals.
I keep spare Relays in my kit for the different amperage used on this unit.
I'll try your recommendation as soon as the thing starts it up again!

 

The problem is likely that the trailers have L.E.D. lights, the truck thinks there is a light out on the trailer because there isn't enough amperage draw. My 2003 IHC had the same problem until the local dealer reprogramed the computer.

 

I have also had problems with the leds tricking out the computer. It seems like every innovation has its drawbacks.
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Truck Accident

 

At long last - the Problem has been resolved. As a Skateboarder, I run a set o 24" Veeboards.com plastic corner protectors that I keep stacked in the Pilotside Cubby. Recently I had the need to use the whole set on a load. With the veeboards out of the way, the backside of the truck's Trailer Connector was exposed with part of the interior 'carpeting' hanging down and I happened to see exposed copper showing on one o the leads..
Long story short: The veeboards had been rubbing the leads going into the Connector with the Ground Wire getting loosened up. Had to pull the Connector out completely from the back o the Sleeper to get at the wires but after re-inserting and tightening down All Leads at the plug - the Problem has Stopped! And Hallelujah.
No gremlin, just simple physics/ mechanics..

Many thanks to all whom responded. It's the true value of this Forum.

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