Diagnostics of a 09 387 Pete.

Hi we are new here and also new to Peterbilt trucks. Had our 387 less than a year. First question I have is about the Peterbilt diagnostic software capability. When the truck is hooked up to the " computer' does it have the ability to diagnose a blown fuse and isolate where that fuse is located in the truck?

Who is authorized to use / own this software and does it require specialized training from Peterbilt? Is there a DIY version available to the average O/O?

I am looking for any and all input as it has just cost us a over 1400.00 to diagnose and replace a 13.00 fuse. I am looking for answers from anyone who has solid information on how the Peterbilt equipment works. Thanks in advance

 

We were stopped at a truck stop, went in a ate dinner but left the truck running. Came back out, shut down the truck and started up the APU. Everything went dead. We are in a part of the country where apparently there are NO diesel shops or mechanics that work past 6 at night so we went to a hotel for the night. Temp was -14 with wind chill. Next morning shop guys said they would put it on computer and figure it out. we described exactly what happened along with the verbiage that it was like a fuse blew or a breaker in a house flipped off. Friday night at five o'clock, they hand us a bill for 700.00 ( they are going home) and the truck is still not running. They don't know what is wrong with it. Called a tow truck (225.00) to go to another shop, cause the Freightliner dealer is backed up 17 trucks and can't get to us until next Wed and the Kenworth guy has to charge us time and a half for Sat but his guy is already booked and he can't get us in. Have the truck sent to a guy that Kenworth referred us to. also explained to them what happened and that ( again) it was like it blew a fuse or a breaker in a house popped. We are back in hotel, now up to 225.00 and by Sat night he calls and says its fixed. One 13.00 fuse later and another 706.00 bill, we have a running truck. We also lost our load in the process. I am furious as to how this can even be possible. We have been told that Cummins and Peterbilt have all this high tech diagnostic software and highly trained technicians that are trained to use it but no one can readily diagnose one dang blown fuse?? There is even more to this story that I won't go into here but you have the gist of what happened.

At this point I am trying to determine exactly what these high end computers do. We didn't just get repaired, we got raped. There has to be some way to circumvent this in the future without having to become a mechanic myself. I am angry at this entire chain of events and cannot imagine how the industry as a whole can justify or explain anyone having to pay over 1400.00 to diagnose and repair a blown fuse. To be fair, we were not and could not get to a Cummins shop ( they are closed on the weekends ) or a Peterbilt shop. Which is another rant... why do all these shops close at 5p.m and on weekends???? Aren't they a service industry? Shouldn't they be open when their customers are working. I don't suppose you know anyone who drives a truck after 6P.M. at night or on the weekends right??

 

The fuse ended up being on the the battery box. we didn't even know there were fuses in the battery box.

 

Yeah, I wish we had joined earlier as well. the first shop's computer showed an error code that translated to ECM and they told us that. Should that have alerted them that is was the ECM fuse at that point?

 

Thank you all for your replies. I know now that we are in good hands!!