MAINTENANCE MATTERS

INSPECTING AND SERVICING YOUR AIR DRYER

Imagine you are in your coach, driving down the road. You step on the brake pedal and nothing happens. What would be the first thing to go through your mind? Chances are, you wouldn't be wondering, "Have I checked my air dryer recently?" Nevertheless, the air system is one of a coach's most important systems, and the air dryer is among its most important components. Without it, you will get water in your system, which will corrode components and freeze into solid plugs in cold weather, blocking the air system. The good news is, daily and periodic maintenance is as simple as it is effective.

Some things that might affect the amount of moisture in your system

• Outside air source used to fill your system.
• High air usage.
• System air leakage.
• In areas where there is more than a 30-degree temperature range in one day, small amounts of water can condense in the air system. This is normal and should not be considered as a sign that the dryer is not working properly.

Daily maintenance

• Drain all tanks to see if moisture is present.

Every 900 hours, 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) or 3 months

• Inspect for leaks.
• Check air dryer heater connections for correct voltage and corrosion of the connectors.
• If you have a boot heater for the air inlet to your air dryer, check the voltage and connections to the heater.
• Check the mounting bolts for tightness. Retorque them to 270-385 inch pounds(30.5 to 43.4 N-m).
• Perform the operation and leakage tests covered in section 4 of your maintenance manual.

Every 10,800 hours, 300,000 miles (482,803 kilometers) or 36 months

• Rebuild the air dryer and replace the desiccant cartridge.