Fleet Maintenance - 20

Ü Low or excessive engine oil pressure
Ü Excessive engine crankcase pressure
Of course, the issue could simply be a faulty
compressor. However, RP 630 points out that the
major cause of excessive oil consumption and
premature failure is high compressor duty cycle
caused by air system leaks. Vehicle system leakage should not exceed industry standards of 1 psi
pressure drop per minute without brakes applied,
and 3 psi with brakes applied. Read more about
how to test for leaks in a truck's air brake system at
VehicleServicePros.com/21029326.

» Lines are used to supply a
trailer with air to operate
its braking system,
allowing air to flow
from the tractor's
air tanks through a
gladhand and into the trailer's
tanks. For added reliability
and corrosion resistance,
gladhands should be powdercoated
or anodized. Pictured is the Qwik-E
Gladhand from Phillips Industries,
which features an anodized housing.
Photo courtesy of Phillips Industries

Dealing with system leaks

According to Phillips Industries' Mead, fleets
should visually inspect air lines, especially during
pre- and post-trip inspections. These lines can
crack, chafe, or become loose due to vibrations,
all of which can cause air leaks.
Vigilant inspections can help catch problems
early. Smart specification can help avoid problems in the first place. Mead says fleets should
choose air lines that have ultra-protective jacketing that offers enhanced abrasion, cracking,
and chemical resistance.
In addition, Mead says something as simple as
proper support placement for cables helps ensure
the life of both cables and cable support springs.
"Ensure that your [cable] support mechanism
is placed to allow full working length of coiled
air lines, as well as to prevent cable damage from
wrapped straight air lines and over-stretching of
the support springs," Mead adds.
Telematics and diagnostics can also assist
with leak detection and overall air system maintenance. For instance, Cojali, a European-based
company, has developed a pneumatic braking
system with electronic control. A roll stability program (RSP), developed for towed vehicles, incorporates constant monitoring of the
system's activity. The algorithms integrated in

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20 Fleet Maintenance | August 2019

» Redline's Air Brake NanoLeak Finder features
patent-pending technology that creates a
unique vapor that is injected into the vehicle's
air system. Technicians can connect the
NanoLeak Finder to a truck's air system to run
an automatic, 15-minute pass/fail check.
Photo courtesy of Redline Detection

the diagnostic system allow fleets to determine
faults in the early stages - such as air leaks. The
RSP system also incorporates the onboard data
recorder (ODR) functionality. ODR allows fleets
to see how the system is being used in order to
better schedule maintenance.
Despite all of these preventive efforts, there is
still a chance leaks will occur. Air brake system
leaks can occur at all connections, valves, gaskets,
and fittings.
"Sometimes a leak is inevitable because materials naturally wear down over the course of a vehicle's lifetime," says Jack Kelly, vertical marketing
strategist for Tracer Products, a manufacturer of
automotive leak detection products.
"The problem with air systems today is that
many manufacturers have gone to plastic
hosing and quick couplers," adds Mark Hawkins,
manager of technical solutions for Redline
Detection, a manufacturer of diagnostic leak
detection equipment. "This has devastated the
repair of the system because there are more
joints, and thus, more leak points."
Those plastic components can also get shaken
loose when a truck travels down the road. This
can cause small leaks to emerge - and existing
small leaks to turn into big ones. That said, it's
the little leaks that often cause issues for a fleet.
"It's not too often when there is one major
leak that a technician can hear," Hawkins says.
"There are often three, four, or five smaller leak
points that add up to a big problem. Technicians
often don't know where to look. They remember
a previous repair they did and check there. But
» Ultrasonic leak detection tools, such as the
TP-9637L Marksman II from Tracer Products,
convert inaudible sound into a natural,
audible sound the human ear can identify.
Photo courtesy of Tracer Products

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Fleet Maintenance

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fleet Maintenance