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07-16-2015, 05:41 PM
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#1
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Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 62
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Airbag Alarms
After starting my Avalanche out of the Barn for a trip, I got a Front Air Bag alarm on my Dashboard. The front airbag is only filling to about 50 PSI. How serious might this be and can it still be driven on a short run. ?
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Wayne & Pat White
Salem, Oregon
05' Avalanche 400 & 02' Grand Vitara Toad
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07-16-2015, 09:10 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Powell River, B.C.
Posts: 31,311
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Front air bag ??
Do you mean front air tank, with the gauge showing only 50 PSI.?
And a low air alarm sounding.
If your air suspension system takes it's supply from the front tank and has a leak big enough that the air pressure won't build and raise the coach, you could have issues with clearances turning, or the drive shaft angle, binding the U joints. You also run the risk of completely running out of air and having the park brakes automatically apply , stopping you on the road.
There is a slight possibility that you have a suspension dump valve stuck open , have you tried , a complete air suspension dump and restarting the coach, to see if it could stop leaking on a re-start.
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99DSDP 3884, Freightliner, XC, CAT 3126B, 300 HP /ALLISON 3060
2000 Caravan toad, Remco & Blue Ox.
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07-16-2015, 09:10 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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If only the front bags are low, you could drive slowly to a shop. If the rear bags are low, your drive shaft would be out of alignment and would put a strain on the U-joints. Just make sure your air pressures stay up to give you braking. You might look underneath and see if you can see a torn bag or leaking air hose before moving it. Air up then look under. If you have leveling jacks, put them down and raise the frame a bit, even better if you have proper jack stands or wood blocks to raise it up.
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Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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07-17-2015, 07:12 AM
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#4
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Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 62
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Thanks for the feedback...looks like I'll cancel the trip for now.
( I started the Coach this morning and stepped out to watch it and it looks like it raised the front like it always does...Now, I'm totally confused!)
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Wayne & Pat White
Salem, Oregon
05' Avalanche 400 & 02' Grand Vitara Toad
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07-17-2015, 08:11 AM
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#5
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Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 62
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...And the warning Beeper stills yells at me !
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Wayne & Pat White
Salem, Oregon
05' Avalanche 400 & 02' Grand Vitara Toad
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07-17-2015, 08:32 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,396
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As you probably know, very few of the Avalanche models made it to the market, so the vast majority of Alpine onwers on this forum are unfamiliar with many features of your coach. As a minimum, you coach has air brakes and air bag leveling--I believe. Agree, with previous posts, sounds like an air leak near/around the front bag leveling or dump valves--assume back bags/air tank is filling completely?
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Old Scout
2015 IH45 Foretravel
2003 Alpine 40' MDTS [Sold]
New Braunfels, Texas
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07-17-2015, 10:18 AM
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#7
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Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 62
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Old Scout, According to my Owner's Manual, My Avalanche has "Air-Assisted Hydraulic Brakes" ??? . I watched from outside of the Coach while it was rising and the front looks like it is all the way up as usual but the Gauge says it is at 50 psi and the alarm is beeping. I don't know what to think ! The Coach has a NEWAY Suspension System.
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Wayne & Pat White
Salem, Oregon
05' Avalanche 400 & 02' Grand Vitara Toad
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07-17-2015, 10:26 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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50 lbs should be enough to give braking a few times, but pumping the tredal for a couple of applications of the brake could bleed you down far enough to have the parking brake automatically apply. You probably have at least 2 air pressure gauges, are they both reading the same? After airing up, turn off the engine and listen for leaking air and watch how long it takes for pressure to drop. That will give an indication if it's a serious leak or possibly just a faulty alarm.
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Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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07-17-2015, 11:10 AM
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#9
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Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 62
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Bob, I raised the Coach and checked it about 2 hours later and it was still up. The Gauges show 50psi in the Front and almost 150psi in the rear. And, when I Dump the air it still shows 50 and 150 on the gauges when I turn the key on again.
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Wayne & Pat White
Salem, Oregon
05' Avalanche 400 & 02' Grand Vitara Toad
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07-17-2015, 04:16 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,396
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Believe the brakes in front are air over hydraulic disc and the rear are traditional air and brake drums with two reserve tanks, one front and one in the rear......Think Bob is on to it--first concern would be that engine compressor isnt pumping up to "full" but rear tank gauge suggests it is--good news...
Like most Alpines, I have to assume parking brake is controlled by your rear reserve tank so activation of parking brake is probably not an issue.
If compressor is keeping rear tank "full" and bags are inflating in the front, am starting to believe there is a gauge issue with the front tank-- fact that front gauge doesnt go above 50 psi but then doesnt drop to 0 after engine is shut down doesnt compute.
Think I would assure myself that leveling and air bag dump valves [two of each on front axle] are not leaking, then I'd focus on a faulty front air gauge.....suspect gauge and low air alarm are connected/related......
PS--as name suggests, believe reserve tanks hold air after bags are dumped so 150 psi remaining in rear tank makes sense.
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Old Scout
2015 IH45 Foretravel
2003 Alpine 40' MDTS [Sold]
New Braunfels, Texas
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07-17-2015, 05:26 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7,868
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Not familiar with an air over hydraulic on Alpines.
Most common was hydraulic over hydraulic.
Though the few air brake coaches were standard air (air only) brakes.
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07-17-2015, 06:15 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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I agree with Old Scout, sounds like a bad gauge/alarm. Dumping the air bags shouldn't bleed all the air from the tanks. Did you listen for hissing from underneath after shutting down engine?
Typically air-over-hydraulic brakes are used in the case of disk brakes, the air adds pressure to the brake fluid, much the way vacuum boost works in vehicles. My '98 Spartan chassis has 4 disk brakes with air-over-hydraulic.
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Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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07-18-2015, 08:21 AM
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#13
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Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 62
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Thanks to all of you for the comments. I have an Appointment at Brattain International in Albany Tuesday so it will get checked out and fixed. As usual, the great folks at Irv2 have been very helpful...Thanks Again.
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Wayne & Pat White
Salem, Oregon
05' Avalanche 400 & 02' Grand Vitara Toad
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