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WayneSD · 03-26-2013, 12:05 PM

I have a 2008 Winnibego Destination. We are having issues with the air pressure gauge. Driving down the road the air pressure gauge drops down and the low air pressure indicator light comes on and bells start ringing. Very annoying! I don't lose any air pressure just the guage drops off. After a few seconds the gauge comes back up and the bells stop ringing. This happens quite frequently. Any suggestions on how to fix this or where to look. Thanks.

Coaster1 · 03-26-2013, 12:50 PM

How do you know you haven't loss pressure? One or two gauges?

Mike Canter · 03-26-2013, 01:09 PM

My questions also.....how do you know you have air pressure? If you think that because the air brakes still work then you are gravely mistaken because they will work at low pressure BUT if it gets between 20 and 45 psi then the rear brakes are automatically going to come on suddenly and tight just likthe same as if you applied the parking brake. If anyone is behind you then they are going to run into the back of you or if in a curve then you are going off the road.

Coaster1 · 03-26-2013, 02:31 PM

I think I need to explain my question so it does not seem so terse. In over 40 years of coast to coast driving an eighteen wheeler, this has happened to me on a couple of occasions. In all cases the gauge and alarm was right. It took a low of between 20 and 25 lbs. to lock the maxi brakes, but indeed they did lock! Luckily, in all occasions the trailer locked first allowing me to come to a tire smoking, tire squealing stop, fish tailing stop.

On two of these situations it was a result of a frozen regulator on the compressor. The rest were and air leak that could not be overcome by the compressor and my failure to observe the gauges before the alarms activated. Since then, and its been a long time, I include all the gauges in my routine scan. Even though the air gauges are in a tough situation to see.

Wayne M · 03-26-2013, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayneSD

I have a 2008 Winnibego Destination. We are having issues with the air pressure gauge. Driving down the road the air pressure gauge drops down and the low air pressure indicator light comes on and bells start ringing. Very annoying! I don't lose any air pressure just the guage drops off. After a few seconds the gauge comes back up and the bells stop ringing. This happens quite frequently. Any suggestions on how to fix this or where to look. Thanks.

Hi from another Wayne. Why is it us Wayne's buy stuff that breaks.

You leak is worse than what mine was. There "was" a known problem in 2008 with the Freightliner chassis and air gauges. If you look under the dash, listen with your good ear and see if you can hear a hiss. You can do this with the motor off and the pressure up. The problem was with the gauges themselves having a leak. FL replaced mine under warranty, but they may also replace yours since it was a known issue.

With my hearing, I could not hear the hiss, but DW heard it one day and asked what it was. I asked her where it was coming from and all she could indicate was under the dash. Another RV with knowledge of such things crawled under there and found it was coming from the vicinity of the air pressure gauges. Mine was not as bad as you have indicated in that my pump was able to keep it up to 125. It was a "slow" leak.

Give it a check.

OR, it could be a leak somewhere else in the system and you just have to "ear" trouble shoot it.

Happy trails.

WayneSD · 03-26-2013, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coaster1

I think I need to explain my question so it does not seem so terse. In over 40 years of coast to coast driving an eighteen wheeler, this has happened to me on a couple of occasions. In all cases the gauge and alarm was right. It took a low of between 20 and 25 lbs. to lock the maxi brakes, but indeed they did lock! Luckily, in all occasions the trailer locked first allowing me to come to a tire smoking, tire squealing stop, fish tailing stop.

On two of these situations it was a result of a frozen regulator on the compressor. The rest were and air leak that could not be overcome by the compressor and my failure to observe the gauges before the alarms activated. Since then, and its been a long time, I include all the gauges in my routine scan. Even though the air gauges are in a tough situation to see.

I am also a truck driver of 20+ years. I know I am not loosing air, I think it is possibly a computer thing. I have two gauages sometimes one will instantly drop to nothing then the other, then they come back up just as quick. Then the low air buzzer quits, then a few minutes later it does the same thing.

Fred Cooper · 03-26-2013, 09:06 PM

Your problem sounds like what I experienced, and it was a failing sensor that detects the air pressure.

If your chassis is a Freightliner, give their help desk a call. It's free and they are very helpful. Have your vin number handy, and call 1 800 385-4357.

Fred