Problem with Emergency Air Brake System

[MikeandClaudia]

1999 Dutchstar 300 Cat engine Freightliner Chassis
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I have begun having problems with the "chime" on my emergency air brake system. After I have been running for 2 -- 3 hours it will begin chiming softly. The air pressure is right on, the idiot light for the brake is NOT on. Just the chime going off. I can stop, put the tranny in neutral, put the emergency brake on, shift back into drive, take the emergency brake off, and many times the chiming will stop. Other times I have to turn off the engine for 5 -- 10 minutes and it will go off.

It drives my DW bonkers! She is afraid the MH is going to blow up.

I have just to continued to drive and the sound will sometimes continue; sometimes it will stop; sometimes it will get louder, then softer.

Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone have any any simple solutions??

Thanks in advance!!

MW

[CyberVet65]

I have the same problem on the 99 HR Endeavor. I have been told that there is a sensor switch that is going bad. To bypass the "chimes" remove the two wires and wrap them together.
Chet

[Gary RVRoamer]

Are you sure the chime indicates a park brake problem (real or false)? In many rigs, the chime will also sound if it thinks there is some other small problem that needs your attention. For example, mine chimes if the check engine light comes on for any reason, just to direct my attention to the dashboard.

[J Walker]

If the light on your dash doesn't come on but the chime does come it it is a little problematic to deduce what the chime means. It still might be the emergency brake but troubleshooting might get difficult until you can isolate it somehow. Try some experiments and be sure what causes what.

[MikeandClaudia]

I talked to my mechanic and he said that it was probably the electrical connections on the "Emergency Air Brake" switch.

He indicated that after a while the connections go bad and give a false alarm. He said that there are 3 or 4 different ones, but that he probably have the right one in stock.

I didn't ask and he didn't say if they were solid gold or just gold plated.

--------Price wise that is.

[bldrbob]

My 2000 Tradewinds started doing the same thing.I found the chime and unplugged it.Do you know where the switch is located?
BOB

[Fred Cooper]

I shamelessly copied this from another forum, but I think it answers your question about the location of the low air pressure switch on the freightliner chassis.

Also, there are probably four switches under your brake pedal, two low air warning switches and two brake light switches (one of each for each air system), the two types of switches should be wired in parallel, so that either air system can activate the appropraite light or warning buzzer. The low air switches are usually rectangular and much smaller than the brake light switches. The brake light switches are most likely to look like round canisters threaded into the bottom of the foot valve with wires attached.

I hope this helps.