Draining Air Tanks

[eastern1]

I printed a very good article on the procedure for draining the air tanks on a Spartan chassis that read drain Silver lanyard first, red next and green last I believe. Don't have it here at the house so may have sequence mixed up. All I can find is 2 black lanyards in the wheel well of the passenger side. Can anyone provide any help with locating these drain lanyards? 2020 Newmar Ventana. If all I have are 2 lanyards does the sequence matter? One seems to be a little longer than the other. Thanks.

[Ray,IN]

Spartan DOT system isolation test (draining air tanks)





From the Spartan chassis service seminar:
Test Procedure:

1. With engine off, make sure both air gauges read 70 PSI or less. If they read higher, pump the brake pedal until the air pressure gauges read 70 PSI or less.
2. Start the engine and run at high idle (1,200 RPM or higher) until the Air Drier purges in the rear of the vehicle.
3. Turn the engine OFF, but leave the ignition switch ON so that the gauges are powered up and reading the air pressure.

In the following steps, pull each lanyard until the tank is empty and the hissing stops.

1. Pull the SILVER lanyard (wet tank). There should be no significant moisture and neither of the gauges should change.
2. Pull the GREEN lanyard (primary tank - rear air). There should be no significant moisture and one gauge should drop to zero.
3. Pull the RED lanyard (secondary tank - front air). There should be no significant moisture and both gauges should now be at zero.

[jwprosser]

So if I call the Silver color "Gray" then the process is alphabetical and makes it a little easier to remember.

[eastern1]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Spartan DOT system isolation test (draining air tanks)





From the Spartan chassis service seminar:
Test Procedure:

1. With engine off, make sure both air gauges read 70 PSI or less. If they read higher, pump the brake pedal until the air pressure gauges read 70 PSI or less.
2. Start the engine and run at high idle (1,200 RPM or higher) until the Air Drier purges in the rear of the vehicle.
3. Turn the engine OFF, but leave the ignition switch ON so that the gauges are powered up and reading the air pressure.

In the following steps, pull each lanyard until the tank is empty and the hissing stops.

1. Pull the SILVER lanyard (wet tank). There should be no significant moisture and neither of the gauges should change.
2. Pull the GREEN lanyard (primary tank - rear air). There should be no significant moisture and one gauge should drop to zero.
3. Pull the RED lanyard (secondary tank - front air). There should be no significant moisture and both gauges should now be at zero.

I understand the procedure but can't locate a silver, green and red lanyard? I see 2 black ones in the passenger side wheel well but that is all.

[jwprosser]

On my 2019 K2 they are in the rear compartment next to and a little behind the DEF tank - Batteries Fuel filters ect on the passenger side rear.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by eastern1

I understand the procedure but can't locate a silver, green and red lanyard? I see 2 black ones in the passenger side wheel well but that is all.

My chassis only has 2 lanyards/cables too. The manual drain for the wet tank does not have a cable attached, always wondered why. Every time I've been underneath I gently tilt the manual drain, never have seen any water expelled.
My cables are simply bare metal, looks like they were never color-coded. As a result I've never been able to go by the instructions.

MIne are just in front of LF wheel.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by jwprosser

So if I call the Silver color "Gray" then the process is alphabetical and makes it a little easier to remember.

Sounds like the paint on my MH, paint code calls it silver, looks gray to me.

[96 Wideglide]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

My chassis only has 2 lanyards/cables too. The manual drain for the wet tank does not have a cable attached, always wondered why. Every time I've been underneath I gently tilt the manual drain, never have seen any water expelled.
My cables are simply bare metal, looks like they were never color-coded. As a result I've never been able to go by the instructions.

MIne are just in front of LF wheel.

Is your wet tank drain in the generator compartment?

It usually is also the hookup for a tow truck to air up your suspension, and keep your parking brakes off.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide

Is your wet tank drain in the generator compartment?

It usually is also the hookup for a tow truck to air up your suspension, and keep your parking brakes off.

The wet tank drain lanyard is missing on my chassis. The wrecker driver unscrewed the automatic drain in the main tank to plumb air from the wrecker.

[eastern1]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

My chassis only has 2 lanyards/cables too. The manual drain for the wet tank does not have a cable attached, always wondered why. Every time I've been underneath I gently tilt the manual drain, never have seen any water expelled.
My cables are simply bare metal, looks like they were never color-coded. As a result I've never been able to go by the instructions.

MIne are just in front of LF wheel.

Thanks I will keep looking. Great set of instructions to follow and they could have started the procedure with something like this..."locate the 3 colored lanyards located in the...." but noooo. Send us on a seek mission.

[jwprosser]

Now that would take all the fun out of it and make it simple and easy to do!!! Think of all the good safe social interaction your getting ... its a bonus that Spartan includes at no additional charge... the only one!

Originally Posted by eastern1

Thanks I will keep looking. Great set of instructions to follow and they could have started the procedure with something like this..."locate the 3 colored lanyards located in the...." but noooo. Send us on a seek mission.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by jwprosser

Now that would take all the fun out of it and make it simple and easy to do!!! Think of all the good safe social interaction your getting ... its a bonus that Spartan includes at no additional charge... the only one!

Mine are accessed via LF wheel-well, just in front of the wheel, on frame bottom.
There is one air tank that only has a radiator petcock drain, back near the rear axle. I open/close that once a year, usually no water. It supplies compressed air, similar to an accumulator, to the rear air springs only.
This is the 1999 Spartan MM compressed air diagram:

[eastern1]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Mine are accessed via LF wheel-well, just in front of the wheel, on frame bottom.
There is one air tank that only has a radiator petcock drain, back near the rear axle. I open/close that once a year, usually no water. It supplies compressed air, similar to an accumulator, to the rear air springs only.
This is the 1999 Spartan MM compressed air diagram:

I called the dealer for help and after a day he got back to me and said there were indeed only 2 lanyards on the Ventana not 3 different colored ones as stated in the Spartan maintenance bulletin. He had to talk to several people to get this information. My question then to him is why can't they put that in the myriad instructions you get. Would make things simpler and save so much time hunting for things that don't exist!

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by eastern1

I called the dealer for help and after a day he got back to me and said there were indeed only 2 lanyards on the Ventana not 3 different colored ones as stated in the Spartan maintenance bulletin. He had to talk to several people to get this information. My question then to him is why can't they put that in the myriad instructions you get. Would make things simpler and save so much time hunting for things that don't exist!

If you get under your coach, first make sure the frame is blocked up to prevent human damage, look for a manual drain(tilt valve)on the bottom of the two front air tanks, you should see 3, one is missing a cable lanyard. You may simply push it to one side with a finger to drain that tank.
As to why Spartan did not supply the 3rd cable ?????

I plan to add the 3rd cable this month myself.