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Topic: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges! (Read 880 times) previous topic - next topic

Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

We just completed a 1000 mile round trip to Nac and back.  Our old coach ran flawlessly the whole way, with only one mechanical "incident", which was indirectly my fault.  Here's what happened.  We're cruising down I-20 on the return leg, everything is fine.  I scan of my gauges, and see the "2-needle" air pressure gauge is pegged out at 150 psig!  :o  Pulled off at the next exit, and parked in a empty lot.  Left engine running as I tried to think what would cause this high air pressure reading.  By "fanning" the brake pedal I could reduce the pressure to more normal readings, but it immediately started climbing again.  Decided it must be the D2 governor, so opened engine hatch to take a look.  Problem was immediately obvious...

Not too long ago I installed a air pressure gauge in the engine compartment so I could monitor the "wet tank" air pressure.  It has been working fine.  The gauge came with plastic (poly?) tubing to connect to air source.  I tapped into a unused port on the D2 governor which "sees" wet tank pressure, installed a needle valve, and ran the tubing to the gauge.  (see photo below)  The plastic tubing was obviously a poor choice, because it had softened from engine compartment heat, and popped off the back of the gauge.  The open-ended hose was keeping the D2 from reading the wet tank pressure, so it did not know when to unload the air compressor.  I "assume" the relief valve on the wet tank went into action, and started venting the excess pressure from the tank, holding system pressure at 150 psig.

I closed the little needle valve, and the D2 was back in operation.  The air compressor unloaded, and dash air gauge reading dropped back to normal range.  I have detected no adverse affects from the temporary high system air pressure.

The moral to this story: Scan Your Gauges.  Experienced drivers do this automatically, but there are many 1st time coach owners on this forum (myself included).  We may get so caught up in the complexity of driving, or so entranced by the scenery out the front window, that we forget to watch the engine gauges.  There is no audible alarm or dash warning light for "High Air Pressure", so we can't depend on that crutch.  Get in the habit of sweeping your eyes over the gauges every few minutes - look for anomalous readings.  Once your brain becomes accustomed to what is "normal", any deviation will immediately jump out at you.

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #1 –
I love my silver leaf for this. IF it is not in the operating area I get either a yellow light or red light. I also scan my dash gauges but really only have to look at the air pressure gauges as they are mechanical now.  It is a good idea to scan them as you drive regularly.  I have found issues though with the coach on silverleaf well before it shows up on the dash gauges.

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #2 –
There are lots of coaches out there with no ability to connect up Silverleaf.

Scan the gauges is the only option left!

Craig

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #3 –
Before you go down the steep grades, include the air pressure in the scan. I watch it all the way to the bottom. The parking brake is not going to do it on it's own.

Pierce

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #4 –
You can set Hi/Low alarms for lots of things on the SilverLeaf.  You can also record your own alarms.  Nice to have it tell you whats wrong with a voice prompt.

Keith

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Before you go down the steep grades, include the air pressure in the scan. I watch it all the way to the bottom. The parking brake is not going to do it on it's own.

Pierce

I quickly lost count of how many times i did this coming down into Cody from the west entrance of Yellowstone...

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #6 –
Jay, that's a hill now :o

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #7 –
I love driving into and out of the entrances in Yellowstone.  14/16 is a great road to drive.

Re: Driving Tip: Scan Your Gauges!

Reply #8 –
 ^ In the Right Coach, it's a great road. The feller in the Bounder ahead of us, lugging down that hill in lowest gear and swaying all over the place till he pulled over, may have had a difference of opinion..I reckon we weren't in the Right Coach, seeing's how we don't have a pac brake or other retarder, but Moby did just fine dropped down a gear or two, and sure was Righter than the last rig we took to Yellowstone! Let's just say our poor SOB with the 6.2 diesel really did its best work on flat ground...