FOT Air Dryer Service

Topic: FOT Air Dryer Service (Read 1620 times) previous topic - next topic

FOT Air Dryer Service

July 19, 2016, 01:30:21 pm

We have had our Pure Air Plus Air Dryer serviced twice since we purchased our Foretravel in July 2013. The last service was 11 months ago in August of 2015. On our last trip last week we lost air pressure. The mobile service guy said that it was the air dryer purge valve. Upon arriving home I called FOT about the air dryer service. They told me that the purge valve was not something that has a service interval and is only replaced if it is broken. The Haldex air dryer maintenance schedule states the the purge valve is to be serviced at 18 month intervals. It does not state that the purge valve should be replaced. I do not know what service is required. My question is do forum members think that FOT service is any way to blame (not financial responsibility) for being broken down on the road for a broken air dryer after being serviced at FOT 11 months before. Thanks,
Larry

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #1 – July 19, 2016, 08:07:32 pm

Of course not. All service is at our request. If we don't specify anything, any service tech can do what they think is right. If what they do did not cause a problem, they are in the clear. Policy has always been to just change 2 filters and maybe the brass pressure valve. If one thinks the bottom should be changed, then it needs to be requested.
But maybe replacing the whole dryer with a factory reman dryer is a better choice and is like a new unit.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #2 – July 19, 2016, 11:06:31 pm

Buy reman unit next time.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #3 – July 19, 2016, 11:22:33 pm

No.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #4 – July 20, 2016, 12:00:12 am

Thanks for the responses. I have ordered a remanufactured unit from NAPA. I know now that I screwed up. I asked FOT to service the air dryer. I just did not know to tell them to service the top and the bottom of the dryer. I now know that they only service the top of the dryer when asked to service the air dryer.
Larry

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #5 – July 20, 2016, 08:21:06 am

I also highly recommend reman units.

BUT (an important BUT) only from the company that made the dryer-- be it Bendix, Haldex, Midland....

There are a bunch of Chinese knockoffs out there that "replace ....." Too important an item to take a chance on.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #6 – July 20, 2016, 09:14:47 am

Last month I serviced my air drier,I installed the dq6026 kit and the 6020 lower end kit which contains parts to rebuild purge valve.
As far as I know on my air drier there is not a purge valve you can replace,the chamber for the purge valve is in the lower housing.
You rebuild it with parts.If this part of the housing is not worn and all the passage ways are clean, the drier will work fine.
I agree,for most instances getting the rebuild is a good idea,I just wanted to rebuild mine to understand how it works.If a shop is
saying they are replacing the purge valve then what they should be stating is they are rebuilding it.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #7 – July 20, 2016, 09:48:34 am

Quote from: ltg – July 20, 2016, 12:00:12 am

Thanks for the responses. I have ordered a remanufactured unit from NAPA. I know now that I screwed up. I asked FOT to service the air dryer. I just did not know to tell them to service the top and the bottom of the dryer. I now know that they only service the top of the dryer when asked to service the air dryer.
Larry

Larry, I don't think you "screwed up". FOT, or any other knowledgeable service center, should have explained the options for servicing the air dryer. How can they expect a customer to already know enough about the air drier to ask for specific repairs or service. It is their job to explain the options.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #8 – July 20, 2016, 11:46:38 am

HI Ed,

I think you are right but it is not always the case that a service center is going to suggest additional service options when the customer tells them what they want. My suggestion is to try to learn as much as you can about what things can and ahould be serviced (not always easy, and not everyone wants to do this) so you know before going in. And then ask the service writer "What other parts on the ______ can or should be serviced." "What does this service include?" "Are there any service bulletins regarding my coach?" "How often should I do this service?" They may not volunteer these options but are usually happy to tell you when you ask. We should always be our own advocate when interacting with service places. Ask questions and learn. The more you know about your coach the better it can be maintained and trouble free.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #9 – July 20, 2016, 01:08:24 pm

My air dryer is due for service, as well. I trust the techs that will be doing the work, but the question does arise: "Given mine looks to be a bearcat to remove/service/re-install, am I better off just biting the bullet and having them order a factory re-build unit, rather than eat the labor & have parts installed from NAPA, etc., made in xxxx?

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #10 – July 20, 2016, 01:15:21 pm

They did mine on our first visit to Nac in 2010 and along with the upper can etc they did remove the hose with the check valve in as the Tech "BOB" said it should be checked for operation. This he did then a year later when I decided to do it again at home I found that check valve spring and to be in the reverse side. It was all damaged. I got a new one from local truck service place and after doing a complete rebuild installed this valve correctly. I then knew why I was losing air fairly quickly before. I also had to replace check valve on tank. ( I think I have this all correct as it was 6 yrs ago).
Along with this boo boo the Tech also left off the cap on head and once engine was started and driven out of shop I lost a pile of oil all over engine and shop floor. They gave me a credit for it but as I had ordered Amsoil for it they had to use shop stuff to refill. Bob was not my favorite person that day.

This is one of the many reasons I decided to start doing my own servicing and finally build the pit.
JohnH

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #11 – July 20, 2016, 02:05:42 pm

Does this know your coach reasoning apply to Brad Metzger when his PTO failed. No one at FOT told him about the PTO. Was he expected to ask if it needed service? When does it come to the point that the company that built the motorcoach helps owners with service items.
Larry

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #12 – July 20, 2016, 02:56:09 pm

X2 on Rogers thoughts....

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #13 – July 20, 2016, 03:19:33 pm

Quote from: mike leary – July 20, 2016, 01:08:24 pm

My air dryer is due for service, as well. I trust the techs that will be doing the work, but the question does arise: "Given mine looks to be a bearcat to remove/service/re-install, am I better off just biting the bullet and having them order a factory re-build unit, rather than eat the labor & have parts installed from NAPA, etc., made in xxxx?

Mike,

Actually from underneath, it is not difficult to remove. Bleed off air pressure, couple of lines and couple of bolts.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #14 – July 20, 2016, 04:28:25 pm

You have to take the bolt and the strap clamp loose anyway to get the relief valve out.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #15 – July 20, 2016, 11:34:46 pm

Ordered the kits from Ryder fleet last night so will overhaul mine when I get back from Idaho and the sand dunes. I did it last in Nov 2013 so about due for service.
John H

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #16 – July 21, 2016, 11:43:09 am

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – July 20, 2016, 11:46:38 am

HI Ed,

I think you are right but it is not always the case that a service center is going to suggest additional service options when the customer tells them what they want. My suggestion is to try to learn as much as you can about what things can and ahould be serviced (not always easy, and not everyone wants to do this) so you know before going in. And then ask the service writer "What other parts on the ______ can or should be serviced." "What does this service include?" "Are there any service bulletins regarding my coach?" "How often should I do this service?" They may not volunteer these options but are usually happy to tell you when you ask. We should always be our own advocate when interacting with service places. Ask questions and learn. The more you know about your coach the better it can be maintained and trouble free.

THIS!!!! We began ownership of our first coach as TOTAL idiots and knew NOTHING about maintenance schedules or diesel engines or preventative measures. With the help of THIS FORUM and a massive amount of support and education from the service techs and Service Writers at FOT ... we learned. The guys working on our rig were always gracious about explaining what they were doing and coming to us with suggestions and options for maintenance of things we saw. If we needed more clarification, we asked on this Forum. We found threads on this Forum that lead us to ask the questions at the Factory, as well. We have learned SO much ... but it is ultimately our responsibility to ask,"Is there anything else I should be thinking about that would be good preventive maintenance? What would you do if this were your coach?"

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #17 – July 21, 2016, 12:02:40 pm

The answer is reply number 5.

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #18 – July 21, 2016, 12:03:52 pm

Carol and Jeff,

Thanks for the response. I asked. The service writer and service writer supervisor told me they were not aware of the purge valve. Until I questioned it not being replaced, they researched the issue and found out for the first time that it was part of the dryer. They then said that when the air dryer was requested to be serviced the technician looked at the purge valve and lower unit. If it looked OK and let off air when the system reached the psi to purge, then it was considered to be OK. I does not matter if the coach is twenty years old.

When we purchased our coach three years ago I requested FOT to do all service required on the coach. All fluids, belts, grease, alignments (except front end), brakes, air dryer, generator, transmission, engine, were performed. The air dryer purge valve is something that is never changed during routine annual, semi-annual, three year maintenance. If the service writers do not know about it, why would an owner know about it?

This Forum and its members are great. Because of the Forum I knew to ask for the air dryer to be serviced. I asked for the purge valve to be serviced. I just called it by the wrong name. The service writers thought it was the pressure relief valve. That is what was changed.

Larry

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #19 – July 21, 2016, 12:10:27 pm

John44 is in my opinion correct. However, FOT does not carry remanufactured units. They only carry new units. The Pure Air Plus is no longer being built. If a new unit is requested, FOT installs the newer version of air dryer. To install a remanufactured air dryer, the owner would either have to buy it and install it himself/herself or take the coach to another vendor that was willing to obtain and install a remanufactured unit. I depended on FOT for my maintenance.
Larry

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #20 – July 21, 2016, 12:23:14 pm

I have beat this thread like a dead horse. I apologize. So, this is my last post on this subject.

A number of Forum members have been on the side of the road with a broken air dryer purge valve. Some of them had not had the air dryer serviced. FOT has serviced the air dryer on our coach every 18 months since we have owned it.

Larry

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #21 – July 21, 2016, 12:25:41 pm

Larry, your mistake was to "assume" that a service dept knows something about servicing a vehicle (and what SHOULD be done at this time) and not just doing what a customer asks for.
It behooves them to TELL you what is recommended by their experience working on these types of vehicles, and not just a "Yes Sir" attitude when one asks for certain things to be maintained. None of us are savvy on all the complicated items making up our coach's
mechanical structure, so we hopefully leave it up to the "experts" to inform us of it's wants and needs, especially for safety and reliability.
This is what makes a good impression with clients and gets return business. It seems to be a very common attitude right across the industry, and that is a real problem.
JohnH

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #22 – July 21, 2016, 12:27:55 pm

Quote from: ltg – July 21, 2016, 12:03:52 pm

The air dryer purge valve is something that is never changed during routine annual, semi-annual, three year m I asked for the purge valve to be serviced. I just called it by the wrong name. The service writers thought it was the pressure relief valve. That is what was changed.

Sorry to hear of what Strother Martin called "a failure to communicate". I'm going to have to do some more research, I thought the "purge valve" and the "PRV" were the same!

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #23 – July 21, 2016, 01:24:59 pm

Need to keep in mind that all service tech's aren't created equal. We were at a Cummins dealership for an annual service. DW was waiting in the coach while I'd gone in to talk to the service foreman. She, DW, said that a couple of workers came out and started looking all around under the dash. She finally asked what they needed and they said they needed to know where to hook to the computer. She told them it was a '96 mechanical and didn't have a computer hookup. You have to stay on top of things because all tech's aren't created equal

Re: FOT Air Dryer Service

Reply #24 – July 21, 2016, 08:29:07 pm

Larry, you asked if FOT was "to blame" for your breakdown, and clearly they weren't. But I agree that a good service person would have at least discussed the possibility of the valve being bad and offered you the option of replacing it. I would definitely be upset if I were you. And I've been stuck on the side of I-10 in August with the same problem so I understand the feeling.

I would just say that there are other good service providers out there who might give you great service, and allow you guys to enjoy your coach, and that wouldn't require you to be a technical expert on every visit. Best of luck, whatever direction you go.

Chris

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