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Topic: Slide ready light (Read 695 times) previous topic - next topic

Slide ready light

Went to open rear slide and turned key switch on.  Light flashes and bladder deflates.  After 22 seconds light goes out instead of steady on.  Tried fron slide and same thing.  Any ideas.?
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #1 –
Started engine and retested slides.  Now with engine running they never stop flashing.
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #2 –
Do you see the bladders deflating when you turn the key?

Since the engine running only partially changes things, it's likely not the aux compressor (but do you hear it come on at some point after you turn the slide key but don't have the coach engine running?)

There was a recent (within the last year) post about this, but it was only for one slide, not two.  I'm pretty sure it was a slide bladder leak but let me search before I commit to that....  It would be VERY unusual for both bladders to go at the same time.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #3 –
Either bladder will retract.  I am assuming vacuum switch.  I was in that compartment yesterday replacing level sensor.  Didn't think l was close to anything.  I now have to wait until garage drains.  I had coach pulled out far enough to run generator and then the thunderstorms hit.
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #4 –
I have never looked.  Where is the slide manifold located?
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #5 –
Thunderstorms quit so I went into equipment bay and found air compressor breaker blown.  Reset breaker, now pump won't shut off.
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #6 –
Finally quit. Seems like it ran 10 minutes. Everything working. 
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #7 –
Quote from: sedelange –
Started engine and retested slides.  Now with engine running they never stop flashing.
Steve,

After you started the engine, did you allow the front and rear tank pressures to build to full pressure before retesting the slides?  The front and rear tanks will contribute air to the slide out bladder air tank but only after the pressure in the front and rear is >= ~65 PSI.  At ~ 65 PSI the protection valves on the front and rear tanks open and feed air to the aux air system.  This pressurizes the slide out air tank.  This process might take a few minutes after engine start depending on the amount of air in the front and rear tanks prior to engine start.

Mark
Mark Duckworth
2003 U320 4220
Build 6199, Motorcade 17971

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #8 –
Steve,

James Triana once told me the light on my slide panel is timed only at about 30 seconds and is not operated by air pressure for my coach. I am not at all sure if other years have a pressure controlled amber light??
Jim

2002 U320
Jim Frerichs
2002 U320 42'

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Jim Frerichs –
Steve,

James Triana once told me the light on my slide panel is timed only at about 30 seconds and is not operated by air pressure for my coach. I am not at all sure if other years have a pressure controlled amber light??
Jim

2002 U320
On my 2003 the the yellow light changes from blinking to steady when the vacuum switch senses adequate vacuum has been achieved in the bladder.  The vacuum is achieved through the venturi effect that is produced by pressurized air. 

Venturi Effect

The vacuum switch is shown in the attached drawing.

Edit: For James' statement to be true, it seems there would have to be source of vacuum other than pressurized air, e.g. a vacuum pump.  Perhaps I'm missing something but it seems that one way or another the air has to be sucked out of the bladder.

To clarify the drawing, please ignore the item labeled in red lettering as "vacuum switch".  The switch that senses vacuum is shown in the photo at the bottom of the manifold and in the drawing on the left of the manifold and is labelled "vacuum switch normally open".
Mark Duckworth
2003 U320 4220
Build 6199, Motorcade 17971

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Jim Frerichs –
James Triana once told me the light on my slide panel is timed only at about 30 seconds and is not operated by air pressure for my coach. I am not at all sure if other years have a pressure controlled amber light??
Jim

2002 U320

IIRC that is true for 2002 and earlier.  In 2003 (I believe) and later the system looks for vacuum level.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Michelle –
IIRC that is true for 2002 and earlier.  In 2003 (I believe) and later the system looks for vacuum level.
How do they exhaust the air from the bladder?  Do they create a vacuum in some way or just open the bladder to the atmosphere and allow it to self-deflate?
Mark Duckworth
2003 U320 4220
Build 6199, Motorcade 17971

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #12 –
It is just like yours except we don't have a sensor for the light, just a timer.

Rich
Rich and Peggy Bowman
2002 U270 3610 WTFS, build #5939--"Freedom"
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 4xe
SMI AirForceOne brake system
PakCanoe 15

Re: Slide ready light

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Mark Duckworth –
How do they exhaust the air from the bladder?  Do they create a vacuum in some way or just open the bladder to the atmosphere and allow it to self-deflate?

Not sure, but I would think venturi as you mentioned is a strong possibility since I recall ours always needing to run the aux compressor while deflating the slide bladders.

The difference between the 2002 and older coaches and the 2003 (I think) and newer is that the older ones simply worked off a timer; the newer ones actually look for a vacuum level to be achieved in the bladder before allowing the slide to be moved.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320