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Topic: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey (Read 951 times) previous topic - next topic

HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Not sure if this is a good title or not but I am wanting to make this post since I have not found a lot of information on Active Air problems and want to document this so if and when someone else has this problem they will have a better idea what to do.

Coming home from Galveston yesterday and a friend that was following behind me called and said it looked like our coach was leaning to the right big time.  I then notice that we in fact were not sitting level but the drivers side was way high.  I checked the Active Air pressure screen and it showed that the bags for the left drive and tag axle  were filled all the way and were not moving off of full.  I pulled off the freeway, dumped all of the air, did a reset and let it relevel the coach.  Once coach was level I stated back off again.  The coach stayed level for a while and then you could feel and see the air bags on the drivers side go to full.  When this would happen I would do the same thing. Pull over, dump all the air, press the reset button and get on my way again. I must have done this 10+ time on my way home. 

While I was driving I was trying to think what was causing the problem, a bad computer or a bad sensor.  I then remembered that on my trip to Galveston it rained hard the whole  way.  It also rained almost all the time we were there. So I was thinking that maybe water got in the connection to the height sensors and was giving the system bad information thus causing the bags to fill all the way up.  I went and disconnected the plug at the left rear and wiped it off, it did not look wet, and then plugged back in.  I also checked the arm to make sure it was not loose or had come disconnected.

Before I took a test trip I read the manual to see if there was some way I would have been able to drive back home without having to pull off the freeway every few miles.  I know on my 1997 U295 I could have pulled the travel fuse and manual level. There is a stop button  on the control but it says IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO PUSH THE "STOP" BUTTON WHEN TRAVELING.  I have a call into HWH to see if this happens again how would I be able to stop the system from trying to drive level but was told this morning that the techs are 4 weeks out before returning a phone call.  Going to try calling FOT next.

In reading the manual and taking my test drive after disconnecting and cleaning the plug on the Left Rear sensor there were three thinks I was needing to pay attention on the HWH console to watch what was going on.  First the pressure screen. That was the one i was watching on the way home.  It shows what each air bag pressure is and I was able to see the left side go to full.  This screen also changes color from  blue background to green.  The blue background they call economy mode and it is what is used most of the time. The green screen they call fly and this is when the system is trying to correct high side loads.  It only stayed in that mode for short time, mostly is turns,  before going back to the blue screen.  The other screen I watched on my test drive that I did not watch on my trip back home was the status screen. Wish I would have watched that when I was having the problems so I could see what the sensors were doing. On my test drive the  Front, and both the Left rear and right rear were saying "Changing" which is  the sensor is "dithering above and below the idea sent point and the two tags were either low, high, or changing.  (I looked under the coach to see where the tag sensors were located and could not find them so not sure if they are really there and just hidden from my view or if no sensors are on the tags.) 

I will update once I have more information.
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #1 –
Oh my 1999 you 320 the only thing my sensors say when I'm driving is travel mode. it doesn't say level mode they're two different sensors and solenoids. at least the way I understand it. I had the same thing happen when I was at FOT it was the travel solenoid on the front . They replace it and I'm all good now. until the next one goes out.
So that's what I would look at the front travel solenoid. Good luck
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #2 –
Quote from: turbojack –
I will update once I have more information.

Thank you for the post - feel free to message me as I have the same system and have become somewhat well versed in the system. I recently had an issue and I was able to resolve it - turned out to be a bad continuous duty solenoid. My local shop installed a by pass switch in case this happens to me again. My right side dropped as well. You can call or text me 310-692-5259 iPhone.

PS - luckily you did not damage your front fender wall, like I did when I was backing up turning the wheel the right front tire collided with the lowered fender wall and cracked the fender - which has since been fixed.

Pat

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #3 –
TurboJack my apologies I saw the u295 on your list and didn't see the ih-45... other than seeing the empty chassis without the body when I did the tour I have no clue about your coach so hopefully somebody can help you with it good luck.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #4 –
Update, Have talked to FOT and was told that you CAN press the stop button on the Active Air dash control and it will keep the Active air from making any changes.  They said get the coach level and then press the stop button to keep that setting.  When you shut off and start again you will have to level and again press the stop button to keep the control from making changes.  While you have the stop button pushed you will not have active air but that would have been fine with me when it was going wacky.  They also said that they have seen cleaning the connection at the wheel sensor can fix a problem. 

Going to Naco to see my father-in-law this weekend so will see if the connection was the problem or is a bad sensor.
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #5 –
Turbojack,

I have a 2015 Realm and have had a similar problem on my unit.  Can you please post a photo of the "stop" button?  I do not think mine has this button.

I was traveling in VERY high wind and it seems like the HWH system had a reading "out of range" and simply "gave up" in trying to keep the coach level.  It evacuated both front airbags!  (Rode like a lumber wagon) My fix was to pull over and restart the coach.  I had to do this twice on that trip and I am looking for knowledge.

TIA
-Jim

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Sirjames –
Turbojack,

I have a 2015 Realm and have had a similar problem on my unit.  Can you please post a photo of the "stop" button?  I do not think mine has this button.

I was traveling in VERY high wind and it seems like the HWH system had a reading "out of range" and simply "gave up" in trying to keep the coach level.  It evacuated both front airbags!  (Rode like a lumber wagon) My fix was to pull over and restart the coach.  I had to do this twice on that trip and I am looking for knowledge.

TIA
-Jim

Have you contacted HWH tech support or have you contacted FT?  This sounds like a safety issue they would want to know about.
97 U295 40, Build #5040, 6C8.3 325 HP
Oregon Continuous Traveler
Samsung Residential #RF20HFENBSR,
Xantrex SW2012, (3)AGM8D Hse, (2)AGM Grp24 Eng, Victron BMV-712, 1800w Solar 4 LG & 2 Sunpower
Extreme Full Body Pt w/hdlmps, new furn/floor, 4 down Lexus 2004 GX470 AWD curb weight 4,740 lbs
Prev: 1990 Barth, 10L 300 2 yrs; 91&92 Monaco Signature, 10 yrs, 10L C 300 &  6C8.3 300; 1997 ForeT 6C8.3 325 since May 2017.  Employed by Guaranty RV 14+ yrs.  Former VW New Car Dlr/Service Dlr, Sales Mgr, Rv Sales, and Service Adviser from 1968-2017
"Don't criticize what you can't understand" Bob Dylan

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #7 –
Sir James  send me a private message  and I will give you my number so you can give me a call  I can talk you through the steps trouble shooting .  I am still waiting on my call back front Hwh. My questions for them are difference now since my original call into them.
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #8 –
On my display the stop button is the very top right button  I think yours is the same
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #9 –
See photo of my Active Air panel with "STOP" circled in red. 

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #10 –
Finally got a call from Andy at HWH today.  Explained to him what happen and that I had removed the plug at the sensor and plugged back in and that seemed to have fixed the problem.  He said he had never heard of the problem of the bags filling all the way up while driving.  He told me to also pay attention to the second status page showing what the solenoids are doing. He said that if the problem happens again that knowing what is happening would help do the trouble shooting.  So in total need to look at the pressure page, status page and second status page  if your Active Air goes wacky while driving.
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #11 –
Just realized I have not updated this thread.

After un plugging and re plugging in the plug for the level control on the drivers side and fixing that problem I ended up having the problem on the passenger side.  HWH had me test to see if the level controls were working by watching the LED's in the compartment  and wife raising up the coach from no air to bags full, then back down to empty.  Sent video to HWH and they said it looked like that was not problem.  I did find out one of the valves for the right rear raise was leaking and casing air to go into the right rear bags. On the active air there are 2 valves, 1 high volume and one regular one.    The valve leaking was coming and going.  I ended up replacing both valves.  I also ended up replacing the pass valve level sensor and since then I have not had the problem.  So far I have driven around 3k miles and no problem.  HWH was not much help in figuring out problem  When I got to talk to them and was asking questions as to how the system worked, the answers I would get was you need to talk to an an engineer.  I was never able to get one to call me back.

When I was at FOT getting the valves changed out I was in James office and he was able to email HWH and was getting answers back fairly quickly.  So I was trying to get all of my questions answered but had not thought of all of them at that time.

My guess is the ride height sensor has a number of wires going to it.  One for low, right height, high, and very high.  I am thinking that sensor was giving the computer bad information and the main computer did not know how to handle it correctly.

I had asked HWH if they had a logger so we could put on the system to see what it was doing but was told by the person I was talking to that that he had never heard of one. 
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: HWH Active Air Goes Wackey

Reply #12 –
Quote from: turbojack –
Just realized I have not updated this thread.

After un plugging and re plugging in the plug for the level control on the drivers side and fixing that problem I ended up having the problem on the passenger side.  HWH had me test to see if the level controls were working by watching the LED's in the compartment  and wife raising up the coach from no air to bags full, then back down to empty.  Sent video to HWH and they said it looked like that was not problem.  I did find out one of the valves for the right rear raise was leaking and causing air to go into the right rear bags. On the active air there are 2 valves, 1 high volume and one regular one.    The valve leaking was coming and going.  James had suggested raising the coach up and then down to see if that would stop it from leaking. Doing such did not seem to stop  the leak.  I ended up replacing both valves.  I also ended up replacing the pass valve level sensor and since then I have not had the problem.  So far I have driven around 3k miles and no problem.  HWH was not much help in figuring out problem  When I got to talk to them and was asking questions as to how the system worked, the answers I would get was you need to talk to an an engineer.  I was never able to get one to call me back.

When I was at FOT getting the valves changed out I was in James office and he was able to email HWH and was getting answers back fairly quickly.  So I was trying to get all of my questions answered but had not thought of all of them at that time.

My guess is the ride height sensor has a number of wires going to it.  One for low, right height, high, and very high.  I am thinking that sensor was giving the computer bad information and the main computer did not know how to handle it correctly.

I had asked HWH if they had a logger so we could put on the system to see what it was doing but was told by the person I was talking to that that he had never heard of one. 
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago