Yahoo Message Number: 5885 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5885)
The Owners Manual says to inspect the desicant every 5000 miles. I have my coach serviced at Petro and I don't think they have ever looked at it. The manual doesn't give a clue where it is. I'm always parked on gravel and hate to crawl around under there looking for it.
Does anyone know where it is located on my Magna?? jerry in NM, '00 Magna.
Yahoo Message Number: 5887 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5887)
Hi Jerry,
Mine is an Allure and is located between the transmission and rearend, mounted up real high and a real b^&*% to get to. I don't know how you would inspect it, it's a cartridge. Our trucks get them changed about every 100,000 miles.
Good luck..
Tom 02 Allure 30780
Yahoo Message Number: 5889 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5889)
From: "truk4u2003" truk4u@...>
Same location on our '98 Intrigue. Glad *I* didn't have to change it.
Although I did have to pay to have it done .
Dick (& Geri) Campagna
Intrigue #10571
Yahoo Message Number: 5891 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5891)
Thanks, I looked under the bed and couldn't see anything. I'll crawl under later. Itlooks like I need to do it when it's over a pit. jerry
Yahoo Message Number: 5907 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5907)
If you change that cartiage every 100,000 miles then you have not read the manual.
Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998
Yahoo Message Number: 5917 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5917)
Bill,
Get your facts straight.. The Bendix AD-9 used in our BIG TRUCKS, is good for 3 years, 10,800 hrs. or 300,000 miles. The cartridge is also good for 3 years. Go to the Bendix site and look it up. I didn't suggest changing the Coach at 100,000, I said we change our trucks at 100,000, which is less than 1 year by the way. For what it's worth, the only reason there are air dryers is bacause people are too lazy to drain their tanks or in the motorhomes case, usually don't even know where or how to open the train valve.
Tom
02 Allure 30780
Yahoo Message Number: 5945 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5945)
I have been following the recent discussions on air dryers and the desiccant cartridges. I have gotten to realize that each CC seems to be a distinct entity. I have replaced my air dryer and according to what some have stated if the air dryer is working properly then there should be no water in the system. Well I do know where and how to drain the tanks. I almost always get water when flicking the lever closest to the center of the coach (inner most one). I have a 2000 Allure with the Cummins 330 hp engine and would like to ask if mine is typical. The air dryer desiccant cartridge was changed in April at a truck shop in Albany, NY. Do others check the levers daily after a drive? Do you find water present and drain it? Any difference determined by the weather? On hot humid days I get more water escaping...
On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 14:49:05 -0000 "truk4u2003" truk4u@...> writes:
Yahoo Message Number: 5946 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5946)
rvmike,
I'll weigh in with my experience(for what it is worth). I had my air dryer changed at 45,000 miles. I drain my tanks every other day.
I have never gotten any water. Not sure what that means though as I expected to get some like I do on my shop compressors.
Steve
Intrigue #10673
Yahoo Message Number: 5949 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5949)
I changed the desiccant cartridge in my Bendix at 63000 miles and 5 years.
CC recommends 50000 miles. The shop that did it said it was not very dirty.
I think I have noticed a little less leakage/repressuring cycling but it is not that obvious a difference.. In any case I have never had moisture when manually purging the tanks.
"rvmike,
I'll weigh in with my experience(for what it is worth). I had my air dryer changed at 45,000 miles. I drain my tanks every other day.
I have never gotten any water. Not sure what that means though as I expected to get some like I do on my shop compressors.
Steve
Intrigue #10673"
Sincerely
George W Becker
gwb36@... (gwb36@...) 1999 Country Coach Intrigue #10700
Yahoo Message Number: 5953 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5953)
Hi Folks,
Like others, I periodically check for moisture by opening the 3 valves at the left front of the coach. Never see anything - that's a good sign. Here is my insight on this. If you see liquid moisture, it's time to consider replacement of the cartridge.
But first (and probably more important), I would check that the 75 watt heater in the cartridge enclosure is operating. The fuse is up front in the vicinity of the driver's conpartment in the 2000 Allure.
A simple approach is to remove the fuse and hook up an ammmeter to the recessed terminals. A multimeter setup for a 10A reading works fine.
With the ignition on, a current of approx 6.3 amps should be present.
Fred Kovol
Yahoo Message Number: 5954 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5954)
Fred, that looks like a good idea, I never would have thought about it. Looks like you have a lot of time to think about "stuff". :)
Don
'02 Intrigue #11427
valves
Allure.
the
fine.
present.
Yahoo Message Number: 5957 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5957)
I agree with you Fred and would add that the heater won't function until the OAT is at 40 degree's or less.
Tom
02 Allure 30780
Yahoo Message Number: 5971 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5971)
Hi Tom,
You maybe right on when the 75 watt heater kicks in. In all of my schematics, no temperature switch is shown. Where did you get your information?
Thanks,
Fred Kovol
Yahoo Message Number: 5974 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5974)
Fred,
It's in our service lit for the trucks, but you can go here and check it out.. http://bendix.com/products/AirDryers.shtml. (http://bendix.com/products/AirDryers.shtml.) Take a look at the AD-9, it's a PDF file.
Tom
02 Allure 30780
Yahoo Message Number: 5985 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5985)
FYI, I tried to access that page and it did not exist...
Doesn't the "purge tank" remove the moisture without having to access the valves underneath?
In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com (Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com), "truk4u2003" wrote:
Yahoo Message Number: 6033 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/6033)
Haven't seen mention of the "air tank purge" switch on my old Magna.
I was told to hold it for about 8 seconds each day of and while driving. Did not notice if it is on newer coaches....but does it accomplish what others are doing when they state they drain their tanks but see no water.
Yahoo Message Number: 58773 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58773)
As I mentioned in an earlier post, a Bendix tech support guy verified to me that if there is no evidence of moisture or oil in the air tanks, then the dryer desiccant does not need to be changed.
The issue has come up about the desiccant material disintegrating due to age in which case it would spread throughout the brake system destroying components and leading to a very expensive repair. This sounds like a plausable senario.
I did some research but cannot find any reference to the above senario. Is anybody aware of any documentation referring to such an event?
George Harper
04 Allure
31093
Yahoo Message Number: 58774 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58774)
George
I have a friend that has another brand Motor Home and has had the white stuff trough out his air brake system. Not a pretty experience.
I never heard the cause of the failure but I don't want to go through this experience.
I will get mine changes a 2nd time in 103k.
Yahoo Message Number: 58779 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58779)
Hi George:
Murphy's Law - if it can fail it will - someday.
I bought an Intrigue with 60,000 miles on it some years ago. One of the first things I did was replace the brake system air dryer cartridge.
The tech who did the work was surprised, they didn't even stock them. He said very few owners changed them because of cost.
I suspect the failure rate is low but it is there. What always bothers me with this and anything similar with a low failure rate is what are the odds the new one is more likely to fail than the original?
I will replace mine at some point but not as early as specified. We don't use our coaches the same way as trucks and buses; far fewer cycles of compressing air over time.
Bob (rthandren@...)
'05 Inspire 51178
Yahoo Message Number: 58787 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58787)
Sorry All I didn't sig my post.
Bo Lee
2000 Magna
Yahoo Message Number: 58803 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58803)
A Friend of mine had a Barth Motorhome and his Faild and the Coach brakes could not open up to move his coach, FYI Ken 99 Allue 33056 A tow truck after locking the Brake Chambers towed his coach to the shop and replaced the Bendix element.
Yahoo Message Number: 58807 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58807)
Destinations magazine (by CC) had several articles on maintenance and one dealt with the desiccant cartridge, even mentioned the power contamination. 50K miles or 2 years seems to be the standard recommendation. But I personally think the 2 years would mostly apply to over the road use. I had mine replaced with a rebuilt unit and purge valve replaced at about 50K.
The article is captured at page 40 of the document at
http://users.sisna.com/cebula/CCTechTopics.pdf (http://users.sisna.com/cebula/CCTechTopics.pdf)
Mike Cebula
'95 Magna 5266
Yahoo Message Number: 58809 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58809)
Mike: When replaced at 50,000, how did it look. Also where can I obtain test strips for coolant, most of the auto and truck stores I've tried don't even know what I am talking about. Barrie Boas 94 Concept 5111
Yahoo Message Number: 58810 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58810)
If you have the Fleetguard extended PG coolant installed by CC 4 pack strips are available at Cummins shops - according to a recent post on the Cat list.
Bob (rthandren@...)
'05 Inspire 51178
Yahoo Message Number: 58814 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58814)
How old and how many miles on the Barth?
Jack Nichols, 2003 Country Coach Intrigue 11527
Yahoo Message Number: 58819 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58819)
I didn't look at it when it was replaced. Had a local truck shop do the job.
As far as coolant strips, I got mine from NAPA - but that was several years ago when I was still using the "fully formulated" stuff. I use Final Charge Global now and no longer worry about test strips. The last time I tried to buy a few at NAPA, they switched their sales process so that I would have had to buy way too many for my purposes. They have a shelf life. Also, I'll bet that if you and I were to try to interpret the same strip, we would disagree on the colors. Strips are subject to interpretation and if you or I are even a little bit color blind the results would be different. I played that game for a little while but then decided to switch and take away the problem. The only thing to be careful of now is the 50/50 mix. Check it with a refractometer. Use it on your automobiles too.
The issue of Motorhome magazine that arrived today has an article on coolant. Worth reading.
Mike Cebula
'95 Magna 5266
Yahoo Message Number: 58825 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58825)
Mike
That is a tremendous contribution you've made by saving those tech articles.
I just need some clarification. Did you do any of the writing we see there or did you just assemble the articles from Destinations magazine?
Also, were all the articles and information in your compilation written by Country Coach techs to the best of your knowledge?
I noted that the article that references air dryer desiccant disintegration on page 40 says "I recommend..." So, I'm wondering if "I" is you or a CC tech?
Thanks
George Harper
04 Allure
31093
Yahoo Message Number: 58860 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58860)
All the articles are directly from CC Destinations and were cut/pasted from their tech tips site. Some were attributed to an individual, some were not. None are modified by me.
Mike Cebula
'95 Magna 5266
Yahoo Message Number: 58884 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58884)
Thanks for that clarification, Mike.
So, the statement on page 40 of the CC tech article compilation you did is apparently from a Country Coach rep. He advises changing the air dryer cartridge every two years or 50,000 miles. That is consistent with the guidance from Bendix in their application charts, but a Bendix tech told me that is only a guideline. He said that each owner should establish a replacement cycle by changing the cartridge at the first sign of moisture, then making a note to change the next time one month sooner than that.
I called a second time about desiccant disintegration. The Bendix tech was immediately familiar with that problem and told me it is called "dusting." The following may certainly be sales talk, but he told me that Bendix does not see that problem with their disiccant. He said after-market competitors pack their desiccant loosly. When the air rushes through the canister the desiccant particles are agitated and crash into each other leading eventually to disintegration. Bendix, on the other hand, packs their desiccant tightly.
We have heard anecdotal stories of coaches dusting, but we don't know how old the desiccant was, whether or not the tanks had been checked frequently for moisture, or what brand cartridge failed. I do know that my local shop here uses a Chinese brand.
Absent more evidence to the contrary, I plan to check my air tanks frequently and change the air dryer cartridge along with the purge valve at the first sign of moisture. I will use a Bendix replacement.
George Harper
04 Allure
31093
Yahoo Message Number: 58895 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/58895)
One other item I might add. There are rebuilt units available on eBay (and probably other places) that are reputed to be very poorly made. Most are in unlabeled canisters (as opposed to rebuilding the Bendix canister). The canisters themselves fail at the seams, some show bulging after a short period of time. Some have wrong filling in them. Some are new, but of questionable origin. These are absolutely not worth the cheap $$. If you get a rebuilt canister, first make sure it is a Bendix canister, then buy from a reputable source - preferably one you can take it back to if it fails.
My local truck service shop showed me some examples of the above that he kept handy. Scary stuff..
A useful check to make is look at the spot on the ground directly underneath the canister - where the blow-off hits. Moisture is OK - that's one of the good things that happens as it purges any trapped moisture. Moisture further into the system coming from the tank drain valves is not a good thing and the canister is in need of replacement. Also, if there is an oil spot underneath the canister, the compressor is starting to fail and is leaking oil into the air system. Need to have it looked at to see if it is excessive.
Mike Cebula
'95 Magna 5266