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Air Dryer Desicant

Yahoo Message Number: 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.

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5889
From: "truk4u2003" truk4u@...>

Quote
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.
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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5907
If you change that cartiage every 100,000 miles then you have not read the manual.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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:

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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@... 1999 Country Coach Intrigue #10700

Re: Air Dryer Desicant - 75w heater

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant - 75w heater

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Quote from: fredkovol

Hi Folks,

Like others, I periodically check for moisture by opening the 3

valves

Quote
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.

Quote
A simple approach is to remove the fuse and hook up an ammmeter to

the

Quote
recessed terminals. A multimeter setup for a 10A reading works

fine.

Quote
With the ignition on, a current of approx 6.3 amps should be

present.
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: Air Dryer Desicant - 75w heater

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer Desicant - 75w heater

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Air Dryer

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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.

Air Dryer

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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.

Re: Air Dryer

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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.

Re: Air Dryer

Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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
Mike Cebula
'95 Magna 5266

Re: Air Dryer

Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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

Re: Air Dryer

Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 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