Fleet Maintenance - 21

they are left scratching their head if that doesn't
because it's an inexpensive part and easy to
air system leaks as part of routine preventive
solve the problem. I've seen leak points at virtually
maintenance.
change out," Bendix's Nagel says. "When a system
Like with most truck systems and components,
every joint in the system."
isn't building enough air, however, the governor
good preventive maintenance is the key. With an
is rarely the cause."
"One of the most frustrating issues with air
brake system repair is finding and repairing a
air system, this includes maintenance of all vital
Rather, the more likely cause is water, oil, or
contaminants in the system, carbon buildup,
leak, only to find out that there's more than one
system components, from the air compressor and
corrosion, or system leaks - all problems the
dryer to the tanks, hoses, valves, and connectors.
leak in the system," Kelly says. "Because air brake
systems operate at high pressures and are reli"Whenever there's a problem with the air
fleet can catch through good preventive maintenance practices.
ant on many components working together, the
system, fleets often want to replace the governor
chance of multiple leaks is
very common."
Technicians need modern
tools to help locate leaks as
quickly as possible.
"By using new technology,
it can take a technician 15
minutes to find out if a system
has a leak," says Alex Parker,
chief marketing officer and
executive vice president for
Redline Detection.
Redline's
Air
Brake
NanoLeak Finder features
patent-pending technology
that creates a unique vapor,
referred to as Signature Air,
that is injected into the vehicle's air system.
"The nice thing is that a less
experienced technician can
connect the NanoLeak Finder
to the truck's air system to run
an automatic, 15-minute 'pass/
fail' check," Parker explains.
"That technician can continue doing other things while
the system runs the check.
If the system fails the check
and a leak is detected, a more
experienced technician could
get involved at that point."
Another alternative is ultrasonic leak detection. Tracer
Products' Kelly says this is one
of the fastest and most effective
methods available. "A technician can scan an entire brake
system with ease to confirm
that all repairs have been
successfully completed and
that there are no additional
leaks in the system," Kelly
explains.
Ultrasonic tools, such as the
TP-9637L Marksman II from
Tracer Products, convert and
simplify inaudible sound into
a natural, audible sound the
human ear can identify.
EXHAUST &
BRAKE
AFTERTREATMENT
"Think of it as an early
EMISSIONS
SYSTEMS
warning system that detects
problems before they result
in major breakdowns," Kelly
says. "When used regularly, it
reduces labor time and highcost repairs."
Regardless of which leak
detection method is being used,
Redline Detection's Hawkins
Whether you run heavy-duty diesels across country or medium-duty service trucks around town, equipment downtime is
says fleets should inspect for

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Fleet Maintenance

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fleet Maintenance