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Sitting on the dock of the bay…….
waiting for the tow truck to come…… (sing along everyone)…..
Just pulled out of our parking spot and made it all the way to the front of the property when the brake air gauges dropped and would not come back up. High idle and running full throttle would only get it to 90# of air and there is a HUGE air leak between the drive tires. We had asked Prevost about the air cycling between 100 and 120 last year in Houston and they said all was fine (Really? It’s OK for the engine air compressor to kick in every 30-40 seconds?) We are new to series 60 so I had to give them credit for knowing what they were doing. Now, we are stuck and waiting for a tow to the Dallas facility. More news later.
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49 Replies
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Watching this thread…
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May be the purge valve on your air drier is not closing.
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Looks like it was a brake chamber. If you are ever in the Ft. Worth area, B&B Towing (recommended by Prevost) is a great choice. The driver really knew his “stuff” and even lifted the coach to see if there was something that could be done to avoid a tow. There was not, so we are sitting in the Prevost yard in Ft. Worth.
Did said the other side brake chamber looked bad as well and a couple of air bags looked bad when he had the coach over-raised on the bags. Guess we will have Prevost do a better inspection than they did in Houston a year ago when we bought the coach.
Apparently, it’s bad when you are holding this in your hand instead of it being attached to the brakes!
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I’m not disputing what the mechanic determined was the issue, but I admit to being totally confused.
If the bus has the parking brake applied there is no air pressure to any brake, service or parking. If pressure will not build under that condition the leak is at or ahead of the relay valve serving the parking brake..
If releasing the parking brake results in an air leak that typically is a sign the issue is with the combo brake chambers as used in the rear axles or the associated air lines. If the leak appears when using the service brakes then it could be associated with any brake chamber or service brake hoses.
It is important owners know and understand this because the diagnosis can be made if during the pre-trip inspection a DOT brake check is performed.
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The brakes were working properly when we started up and while parked. We backed out of our spot and had to do a bit of manuvering to get out the storage facility gate. By the time we made that last turn we noticed the air pressure being extremely low. Parked the coach, set the parking brake and could hear the leak. The mechanic crawled under and put his hand of the part that was gushing air. Caged the brakes and towed us to Prevost.
I feel like this would be a much more inviting forum is a few of the members would stop talking down to other posters.
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Who’s talking down to who, I don’t get it?
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Bill, if you think I am talking down to you, as I said i am confused. You indicated you set the parking brake but continued to hear a leak. I posted what I did to help folks here understand how our brakes work and how to help understand leak origins.
What confuses me is you said the leak was a brake chamber, but if the parking brake is set and you are not applying the service brake there is zero pressure downstream from the relay valve and any likely leak at that point is from the relay valve back to the compressor.
Tell me how that explanation is talking down to you. One thing Tom and I always worked hard to do with the forum was clarify posts, correct errors, and try to give folks a better understanding of their coach. Is that wrong?????????
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I am not at all surprised by the last 2 responses. It might explain why I have received several PM’s asking for help or guidance as they did not want to be embarrassed by responses on this forum.
I drive my bus (I am not a commercial driver and have no interest in what a commercial driver should do) and I get it serviced every year or so. Hopefully, that will be Prevost but usually it’s not based on their limited service locations. Beyond that I just drive the bus. When it breaks I get it fixed. I service what I can, but what I can service is highly limited by location and skill set. I really don’t need someone to say I “should have” done something after whatever happened has already happened.
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Bill: as you stated sometimes a answer given hear sounds a little technical..I answer some questions and don’t know how to word them as not to offend someone.. You just don’t know everyone! I am a retired heavy equipment operator and have owned 4 coaches. Don’t know you expertise-say heart surgeon–I wouldn’t ask you about a hang nail??Nor would I ask how to do a heart cath at home. MY take IS THERE IS NO DUMB QUESTION EXCEPT THE ONE NOT ASK. Suggestion find you a tour bus company to help you out. Not all Prevost centers are the same. What you described would be caught by a experienced inspection. Best is to enjoy and keep the shinny side up! Bob
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Good grief, I ask Bill a question and now I understand I’m one of two who prevent some people from posting due to the chance of being embarrassed, so they contact Bill instead.
Had to pinch myself, thought I was on a Facebook site.
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I just drive these things. I will never do a DOT brake check (unless maybe once just out of curiosity). I have been driving Prevost’s since 1999 (a 1988 for 20 years and now my 1998). I start up, air up, leave. I don’t do my own chassis service as I have no home base with any sort of correct equipment. I do what minor repairs I can (air leaks within reach, etc.) but that’s about all I can do. I depend upon local service facilities to fix what’s broke. I can’t imagine why you would think Prevost would need help from a tour bus company to fix the bus the designed and built but I am very happy to be in their hands.
Once they get me back on the road I will continue to do as I have in the past. It has served me well and made me a good living for the last 20+ years.
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“I am not at all surprised by the last 2 responses. It might explain why I have received several PM’s asking for help or guidance as they did not want to be embarrassed by responses on this forum.”
Based on what you have said I hope those asking for your advice understand there might be better ways to get correct advice. Admin: how about closing this thread? Owning a bus like our Prevost coaches and not even doing a DOT check is exactly the kind of information this web site should not be spreading.
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I’am lost for words on this post. I’ll dig up the old Michelin post on doing the correct thing on tire blow out at highway speed.
Just assumed in service road ready inspection was done by everyone driving a rig weighing 48,000 lbs.
Here are three examples of taking things for granted, damage to rental property 8 stall building, diesel pushers only.
Our worst accident at our bus barn rental in 20 years has to be the bus owners failure to bring the bedroom slide in prior to parking inside the building. Over $8000 damage to the building and never heard the RV damage amount.
Next : Failure of RV owner to open overhead door all the way. Damage to sat, roof air and lower section of overhead door.
Last on list are 3 (three) bay doors opening while backing out of stall. Three different RV owners.
AL
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I don’t understand this exchange. Why post if you do not want feedback? When I log into this forum, I’m looking for knowledge and experience. Jon and Tom have plenty of that.
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Last year we pulled in to Buttonwillow raceway, stopped at gate set brake went in office paid fee got in bus released parking brake pulled back to space set spring brake was leveling bus, when I stopped leveling I still heard a big air leak looked at gauges and all were dropping. Jacked rear of bus up enough to slide under and the dryer was leaking bad, 1st thought was purge valve and that’s what it felt like but I had replaced the whole dryer 2 years before that, but air was coming out there. Went to truck shop in Buttonwillow it’s on I 5 so lot’s of truck stuff. Replaced purge valve and still leaked. Started engine looked again and on bottom of dryer where line went to wet tank the 90 degree brass fitting cracked at threads like a bird’s mouth. It was late Saturday at that point so had some bear. The next day I drove to my buddies truck shop by my house, and he got me the correct fitting went back to Buttonwillow 80 miles installed part good to go. In the next couple of days I put the old purge valve back in and put new one with other extra parts. I was lucky it happened in the RV spot at track.
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