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Your Air System – Buyer Beware
This is what happens when you buy a bus and take someones word about how well it was maintained or they tell you it was just recently serviced. Do a PDI before you buy.
We won’t identify the bus and you can probably figure out where this was videoed.
This is the wet tank, just imagine how bad the entire aux and brake system is contaminated down stream.
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10 Replies
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It may seem like we who urge comprehensive pre-purchase inspections are sounding like a broken record, but our coaches are complex, have a lot of items that require maintenance, and tire dressing is not a maintenance item. My point is simple. Take the time and spend the money and effort to do a pre-purchase inspection. Just because a coach looks good and has shiny black tires it does not mean it will not have hidden and very expensive needed repairs.
The bus in the video is not seen but without knowing anything about that bus at all there will be some safe assumptions. First with that amount of water in the pneumatic system it is almost a guarantee that right away or in the very near future that bus owner is going to be buying all new Norgren and ride height valves. The bus may need early replacement of brake chambers, and even if the air bags are not replaced (the bottom metal cans are likely to rust through) they will have to be removed and the moisture drained.
You can count on replacing protection valves and various other valves in the braking system. If the coach has a bed lift, pocket doors, air operated gate valves, slides, or any of the other pneumatic systems you can bet there are going to be costs associated with those as well.
Now imagine if the owner of that coach was as remiss as this shows in replacing transmission fluid, coolant (per schedule), lubes, etc. you can imagine just what the potential for this Prevost dream to turn into a nightmare.
Please, if you are contemplating the purchase of a coach plan on spending two solid days operating every switch, knob and dial. Plan on having codes read by Detroit/Volvo/Allison. If it is an XLII spend the time money and effort to get Prevost to evaluate the coach with a pre-purchase inspection, including a test for delamination.
And all of that is if the log books are complete and detailed.
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I would use a bucket….
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I saw one at that same location that had a flow just like that out of the front tank. Scary!
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So if you find a coach without the proper care of the air systems and no documentation, it is assumed there will be some expensive repairs to fix the lack of maintenance. Any cost projections to fix the whole air system, and bring it back to zero, new? Complete redo. Michael
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Michael, that is a hard question because there are so many scenarios. Just to confuse this discussion if we assume the bus dryer has had service, but the house accessory system or the Prevost accessory tank gets flooded from the aux compressor look at the potential for damage to accessory system devices, including rusted ping tanks depending on the vintage.
If the failure to maintain was because the owners never changed the original dryers or factory installed air dryer then evey system could be damaged, brakes, suspension, house, etc.
It doesn’t matter which system is screwed up or the extent of the damage. You can bet the farm that the entire coach is a disaster waiting to happen. If the pneumatic system wasn’t maintained it is probably safe to say neither was the coolant for example and that could cost an engine as a example.
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If you find a Coach that has the moisture issues but has much of the other things you like, my question is do I walk away or do I offer substancially less than the asking price to compensate for the necessary repairs?
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Michael, lets pretend you find and like a coach and upon inspection you realize the pneumatic system is flooded, and maybe it even has the original dryer cartridge.
Do you think the owner(s) made the decision to do proper coolant maintenance, transmission fluid changes, proper lube practices, etc. but chose to ignore the air system?
How abut the tires that look good, mid range date code, but given how he takes care of the pneumatic system are you wiling to bet he never ran them low on air?
You can sense my decision.
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OK, got it, walk away from the Coach. Thanks
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I’m not trying to discourage any purchases, but if you like the coach you realistically have to consider the risk (possible serious repair costs which may not turn up for quite a while) versus the reward which is getting a coach you really like.
Most sellers will describe the coach as well maintained, and if that is the case and they can prove the other maintenance was performed your risk goes down, but given the wet pneumatic system I think that evidence will be lacking.
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I wouldn’t walk away if you like it…I would budget for some repairs.
When I bought my 2000 in 2006 with 48,000 miles on it we practically flooded the whole service floor when draining tanks. It had lived 6 years in Florida.
I’m now closing in on 250,000 miles. I’ve replaced a couple suspension valves, one level valve and the air bags.
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