Member Since: 14 Apr 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 57
GraemeS wrote:
The air dryer is an essential component in the system ensuring that only dry air is present in the system. If moist air is present in the system, freezing can occur, resulting in poor system operation or component malfunction/failure.
I like the freezing bit
but we should really relate to the climate we operate in.
Maybe a general kit should be produced to attach to any air hose for drying ?
How many have started driving in the snowy areas in mid winter with ice in their tyres ?
16th May 2009 8:43 am
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
Good point Graeme
It does thta as well by the look of things.
But I think unless you start to take huge amounts of air out of the system (eg using air tools) I cannot see it causing the desiccant to become waterlogged. The system would be designed to dry the air without the desiccant getting waterlogged in high humidity environments with multiple height changes and constant self leveling.
It does not always vent through the dryer but also vents within the dryer but before the desiccant. You can see this in the pic and in the schematic. Vents via pilot valve 20 and ehaust valve 23.
The dryer can be replaced, (see below) but in Oz is $200. I cannot see this in maintainance check list even for arduous conditions though. You can easily take it apart to replace the desiccant but I am trying to find out what it uses. I thought it might be Activated Alumina but that requires temps of 200degC to recharge it.
Any ideas? it consists of opaque balls about 1/8inch dia.
Air Suspension Compressor Drier (60.50.09)
Removal
1 . WARNING : Do not work on or under a vehicle supported only by a jack. Always support the vehicle on safety stands.
Raise and support the vehicle.
2 . Remove the air suspension compressor.
For additional information, refer to: Vehicle Dynamic Suspension, 204-05.
3 . CAUTION : Before disconnecting or removing the components, ensure the area around the joint faces and connections are clean and dry. Plug open connections to prevent contamination.
Disconnect the air line from the air suspension compressor drier. Release the air line from the retaining clip.
4 . NOTE :
If equipped, note the position of the air suspension compressor retaining cable.
Remove the air suspension compressor drier. Remove the retaining screw.
Remove and discard the O-ring seal.
Installation
1 . Install a new O-ring seal. Lubricate the O-ring with a lithium based grease.
2 . NOTE :
If equipped, make sure the air suspension compressor retaining cable is correctly routed around the compressor cylinder head.
Install the air suspension compressor drier. Install the retaining screw and tighten to 3 Nm (2.2 lb.ft).
3 . CAUTION : Visually inspect the air line ends for damage or wear. Replace the air line as necessary.
CAUTION : Pull on the air line to make sure it is securely installed in the connector.
Connect the air line to the air suspension compressor drier. Attach the air line to the retaining clip.
4 . Install the air suspension compressor.
For additional information, refer to: Vehicle Dynamic Suspension, 204-05.
Click image to enlarge
Item Part Number Description
1 - Compressor
2 - Compressor temperature sensor
3 - Air dryer
4 - Reservoir
5 - Front LH air spring damper module
6 - Front valve block
7 - Cross link valve
8 - Front RH air spring damper module
9 - Front RH corner valve
10 - Front LH corner valve
11 - Reservoir control valve
12 - Pressure sensor
13 - Rear RH corner valve
14 - Rear RH air spring damper module
15 - Cross link valve
16 - Rear valve block
17 - Rear LH corner valve
18 - Rear LH air spring damper module
19 - Inlet air filter
20 - Pilot exhaust valve
21 - Exhaust
22 - Air silencer
23 - Pressure relief and exhaust valve
24 - Motor temperature sensor
25 - Electric motor
I cannot see how it would affect the operation of the system so difficult for them to say it caused a fault.
However any after market addition can give a manufacturer an excuse to get out of warranty, but LR are pretty good an covering warranty work.
If your dealer is difficult or you are concerned you can easily remove it for servicing. The rod system is also designed with quick fit connectors to remove for the same reason.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
16th May 2009 9:03 am
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
[quote="gps-au"]
GraemeS wrote:
How many have started driving in the snowy areas in mid winter with ice in their tyres ?
An advantage of using the air from the D3 tank, air is always dry unlike ordinary compressors. “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
16th May 2009 9:05 am
GraemeS
Member Since: 17 Mar 2008
Location: NSW
Posts: 706
caverD3 wrote:
But I think unless you start to take huge amounts of air out of the system (eg using air tools) I cannot see it causing the desiccant to become waterlogged. The system would be designed to dry the air without the desiccant getting waterlogged in high humidity environments with multiple height changes and constant self leveling.
I suspect you're right. Our climate is rather dry compared with some countries.
It's not as dry as you think. In cold places (as in below freezing) there is very little moisture in the air. Quite a bit of moisture on 45C days in the desert air. Some survival courses say a person can live on the moisture dripping from a vehicle air conditioner in our deserts. Even higher moisture on the NW coast area. At the natural gas plants there, essentially the same drying system using silica gel beads is used, but on a much larger scale. Moisture breakthrough can be a problem but only on high-flow items (using compressed air as the driving fluid for a compressor starter, moisture gets in the starter motor vanes and chucks them out). It is mathematically possible to eventually get some moisture to form inside a tyre, but it takes about 50 fills of moist air then take the tyre to below freezing. This often gets confused for cold tyre flat spots as once the tyre warms up the ice sublimes back into the vapour phase.
Thanks for reading. I've waited about 30 yrs to be able to finally use some physical chemistry knowledge (wife banishes it from the house).Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)
16th May 2009 12:59 pm
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
You are right, in places the relative humidity is higher than 'the land of the long black cloud'. There is nearly always moisture in the air and servo tanks have a lot of water in their air tanks as most are not maintained.
The air dryer works well and gives very dry air though.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
16th May 2009 1:24 pm
catweasel
Member Since: 05 May 2006
Location: Bundaleer
Posts: 4805
caverD3 wrote:
as most are not maintained.
oh arent they
maintained or not any device that compresses air into a receiver will have moisture hence drain valves/plugs/in line solenoids on tanks and lines even on $100k plus well maintained systems. it is what happens when you compress air
16th May 2009 2:37 pm
rmp
Member Since: 15 Jan 2009
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 73
If two D3s are travelling together and the compressor on one fails, you could presumably use the compressor from the other to raise the air suspension, providing a clean feed of high pressure air? Or any other suitable source, given the average 12v system is not likely to be fully up to the job.--
Robert
Life is better in low range
16th May 2009 10:59 pm
gps-au
Member Since: 14 Apr 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 57
rmp wrote:
If two D3s are travelling together and the compressor on one fails, you could presumably use the compressor from the other to raise the air suspension, providing a clean feed of high pressure air? Or any other suitable source, given the average 12v system is not likely to be fully up to the job.
Sounds reasonable, but what about the pressure reducer and hose pressures getting in the way ?
17th May 2009 2:19 am
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
Good idea rmp.
gps-au, I don't think the hose would make a difference. Connect the hose from one D3s tank to the other (after removing the regulator). Theis would charge up the tank of the other and allow the suspension to be raised again. As long as fault is still registered by the system then the suspension would be in safe mode and not self level or allow to to change from normal height. This would stop the loss of air so should last while. It would need a 1/4" BSP to be adapted to a nitto fitting.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
17th May 2009 5:32 am
norto
Member Since: 10 Apr 2006
Location: batemans bay
Posts: 1605
Whats a compressor Pete
17th May 2009 9:31 am
Neil Pettersen
Member Since: 23 Nov 2007
Location: Cutting the grass
Posts: 1254
It's what the Bling Brigade have .......
17th May 2009 9:38 am
PierreJ
Member Since: 22 Aug 2007
Location: Perth, W.A.
Posts: 448
norto wrote:
Whats a compressor
It is what all non-King Coilers need..... Why is the fear of long words called hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
Guys, Think carefully about inter-connecting 2 tanks with a hose. At at max tank pressure, if the hose breaks, or a fitting dislodges, the hose will whip about like a snapped winch cable. It would be entirely capable of slicing through a hand (or a neck). In industrial plants (natural gas plants) this is about the pressure of the instrument air system. We always make sure hoses and pipes are securely anchored to prevent just this sort of accident. If I were to do the airtank inter-connect, I'd make sure there's a means of isolating the hose from both tank pressures and controllably depressurising the hose (ie, don't just plan on popping the hose off a coupling to depressurise it).
All this said, has I can't imagine what an overpressure causing a burst of an airbag would look or feel like! Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)
27th May 2009 1:11 pm
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
Yup,
There is a good reason why the kit has a regulator. It also has a stop cock.
Agree with dingmark but if each tank has a stop cock then you can isolate the hose between before disconnecting. putting a T-piece in with another valve would allow you to depressurise the hose, but how much energy would be stored in the hose as there is little air volume in it.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
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banishes it from the house).
