BCM Community

Being new to buses, it has been a very fascinating couple of days.
Being that the air system is critical to operation of these buses, what is the best way to maintain the system?
Best way to keep water out?
Do the tanks need to be drained? If so how often?
Is there a filter for the system?
What does the primary air system run?
What does the secondary air system run?
I have a Cummins L10 with a gear driven air compressor.
Is it common to hear air being discharge while the bus is parked and engine off?

Thank you.

Adarian,
Please do not take this the wrong way, but you really need to get familiar with the manuals for your bus. I don't mean for you to stop asking qustions, but many of these questions should be answered in there and there is no better way to learn about your model.  We all want our members to be safe on the road.  I spent hours pouring through the books for my first bus.  Nothing can teach you more about your vehicle.

As for the general questions - How do I keep water out? Use an air dryer.  Does your bus have a filter/dryer?  The manual should tell you, but you should get one if you do not.  That was one of the smartest things I did! (Thanks BW!).  Do the tanks need to be drained?  Yes, after every run.  Do you have cable operated drains?  Check your manual.  If you don't, you need to find out where your tanks are and install them so that you don't have to jack up your bus every time you get done driving it.  There is a post here on these valves.  Definitely do a search in the archives on this.  (thanks BW!)  Is it common to hear air leaking out after shutdown?  I have not had a perfectly sealed air system.  My airbags now stay inflated, but the rest of the system airs down in a few hours.  The leaks are not major.  We need you to tell us how fast you lose air, and if your bus sets down on its axle stops.

Good luck!

Glenn

No offense taken.
My manual hasn't arrive yet. So all I can do is ask questions.
I have done searches but couldn't find the information.
I have done searches on 4 or 5 other web sites on the web and not just here and couldn't find the information.
And thanks for your assistance.

If you have an air dryer, there is a cartridge that gets changed every so often...very subjective buy user! With regards to draining the air tanks, after a few trips (draining each tank nightly) you sould get a feel for which tanks are accumulating moisture and need to be drained more often than others.

The only air you should hear leaking from your bus when you park would be from a leveling valve (air ride) and that should stop within a few minutes...otherwise you need to be looking for air leaks. Maybe someone has posted this somewhere before, but one thing you can do after you park is allow the coach to build up full air and after you hear the dryer expel, then shut down.

Primary vs secondary air...GENERALLY speaking, one of them will be for the front axle brakes and the other for the rear axle brakes. You can google Bendix and find bus/coach and there is a generic diagram...but it would be best to get the actual one from the mfg.