Introduction
When you’re driving a truck, the air system is one of the most important parts. Your air system is what keeps your tires inflated and lets you drive safely on the road. It also helps regulate your vehicle’s temperature and keep it running smoothly. As with any complex machine, however, there’s a lot that can go wrong with an air compressor or air tank if they’re not properly maintained. In this article, we’ll discuss some common problems with Maintaining Your Truck’s Air System and how to avoid them so you can make sure your truck always has optimal performance on its journey through life!
Compressors, Hoses, and Fittings
● Compressors and hoses should be replaced every 3-5 years. If you don’t have regular maintenance done on your compressor, it will eventually fail and need to be replaced.
● Compressors should be inspected for leaks and wear. Leaks can cause the air system to lose pressure, which will reduce the overall efficiency of your truck’s air brake system. Worn-out compressors also tend to produce less horsepower than new ones do, making them less effective at pushing against resistance in order to pump up tires or inflate items like car tires or basketballs (or whatever else).
● Hoses should be inspected for wear as well as cracks, brittleness, and holes (yes–even though they’re plastic, some hoses can develop small holes over time). If you notice any of these issues with your current hose(s), then it’s probably time for new ones!
Regulators
Regulators are used to maintain the pressure in your air system, and they’re usually located at the compressor. Regulators can be set to different pressures depending on what you need them for. For example, if you have an automatic liftgate on your truck, then there will be a regulator that controls how much air goes through the door when it opens or closes. This ensures that when you close the door quickly (like when there’s no one around), no excess pressure builds up inside of the cab as well as outside of it because this would cause damage over time.
Manual regulators also exist–these allow for manual control over how much pressure goes into each component of your vehicle’s air system; however, these types aren’t commonly used any more due primarily to cost savings associated with installing automatic ones instead (which means less labor involved).
Gauges
The gauges on your truck’s air system are what tell you how much pressure is in the tank, how much air is being used and wasted by the system when something is wrong with the system, and how much air is going into each tire.
You want to be able to read these gauges easily so that you can monitor them at any time during the use of your truck.
Tires
Tires are one of the most important parts of your truck. They’re what connect you to the road, so it’s crucial that they’re in good condition and well maintained.
To check for proper tire pressure:
● Check each tire’s air pressure with an accurate gauge. Tires should be inflated to their recommended PSI (pounds per square inch) listed on a sticker inside the driver door jamb or on the edge or base of each tire. If you don’t see any numbers there, look up your vehicle’s recommended PSI online–it’ll likely be somewhere between 30-35 psi for highway driving and 20-25 psi for city driving.*
Our iPhone app for truck waypoints helps you plan the perfect route while also reminding you to maintain proper tire pressure for optimal performance.” – Owner for Route4Me
Maintenance is Key to Getting The Most Out of Your Air System
Now that you know how important it is to maintain your air system, let’s talk about how easy it really is.
There are two main things that you need to do:
● Change the filters regularly (every 30k miles or so)
● Check for leaks in hoses and connections
Conclusion
Maintaining your air system is a crucial part of getting the most out of your truck. If you’re not sure where to start, we recommend checking out our blog post on how to properly maintain an air system.
