compressors won't turn off?

booogs · 02-16-2011, 06:26 PM

there's no doubt in my mind that the compressors are working, but lately i've started noticing that my compressors take longer and longer to fill up the tank. i don't know if its a busted pressure switch or if the compressors are just dying. last week i noticed that the compressors will stay on for about 30 minutes before they shut off, and i'm pretty sure they shut off from overheating because after the car sits, they turn back on.

any way to tell from the outside if a compressor is dying? thinking of swapping them out anyway because they don't flow as much cfm as my old compressors. i simply bought them as a "temporary" solution after my old compressors burned out due to faulty wiring (which was already fixed). anyone have this experience before?

Han · 02-16-2011, 06:27 PM

Do you have a tank gauge? Is your switched 12v to the relays working?

Rally · 02-16-2011, 07:08 PM

What climate are you in? Check valves can freeze.

30 minutes is not good for your compressors. That's a really really long time.

As Han said, do you have access to a tank pressure reading? Were you not reaching the cut-off pressure?

booogs · 02-16-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Han

Do you have a tank gauge? Is your switched 12v to the relays working?

no tank gauge...yet. i'm pretty sure the switched 12v to the relays are working. wouldn't the relays stay in the off position if they weren't?

booogs · 02-16-2011, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rally

What climate are you in? Check valves can freeze.

30 minutes is not good for your compressors. That's a really really long time.

As Han said, do you have access to a tank pressure reading? Were you not reaching the cut-off pressure?

i live in sunny san diego. weather's hot lately. no tank gauge yet, but i think i'll have one installed soon to see whats up.

LuckyBoyOne3 · 02-17-2011, 09:58 AM

I think you need to replace your flux capacitor.

Or be able to provide the answers that were asked... test the relays, and why do you not have a tank guage? its pretty important you should probably get one, you could be over pressurizing the system which will prematurely wear components (seals in manifolds if you run manifolds)... besides relays it could be your pressure switch, or maybe your compressors are just toast and are failing to build pressure so it never reaches the shut off point for your pressure switch, you would be able to tell both if you had a tank guage, do you not have a manual over ride switch to your compressors? you should probably do that too.

booogs · 02-17-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuckyBoyOne3

I think you need to replace your flux capacitor.

Or be able to provide the answers that were asked... test the relays, and why do you not have a tank guage? its pretty important you should probably get one, you could be over pressurizing the system which will prematurely wear components (seals in manifolds if you run manifolds)... besides relays it could be your pressure switch, or maybe your compressors are just toast and are failing to build pressure so it never reaches the shut off point for your pressure switch, you would be able to tell both if you had a tank guage, do you not have a manual over ride switch to your compressors? you should probably do that too.

no manual override yet. what i can probably do is pull the fuses to the compressors so no power gets to them at all. but i'm pretty sure my compressors are just toast/failing. when i hit a switch, the car seems to raise slower than usual. not a lot slower, but definitely a little noticeable. also once in a while, the compressors shut off.

Han · 02-17-2011, 11:22 AM

Easiest diagnosis will to be to hook up a tank gauge, even if it's temporary, to see if your tank is actually filling up.

booogs · 02-21-2011, 03:05 AM

well i didn't get a chance to get it hooked up to a gauge over the weekend, but i messed around a bit more and found the compressors to be the issue most likely.

what i did was kill all of the air from my tank and let my compressors run for 10-15 minutes. nothing would inflate. i tried letting the compressors run later that evening for 30 minutes and again, nothing would inflate. that time, i even had to tap the compressors with a wrench to get them to start up. doesn't sound like the piston was spinning in there very smoothly either.

time to go compressor shopping =(

booogs · 02-25-2011, 02:27 AM

just unboxed them tonight. didn't realize these things were so huge! they also came with an air filter element.

fastcar · 03-08-2011, 10:18 PM

I had the same problem which ended up being a leak in one of the air lines. Before I found the problem I would have to unplug the battery not just because the compressors were getting extremely hot , but it would also kill my battery. Soon after that one of my compressors died and I had to replace it.

booogs · 03-09-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastcar

I had the same problem which ended up being a leak in one of the air lines. Before I found the problem I would have to unplug the battery not just because the compressors were getting extremely hot , but it would also kill my battery. Soon after that one of my compressors died and I had to replace it.

pretty much the same thing that happened to me (minus the leak). i got some new viair 444c compressors installed though and it solved the problem. my old compressors were dying out because they weren't meant for 150-200psi airbag setups. i think they were meant to be used as airbrush compressors