Idaho CDL DMV Air Brakes 1

In a vehicle with air brakes, the brake lights are activated when the brake pedal is pushed and air pressure moves an electric switch. With the application of air pressure, the switch will then turn on the brake lights.

If used and maintained properly, air brakes are a safe and effective way to stop large, heavy vehicles.

On long and/or steep downgrades, you should primarily use engine braking to control the speed of your vehicle. Use your brakes only as a supplement to this effect.

Compressed air in an air brake system usually contains a certain amount of water and compressor oil. The water and oil can damage the brakes if left to accumulate in the system. Manually operated air tank drains must be opened daily to remove this build-up.

All trucks, truck tractors, and buses must be equipped with emergency brakes and parking brakes.

If the low pressure warning signal activates while you are driving, it is important that you safely exit the roadway as soon as possible and park your vehicle. If the air pressure gets too low, the brakes will no longer work well enough for you to stop safely.

Components of an air brake system include an air compressor, an air compressor governor, air storage tanks, air tank drains, an alcohol evaporator, a safety valve, a brake pedal, foundation brakes, supply pressure gauges, an application pressure gauge, a low air pressure warning signal, a stop light switch, a front brake limiting valve (on some older vehicles), spring brakes, and parking brake controls.

Drum brakes are attached to the wheels and located on the axles of a vehicle. The braking mechanisms that cause the vehicle to stop can be found inside of a drum brake.

The safety relief valve in an air brake system releases air if necessary to prevent pressure in the system from becoming too high. If the valve starts releasing air, there is something wrong. Have a mechanic fix the problem.

In an air brake system, the air storage tanks hold compressed air to be used by the brakes. The number and size of air tanks varies among vehicles.

In an air brake system, air tank drains are used to remove water and compressor oil from the air tanks. When operating a drain, be sure to drain the tank completely.

Brakes are designed to take a lot of heat, but drivers should not rely solely on the brakes to slow their vehicle. Brakes may fade and lose their ability to slow down the vehicle if they become too hot, so drivers should also rely on the engine braking effect.

Truck tractors with air brakes built on or after March 1, 1997, and other vehicles with air brakes built on or after March 1, 1998, must be equipped with anti-lock brakes.

The brakes in an air brake system use compressed air to function properly.

A vehicle with air brakes must be equipped with a low air pressure warning signal. If the warning signal goes off while a vehicle is being driven, the driver should bring the vehicle to a complete stop and have the system repaired.

It is important to know the maximum air loss rate that is safe for your specific vehicle. A triple combination should have a leakage rate no higher than 6 psi in a minute during an applied leakage test.

Compressed air usually contains a certain amount of moisture and compressor oil, which can build up in the air storage tanks and damage the brake system. The tanks should be drained to clean out these accumulations. On a tank with a manual drain valve, draining should be performed at the end of each day of driving.

An air compressor governor will stop the compressor from pumping air once the air tanks are at an air pressure level around 125 psi. This air pressure level is referred to as the "cut-out" level.

In an air brake system, the air tanks must be periodically drained to remove accumulations of water and compressor oil. If water is not removed, it could freeze in cold weather and cause brake failure.

In an air brake system, the air compressor governor controls when the air compressor pumps air into the storage tanks. It stops pumping if the pressure in the tanks becomes too high, and begins pumping if the pressure becomes too low.

Do not use the brake pedal when the spring brakes are on. This could damage the brakes by subjecting them to the combined forces of springs and air pressure.

If you need to make an emergency stop, you can use either the controlled braking method or the stab braking method. It's important to brake in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line but will still allow you to turn if necessary.

When parking on a level surface, you should use wheel chocks. If the vehicle is not equipped with spring brakes, this is essential to prevent the trailer from moving.

When performing a static leakage test on a double combination vehicle with air brakes, the leakage rate should be no more than 3 psi in one minute. If the air leaks from the air brake system at a quicker rate, the vehicle should not be driven because something likely needs to be repaired.

A vehicle's total stopping distance is made up of perception distance, reaction distance, brake lag distance, and braking distance. With all of these factors included, an air brake-equipped vehicle traveling at a speed of 55 mph under ideal driving conditions will need approximately 450 feet to come to a complete stop.