New Mexico CDL DMV Air Brakes 2

It is essential that your low pressure warning light functions properly. After allowing the system to charge, you can test the warning signal by rapidly applying and releasing the brake pedal. This will release air from the braking system and the warning signal should come on when pressure drops to a dangerous level.

A dual air brake system is made up of two separate air brake systems. If there is an air leak in one system, it may not affect the other.

If water and compressor oil are left to build up in an air brake system, the system can be damaged. Air storage tanks are equipped with drains to allow this accumulation to be removed. Manually controlled drains should be operated at the end of each day of driving.

A one-way check valve is required to be between an air compressor and the first main reservoir. This valve prevents air from escaping the system if the air compressor develops a leak.

All trucks, truck tractors, and buses must be equipped with emergency brakes and parking brakes. Because air pressure can eventually leak away, emergency and parking brakes should be held on by mechanical force.

Always apply the parking brake when leaving your vehicle unattended.

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.

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.

In single air systems, air pressure should build from approximately 50 to 90 psi within three minutes.

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.

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.

Before driving a vehicle with air brakes, you should ensure that the spring brakes come on automatically when air tank pressure falls to a level between 20 and 45 psi. You can do this by chocking the wheels and releasing air from the braking system by stepping on and off the brake pedal. Once the pressure levels drop to an unsafe level, the parking brake valve should pop out and spring brakes should come on.

In a dual air brake system, either the front or rear brakes will not be fully operable if one of the air systems gets too low on pressure. If the air pressure in either tank gets too low while you are driving, you should exit the road and park as soon as possible.

If equipped, ABS is in addition to a vehicle's normal braking system and does not increase or decrease the braking power of any other system. ABS only activates when a vehicle's wheels are about to lock.

Any vehicle with air brakes must be equipped with a low air pressure warning signal.

A dual air brake system is made up of two separate air brake systems. The systems share a single set of brake controls, but each has its own air tanks, hoses, and lines. One system typically operates the regular brakes on the rear axle or axles while the other system operates the regular brakes on the front axle.

An air brake system has a safety relief valve, which releases air from the tanks if the pressure gets too high. If the valve must operate, something in the system is wrong and should be addressed by a mechanic.

On vehicles with Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS), yellow malfunction lamps alert the driver to ABS malfunction.

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

Some air brake systems contain an alcohol evaporator. This evaporator introduces alcohol into the system to help prevent ice from forming in cold weather.

When a brake pedal is pressed and the S-cam is turned, the S-cam presses the brake shoes against the inside of the brake drum. This causes friction and will cause the vehicle to slow.

While driving, spring brakes are generally held in place by air pressure. If the air pressure gets low enough, the springs will activate the brakes.

An air brake system has a safety relief valve, which releases air from the tanks if the pressure gets too high. If the valve must operate, something in the system is wrong and should be addressed by a mechanic.

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.

The total stopping distance for vehicles equipped with air brakes is made up of four factors: perception distance, reaction distance, brake lag distance, and braking distance. When braking at a speed of 55 mph while driving on dry pavement, the brake lag can add around 32 feet to the vehicle's total stopping distance.