Flashing air zenith pressure gauge problem

Hi guys,
Just a quick one, has anyone had this problem with their air pressure gauge? Mine is continually flashing 220?
It boots up first with the voltage and then just flashes 220 all the time, even when I unload the tank it still flashes 220?:confused::confused::confused:
Click on the link below
http://youtu.be/p0WYL5U0s1w

Very confusing!

According to the instruction manual: “If the air pressure drops below 110 PSI or over 220 PSI for more than 3 seconds, Gauge will flash on and off as a warning.”

Maybe there is a failed pressure sensor connection.

I suppose that’s entirely possible, hmmmm maybe time to check through the wiring as well?:frowning:

Go analog, sometimes simple is better…LOL

Barring a failed connection, Stinky said in his original post that it does this even when he unloads the tank. Now I’m no Vulcan, but logic dictates that the tank can’t be over 220PSI when it’s unloaded/empty … so if it’s not a connection issue it could potentially be a stuck sensor.

Is it possible 220PSI was exceeded and the sending unit is now stuck and needs to be replaced? If not, then either the sending unit or the gauge is suspect.

Surreal

P.S. I agree with Dan on lo-tech … which is why I have a digital gauge in the cab … and a filled gauge under the hood as a backup. I recommend the same to others. :slight_smile:

It’s almost always an electrical problem.

Are your grounds wired just like the diagram?
http://shop.air-zenith.com/Manuals/AZgauge_wiring.jpg

E2E, yeah as good as!:smiley:
Thanks guys, I’ll get under the truck at the weekend hopefully, that’s if it ain’t lashing down with rain as it normally does of a weekend!!!:frowning:

Ohhh & cheers Dan, lol doesn’t quite have the same effect as a digital one, not so pleasing on the eye, however, I may put one on the tank underneath…hmmmmmmm:D

I’m on my third sending unit for the Air Zenith … have a feeling they’re junk.

-Kris

kris, did yours flash 220? Thanks

No, the digital gauge is fine, it’s the sending unit you screw into the tank that’s the problem.

Luckily I ordered a setup for the wife’s truck with the intentions of taking the K3L off my truck and putting it on her’s, and then mounting my K5L up high on a headache rack on my truck after getting it powder coated the same color as my truck.

-Kris

MarineOne,
If memory serves your tank is under the bed of your truck and your compressor is on the frame rail (which affords the compressor some protection that your tank and its fittings, including the sending unit and solenoid, probably lack). This begs the question of how exposed your sending unit is to salt, brine, water, sand, road debris, road tar, and other such things. If the sending unit is on the topside of the tank, that probably helps protect it from heavier things like debris and tar, but lighter stuff like salt, sand, brine, and water can probably still get to it.

In such a case, I would expect to go through multiple units unless the one that was installed was very well protected from the elements. As an example, by ‘very well protected’ I mean: all connections heat-shrunk and any exposed metal connections covered in dielectric grease … and periodically checked and re-coated. Another option for ‘very well protected’ would be enclosure of the sending unit within an environmentally sealed enclosure (much like the enclosures that most vehicle computer junctions have under the hood).

What I’m getting at is that I’m not convinced (yet, because I don’t have enough data) that the sending unit is the problem in your case – your issues could well be caused by exposure to the elements. Granted, I avoided Air Zenith products because I had read about issues with them, and my Dakota Digital sending unit and gauge combo has been flawless for ~18 months. However, to be fair, my Dakota Digital sending unit sits high in the engine compartment – well protected from road debris, salt, brine, and other such things. All of its connections are soldered & heat shrunk, and all exposed connection metal is coated in dielectric grease – so the worst it has to contend with is engine compartment heat – which my ad hoc temp readings have shown is within spec for the unit.

As with anything electric on a vehicle, placement and exposure to the elements/hazards plays a role in lifespan…

My apologies for deviating from the blinking 220 PSI topic – but I felt this was worth pointing out.

I’ve moved my tank to inside my bed after upgrading to an 8.5 gallon tank, and removed the OB2 since I have an EDC, so it’s really exposed only to rain and sun.

I have replaced it with a spare and the spare worked immediately, so connections/wire/etc. that might cause an error or issues were ruled out. I even put the original back in to confirm the failure, which it did.

Now that I’m going on my third sender, I’m pretty sure I’ll need to build a relocation box for it and weatherproof it away from the tank since I’ll be moving the tank back under the bed and mounting my K5L on a headache rack while the K3L will end up on the wife’s truck.

We’ll see how that goes since I need to re-run lines for my air bags/valve setup as well.

-Kris