Preload System Problems? 2012 RT SM5

[Tomline]

I believe,pretty much sure, that I have a leak in the preload shock/air bag system in my RT. Filled it to 70 PSI and let it sit, just weight of the bike/trike itself for five hours. Perssure dropped from the 70 to 32 in about four hours. I checked the Schrader valve and made sure the center pin was tight and it was. Are there other connections that I could check myself? Are these preload air bags prone to leaking and any idea what the dealer would charge to repair/replace? Thanks!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I believe,pretty much sure, that I have a leak in the preload shock/air bag system in my RT. Filled it to 70 PSI and let it sit, just weight of the bike/trike itself for five hours. Perssure dropped from the 70 to 32 in about four hours. I checked the Schrader valve and made sure the center pin was tight and it was. Are there other connections that I could check myself? Are these preload air bags prone to leaking and any idea what the dealer would charge to repair/replace? Thanks!

The most likely culprit ( due to age of Spyder ) is the bottom of the air bag has acquired some very tiny holes due to accumulation of debris there ..... I believe Doc Humphrey ( a vendor here ) has a solution for this. There are also multiple fittings and some hose that you could check with soapy water....... Mike ...... Removal of the entire rear ( including side bags ) can be done by removing SIX bolts plus some wire connectors .... I saw them do it at the Home Coming event .... if you try this, the two bolts underneath the rear fender need you to use a long extension and the employee said the bolt is not Magnetic so you need to put tape inside your socket so it fits tight .... good luck ..... Mike

[Tomline]

The most likely culprit ( due to age of Spyder ) is the bottom of the air bag has acquired some very tiny holes due to accumulation of debris there ..... I believe Doc Humphrey ( a vendor here ) has a solution for this. There are also multiple fittings and some hose that you could check with soapy water....... Mike

Hey Mike! Have you EVER HEARD of somebody using The tire sealer Slime inside the air bag to stop leaks? No seriously! I'm quite sure I saw that somewhere on here! I'm not about to try that, Yet!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Hey Mike! Have you EVER HEARD of somebody using The tire sealer Slime inside the air bag to stop leaks? No seriously! I'm quite sure I saw that somewhere on here! I'm not about to try that, Yet!

No, ......but I'm not against the idea of using a product that prevents flats ..... Lamont experienced a flat while using Ride-On and He wasn't happy with it ..... He has a new product that He likes ... check his site and PM Him with your idea ....... worth a shot ......( one concern I would have is amount to use - that bag is really small so over-filling could be an issue .......... Mike

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Hey Mike! Have you EVER HEARD of somebody using The tire sealer Slime inside the air bag to stop leaks? No seriously! I'm quite sure I saw that somewhere on here! I'm not about to try that, Yet!

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ighlight=Slime

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ighlight=Slime

Thanks for finding this ......... however I did read all Doc's posts and first said He put in 6oz. of Slime and then later said it was 4oz. so I don't know for sure the amount ..... and I think this may be too much .... isn't 6 - 7 oz. what Lamont puts in the front TIRES ...... the volume in the front tires has to be 10 times what's in the Air Bag !!!! .......... jmho ....... Mike

[Snowbelt Spyder]

He may come on and clarify. Since it's the bottom of the bag, I think 4 oz. is correct. I believe he removed it and did that on the bench, though. Not an easy place to work unless the rear tire is off.

[finless]

Do not try to put slime in the bag through the Schrader valve as if it gets in the check valve or other parts of the system it will clog it up!
To do the green slime like Doc did you have to get at the air bag and put it in there.

Bob

[KLo5591]

BEFORE you ruin your airbag and fittings with Slime, you need to do some leak testing (with soapy water or something) to determine the exact source of the leak. I purchased a used low-miles 2012 RT A/C in January of this year and the air suspension was leaking from day one. The dealer fixed it for no charge. The cause turned out to be a leaky connection between the schrader valve and the bag and several of the related parts had to be replaced. Neither the airbag nor schrader valve were the culprits.

Also note that the air suspension will lose some pressure each time you apply a gauge or air pump to it. This is due to the low volume of air inside the bag. Be sure you are not inadvertently letting the air out yourself.

[2dogs]

I have a 14 RTS SE6 and the system has been leaking since it was new. It's been in the shop I don't how many times and it's still leaking. On the third or forth trip to the shop they took out the entire system, pressurized it and put it all under water. It was a pin hole leak in the bottom of the bladder. The bladder was replaced however the problem still persisted. Every part of the system has been replaced with the exception of the compressor. In the beginning it was losing air quite rapidly and cornering at highway speeds became sometimes scary because the system's pressure would be near "0" when you would expect it to be full. Over time the repairs have improved the performance but have not stopped the leak. Over night the pressure will go from 40/50 psi to 0. I would expect there to be some loss but not that much. I've tried contacting BRP to determine just how much loss is acceptable and how much is too much, but they will not to provide an answer. They refer me to the dealer who has no idea what the answer is. The dealer has been very good about doing repairs and attempting to resolve the problem but I think BRP is dragging their feet on this one by not helping the dealer.

[KLo5591]

I have seen mention of a BRP service advisory regarding acceptable pressure loss from the rear air suspension but dang if I can find it now. The pressure will naturally drop over time due to permeation of the air through the rubber. But it seems like it was only a few pounds loss over several days. If anyone knows where to find the definitive answer please post it.

[2dogs]

I have seen mention of a BRP service advisory regarding acceptable pressure loss from the rear air suspension but dang if I can find it now. The pressure will naturally drop over time due to permeation of the air through the rubber. But it seems like it was only a few pounds loss over several days. If anyone knows where to find the definitive answer please post it.

I've read here before where some folks have had as little as 3/5 psi loss over several days. But to go to 0 overnight is way over the top. If this keeps up for me I'm sure my compressor will take a dump on me soon after the 3 year factory warrantee runs out. I have and extended warrantee but they will likely tell me it isn't covered because it's part of the shock and therefore it's a consumable part. Just my luck.

[Bensonoid]

I don't know if BRP used pushlock air fittings on all spyders but they did on mine and the one at the top of the bag leaked. It was difficult to find because it only leaked when I wiggled the air line around. I dunked the air bag , the air line, and the schrader valve under water and found it. Also when I first dunked it I had air bubbles streaming from the bag and it looked like it had a leak but it was air that was captured between the bag and the metal ends. I replaced all pushlocks with compression fittings and lose about a pound a month if that.