ARB issues

[JackstandJohnny]

i have an ARB issue and i'm not very familiar with them. the front ARB has a tendency to disengage, and usually at bad times. its happened a few times wheeling now, once in the snow, and last weekend on a fairly gnarly part of the trail where i could have used the ARB working. anyways, when it kicks out, i can hear the pump going, however it never pressurizes. when this is going on the front ARB won't engage. i can tell cause when i flick the switch the compressor doesn't turn off and when i flick it off, it doesn't make the cool 'whoosh' sound. HOWEVER, for some reason, and this has happened twice, it will work again later down the trail. i dont know whats going on. the rear is good. its just the front. so i don't think its an air leak other wise wouldn't it be consistantly NOT holding air? my buddy Phill  thinks its the solenoid. so do i. the PITA about the whole thing is it that its not consistant, so i don't even know if the compressor is holding pressure when its 'not' working cause i can't just run outside and check! oh well, anyways i just thought i'd ask you if you knew of a better place to start, or maybe its something that can be easily fixed. so, any ideas?

[cuzican]

Check if there is air coming out the vent on the solenoid when the compressor is running and front switch is on.

Finger on top of air vent.

[JackstandJohnny]

Check if there is air coming out the vent on the solenoid when the compressor is running and front switch is on.

Finger on top of air vent.

will do that in the morning.  what does that check for? to see if the solenoid is functioning?

i was just playing around with it.  both lockers are engaging, and the pump is holding steady at 100psi, or so it seems. it is not fluctuating much.  i do remember on the trail tho the pump would kick in every once and a while........ think maybe there is not enough air volume in the little Cadillac pump i have??   

[cuzican]

May tell you if your solenoid is leaking.

My compressor runs off and on cause I have a small leak somewhere in the system - I just put up with it cause I've been too busy to track it down.

If you get to the point that your pump is continuously running again that is when you want to jump out and put your finger over the air vent to see if it is leaking. I'd also try to listen down by the diff cover to see if you can hear any air escaping inside - might be hard to hear over the compressor though.

Something else to try could be switching your front and rear solenoids to help isolate if it is the solenoid.

[JackstandJohnny]

thought so. thanks for the advise on teh switching solenoids. sounds like a good idea.  i will pull diff cover off tonight as well, change fluid blah blah, take a look at the copper wire. maybe run teh compressor see if i can hear/see anything coming out of the line in the diff itself.
thanks for the ideas!