Air compressors in La Paz???

[Bigly]

Relay for our Extreme Aire compressor may be on the fritz. Flip the switch to turn on the on board compressor and hear a click. Turn off the switch and hear a click. Compressor no working. Routing for the install done by Sportsmobile is clean and is well hidden and I cannot locate the suspect relay. Tech support at Extreme seems to think that is the problem. I have very limited mechanical know how or skills so looking to get an overland worthy portable compressor. Of course I did not bring my Vair as backup.

Now in Loreto and the Auto Zone compressor is not even close to big enough so in heading south, we were hoping to find a bigger compressor in La Paz. Anyone know where to find something like this in La Paz?

Bob

 

[sbrown77]

Try here - Zona Jeep - Santos Degollado 3050, Francisco Villa, 23034 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico - : +52 612 140 5151

 

[nwoods]

Bypass the existing circuit? Run a new wire to the compressor? sounds like your compressor is okay, just needs a functioning power source.

 

[Bigly]

I thought about bypassing directly to the battery but the wiring out of the compressor is internal and I really hate to cut the wires to do that. I could zip tie the wires to places and hook directly to the battery. Pros and cons. No compressor means we cut short our beaches and stay more on pavement. Will consider this. Thanks.

 

[nwoods]

There should be a connector at the compressor itself. Run your new wire from the battery to the compressor directly, and just connect directly at the compressor. Make sure you have a postive and a negative (ground/earth) wire connection also. Also make sure you have an appropriate size fuse in the new wire (usually a 15amp or 30amp), and I highly suggest including some sort of on/off switch as well. But functionally, this is very simple and very inexpensive to do.

 

[Bigly]

No connectors at or near the compressor as it is hot wired and sealed right out of the compressor. The install was so clean, all the wiring is routed where you cannot get to it without tearing off CAT heat shield then into frame rails. Cannot see or get to more than about a foot of harness that includes outgoing air line.

I. Outdoor cut the wires and jump it maybe with some clamps to the battery terminals when needed. Things to ponder. Have to figure out wire size as well as it’s a lot of amps, I am sure.

 

[Herbie]

Year/Model of Van?

The Sportsmobile Forum may be able to help identify the "usual" place that Sportsmobile places the relay for an install like that. This would be the best case scenario, if it is only a failing relay, you should be able to swap it directly (I am assuming it is a standard automotive style relay, and I'd be angry if it wasn't).

 

[Herbie]

This post notes the location of Outback ExtremeAire compressor and relay on this poster's SMB: https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f20/do-you-know-where-this-goes-28068.html
Down the thread from there, there are photos that also include a resettable breaker. If you're hearing a click, it might be that the relay is closing but the inline breaker is open. Worth poking around with a flashlight.

 

[Bigly]

Herbie, thanks for looking this up. I had decided to hack the lines as suggested by nwoods but before doing that I will look further for any breakers per the diagram Off the SMB forum posts. Love it.

 

[Bigly]

Thanks Herbie! I located this thing which is good thanks to your research. I really appreciate your doing this as doing research with limited Internet can be a challenge. Off to Auto Zone soon to see if they have something like this. If so, I’ll remove it and try to get a part number. Wonder if I can just jump a cable to the hot lead. I think so.

 

[Bigly]

So, that relay may or may not be the issue and is not sold anywhere around here. I have taken the hot wire to the compressor off the relay and will either run a wire from the battery or a jumper cable. The compressor should only draw what it needs from the battery, correct. Worried that the jumper cable would allow too many amps to get to the compressor or is that not correct? The ground wire from/to the compressor must be bolted to the frame somewhere as it does not go to the relay. I can use some 8 gauge wire and put in a 30 amp fuse if that is better. Wifey is rightly scared I am gonna blow something up as she knows my skill level.

 

[Hegear]

Wire can’t really be to big only to small. I would find out where the ground goes to. You never know you could just have a bad ground connection.

 

[Bigly]

Update. Sorry for the delay but Internet has been spotty. Now in Todos after spending time on east cape and San Dionisio. Turned out to be a grounding short that tripped a breaker. Thanks to all that steered me that way. Got 2 different answers from Sportsmobile on location of breaker but it’s on the passenger side kick plate inside the van. Corrected ground, found the breaker and all works as it should. Great CS from Extreme Air and George who helped a lot on the phone when I had it.

This Extreme Air Magnum is 100% duty cycle and it does the job well. My fault for not keeping ground cables checked from time to time.

Thanks again!