Compressor Mod - use it for tires?

[Silmarillion]

It appears the LR3 has a pretty beefy compressor and a small air tank. Have you heard of anyone modifying the compressor so that they could use it to fill their tires or use it for tools?

Terrible idea?

 

[cmb6s]

It's been asked before, but I think the general consensus is that the EAS compressor is designed for small quantities of air at high pressures. Your tires are the opposite. They need relatively large quantities of air at low pressures. I don't think the EAS compressor duty cycle would be up for tire inflation. That being said, I don't actually know of anybody who has ever done it, so it may work...

 

[Houm_WA]

On the other hand, some of us have mounted separate compressors (without tanks) in the various places in the vehicle. Mine is in the driver's side cubby in the boot...the one just fwd of the rear pillar. Since mine is a 5-seater there is nothing in the way. Perfect spot. I use it just as you suggest. After a trail run for example, I use it to air my tires back up. Or use it to blow up an air mattress for your tent, or a raft, or whatever. It was one of the more useful add-ons to my LR3.

 

[Silmarillion]

What compressor did you go with?

Makes sense regarding the size/output capacity. Always strikes me as odd that so many people buy them even though there's one already in the vehicle. Must not be compatible, otherwise I'm not sure why it wouldn't be a more popular mod.

 

[Houm_WA]

I honestly don't remember. Might be a Smittybuilt or ARB. I bought it from a buddy who had it in his LR3, actually. I don't remember the details and it was a long time ago. I could look and jot it down and report back, if I remember to do that.

 

[jaamrode]

I have actually done the mod by taping into the tank. It only works as a last resort for filling tires. One of the reasons I did the mod is to be able to inject air into the EAS if the compressor dies and lowers to the stops. I've had thoughts of integrating a second tank and compressor into the system for some redundancy in the EAS and for tire filling. At the moment I carry a portable compressor from Viair.

 

[Houm_WA]

Have you ever tested the result? Can you in fact inject air into the EAS and make it raise? I guess even if you've done that in a test environ, I'd wonder how it works in a failed state.

 

[jaamrode]

I haven't had the pleasure of testing it as I haven't had a compressor failure. I guess I could unplug the compressor but I believe that would disable some pressure sensors. I could be wrong on that though. I have had a tank pressure failure while wheeling once and that locked the EAS in that height. I believe the system reads the tank pressure and only opens the valves if there is pressure there.

 

[cmb6s]

Oddly enough, the EAS doesn't read the "tank pressure" per se, but it reads the system pressure through a sensor mounted along with the compressor. There is no actual sensor on the tank. Nitpicking, but it may help somebody in the future who can't find the pressure sensor on the tank.

 

[Trynian]

Yes you can use the factory compressor to air up tires but it will throw a fault as the compressor cannot keep up with the volume.

As for being able to fill up the reservoir tank with an external compressor in order to air up your system it will only work if you have something like a fault-mate to manually take over the EAS and control the valves blocks. If the compressor is not pumping the fault will not allow the valve blocks to actuate since the gallery pressure sensure is at the compressor and not at the tank.