I have an on going problem with a lex air solenoid valve on my under body wash. The issue seems to be in the air plunger end of the valve. The valve sticks, I take it apart , wipe out the plunger etc., apply the green grease from lex air and it's fine for a month or so. Then, repeat the process. The lex air solenoid for the main wash has never given me a problem. These valves are expensive (rebuild kit alone is about $100) but before I go and replace the entire thing I thought I would ask if any of you have run into a similar problem and found a fix.
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Sticky lexair valve
- Thread starter Ric
- Start date
MEP001
Well-known member
I've had the same problem, and after far too many times with one failing closed I replaced it. The replacement only lasted about two years, so I worked out a way to eliminate it. I was never successful in cleaning and lubricating it or rebuilding it and having it work for more than a month afterward. It was always a valve to the inlet of the pump, and having it stick closed was simply unacceptable.
Ric,
The problem may not be the Lexair valve, but the MAC solenoid valve (Blue block with air lines running to the Lexair valve) - I have seen this happen on a couple of customer's machines - Moist or dirty air causes corrosion inside the MAC valve, and the valve fails to switch over.
Depending on how old your machine is, Washworld does have a newer style Lexair valve (Larger aluminum cap with four allen key screws in it). These have been a lot more reliable than the old style valves (Small aluminum cap with no screws)
The problem may not be the Lexair valve, but the MAC solenoid valve (Blue block with air lines running to the Lexair valve) - I have seen this happen on a couple of customer's machines - Moist or dirty air causes corrosion inside the MAC valve, and the valve fails to switch over.
Depending on how old your machine is, Washworld does have a newer style Lexair valve (Larger aluminum cap with four allen key screws in it). These have been a lot more reliable than the old style valves (Small aluminum cap with no screws)
On the side of the Mac valve should be a small button that can be pressed to activate the Lex airs. Also, could the air pressure have something to do with the frequent failures as I know if the pressure is not high enough they will not operate properly. Some years back PDQ increased the reccomended pressure for the valves.
