The control box is essentially the brain of the VMAC diesel driven air compressor system. It tells the system what to do and makes decisions based on the programmed settings. The control box is also the communication hub for the air compressor, relaying important information to the operator on an “as needed” basis.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how the control box communicates with operators and what they can do to make the most of it.
3. Change Default System Settings
The VMAC diesel driven air compressor is automatically programmed for the most common applications, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those settings are right for your work. To help you set your air compressor for optimal performance, the control box enables you to update many settings as needed.
The settings that can be updated using the display box include:
- System Pressure
- Unload Delay
- Standby Delay
- Top-up Pressure
- High Air Rate
- Restart Pressure
- And more!
You can modify the existing system settings by opening the SYSTEM READY menu and holding the BACK and NEXT buttons simultaneously for five seconds. To learn more about updating the D60 control settings, see the D60 Owner’s Manual.
Customizable System Settings Chart
Operators can customize the following D60 system parameters:
| Setting | Description | Default | Adjustment Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standby Delay | Delay time to standby | 1 minute | 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes, Never |
| Unload Delay | Delay time to unload | 1 minute | 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 10, 15, 30 minutes, Never |
| System Pressure | Operating system pressure | 150 PSI | 80 to 150 PSI @ 5 PSI increments |
| Top-up Pressure | PSI below system pressure to allow inlet to open and build pressure | 10 PSI | 1 to 15 PSI @ 1 PSI increments |
| High Air Use Rate | Air rate set-point for pressure-based restart | -3.0 PSI/sec | 0 to -30 PSI @ 0.5 PSI increments |
| Restart Pressure PSI | Air pressure set-point for pressure-based restart | 120 PSI | 80 to 150 PSI @ 5 PSI increments |
| Disable Auto Restart | Disable the engine from restarting in STANDBY after an adjustable time. |
Enabled | Enabled or Disabled |
| Disable Auto Restart Delay | Timer for disabling automatic engine restart | 60 minutes | Always, 30, 60, 120 minutes, Never |
| Allow Low Battery Restart | In Standby, allow the engine to restart based on low battery level | Enabled | Enabled or Disabled |
| Battery Restart Lower Threshold | Restart point for battery voltage | 12.1V | 10.0 to 14.0V in 0.1V increments |
| Battery Restart Upper Threshold | Fully-charged set point for battery voltage | 12.8V | 10.0 to 15.0V in 0.1V increments |
| Low Battery Restart Delay | Time delay before going back to STANDBY after battery fully charged | 2 minutes | 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes |
2. Receive Regular Maintenance Reminders
The D60 control box will let you know when maintenance is required and is programmed to give you 10 hours’ notice before the air compressor’s 500-hour and 1000-hour services are due. This will give you some time to order a new service kit, if required, and plan the maintenance time in your busy schedule.
Once the service work is complete, simply log the work in your display box and the system will record the past 10 service logs.
Here are the service reminders and notifications displayed by the display box:
| Error Code | Message Displayed | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | AIR FILTER PLUGGED | Air filter is not working or working incorrectly. May need replacement. |
| 32 | BATTERY VOLTAGE TOO LOW | The battery voltage is below threshold for 5 seconds (see Section 7.7 for threshold adjustment). |
| 46 | ENGINE RESTART DUE TO COLD | The engine has auto restarted due to the low internal temperature. |
| - | 500HR/6MTH SERV DUE IN xx HOURS | This warning will show up 10 hours before the 500 hour service interval. |
| 54 | COMPRESSOR SERV 500HR / 6MTH | The system is due for a service. This warning will show after every 500 hours of running the compressor. Clearing the compressor service reminder is required through the Diagnostic menu. |
| - | 1000HR / 12MTH SER DUE IN xx HOURS | This warning will show up 10 hours before the 1000 hour service interval. |
| 55 | COMPRESSOR SERV 1000HR/12MTH | The system is due for a service. This warning will show after every 500 hours of running the compressor. Clearing the compressor service reminder is required through the Diagnostic menu. |
| - | ENGINE SERVICE 50 HOURS | Engine servicing required. |
| - | ENGINE SERVICE 100 HRS/ENG. OIL | 100 hour engine servicing required. |
| - | ENGINE SERVICE 200 HRS/ENG. OIL | 200 hour engine servicing required. |
| 58 | ENGINE RESTART DUE TO LOW BATT | The engine needs to restart due to low battery. |
1. Receive Clear Error Messages
The diesel air compressor’s control box has been programmed to display error messages when the most common issues occur. These messages allow your system to communicate with you and, in many cases, tell you exactly what the problem is.
If you receive an error on your D60, you won’t be able to start the air compressor until the error is cleared. This mechanism helps protect the system, enabling it to last the entire life of your service truck, and more!
Diesel Air Compressor Error Codes
| Error Code | Message Displayed | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | COMP TEMP SENSOR FAILED – OPEN | Temperature sensor on the compressor is unplugged or wire to control box has been cut. |
| 6 | COMP TEMP SENSOR FAILED – SHORT | Temperature sensor on the compressor is shorted. |
| 7 | COMP TOO COLD xx.x F/xx.x C | Compressor is too cold to start. The temperature is displayed. |
| 8 | COMP OVER TEMP xx.x F/xx.x C | Compressor is too hot to start. The temperature is displayed. |
| 9 | MANIFOLD TEMP FAILED – OPEN | Temperature sensor on the manifold is unplugged or wire to control box has been cut. |
| 10 | MANIFOLD TEMP FAILED – SHORT | Temperature sensor on the manifold is unplugged or wire to control box has been cut. |
| 11 | MANIFOLD ERROR CHECK COALESCER | Temperature sensor on the manifold is shorted. |
| 12 | AIR PRESS SIGNAL VOLTAGE LOW | Low voltage reading on the air pressure transducer. |
| 13 | AIR PRESS SIGNAL VOLTAGE HIGH | Air pressure is too high to start the engine. |
| 14 | AIR PRESSURE xxx.x PSI | If the previous error is present the air pressure is displayed. |
| 27 | UNEXPECTED ENGINE OPERATION | Unexpected engine operation can have many causes. It is likely due to RPM detected during an OFF state. |
| 34 | ENGINE RPM NOT DETECTED | Engine RPM is not detected. Wire may be cut, tach sensor on bell-housing may be loose or fuel problem caused engine to stop suddenly. |
| 35 | ENGINE CRANK TIME OUT | The engine did not start during the crank cycle. |
| 36 | ENGINE OIL LOW | Oil level in the diesel engine is low. |
| 37 | ENGINE TEMP PROBE OPEN | Temperature sensor on the diesel engine is unplugged or wire to control box has been cut. |
| 38 | ENGINE TEMP PROBE SHORT | Temperature sensor on the diesel engine is shorted. |
| 39 | ENGINE TEMP TOO COLD TO START | The diesel engine is too cold to start. |
| 40 | ENGINE OVER TEMP | The diesel engine is too hot to start. |
| 41 | SERVICE PANEL OPEN | The service panel is open. It must be closed before the unit is run. |
| 42 | FUEL LEVEL LOW PLEASE RE-FILL | Fuel level for the diesel engine is low. It must be refilled before the unit is run. |
For more help with VMAC’s D60 diesel drive air compressor, visit the VMAC Knowledge Base or call technical support at 1-888-241-2289.
