EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER
SUBJECT: SERVICING OF HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS
APPLICABILITY: To all the EMB-145 aircraft in operation.
VALIDITY: This SNL remains valid until it is superseded or canceled by a subsequent revision.
SCOPE:

To advise the EMB-145 operators about the recommended practices in servicing of the aircraft
hydraulic systems.

DESCRIPTION:
Some operators reported excess hydraulic fluid in the aircraft hydraulic system No. 2. This excess fluid is
drained overboard through the reservoir relief/drain valve, causing some aircraft external appearance
problems.
The above mentioned condition occurs due to fluid transfer from hydraulic system No.1, thus causing
excess fluid in the hydraulic system No. 2. Fluid transfer occurs by means of the brake shuttle valves,
during a specific sequence of the emergency/parking brake application and release, combined with the
brake pedals application.
BRAKE SYSTEM OPERATION
The brake system consists of the normal and emergency/parking brake systems (Figure 1). The normal
brake system is supplied by the hydraulic systems No. 1 and No. 2. System No. 1 controls the outboard
brakes; system No. 2, the inboard brakes. The emergency/parking brake system, only uses fluid from
hydraulic system No. 2. Thus, fluid transfer will occur from system No. 1 to No. 2 and vice-versa, via the
outboard brakes.

DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 1 of 7

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER

Figure 1
SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 2 of 7

DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER
A shuttle valve (Figure 2), located close to the wheels, is the mechanism that will select which system
(normal or parking brake) will actuate. This valve works with a differential fluid pressure.

Figure 2
DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 3 of 7

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER
FLUID TRANSFER FROM SYSTEM 1 TO SYSTEM 2:
1. When the normal brake is applied, the shuttle valve will allow the normal brake to actuate, filling up the
brake cavities with fluid from hydraulic system 1 (Figure 3 - Box 1).
2. When the parking brake is applied, the shuttle valve switches, allowing the parking brake system to
actuate, although the brake cavities are filled with fluid from system 1 (Figure 3 - Box 2).
3. If the parking brake is released without the normal brake application, the shuttle valve will remain
selected closing hydraulic system 1 passage, and the fluid originally from hydraulic system 1 will flow
to hydraulic system 2 (Figure 3 - Box 3).
4. If the normal brake is applied prior to parking brake releasing, the shuttle valve switches allowing the
hydraulic fluid from system 1 to flow back to the system 1, right after the normal brake has been
released, thus avoiding fluid transfer (Figure 3 - Box 4).

Figure 3
SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 4 of 7

DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER
FLUID TRANSFER FROM SYSTEM 2 TO SYSTEM 1:
1. When the parking brake is applied without normal brake application, the shuttle valve will allow the
parking brake fluid to actuate, filling up the brake cavities with fluid from hydraulic system 2
(Figure 4 - Box 1).
2. If the parking brake is released with the normal brake applied, the fluid inside the cavities originally
from system 2 will flow to system 1, right after the normal brake has been released (Figure 4 - Box 2).
3. If the parking brake is released without normal brake application, the hydraulic fluid from system 2 will
flow back to the hydraulic system 2, thus avoiding fluid transfer (Figure 4 - Box 3).

Figure 4
DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 5 of 7

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE TO AVOID FLUID TRANSFER:
When applying the Parking Brake:
1. Apply the normal brake by pressing the brake pedals and keeping them pressed (Figure 5 - Box 1);
2. Apply the parking brake (Figure 5 - Box 2);
3. Release the brake pedals.
When releasing the Parking Brake:
1. Apply the normal brake by pressing the brake pedals and keeping them pressed;
2. Release the parking brake (Figure 5 - Box 3);
3. Release the brake pedals.

Figure 5

SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 6 of 7

DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A SO JOS DOS CAMPOS SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER
RECOMMENDED SERVICING:
1. Check the level of hydraulic system No. 2 reservoir on the Multifunction Display (MFD) hydraulic page
for quantity indication at every overnight inspection.
2. To prevent reservoir No. 2 from being overserviced due to fluid transfer, drain excess fluid through the
reservoir relief/drain valve, until the quantity reaches around 70% of the green scale (this procedure is
recommended whenever the Multifunction Display (MFD) hydraulic fluid quantity indication is found at
90% of the full green scale, during the maintenance inspection). After draining, confirm that the
quantity shown on the Multifunction Display (MFD) indicator is within the green range of its indication
scale.
3. Excess fluid in the hydraulic compartments should be carefully eliminated. All drains should be
periodically checked, to prevent them from being clogged with foreign objects. The adoption of the
above mentioned actions, should reduce both the leaks and problems caused by the overservicing of
hydraulic system No. 2.

DATE: 07/Jun/01
CHANGE No.: 02 - 14/Jul/06

SNL 145-29-0005
PAGE: 7 of 7

EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONUTICA S/A - SO JOS DOS CAMPOS - SP

SERVICE NEWSLETTER

SNL 145-31-0011
PAGE: 2 of 1

DATE: 26/Aug/04
CHANGE No.: __ - __/___/__