when you shut off the car is the car supposed to drop and inch or two.. if so shouldn't both sides drop equally or is it self leveling to make up for unlevel ground... i noticed one side in rear will drop and the other looks like it doesn't budge...

It will lower to where it thinks it needs to be. If only you are in the car, the drivers side will usually lower right after you close the door. If you had people in the back seat, then the rear will likely drop. The front lowering will sometimes make the back look like its lowering. Also uneven grond will have it sometimes sittin funny.

It will lower to where it thinks it needs to be. If only you are in the car, the drivers side will usually lower right after you close the door. If you had people in the back seat, then the rear will likely drop. The front lowering will sometimes make the back look like its lowering. Also uneven grond will have it sometimes sittin funny.


it took me quite a while to realise all these points you made - especially about how your perception of which part of the car is lowering / raising can get skewed if you watch it happen from inside the car.

i won't be in the car most of the time...as i get out i hear a click then see the driver side rear lowering an inch or so.. then it stops.. but the passenger side rear looks an inch or two higher as if it didn't lower at all... some mechanic told me that the car should NOT lower at all.. he said my ride height is set too high and thats why it lowers when shut off.

Hes wrong. Car almost always lowers after you exit, closing the door will trigger it. It won't lower with the door open. Cause the front of the car is heavier on the bags than the rear, the adjusting is often in the rear, but it can be hard to tell what is exactly lowering.

Hes wrong. Car almost always lowers after you exit, closing the door will trigger it. It won't lower with the door open. Cause the front of the car is heavier on the bags than the rear, the adjusting is often in the rear, but it can be hard to tell what is exactly lowering.
ive even stuck my hand sideways on top of the rear drivers side tire and watched the car sink to touch my hand.. then gone around to the passenger side and its not even close to touching my hand... is something maybe not working on that side or is it because the ground may not be level??..

Well I would put it on level ground before making any assumptions or trying to fix anything. Often the front will cause the rear to be crocked, the rear only has one sensor, so the front often makes the rear look uneven. Could be a rear solanoid is sticking. I'm far from an expert, but there are some that know that system in and out on here that should help.

You know, the rear has only one sensor but yet a solanoid on both bags, one could definately be the problem.

took it to the most level ground i could find... still looks like it leans to the driver side in the rear

My '97 has the same problem. My driver side bag leaks a little while the passenger side does not. At this point, I am shadetree troubleshooting. The one ride height sensor for the rear is on the left side. So as the bags get inflated with the same amount of air, the left will call for more fill than what the right side needs, to raise the rear and set the sensor at ride height. Over time, the right stays more inflated that the left and the rear balance off.

Thats my theory any how.

Sounds like a bad solenoid on the rear pass Airbag. Unlike the front, the rear has only one sensor, and the computer dumps air from both rear bags at the same time, since it doesn't really know which rear tire is higher than the other. In other words, it can't read uneven ground between the two rear tires.

maybe a half inch.. It lowers to what is called "curb height" once the car is parked.

my car used to lower when you got out of it when I still had the air ride. you would hear a click and then it would start dropping about 2 inches in the front and an inch or so in the back.

Mine just started lowering, after a new pump & spider valve..., I didn't know if it was suposed to before, but I do remember seeing something about the door switch so it wouldn't drop onto the curb...

What is a spider valve?

swap the right and left rear solenoid's (they are the same) and see if the prob moves, mine used to lean in the rear when it was stock height but when i sensor lowered it was much better even unnoticeable. the click and drop is normal debi removed the silencer for the comp, and when she parked it and closed the door there was an audible click and hissssssssss as the car dropped, it sounded cool

What is a spider valve?
http://www.americanairsuspension.com/SPIDER%20VALVE.htm

you can adjust the "lean" by adjusting the sensors in the front. if the car has been sensor lowered then that minor misadjustment could be the problem. this would also make the back "lean".

you can adjust the "lean" by adjusting the sensors in the front. if the car has been sensor lowered then that minor misadjustment could be the problem. this would also make the back "lean".
only the rear leans.. the front is dead even...also..no mods to the sensors i don't think.. i have a basic ray switch... so could that be it.. or is there a way to test the solenoids so i dont have to switch them to see if thats it

is there a way to test the solenoids so i dont have to switch them to see if thats it

quick and easy, all you gotta do to swap is un do the little retainer clip then turn left (its like a rad cap) only turns so far then booosh, the bag vents then push and turn the rest of the way and remove the air line. id say 10 minutes tops

only the rear leans.. the front is dead even...also..no mods to the sensors i don't think.. i have a basic ray switch... so could that be it.. or is there a way to test the solenoids so i dont have to switch them to see if thats it
If the front is dead even and the rear leans than your car is pretty twisted, that can't be right.

quick and easy, all you gotta do to swap is un do the little retainer clip then turn left (its like a rad cap) only turns so far then booosh, the bag vents then push and turn the rest of the way and remove the air line. id say 10 minutes tops
Probably should put a jack under the car.;)

Probably should put a jack under the car.;)

YES!!!!! support the body and let the susp hang, put jack stands under the pinch welds in front of the rear tires. thanks 02a;lsdkfj;al lol i forgot cuz everything i work on is on a hoist:)

I slide under my buddies 92SE to raise the rear a smidge, loosened the nuts to the sensor and it dropped, and so did the car start to on my chest. Luckily I slide it up almost immediately thinking clearly and it stopped. I quickly realized I should not have done this with out something to save my azz.

this sucks

quick and easy, all you gotta do to swap is un do the little retainer clip then turn left (its like a rad cap) only turns so far then booosh, the bag vents then push and turn the rest of the way and remove the air line. id say 10 minutes tops

ill give it a whirl when i get a free hour...

ok im back with an update... i lowered my car a couple of inches using the rayswitch... about 4 days go by.. everything looks fine.. i go away for 5 days.. come back and my rear has sunk about 3 - 4 inches mostly on passenger side..

could the reason for the leaning be a very slow leak in the left rear airbag??

Yes, most likely the whole problem is a leak in the air spring(s). I would recommend replacing the pair, as they're the exact same age and WILL die soon of each other. http://www.americanairsuspension.com/mk8-springs.htm