vettetols
Active LVC Member
just got this 97' markviii and love it but the front air bags arent working all of a sudden. where is the first place to check? rears are fine, the motor comes on but nothing in the front. thanks guys in advance
air ride problem
- Thread starter vettetols
- Start date
MsM8tress
Dedicated LVC Member
Hi Hottie,
Before all of LVC stomps on you - do a few searches in the tech articles or even in the posts to narrow down your problem, then hit your thread back with what you found out, could be a variety of things senoids, bags, air lines...
Will be waiting.
MsM8
Before all of LVC stomps on you - do a few searches in the tech articles or even in the posts to narrow down your problem, then hit your thread back with what you found out, could be a variety of things senoids, bags, air lines...
Will be waiting.
MsM8
kustomizingkid
Dedicated LVC Member
So the front end is slammed and it won't come up at all? Not even when the air pump is running.... do you get a Check Air Ride message in the message center?
vettetols
Active LVC Member
pretty much, nothing in the front moves when the pump comes on. checked and the display says air ride ok
kustomizingkid
Dedicated LVC Member
Wow... it has never blipped the Check air ride message?
vettetols
Active LVC Member
only had her a week, nothing and then it just quit working in the front
mespock
Marxists - Socialists
No check air ride message? Hmmmm ....
Do you hear the compressor come on?
Do you hear the compressor come on?
vettetols
Active LVC Member
yes, it comes on and the rears are up
kustomizingkid
Dedicated LVC Member
It just doesn't sound right... if you had a huge leak in a front strut the comp should come on and then run and run and run and then pop the message....
MsM8tress
Dedicated LVC Member
ok.... tell us more hottie - Im very curious... never heard of the check a/r message NOT coming up... give us a status report hun....
MsM8
MsM8
vettetols
Active LVC Member
got a mechanic telling me that the fronts do most of the work and that the rears will come up even though he thinks i have a "weak pump". thats why the fronts arent going up
vettetols
Active LVC Member
that sounds likely, i am not familiar with anoy of the routing but am going to check it out. thanks for all of your advice and help
96hotrodlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Fact of the matter is!
If the fronts aren't moving, then the compressor would continue to run until it timed out (90 seconds), then the message center would display the check air ride message. Sounds to me like someone has disabled the message center warning. With your issues, the message center would have to be throwing a message. There is no way around it.
Pull the passenger side kick panel and see if there are any cut wires at the Suspension Control Module. It's the black box with the black and grey connector. Also make sure there are no wires spliced into any of the existing wires. Let us know what you find out.
If the fronts aren't moving, then the compressor would continue to run until it timed out (90 seconds), then the message center would display the check air ride message. Sounds to me like someone has disabled the message center warning. With your issues, the message center would have to be throwing a message. There is no way around it.
Pull the passenger side kick panel and see if there are any cut wires at the Suspension Control Module. It's the black box with the black and grey connector. Also make sure there are no wires spliced into any of the existing wires. Let us know what you find out.
kustomizingkid
Dedicated LVC Member
I wouldn't doubt regardless that you have bad front struts... but I think there are compressor issues too.
Chadly
Dedicated LVC Member
It airs up the front first, if that fails it wont do anything to the rears. My guess is that the front is slammed and compressor is shot but for some reason not sending an error mesage? The rears are probably good and just leaking like the front ones.
When the compressor comes on do you hear any clicking? The clicking should be the silenoids opening/closing. If they are stuck I dont think you wil hear them, hence the reason your front wont raise. And you SHOULD get the check air ride unless some one cut the wire for that to "fool" you into thinking everything was ok.
When the compressor comes on do you hear any clicking? The clicking should be the silenoids opening/closing. If they are stuck I dont think you wil hear them, hence the reason your front wont raise. And you SHOULD get the check air ride unless some one cut the wire for that to "fool" you into thinking everything was ok.
Dankar
LVC Member
On the air ride situation.
Is there any way to stop a leak from the rear bag?
As for the gentleman problem, Both strut shot in the same time?
Is that not weird? You would imagine one would work , no ?
But what do I know did not have the time to tear the wife car to learn the system yet.
Is there any way to stop a leak from the rear bag?
As for the gentleman problem, Both strut shot in the same time?
Is that not weird? You would imagine one would work , no ?
But what do I know did not have the time to tear the wife car to learn the system yet.
kustomizingkid
Dedicated LVC Member
The fronts wear at roughly the same rate... so they usually fail at around the same time....
There is no way to fix a leaky bag... all a leaky bag will do is kill the compressor.
There is no way to fix a leaky bag... all a leaky bag will do is kill the compressor.
there are some early 93's that did the rear first...I think they made a mistake in assembly.
I've seen two different 93's that pumped up the rears first..most work as you describe which is what I consider normal operation front first,then rear.
vettetols
Active LVC Member
okay, i went out to check it and now the check air ride is displayed. the compressor comes on but nothing really happens. the fronts are down and stay down, the rears are up and stay up. i dont hear any clicking noise ei; a solenoid energizeing etc. not sure where to go from here, to the stealership? if they scan it will it isolate the problem?
your vent solenoid in the compressor is toast.
replace the compressor.
what is happening is, the vent solenoid is corroded and leaking, thus when the compressor runs it cant pump up the front bags and the system "times out" and pops up the check air ride message.
if you take the dryer off the compressor you can hold an air chuck onto the dryer and supply air to the system.
if everything works right (you have to have the key on) the bag solenoids will open and the front bags will inflate.
at a bare minimum you need to get another compressor.
chances are you may or may not have a front bag(S) leaking.
I'd start with the "air chuck test" and see if you can get the car off it's nose.
If that works you know you need a compressor, if the front continues to fall then you need to get the front bags replaced asap.
replace the compressor.
what is happening is, the vent solenoid is corroded and leaking, thus when the compressor runs it cant pump up the front bags and the system "times out" and pops up the check air ride message.
if you take the dryer off the compressor you can hold an air chuck onto the dryer and supply air to the system.
if everything works right (you have to have the key on) the bag solenoids will open and the front bags will inflate.
at a bare minimum you need to get another compressor.
chances are you may or may not have a front bag(S) leaking.
I'd start with the "air chuck test" and see if you can get the car off it's nose.
If that works you know you need a compressor, if the front continues to fall then you need to get the front bags replaced asap.
kustomizingkid
Dedicated LVC Member
MarkVIII93
Dedicated LVC Member
mark viiis dont have air suspension problems... You crazy?!?
vettetols
Active LVC Member
did the test, the fronts pumped right up! ill just spring for the new compressor and go from there. thanks for all of the advice and help!!
BAD97LSC
Dedicated LVC Member
get a compressor from Eddie at AmericanAirSuspension.com, he'll even give you money back when you send him your dead compressor back for a core!