air susp is pissing me off

bryantaylor

bryantaylor

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some times it works perfect, but just starting acting up. when it does act up, the comp will run, but for no set ammount of time, then throws a message and the front usually isnt aired up all the way and is VERY bouncy. the front bags are arnott units, and as far as i can tell only about a year old. checked the relay, seems fine, the selinoids click open too. i cleaned up the relay today and put some di-electic grease in it and it just aired fine.

just had to vent a little.
 
I was going to mention cleaning the contacts, but ya did it! Probably fixed the issue for a while.
 
If it's bouncy up front & you get the check air ride message, I would guess that one of the front stuts is airing up & the other is leaking. That's what happened to mine & the symtoms were identical. The front end looks like it pumps up but you get the check air ride message because one of the hieght sensors doesn't make it to the correct hieght. Then it leaks air out causing the bouncy ride.
 
when it happens, the front doesn't raise all the way, and the struts are just over a year old, not worried about them.
 
any number of things could be wrong with them.
Problem one: Using Arnott.

The vent could be sticking open or a bad bag are the likely culprits.
 
Calabrio said:
any number of things could be wrong with them.
Problem one: Using Arnott.
Click to expand...

LOL, it was already on the car when i bought it.

the compressor runs, but sometimes it airs up and sometimes it doesnt. right now the car is slamed and it won't raise. i have some searching to do.
 
Try another relay. There is one for the ABS on the other side of the car. Pretty much a mirror location. Worth a shot.
 
arnott struts are junk the day you pull them out of the box. you say they are only a year old and you arent worried about them, i would be. you are lucky they lasted a year, arnott does not sell new front struts, they are all refurbished and 90% seem to leak within a year or sooner. if the front isnt airing up all the way and the compressor is shutting off and throwing a check code, i'd be willing to bet one of them is shot. i have arnott's on the front of my 93 as well, but they were already on it, i wouldnt have put them on, i'll weld a steel bar in there before i install arnotts. if you plan on keeping the car for a bit, i'd start looking for factory struts and throw those arnotts away.
 
i think i am going to pull the compressor out and inspect it really good. i dont think its the struts because the car doesnt drift down overnight that i have noticed. it "might" be sitting a hair lower (like a half inch or so) but it might just be where i am parking. the compressor runs for the whole 90 seconds, so its not a relay.

i saw a thread about cleaning the dryer, to i will probally do that while its out.
 
My hunch would be to test the relay first.
Take the ABS relay from the other side of the car and replace the Air Ride one behind the passenger front wheel with it. See if it works- and see if your anti-lock brakes are working with the old relay.

If that works out, I'd probably start considering the coil conversion, OR buying a Spider Valve Extreme from American Air Suspension and a new compressor. If you do that, you'll at least know that the compressor and vent with last for several more years, despite the intense Florida humidity.
 
took the compressor off and apart. the electric motor was very dirty inside, cleaned it up with electric cleaner. hooked the compressor and the vent valve to the battery afterward. the motor sounds good, pumping air decent. the vent selanoid click on and off no problem. took the dryer apart and there was a TON of moisture in it. i have the beads setting out in a tupaware pan and will stay out overnight to let them dry out.

everything on the compressor looked decent, execpt all the moisture in the dryer. we will see tomorow if cleaning everything helped any.
 
If you have a metal sheet, put the beads in the oven at 120. They absorb moisture, having them at room temp will just let them soak up more. They only way they dry out is to dehydrate them.

I've done this twice. When they are dry the indicator beads that are blue will turn white - I think.... either way, when dry they change opacity but some beads are indicator beads - if that makes sense...
 
This is the main reason to get a Spider Valve from American as it vents outside the compressor to prevent the moisture build up. The newer one also has site bowls that trap moisture from entering the system.
 
looks like the compressor is just on its way out. just put everything together and the compressor runs for a few seconds and then "surges" on and off for a few seconds.

looks like cleaning it made it worse. i fliped the key on and off about 10 times so the car is now at ride height, and i turned the air-ride off untill i buy a new compressor from eddie. i will call them on monday to make sure i can get a spider valve because its not listed on their webite.
 
i saw a thread about cleaning the dryer, to i will probally do that while its out.[/QUOTE]

Please tell me where the site is or post a link to taking the dryer apart. I can see the large molded in nut,but how or what do you hold it with or maybe leaving it hooked into the assembly would be easier?:confused:
 
Microwave and the beads will probably explode.

So who is going to have the next compressor failure? Happens in threes, right?

Mine went out so yesterday I put another in. I took the dryer apart and found that 300 degrees worked better. Remember, they need to turn clear and some blue for them to be dry - if they are white, they are not. There will be a few that just wont dry out though.

The compressor was making a slow tapping sound. I took it apart and found it had been full of water, or appeared to have been once. The dryer was wet. This was a rebuild from Eddie, but it was NOT rebuilt, the electric motor had no work done to it at all and the brushes on the motor were all but gone.

Anyway, the one I put in is not working right but it does run. It runs for a while then stops. I think the blown compressor over stressed the relay and too it with it....
 
turn_on68 said:
i saw a thread about cleaning the dryer, to i will probally do that while its out.
Click to expand...

Please tell me where the site is or post a link to taking the dryer apart. I can see the large molded in nut,but how or what do you hold it with or maybe leaving it hooked into the assembly would be easier?:confused:[/QUOTE]

You just turn the large nut, its part of the top but there is not much to grab onto. Also you may want to place the body in a vice or *maybe* an oil filter wrench on the body would work to hold it.

Once you get it started, STOP. Do the rest by hand. There is a large spring inside. Open evenly and slowly to get the top and spring out.

Once inside there is a metal plate and filter pad. Just hold the dryer upside down over a deep container and dump it all in. There is a second pad that will be at the bottom. I place both of these filter pads in the over with the beads to also dry them out.

To re-assemble, pad first, beads, another pad and then spring with top.
 
well, called eddie and got my new compressor ordered. but they are not carrying the spider valves right now. he said they might have them again in a couple of months.
 
He made a couple versions, the spider and spider eXtreme but stopped producing them a while back.

I have a spider valve. If you get one, lubricate with silicone spray from time to time, do not use WD40 as it could get in the lines.
 
unity said:
He made a couple versions, the spider and spider eXtreme but stopped producing them a while back.

I have a spider valve. If you get one, lubricate with silicone spray from time to time, do not use WD40 as it could get in the lines.
Click to expand...

lubricate what? the vent solenoid opening? i got the normal spidervalve
 
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