Check air suspension system

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DandyDon

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:( I'm getting repeated alerts to check my air suspension system on my '97 Mark VIII. If I hit reset, the light goes out, but will come on again the next time I start the car. (Sometimes immediately, sometimes after I drive awhile.) I haven't really noticed anything different other than the car sat very low after I shut it off after some freeway driving. When I restarted it, it pumped back up. This hasn't happened again, yet. I've seen Mark 8's driving down the road with their tail way up in the air and that concerns me. I contacted the local dealer, who was pretty unhelpful regarding cause and cost to cure the problem. Anybody out there have any experience that they can share before I break down and take it in for repairs?

Thanks,

Dandy Don
 
Eddie can help he is the man!

Only 2 cents I can offer is if the warning is immediate after starting the car then it could be a sensor. If after 90 seconds (timeout period for the pump) then it is a leakin' somwhere - mine was a blown line.
 
Thanks, Frat-man. The light usually comes on after I've been driving awhile. Seems like when I'm approaching 60 mph. Isn't that the speed where the car drops a couple of inches? Is that signigicant?
 
Could be any number of things. You might have a sticking vent solenoid, a leaking line, a dying compressor- anything.

My vent solenoid wasn't working properly, as a result, it couldn't vent quickly enough. When I hit 60, it would attempt to drop the car, but couldn't do it quickly enough. As a result I would get the CHECK AIR RIDE alert. Sometimes, it seemed, like the vent stayed open, and the car would continue to slow drop while driving down the highway, slamming the rear end.

I just put a new compressor in a few weeks ago from American Air Suspension, and I got a beautiful, silent compressor with a 2 Year Warranty. You can't beat Eddie at American Air when it comes to price, service, or the warranty.
 
Calabrio hit it, the system is not venting right- solenoid is the first culprit. Eddie will hook you up.
 
To make sure it's not the bags.... let the compressor pump up the bags and then turn off the air ride switch in the trunk.

If the car stays up for a day... You will eliminate the bags as the culprit..
 
Wow, this is great info. I'll do some checking this week end. Calabrio or Eddie, can you tell me how much for the kit that Calabrio is talking about? Did you put it in yourself, or have it done? I called the Lincoln dealer and they wanted $80 just to do the diagnostic check. I'd hate to think what the installation cost would be.

Thanks guys,

Dandy
 
Just to be clear, I'm just a happy customer.

But the new compressor cost $160. And the compressor means the pump/dryer/vent.

If it's just the vent that is shot, you could try just buying the Spider Valve X-Treme. It is, basically, a remote vent solenoid. But it costs as much as the compressor, so you might want to start with that first.

When I first bought my Mark I had a vent problem too. I think a dealership scan can confirm the problem. I didn't have the scanner necessary to read the air ride system, the local shops didn't, so I took it to Ford. $80 to run the scan just to confirm my suspicion and it still needed to be fixed.

So, some don't agree with this, but once I suspect something is bad or going bad on my car- if I can afford it or do it myself, I just replace it. The diagnostics often cost as much as the part.
 
Sometimes, you really have no choice but to have the system scanned to know where to start to fix it. In my opinion, we're not to that point yet. Allot of times, even if you know the code(s), it doesn't tell you anymore than you knew before.

Anyway, when you get a chance, read this article to help bring you up to speed on how the system works: http://www.americanairsuspension.com/THE BASICS OF A MARK VIII AIR SUSPENSION.htm

After that, read this. It may shed some light on what maybe happening: http://www.americanairsuspension.com/the light is coming on.htm
 
Well, I took the car in for a scan this morning. The diagnosis was that it needs a new relay, a wiring harness, and a new compressor because this one "seems to want to seize". Total bill would be >$1300. I went for the relay and wiring harness because I need the car in operating condition. It's my everyday car and gets ~600 miles a week in use. I don't buy the compressor story because the car pumps up fine. Besides, at $560 for a new compressor from those guys I expect to get kissed too. I'm planning on trying this, and if I still have problems I'll get the $160 compressor from Eddie and have someone else install it. As it is, it's still going to cost me over $500. Who would'a thunk that labor was more than $100/hr???

Not so Dandy
 
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