hate to ask but: Weird AIR RIDE issue...

Hot*Mk8

Hot*Mk8

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K. Here it is (after TONS of research and no good answers):

Like a true idiot, I had the compressor/dryer on my 97 LSC replaced because it was really getting noisy (car has 61k miles). This was in April. No problems. Then, I parked on a slight upward angle in a driveway and the car seemed to have an issue with the way it attempted to level itself, really up in the front rather than down. Then, it threw the Check Air Ride code when I drove away. From then on, with battery disconnects and system resets, the car would not vent properly. It stayed at 4x4 mode :(. Suspecting a possible bad 'new' compressor, the decision was made to put the old one back in. No change.

Ordered an NGS Scan tool, performed the diagnostic tests today with a code that I just caused the car to throw again and it tested FINE. I performed the test three more times hoping that something would come up and it didn't. The software I purchased doesn't seem to have the FUNCTION capabilities to run TEST 211, so I have to believe that the problem is somewhere upstream from the air ride system itself? It kinda seems like the compressor just isn't receiving the signal to vent. No moisture present, BTW.

MONKEY BISCUITS! Help is greatly appreciated. I most certainly do not want to become one of the Clan Conversion at this point.

Thanks, guys!
 
1. picture. just how high is it.

2. is the check air ride message still on?
the system is shut down when that message is displayed. until you restart the car it won't do anything. if the message comes right back, you have a hard fault and it still won't do anything.

3. if the front sensors are over extend, it will fault and won't come back down by itself. you may need to manually vent.

4. are both the front and back too high? or just the front?
 
It was at 29.5" in the front and up everywhere, Chris. I left the air ride switch off for about 10 days while waiting for scan tool. Car very slowly sank back down to appropriate parked height (it is parked next to a 98 LSC) as reference. Shop manual says some codes are only stored for 30 minutes after being parked, so I drove the car prior to testing.

Prior to today, the code came on and stayed on. Today, it took me about 15 minutes to cause code going about 30MPH.

Prior to today, it was definitely a hard code.

Yes, both the front and back were too high. Not to add an additional piece of weirdness, but after testing, the car continued to throw the hard code, but ended up being the same height as the '98, around 27.5" or so. This situation has always involved the whole car and it has always been an up issue. -Thanks for helping!
 
all four corners not coming down is usually a vent issue.

and i'm not sure if the vent is incorporated with the pump or not.
my 193k pump is fine, so i've never messed with a pump.
anybody else know?


for the immediate hard code, do you have a height sensor dying? its rare, but possible i suppose.

if a front height sensor falls off, it will go up. and can cause the code.
 
Hmmm... I love the thought of keeping the air ride, but am afraid to drive the car any distance now. It is SO brilliant other than that. I just don't want it to be one thing after the other when I will begin to think, "Crap, I coulda repainted the car for that amount of money." Particularly considering that OEM front struts alone are $425 each. Owie.

Thanks, UltimateSVT!
 
Go to junkyard get one of the connectors that power the air solenoids, extend the wires on it, unplug connector on your car and hook up your new jumper wire, release air line from the solenoid jump the jump wire with a 9 volt battery and the bag should drain, do this to all four bags and hook everything back up, let car pump up and see where it sits. That is what i did when my rear bags would not vent down and my rear end was sky high, car sat normal for me after i did that. Also check to make sure none of the plastic is broken on the height sensors where they snap onto the ball stud.
 
UltimateSVT said:
Vent solenoids. I had the same issue with my prairie tan Mark VIII & that was my final straw with air bags on Mark VIII's. That's when I switched to struts/springs.
Click to expand...

vent solenoid (singular), the one at the pump. as i highly doubt all four bag solenoids failed at once.
 
The system definitely vents through the compressor/dryer which is why I thought putting the old one back in would cure the problem. UltimateSVT is saying vent solendoid(s) though, and there should be 3 or 4 of those, yes? 2 in the front and 1 or 2 in the back?
 
Hot*Mk8 said:
The system definitely vents through the compressor/dryer which is why I thought putting the old one back in would cure the problem. UltimateSVT is saying vent solendoid(s) though, and there should be 3 or 4 of those, yes? 2 in the front and 1 or 2 in the back?
Click to expand...

One solenoid per bag/strut
 
See, that's the other thing. What's the likelihood of all four solendoids failing at once? What's the likelihood of two compressor/dryer units being bad, one new and one old? WTF!!!!!
 
Epwillis said:
Go to junkyard get one of the connectors that power the air solenoids, extend the wires on it, unplug connector on your car and hook up your new jumper wire, release air line from the solenoid jump the jump wire with a 9 volt battery and the bag should drain, do this to all four bags and hook everything back up, let car pump up and see where it sits. That is what i did when my rear bags would not vent down and my rear end was sky high, car sat normal for me after i did that. Also check to make sure none of the plastic is broken on the height sensors where they snap onto the ball stud.
Click to expand...

I definitely need to make sure that the RF ride sensor was not damaged when the compressor was replaced. The car had returned to proper height after sitting for a couple of weeks when I started today's testing, though, and the code reappeared and car went back up to 29.5". So, I'm not sure that venting would clear the issue, but one never knows! Thanks very much!!!
 
Hot*Mk8 said:
I definitely need to make sure that the RF ride sensor was not damaged when the compressor was replaced. The car had returned to proper height after sitting for a couple of weeks when I started today's testing, though, and the code reappeared and car went back up to 29.5". So, I'm not sure that venting would clear the issue, but one never knows! Thanks very much!!!
Click to expand...

When my height sensor broke it was the plastic around the clip that clips onto the ball stud.
 
Hot*Mk8 said:
Hmmm... I love the thought of keeping the air ride, but am afraid to drive the car any distance now. It is SO brilliant other than that. I just don't want it to be one thing after the other when I will begin to think, "Crap, I coulda repainted the car for that amount of money." Particularly considering that OEM front struts alone are $425 each. Owie.

Thanks, UltimateSVT!
Click to expand...

Sounds like your compressors vent solenoid is stuck and or sticking. I would order another compressor from Eddie at American Air Suspension and a new dryer. Send in your core within 30 days and you will not be charged the additional $50 for not doing so.
[url]http://www.americanairsuspension.com/product-p/mk8com.htm[/URL]

Also, get yourself some new mounting insulators for quietness and to help the compressor absorb it's functioning. Mine have them and it's very quiet and the compressor is also from Eddie.
[url]http://www.americanairsuspension.com/product-p/insulx4.htm[/URL]

As for new Motorcraft front air shocks, I would go with these people and save a ton. No reason to pay anywhere near $400 for those. I just installed two new ones on mine and I love the ride. It was a completely different feel when I put both of them on. You'll need the AVS-16 and AVS-17 and they are easy to install yourself if you have the tools needed and a garage kinda makes things easier for you too. Here is the site for the new air shocks.

[url]http://www.sarad.com/index.aspx?q=AVS16[/URL]

[url]http://www.sarad.com/index.aspx?q=AVS17[/URL]

If you have the money, keep your air ride. If you continue to wait on purchasing the front air shocks, they are going to go higher and higher. I think after you get this stuff, you should be set for years to come. As far as I know, 2010 was the last year the air shocks were produced. The rears can be bought from Arnott. They're pretty good for rear air shocks but if what you have isn't leaking in the back, I'd leave them alone.
 
Oh air ride. How I love and hate thee...

I sure don't miss messing with mine. But I do miss using the ray switch when parked.
 
Stangman said:
Oh air ride. How I love and hate thee...

I sure don't miss messing with mine. But I do miss using the ray switch when parked.
Click to expand...

I have to say that out of three Marks, the only issue I have ever had with the air ride was the front right leaking down over night on the 95 I have now. My compressor is under three years old from Eddie and two new front air shocks now and working perfect. I can't complain but others have had major problems and a lot of it is neglect. Either spend the money to keep it or spend the money to swap lol. Everyone has a choice and I too love being able to slam the car down with the push of a switch. It even airs back up with only one reset but I'm assuming that is because of the new bags up front and a good working compressor. :confused:
 
What I never could understand on mine was, the rears always worked great, but after I swapped my low mileage 2nd gen air bags on the front, the rear was always high. But it would vent at park, but not with the ray switch. The fronts wouldn't vent at all. And they wouldn't vent with the ray switch either. Swapped out the solenoids with known working solenoids.... still didn't. And my car would randomly throw the chk airride message and pancake the nose. But my bags never had one single dryrot crack so I had no clue what the deal was. Coil converted it and I've been happy ever since. Even handles better.
 
NoLimit95 said:
It even airs back up with only one reset but I'm assuming that is because of the new bags up front and a good working compressor. :confused:
Click to expand...

i can come up from the bump stops in one go too! i just don't fully empty the bags, i stop venting when i hit the bottom.

Stangman said:
What I never could understand on mine was, the rears always worked great, but after I swapped my low mileage 2nd gen air bags on the front, the rear was always high. But it would vent at park, but not with the ray switch. The fronts wouldn't vent at all. And they wouldn't vent with the ray switch either. Swapped out the solenoids with known working solenoids.... still didn't. And my car would randomly throw the chk airride message and pancake the nose. But my bags never had one single dryrot crack so I had no clue what the deal was. Coil converted it and I've been happy ever since. Even handles better.
Click to expand...

check air ride and pancaking nose is almost assuredly cuz it was leaking air faster than it was getting in. badly seated air line maybe. it was trying to go up but was going down too fast!
 
chris2523 said:
check air ride and pancaking nose is almost assuredly cuz it was leaking air faster than it was getting in. badly seated air line maybe. it was trying to go up but was going down too fast!
Click to expand...

Crazy thing was, I could drive it for days and it would be fine, but if I drove it more than 45-50 mins straight it would do it. But it would sit in the driveway for 2 or 3 weeks and be fine. I gave up on that mess. Only way I will go back to airride is if I replace every single part. All new stuff. Then I will be happy.

Til then I will enjoy my coil springs
 
No regrets doing the air to spring switch. I was a HUGE air ride fan because it is indeed a nice feature on these cars but reality is if you want to take your car cross country tomorrow you have to worry if your air ride will fail somewhere along the way. I no longer have to worry about that. It's so amazing knowing how much more dependable these cars are w/o the air ride.
 
Stangman said:
Crazy thing was, I could drive it for days and it would be fine, but if I drove it more than 45-50 mins straight it would do it. But it would sit in the driveway for 2 or 3 weeks and be fine. I gave up on that mess. Only way I will go back to airride is if I replace every single part. All new stuff. Then I will be happy.

Til then I will enjoy my coil springs
Click to expand...

I am of the same exact opinion. Unless I have the cash to just instal THE ENTIRE AIR RIDE SYSTEM BRAND NEW, I'm staying with springs.
 
As soon as mine was on dd duty it went to coils. My only regret is going lowered. Don't get me wrong, it (AAS kit) looks great but that's about it. The ride sucks with the cheap crap-matics up front :mad:
 
Well, the upside is, the struts up front can always be changed out for a better unit, so long as you know someone with a good shop quality spring compressor.

Edit: just checked rock auto.... sensa-tracs look to be on sale for about 30 a piece right now. Looked em up for a 97 t bird....... looks like a pretty good deal. And KYB's were 50 each.... now I know what I can get for the front of mine!
 
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