ridiculous air ride problems

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remark

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whats up guys, i started a similar thread a while back but i am still having problems. i have replaced everything up front. bags, solenoids, airlines, compressor etc. the only thing still factory are the rear bags and thats the only thing not giving me problems. i recently did the airlines up front as i couldnt seem to get the factory lines to seal at the compressor correctly, the new lines fit much firmer and i really thought this was the end of my problems.i put the car back down and let the compressor run and the front end simply will not budge. the compressor runs for 90 seconds, check air, then i will let the compressor run again, and it runs for maybe 30 seconds, then cuts off with NO check air message.
this is really getting ridiculous. i have been dumping tons of money into the suspension trying to imrpove it, but the system was behaving better even with terribly leaking bags and dying compressor. i am really getting ready to say F it and swap out couls, but i can't justify that after buying all this crap.
any input is appreciated guy
 
Are they still leaking, and are the lines at the air springs leaking? Are the solenoids all the way in on the air springs?

It can take 3 or more key on cycles for the air bags to get full enough so that they don't trip the "check air ride" cel
 
if it wont air up your solenoid on the compressor isnt opening or the front solenoids arent being told to open, have you replaced the air ride module in the pass side kick panel? and are the front struts new or used?
 
I have a under one year old spring covversion. All is excellent shape, no rust, no noises. All perches and all tht you would need to slap it in. I will trade you for the compressor setup as long as its OEM or from Eddie.
What brand front air/shocks you use?
The strut conversion is under a couple years old. It works perfectly, rides great and makes no noise.
 
laser, is it a lowered setup? tempting... my compressor is from eddie.

jamie, i can hear the solenoids click open. i have not replaced the module its the one thing i havent messed with. struts are used from KK. he claims the bags held air for 6 months but when i could get them to air up, they seemed to lose about a half inch overnight. feelin kind of burnt on that one...

roadboss, i am nearly positive this is still my problem just because it seems like thats all is left. with the soap trick i do get minimal bubbles at the dryer but i can not feel any air moving around past the lines. im going to re check all of my seals right now( at the bags and compressor)
 
if you pay the shipping i will send you an air ride module for free i have a million of them, cant hurt to try.
 
There must be the sound of a leak somewhere. Spray bottle and dish soap? Typically its the lines into the compressor. They go in about a half inch. The slide in then sorta hit a bump, then they go in further.

Or check at the dryer to compressor interface. The black drier can break at its neck causing a major leak.
 
wondering if theres a short in the wires holding the vent at the compressor open so no psi is going into the dryer. when the compressor is running put your hand over the "muffler" off the compressor, black box with a big opening on the end, and see if its blowing out all the psi there. worth a shot.
 
it sucks the way i have learned the ins and outs of these cars. its hard for me to diagnose things over the phone or computer, but if someone has a problem with their mark, the kind that drives them to a dealer, and they still cant get it, you dont know how many times people have finally found me and bring me their car. and i nail the problem so fast being able to put my hands on it. i have fixed so many of them that over the years the easiest way for me to figure out whats wrong is to have it in the flesh. i am way more hands on with these cars that i am technical. sucks but its how i learned! if i could see your car in person i could figure the air ride out in less time than it took me to type this lol!
 
I feel it is improper seating of the air lines or solenoids as he didn't have an issue other than leak down of old bags before he got into this mess.

If the air line ends are bugged up and not cut straight they will never seal right, and if the old solenoids aren't trimmed, and new "O" rings used they will never seal right.

Lastly, it will take 3 or more cycles for the bags to fill up to the point that the "Check air ride" doesn't come on. Be sure you have the trunk and doors closed when doing this.
 
well i went through and checked all the lines, and while i do get some bubbling(with the soap and water) where the lines go into the dryer but they are pushed in about a half inch and dont seem to be budging any further. i even took out the brass collets and "opened them up" a little to make sure the line was sliding all the way through. lines at the solenoids are the same way. all lines are smooth and even.
i did get the car to finally pump up after all of this, turned it off and let it sit for a minute, started the car back up and as soon as the compressor starts running, the car will drop, quickly, and the pump will struggle to bring it back up. this sounds for sure like an air leak but i dont know what else i can do with the freaking air lines.
 
im sticking to the vent is stuck open and as soon as it opens the solenoids at the bags it all just blows out at the comp, so either the vent is stuck open, there is a bad wire to the vent or the air ride module is commanding it to vent
 
if the vent was stuck open, wouldnt it affect the rear bags too?
 
if it was easy to get to you could try tapping the solenoid on the compressor with a small hammer while someone starts the car for you. i agree with chicken it sounds like the solenoid on the compressor isnt shut 100% so when the car is started, the solenoids open on the struts and the air dumps out of the compressor's solenoid. how old is the compressor?
 
compressor is brand new refurb from american air.

and roadboss, my solenoids fit fine, do i still need to trim them?
 
remark said:
if the vent was stuck open, wouldnt it affect the rear bags too?
Click to expand...

no, because the way the air system works is when you start a mark VIII up, the front solenoids open first, once the air ride module sees a signal from the front height sensors telling it that the front is now up to the correct height, the front solenoids shut and then the air ride module opens the rear solenoids to make rear height adjustment, so the rears wont be affected.
 
ok, i guess thats the next thing il check. really sucks working on your car when its snowing out. i need to be spoonfed do you have a picture of what im looking for here?
 
as far as the vent issue goes, i was still having this problem when i tried putting my old compressor back in. is it built into the compressor itself?
 
its built into the compressor itself the blue and white wires in the pic and the black box is the muffler, this is not out of a markviii but they are all basically the same. if it did the same with the old comp, id say a short holding the vent open or the module
IMG_20110111_224941.jpg
 
remark said:
i even took out the brass collets and "opened them up" a little to make sure the line was sliding all the way through.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if I would have done that. And there should be virtually no air bubbles there. But if minor, not the issues. The compressor can compensate for a pretty big air leak. Although yours sounds major.
 
I suggest again to check around the dryer (round black thing) and compressor where it enters. Maybe even take the one screw securing it and pop it out and check to make sure the o-ring and mount tabs are good.

Feel for air for now, remove and check after looking at solenoid as suggested.

Keep in mind you could also block the lines to each front bag effectively isolating one at a time. The rear lines go along he fender towards the back. Remove one front and cover it with finger. Then the other. That *might* help rule out a solenoid on one side or another. Heck, you could even remove them all and check each back line for a leak. They may have cracked. Mine had a kink from factory!
 
To be certain that the lines are seated you can push the lines in while at the same time pulling on the orange collar to help the collets bite into the tubing.

The trimming of the end of the solenoids is needed to reduce the projection of the end tip into the air bag (new ones). This is the little plastic cage that held the marsh mellow that get thrown away and not re-used. If you did this when installing the new bags then you should be all set. If the solenoid does not get trimmed it will not get seated all the way into the bag, the twist in will not drop into the 2nd step.
 
chicken, thanks for the picture. i have a module on the way from jamie so well see if that changes anything. hopefully i can nail it down before it actually gets here lol. now if i do have a short in the wire, what would i have to do to fix that?

one more thing that confuses me is the fact that the rear will raise and adjust themselves no problem. if it was the leak, wouldnt the rears also sink down trying to fill up?
 
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