something to worry about?

D

Daviddc114

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Happy holidays everyone! I just went in the garage to Check on my mark viii, and when i uncovered it i noticed it was a little lower than usual, so i went in and grabbed the keys and turned it to accessory and sure enough the compressor went on and she raised up to normal height, probably about An inch or less.. It was front and back, the car was level, just a little lower, it had been sitting in the garage covered and untouched for about 5 or 6 months, is this normal with long storage like that, or do you think maybe a minor leak somewhere? The car is not a daily driver, it lives its life covered in a garage and it only has 30k on it, and i put probably less than 10 miles on it in the last 2 years, so i don't know where the leak could have came from, any suggestions? Maybe just a fluke?
 
Daviddc114 said:
Happy holidays everyone! I just went in the garage to Check on my mark viii, and when i uncovered it i noticed it was a little lower than usual, so i went in and grabbed the keys and turned it to accessory and sure enough the compressor went on and she raised up to normal height, probably about An inch or less.. It was front and back, the car was level, just a little lower, it had been sitting in the garage covered and untouched for about 5 or 6 months, is this normal with long storage like that, or do you think maybe a minor leak somewhere? The car is not a daily driver, it lives its life covered in a garage and it only has 30k on it, and i put probably less than 10 miles on it in the last 2 years, so i don't know where the leak could have came from, any suggestions? Maybe just a fluke?
Click to expand...


If it stayed up for 5 to 6 months, I personally wouldn't worry about it but yes, there is an extremely slow leak somewhere. Now when that leak turns into dropping within days, then yes, it's time to worry but 5 to 6 months, I would say you're doing pretty good. The leak could be in the line connections, height sensors, bags themselves, compressor vent solenoid. So many spots it could be but my guess would be that it's at the compressor because it was the whole car. I would go with the vent solenoid but it's so slow, wouldn't even worry about it. If you catch it slammed, then worry.

If you want it to stay up longer, turn on ignition and you just stand and watch it raise. Once raised, you get in and shut the door. It will level itself to compensate for your weight. Then get someone to get in on the other side and shut the door. It will raise to compensate for that person too. Once it's done, you get out and open the trunk and turn the air ride switch off but don't shut any doors until that switch is off. It should stay up longer and it will be higher. All venting will be shut off.
 
IMO, there must be a leak. The bags don't deflate because they haven't been inflated in a long time. If it's been sitting my guess would be one of the rings on the sylanoids. But that's just my guess.

If you think about it the last time the car was driven the air inside the bags could have been warmer than what's in there now. Meaning that the colder air inside the bags would take up less room and therefore the car would sit lower. That's a perfectly reasonable explanation of what has happened also.
 
The system is not 100% air tight, even new. Also temperature changes can impact height since cold air condenses as Myco said.

And lets not forget there is a park height and ride height. When you turn the key, the car would have raised anyway since it would go up to ride height. Which is under an inch higher than park height.
 
i'd be more worried about the fact that all the car does is sits. when you do start driving it, be prepared for all kinds of leaks, from air ride to fluids. its worse for a car like ours to just sit, you will see if you ever decide to put some miles on it how fast you start replacing things.
 
unity said:
The system is not 100% air tight, even new. Also temperature changes can impact height since cold air condenses as Myco said.

And lets not forget there is a park height and ride height. When you turn the key, the car would have raised anyway since it would go up to ride height. Which is under an inch higher than park height.
Click to expand...

+1
I say this is on the money
 
BAD97LSC said:
i'd be more worried about the fact that all the car does is sits. when you do start driving it, be prepared for all kinds of leaks, from air ride to fluids. its worse for a car like ours to just sit, you will see if you ever decide to put some miles on it how fast you start replacing things.
Click to expand...

Out of curiousity. If he did grease everything up and put electrical cleaner on everything he could did all fluid changes he could what would he seriously be looking at?

I'd guess bags/ upper/lower control arms within 6 months ohh.. and linkages.

He might have some bushings going bad within a year as the stock ones don't have greese fittings.

The vacuum tubes could be a nightmare after a couple months also.

The fuel filter would need to be changed with the fluids and the injectors professionally cleaned...

...what else.
 
Thanks for all the help. I was thinking the same thing as far as the colder air as i parked the car in the middle of summer and its now the winter. It is in an attached garage but it still probably gets in the 40s in there just because it is a garage, plus the garage doors are opened every day. I just wasn't sure if that could actually affect the bags... As far as turning it into a daily driver, not an option to me.. I bought the car because over the years i have owned many mark vii and viii's, and i found this car the the previous owner was just collecting and i have always had a soft spot in my heart for these cars, I'm just keeping it for shows, and to take out every now and then.. Ill probably keep it forever.. Now if i could only get a deal on a 70 chevelle ss 454 to park on the other side of the mark... :)
 
seals are the biggest worry, dried out motor seals, tranny seals, when a car sits for long periods of time seals dry up, then you start driving and now you have oil pissing out everywhere, tranny leaks everywhere, its a proven fact with any car, not just a mark, its bad for cars to sit if you occasionally want to use them.
 
When I pulled my mark out of my uncles barn after sitting untouched for 5-6 years the air suspension was still up.

Knock on wood.
 
My 96 has been sitting in the barn for just over a year now and has dropped a bit but not much. I am going to power it up just to get the suspension to pump up again. It is not slammed but it is low.
 
I went to check on mine yesterday, and the springs have not dropped at all...
 
5 months wow. Mine goes down in 5 hours and I don't care. Long as it stays up while driving around and pump doesn't run like mad. But mines not a DD.
 
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