%#@*^#% Air Suspension!!!!

[Marauderjack]

Well.....

A couple of weeks ago the rear was squatted and it was riding rough so I paid special attention to the air pump with the engine off and it would run about 3 secods and then..."Click....pssssss" and repeat this cycle forever without raising the ride height??:argue: I jacked it up.....disconnected the sender and ran it through it's range of motion a dozen times.....hooked it back up and it worked OK??:beer:

Now today I hooked my boat trailer up and it would not raise the rear to compensate for the trailer....rode rough as HELL and now looks like it is back to the previous "Click....pssssss" again but it is too hot the mess with it today!!!:mad:

Any ideas as to what it might be?? Sender bad or the pressure release valve...or whatever is doing the "Click....pssssss"???:argue:

HELP!!!:help:

Marauderjack:(

[FordNut]

Bad sensor or bad connection in the wiring to it is my guess. The click--- pssst is probably just the system levelling (or thinking it's levelling).

[Marauderjack]

Thanks Brian....

When it worked the first time I thought it would be OK but someone said the sender is a variable resistor and if it has a bad spot it is just a matter of time and it will do it again or just quit!! LOOKS LIKE IT QUIT!!:argue:

I'll order one Monday and see what happens??:cool:

Marauderjack:shake:

[FordNut]

Good Luck.

[Marauderjack]

Hey Brian,

Is the sender just a rheostat that sends the signal to the pump through the PCM??:confused: I guess it searches for the correct reading in ohms and if it has a bad place (open) it thinks the suspension is all the way up and lets it down to the point of reading again which is too low and it pumps up again to the bad spot......repeats this endlessly!!:mad2:

The bad part is my car is now a "LOW RIDER" and the axle bumpers hit the frame over the smallest bumps!!:argue:

Marauderjack:shake:

[Marauderjack]

Well....

For kicks I removed the sender and tried to read resistance across two of the pins and got NOTHING recordable on my ohm meter!!:mad:

It read 5.65 across two...0 across two and .17 across the others (3 pins altogether).........Moving the actuator mad no difference in any of them telling me the rheostat is probably worn out (open)??:confused:

Now is there any way to fool the system into pumping up the air bags and then simply turning it off in the trunk....May get me by until my dealer can get one??:( He MAY even have them in stock??:shake:

This "Low Rider" thing is for the birds!!:mad2:

Marauderjack:nono:

[JohnE]

The ride height sensor is like a rheostat. The resistance on one side goes up and the other side goes down as it extends. The air suspension computer uses both signals. Also the air suspension computer has its own codes. A dealer can tell you exactly what is wrong. Still the system is small enough that you could throw parts at it for not too much investment.

My 2000 has 130k on the clock and I also tow a boat. So far I've had zero trouble with the air suspension. So, I don't expect it's normal for the parts to wear out this quick.

Good Luck,

John

[Marauderjack]

I put the sended back on and turned on the ignition but did not start the car.......Pump....Click...Psss ss just like before.:argue:

Started the car and it pumped for about 20 seconds....The rear end raised up and all is well???:confused:

Now, what the heck is going on here.....a bad connection at the plug?? Wonder why I could read no resistance change across it but it works.....SPOOKY!!:eek:

Marauderjack:help:

[Marauderjack]

I ordered a new sensor and found that they have changed the part number several times in two years?? It retails for $45.00 and my dealer will let me have it for $35.00.....In the mean time the old one is working OK!!??:cool:

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Marauderjack]

New sensor worked fine until I jacked the car up today and forgot to turn the trunk switch off and now it is acting up again!!:argue:

Anyone know what to do if it fails to level after the car has been jacked up with the trunk switch on??:confused: I wonder if disconnecting the battery would reset it??:(

Marauderjack:help:

[jgc61sr2002]

New sensor worked fine until I jacked the car up today and forgot to turn the trunk switch off and now it is acting up again!!:argue:

Anyone know what to do if it fails to level after the car has been jacked up with the trunk switch on??:confused: I wonder if disconnecting the battery would reset it??:(

Marauderjack:help:




Sounds to me like it is something other than the sensor.

[Grifter]

you can manually air up the rear IF you can hear the solenoids click open in the rear.. You need an air source (garage air compressor works great) and a good air spray nozzle, rubber tipped makes it easier.

shut the car off.. wait for the air suspension to stop its cycle (if it does a cycle) remove the airbox, unplug the compressor harness. pop the feed line off the air compressor dyer. press in the orangish ring around the line while gently pulling out the line. no air should be coming out of the line, the solenoids are closed. get the spray nozzle from your garage compressor ready, stick the rubber tip onto the feed line for the air bags and be ready. have a helper open the door, and turn on the key, but dont start it. after a few seconds you should hear a muffled click. thats the rear solenoids opening. when you hear that click, start applying air to the feed line. it wont take alot, and the back end will start to go up. get it to where you want it, and have your helper shut the air ride off in the trunk when you get to the height you want.
reassemble the line onto the dryer, plug in the compressor, reinstall the airbox, and leave the air ride switch off, and you should have a driveable car once again.

I had to do this to my car when my compressor crapped out..

[Marauderjack]

It is doing what it did before....the compressor runs about 5 seconds and then click....psssss.....and the cycle repeats over and over every 20 seconds or so!!:mad2:

It sounds as if it pumps up a bit the pssss goes back down?? It has worked fine for over a week but now after jacking it up it is wacky again!!:argue:

Is there a way to re-set it??:confused:

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Marauderjack]

I let it rest over night and this AM went to the internet with a "Mercury Air Suspension" search and found out waaaaay more than I wanted to know!!:cool:

If the height sensor is new they suggest the solenoid(s) and/or the drier and/or the compressor?? The whole package in aftermarket (for Town Car) is only about $250.00....If that doesn't work the control module may be defective (Ford Only)??:mad:

I am going to start with the electrical connections since this "SPOOK" is so intermittant!!:eek:

Stay Tuned.....I don't like the "Low Rider" thing!!!:mad2:

Marauderjack:burnout:

PS: BTW........IT WORKED FINE THIS AM???!!!

[FordNut]

Hard to imagine it being the compressor/dryer but I guess anything is possible. PM sent on parts availability...

[Drock96Marquis]

New sensor worked fine until I jacked the car up today and forgot to turn the trunk switch off and now it is acting up again!!:argue:

Anyone know what to do if it fails to level after the car has been jacked up with the trunk switch on??:confused: I wonder if disconnecting the battery would reset it??:(

Marauderjack:help:
Disconnecting the battery resets it.

The primary reason Ford requires the AIR SUSP be turned off when jacking up the car is for safety reasons. Not so much system failure (though could be an issue)

First thing to check is any conenction you can find. Also, is the CHCK SUSP/AIR SUSP light illuminated on dash board? Does it illuminate briefly when you turn the key from off to run (w/o start)?

THe RAS system will store codes if fault(s) are present, including height sensor mis-readings. Any F/L/M dealer can service and read these codes.

Seeing as your compressor is running, and you do hear air releasing, it would lead me to believe there is a connection or solenoid issue. The likelihood of having 2 failed height sensors in a row is slim. You did not adjsut the hright at correct? It was installed in the same position?

Arnott Industries, sells replacement air suspension components for significantly less than Ford. From what I have heard they are of high quality.
http://www.arnottindustries.com/parts_Ford_Crown_Vic_yid9.html

Should you end up replacing other components, keep in mind the Marauder air springs are the same found on HPP vic/gms, and 98-02 Town Car tourigns, and 99+ Limo/Livery. THe springs used on these vehicles are stiffer than the base-model counterparts. The air suspension system has remained relatively unchanged through the years.

The color coding of the piston (the plastic piece that rests atop the axle's spring perch, NOT the bag itself) indentifies the air-springs rate.

THe black piston-ed air-springs are for HPPs, also used on Marauders and Town Car touring sedans and 99+ Limos/Livery. Cream piston for base RAS equipped non-HPP (or similar) models, towing package included.

The colors and rates go:
-1997 Base RAS: Cream piston and cream cap = 75 lbs/inch
all years HPP air-springs: black piston and cream cap = 102 lbs/inch
1998+ Base RAS: cream piston and black cap = 89 lbs/inch

*Some years of GMQ HPP/LSEs got cream pistons, 01+ LX SPorts also get cream pistons with 17mm rear bar.

Keep in mind air-springs are variable rate, those ratings are with static load.

For comparison, the steel rear coils are: 130 lbs/in civilian, 160 lbs/in CVPI.

Air suspension is a very nice feature, IMO I would advise against converting to coils. There are a few more things to go wrong, but the convienience of having an automatically adjusting/weight-compensating suspension is great.

[Marauderjack]

Drock....

The light in the dash does briefly illuminate and it is working fine today??:rolleyes:

I wondered if the dryer may be full and periodically the resistance of pushing water tells the compressor module the proper pressure has been reached so it quits pumping and even releases a little.....though none is getting to the air bags??:confused:

Can the dryer be removed and cleaned out like a water trap on an air compressor or is it a throw away??:shake:

As stated before the compressor always runs but when it is acting up it does not raise the rear and runs for a few seconds the Pssssss.....repeating this every 20 seconds or so.....Probably going to burn the compressor up!!:argue:

Thanks for everyone's input....I hope we can figure this out!!:o

Marauderjack:burnout:

BTW, The sensor position was not altered.

[Marauderjack]

The %#@*^#% Air Suspension quit working again yesterday afternoon but the car didn't settle completely on the axle??:confused:

The compressor was doing the "pump-psssss" thing again!!:mad2:

This AM just 5 minutes ago I started the car and walked out to get the newspaper and VOILA it was working and the rear was jacked up to the proper height!!??:eek: :shake:

What the heck is going on here?? Is the dryer full of water and when it is HOT outside plugging up or something?? This is getting a bit testy!!!:(

BTW.....I unplugged the sender and sprayed the connector with WD-40 and while under there saw the solenoid switch (I think) ON TOP OF THE AIR BAG!!:confused:

Maybe it (they) are bad.....only $15.00 at www.strutmasters.com ??

Marauderjack:mad:

[Marauderjack]

So here's the latest......

It seems to be temperature related in that it acted up again this afternoon with the temperature at 97*???:mad: This morning it worked fine with the temperature at 78* or so!!:confused:

I spoke with a tech at Arnott Ind. (after market suspension folks) and they said several Town Car models had the control module on the firewall behind the glove box and had problems due to heat.....I just found out that is exactly where ours is!!:cool:

My dealer is looking to see if they have had any TSB's on this and will get back to me.:help:

Marauderjack:bandit: