urgent help aibags deflated

[hot-rauder]

my brother was driving his 03 MM and suddely his air supension light came on. he said his compressor was making a grinding sound earlier this morning and it didnt sound healthy. while he was driving after his light suddenly came on the ride became horrible and the rear bags are deflated. is ti s fuse or what? we are stumpped andcould realy use some help. he has a 30 minute commute on the highway and doesnt know if it is ghealthy for thecar to drive with the rear bags deflated. any service codes anything would help. please post help! thanks guys!

[Dr Caleb]

Call a flat bed tow truck. Key words - 'flat' and 'bed'. Don't put that car on a regular tow rig.

If the compressor has packed it in, driving on the airbags will most likely damage them.

Find a good shop that understands air ride suspension too. The compressor on my CV packed it in because of an air leak in the system, and the dealer I took it to had no clue. The compressor died because it was always running. And the second one died too, because they didn't fix the leak. I took it where they service Police Interceptors, an SVT shop.

They found the problem.

[Grifter]

OK, heres what you do to get the car back up to ride height (if its the compressor that died, not the bags that blew.)

This works a little easier w/ 2 people, and an air compressor with a rubber tipped air nozzle (worked well for me, the tube type may as well if thats all you have) a small 5 gallon (@ 80ish psi) tank should have enough air in it. It doesnt take much air to get the bags back up

Pop the trunk, you will need access to the air ride switch. Remove the air box (if you have it, or other intake assembly) to reveal the suspension compressor beneath. locate the air line coming out of the small tank attatched tot he pump. remove the air line. Push the colored ring in and pull the tube out to remove it.
with the air ride switch in the on position,and the air compressor all ready to go, have a buddy hop in the car and turn the key to 'On' but dont start it. in a couple seconds you will hear the compressor kick on/grind/howl (whatever noise it makes if any) and/or you will hear the solenoids 'click' from the rear bags. once you hear either of those, start pumping air from the compressor into the air line you removed. that will start to inflate the rear bags. keep filling until the suspension pump stops, or the rear solenoids click shut, or until you get whatever rear height you want.
once you get to the desired height, go to the trunk and flip the air ride switch off so that the computer doesnt make the solenoids open again and you lose all your air. FYI having the air bag switch off will also make the 'air ride' light come on in the dash.

thats how you can manually add air to the bags and still drive around with a broken compressor. I did that for a week when mine went out..

[Grifter]

also, my pump died because of the windshield washer reservior. You cant fill it more than 3/4 full otherwise it will slosh out of the little vent hole in the top of the cap and leak down onto the suspension pump and corrode it until it dies.

[Local Boy]

That's a good tip Grifter...Thanks...ALOHA

[magindat]

The air bags have solenoids on them. The solenoids close when ever there is no air moving in OR out. These protect the suspension from leakage in the rest of the system.

Likely, the compressor died and the system 'lost it's mind'. It is VERY unlikely both bags blew at once. It is very unlikely these bags blow AT ALL.

I doubt you'll be able to manually air up the ride due to those solenoids being closed.

It's not a problem and poses no threat to the system or the bags to drive in the deflated position. Just make sure the air suspension is turned off. The bumpstops are of a compound nature to help when bags are deflated. To soften the ride further, you could air down the tires to about 32.

This will get you to the dealer (if under warranty) or get you home. If not under warranty, there are a great many after market suppliers of rebuilt OEM compressors.

There are more complicated testing/diagnosing procedures. We can go into that if you are not under warranty.

[Grifter]

I know for a fact the method i wrote above works. I did it.
The solenoids do not open or close when no air is moving out, they open/close when electronically told to do so. The compressor turning on and the solenoids opening happen at the same time.

If the bags are deflated, the sensors tell the suspension computer to turn on the pump and open the solenoids. What we are after is the part where it tells the solenoids to open, allowing us to manually add air regardless of the condition of the pump. To get the pump/solenoids to cooperate, you turn the key to the 'on' position and that will energize the rear bag state check and the suspension computer will be told its low and needs air.

[wchain]

Thats the MM Lay it low feature.....special "Easter Egg" that the MM's have. I bet the bunny lady helped activate it......

Check the fuse for the compressor first, make sure its not out, then go from there.

[magindat]

I know for a fact the method i wrote above works. I did it.
The solenoids do not open or close when no air is moving out, they open/close when electronically told to do so. The compressor turning on and the solenoids opening happen at the same time.

If the bags are deflated, the sensors tell the suspension computer to turn on the pump and open the solenoids. What we are after is the part where it tells the solenoids to open, allowing us to manually add air regardless of the condition of the pump. To get the pump/solenoids to cooperate, you turn the key to the 'on' position and that will energize the rear bag state check and the suspension computer will be told its low and needs air.

Now that I follow it through in my head, you're right. With the system 'on' the solenoids should close once the height is reached. The system should then be turned off and the car should theoretically remain at ride height.

[hot-rauder]

on his ride home he had the airbags working, compressor going, but it didnt feel right. then half way home the light came on and his bag suddenly deflated again. i think it is the soleniods. is this something he should attempt or should he have it done for like $800?

[fastblackmerc]

on his ride home he had the airbags working, compressor going, but it didnt feel right. then half way home the light came on and his bag suddenly deflated again. i think it is the soleniods. is this something he should attempt or should he have it done for like $800?

Shouldn't be hard to do.

[wchain]

Check for a crack in the lines or a snagged hose.

[hot-rauder]

thanks guys.

[hot-rauder]

heres a pic of thecar. i just saw it and had to go pick him up in mine. i was gunna rub itin his face but i felt so bad for him after seeing it.

[Hotrauder]

At that ride height he is riding on the bump stops. You knew that, don't ask how I know.:rolleyes: Dennis...The ride is FIRM in that configuration and could put you in the spinach on the track, ha ha...altho I had almost 200 very high speed track miles on the stops with no problem til..... ps. interesting user name.

[hot-rauder]

At that ride height he is riding on the bump stops. You knew that, don't ask how I know.:rolleyes: Dennis...The ride is FIRM in that configuration and could put you in the spinach on the track, ha ha...altho I had almost 200 very high speed track miles on the stops with no problem til..... ps. interesting user name.

i registered the username without ever being on the forum and it was my first choice... i never even tried it without the hyphen. haha great minds think alike?

[Hotrauder]

i registered the username without ever being on the forum and it was my first choice... i never even tried it without the hyphen. haha great minds think alike?

Very possible. Good luck with the ride height. Dennis

[magindat]

Bags are easy to R&R solenoids are easy, too. You have to (read should) take the bags out to do the solenoids. There's tons of rebuilt and new stock on the net.