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air suspension problems
tomh.
Member Posts: 3,823 ✭✭✭✭
My son has a 2000 Lincoln Town Car. Yesterday the rear air suspension died. It just sits on the ground.
He starts college in a few weeks so we're on a budget here! Everything I can find on the interwebs is a subtle ad for "Strutmasters". I'm thinking junkyard parts if necessary!
Anyway....if I get it up off the ground and move the rear end with the jack, I can get the compressor to run and cycle off. So I guess I feel like the module is doing its thing, the height switch is working.
But the bags aren't filling up at all.
There's a solenoid on each bag to control airflow. Could be stuck closed. But two bad all of a sudden? The module seems to control those. I don't have very good access to the solenoids or connectors. Nor to the air lines at the bags.
I take the air line off at the dryer, just past the compressor, it is pumping air. But seems like not much.
Anybody been here or close?
He starts college in a few weeks so we're on a budget here! Everything I can find on the interwebs is a subtle ad for "Strutmasters". I'm thinking junkyard parts if necessary!
Anyway....if I get it up off the ground and move the rear end with the jack, I can get the compressor to run and cycle off. So I guess I feel like the module is doing its thing, the height switch is working.
But the bags aren't filling up at all.
There's a solenoid on each bag to control airflow. Could be stuck closed. But two bad all of a sudden? The module seems to control those. I don't have very good access to the solenoids or connectors. Nor to the air lines at the bags.
I take the air line off at the dryer, just past the compressor, it is pumping air. But seems like not much.
Anybody been here or close?
Comments
"If you have had any work done on the car recently, which required the car to be jacked up or put on a lift, your mechanic may have disabled the air suspension"
Another I saw was check the fuse.
But that video above even if it was a joke seems like the way to go.
Found this too.
"Prior to jacking or lifting a vehicle with air suspension, you must turn off the suspension switch. The switch is generally located in the trunk or on the right side of the passenger foot well."
And I can get the thing to cycle. So the system has power and it's kinda doing what it's supposed to do. Just not really! [:D]
And if I jack up the car and drop the axle, the solenoids dump the air to lower the ride height. So I think they're working too?
I really don't want to change it to springs.
I guess my biggest wonder is if the compressor is pumping enough air or pressure.
It doesn't really try very hard to push my thumb off the output.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0732Z6BC8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0732Z6BC8&pd_rd_wg=YP7ra&pd_rd_r=9ZNYAJXHS0X1DTG95H5P&pd_rd_w=H5it2
But it also sounds like those air bags are trouble prone and mar need replacement too.
This car was that one that the old lady drove to church and it's been sitting on a velvet pillow!
A friend's grandmother passed and they wanted to sell and we were in the right place. It's got like 60,000 miles on it. But it is old enough to vote! And could, in Chicago!
The air bags don't show any signs of cracking or dry rot.
My half-* pressure test shows about 13 PSI. I don't know what pressure this thing should work operate at, but I suspect over 50 PSI anyway.
I guess I'll talk to the kid & see what's in his piggy bank.
First they don?t require much air pressure. My truck and trailer has 10 bags, 2 small ones on the cab, 4 on the truck and 4 on the trailer.
The cab air bags only require 4-5 psi, the suspension bags can lift and hold 80,000# with about 45psi.
Your car, the air pressure needed is minimal so your compressor won?t be a large one.
Just a few simple parts, compressor, maybe a small tank, a leveling valve, air bags and a couple check valves.
If your compressor is running you can check the system easily by removing the bag supply line from the leveling valve and raise the valve up to simulate the car in a down position, does air come out of the supply side?
You check valves will actually be the air fittings, these fittings have check balls in them, are they free?
Compressor just may not be up to snuff.
Also the bags either work or they don?t, same if it has air shocks, they either work or they don?t.
You can always plumb it like we did air shocks back in the day, hit a gas station and jack ?er up
Air suspensions are the simplest suspension system to work on.
First they don?t require much air pressure. My truck and trailer has 10 bags, 2 small ones on the cab, 4 on the truck and 4 on the trailer.
The cab air bags only require 4-5 psi, the suspension bags can lift and hold 80,000# with about 45psi.
Your car, the air pressure needed is minimal so your compressor won?t be a large one.
Just a few simple parts, compressor, maybe a small tank, a leveling valve, air bags and a couple check valves.
If your compressor is running you can check the system easily by removing the bag supply line from the leveling valve and raise the valve up to simulate the car in a down position, does air come out of the supply side?
You check valves will actually be the air fittings, these fittings have check balls in them, are they free?
Compressor just may not be up to snuff.
Also the bags either work or they don?t, same if it has air shocks, they either work or they don?t.
You can always plumb it like we did air shocks back in the day, hit a gas station and jack ?er up
With two air fill spots right. My old system did not c\have check valves so that car would roll bad to the inside on a corner. At least till I added the other line.[:D]
Thinking about what you said here, my final test says bad compressor.
If I disconnect the air line from the dryer, and turn on the ignition....the compressor runs. Then I fill the bags through that disconnected hose with the garage air compressor that I had set to about 60 PSI.
She sits right up and the system shuts off at level.
If nothing else, this gave me an opportunity to open up the old tool cabinets and dust off the diagnostic part of my old brain.
I think is was an electronic controller or computer or something that went bad, I just remember it was a very expensive part.
Turns out the suspension from a Taurus will fit and is what they did. Saved a bunch of money and it rides fine.
My 2003 Town Car just had the same problem and I had the leaking bags replaced. My pump was still good.
Rock Auto and ebay both have spring and shock replacement parts and they're not to costly.
I had a 1995 Town Car and the air suspension went bad on it. A local mechanic got a set of Crown Vic springs out of a salvage lot and replaced the air. I couldn't tell all that much difference in the ride.
My 2003 Town Car just had the same problem and I had the leaking bags replaced. My pump was still good.
Rock Auto and ebay both have spring and shock replacement parts and they're not to costly.
Right on, my son-in-laws fix as well. Cheap fix.