Tim Gordon
New LVC Member
Greetings from north Iowa, friends!
I have always wanted a MK VIII. When I first saw the television ad for one in 1992, I found myself thinking, "now THAT's a car!".
They're few and far between around here, but I finally have the chance to acquire one.
It's a beautiful car, in nice shape for its age and mileage (157,300), with the opalescent white tri stage paint and gray interior. Most everything seems to work but the power antenna mast, which I'm not too shook about. The climate control buttons are cracked and broken like they do on the '93 and '94's, and that's an easy enough fix that I'm not too bothered by it, either. Car wasn't smoked in, and is clean.
Naturally, the air suspension is what has 'sunk' this car. I imagine the folks offering it to me got a quote for the repair and decided its time for another car.
My observation is that the front is 'slammed', but the rear does seem to be holding air if I'm sizing this one up right.
This is where I could use some assistance from someone who knows these cars well so I can conduct a 'field test' of this before I commit the $1200 to buying it. If I already owned it, then the information I can find here and everywhere else would be adequate. What I'm looking to know, no one seems to have posted anywhere. Someone who's had one of these cars and experienced this should know... but I'm not one of those people yet!
What I am gathering based on what I have seen is that my being able to push down on the rear bumper cover and force the car to bounce a bit means that air is in the rear springss, and they're holding it fairly well, even if the shock absorbers may be past their prime. I cannot push down on the front bumper cover and make the car do anything, it's solid. Turning the ignition key on reveals a check air ride message, and I presume this means the system is locked out and the compressor will not run. I have tried this with the drivers door both open, and later, closed. I don't know the status of the system switch in the trunk, and I have not touched it myself. I suspect that the problem could be as simple as the solenoids on the front springs not opening to admit air, or any other problems up to a dead compressor. What I don't know for sure is the status of the rear springs. They SEEM to have air in them for as long as the car has been sitting without the system pressurizing, but for all I know maybe this is normal and they're not functional, either. The seller informs me that it rides 'like a lumber wagon' now.
If anyone can advise me on this, I'd sure appreciate it. Or, for that matter, anything else a guy looking to buy a 157,000 mile but nice looking '94 MK VIII would like to know!
I do not believe it would be an issue for me to take my EEC-IV scanner along next time to plug it in and cycle the system. Anything beyond that, I'd have to buy the car before worrying about, I'm sure.
Thanks!
I have always wanted a MK VIII. When I first saw the television ad for one in 1992, I found myself thinking, "now THAT's a car!".
They're few and far between around here, but I finally have the chance to acquire one.
It's a beautiful car, in nice shape for its age and mileage (157,300), with the opalescent white tri stage paint and gray interior. Most everything seems to work but the power antenna mast, which I'm not too shook about. The climate control buttons are cracked and broken like they do on the '93 and '94's, and that's an easy enough fix that I'm not too bothered by it, either. Car wasn't smoked in, and is clean.
Naturally, the air suspension is what has 'sunk' this car. I imagine the folks offering it to me got a quote for the repair and decided its time for another car.
My observation is that the front is 'slammed', but the rear does seem to be holding air if I'm sizing this one up right.
This is where I could use some assistance from someone who knows these cars well so I can conduct a 'field test' of this before I commit the $1200 to buying it. If I already owned it, then the information I can find here and everywhere else would be adequate. What I'm looking to know, no one seems to have posted anywhere. Someone who's had one of these cars and experienced this should know... but I'm not one of those people yet!
What I am gathering based on what I have seen is that my being able to push down on the rear bumper cover and force the car to bounce a bit means that air is in the rear springss, and they're holding it fairly well, even if the shock absorbers may be past their prime. I cannot push down on the front bumper cover and make the car do anything, it's solid. Turning the ignition key on reveals a check air ride message, and I presume this means the system is locked out and the compressor will not run. I have tried this with the drivers door both open, and later, closed. I don't know the status of the system switch in the trunk, and I have not touched it myself. I suspect that the problem could be as simple as the solenoids on the front springs not opening to admit air, or any other problems up to a dead compressor. What I don't know for sure is the status of the rear springs. They SEEM to have air in them for as long as the car has been sitting without the system pressurizing, but for all I know maybe this is normal and they're not functional, either. The seller informs me that it rides 'like a lumber wagon' now.
If anyone can advise me on this, I'd sure appreciate it. Or, for that matter, anything else a guy looking to buy a 157,000 mile but nice looking '94 MK VIII would like to know!
I do not believe it would be an issue for me to take my EEC-IV scanner along next time to plug it in and cycle the system. Anything beyond that, I'd have to buy the car before worrying about, I'm sure.
Thanks!