Air ride trouble!

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wkokaneeman

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My 98 LSC has been down for 2 weeks, waiting for my air ride pump to be rebuilt by a well known company by us all. I get home from work today, and am excited to get it back together.
I get it all back together, and drive it out of the garage, and my front end is hopping heavily, and I knew the front end was all the way down, and it wasn't when I pulled out of the garage, and realized that I forgot to turn the air ride switch on. So I pull over to the side of the road with the car still running, and turn the switch on, and turn around and go back home.
I pull into the driveway, and now the car is slammed all the way down at all 4 corners! but I can hear the pump running, but the car is not lifting. So I pull the air cleaner off, so I can see the top of the pump, and now I have to figure out how to a jack under the car to lift it, but that isn't happening.
So i'm thinking that the hoses are on wrong, so I pull the inner wheel well out, so I can access the pump, and switch the hoses around, and that wasnt easy with a wheel in the way, but get it done. Turn the air ride switch on, start her up, can hear the pump running, but it's still not lifting. So my neighbor sticks his hand down to the pump, and feels the metal tube that runs between the pump and drier, at the back, the opposite end from where the 4 hoses connect up, and the thing is hotter than hell, hot enough to burn your hand!
Does that sound normal to you? Doesn't to me. I think it has a problem.
Now, I need to figure how to get the car high enough to get a jack under it, so I can lift it, and get the pump out. Think im going to drive it up onto some wood, to get it high enough to get the jack under it.
What do think would make it slam down on all 4 corners, after installing a pump with a problem, when for 2 weeks, jacked up in the garage on the front right, and it held air the whole 2 weeks? This is really upsetting, because it will probably be 2 more weeks, before I can get this pump rebuilt again, and sent back to me. Frustrating has hell! What are your thoughts. Thanks!
 
what would make it slam at all four corners? a leak up by the pump, or a pump not outputting enough pressure and the bags bleed back through the pump.

or, the vent could be stuck open.


did you get the air lines fully seated into the dryer?


and i don't exactly about the heat, but compressing air makes a lot of heat. and its compressing to around 80 or 100 psi as well.


also, driving up on 2x4s is a good way to get jack clearance.
 
If you just had the compressor rebuilt, it's very possible that the air is leaking from one or more of the airlines where they go into the dryer. Put your fingers around each airline while the compressor is running and see if you feel air escaping. This happened to me twice, sometimes it's difficult to get these to seal properly.

It doesn't matter which airline goes in each hole on the drier as they all open to the drier.

Another way to lift the car when it is slammed is to use the scissor jack in the trunk by the spare tire.
 
As stated, does not matter which hole the lines go into. Just make sure they are seated.
Yes the pump gets very very hot and is why they only run for 45 second bursts.
Did you replace the filter when you changed the pump?

Also sometimes the front sensors get out of range if dropped too much. What you need to do is lift the nose just a little with a jack and then let the pump lift it up. After that's done you will need to shut the car off, wait a minute or two (so not to burn the pump) and then turn the car back on and let it pump the rear up.
 
LaserSVT said:
As stated, does not matter which hole the lines go into. Just make sure they are seated.
Yes the pump gets very very hot and is why they only run for 45 second bursts.
Did you replace the filter when you changed the pump?

Also sometimes the front sensors get out of range if dropped too much. What you need to do is lift the nose just a little with a jack and then let the pump lift it up. After that's done you will need to shut the car off, wait a minute or two (so not to burn the pump) and then turn the car back on and let it pump the rear up.
Click to expand...

This!
 
I had one of the board members come help me today, and bring a new Arnott pump. We put it on the car, and cycled the system a few times, and with the car lifted slightly, was able to get the car in the front. ulift about an inch & a half, It was holding the air.
So we put the pump I just had rebuilt that came our of the car, that I had replaced last year, and soon has it turned on, it vented the front bags empty.
Every time we pump the Arnott pump in, it would not fill the bags, except for the inch & a half, and would not raise the car, but never sent a code turning the "check air ride system" warning on. every time we put the freshly rebuilt pump on, it would not pump up, and every time, would send the code!
We did have some leaks on both pumps at the hose connecting point on the drier, but not super bad, but leaking. So we cut of the ends on all 4 lines to get them cleaned up, and that did not help. We think the Arnott pump was improperly uninstalled off of the members car when is was mounted in that car, and the rebuilt was just received back the other day. so we think that each pump has an issue.
We has each pump in & out of the car about 3 times a piece. I am sending the rebuilt back to have it checked by the rebuilder, but don't know what to expect. when I called him this morning, I said something to him that set him off! an it went down hill from there. don't know what to expect going forward. we soapy water sprayed the bag, solenoid, and some of the lines, but only found the small leaks at the drier/line connection point.
The car may have more than 1 issue, but I really don't know what to do from here. can't drive the car very far, and definatly not at much speed. being slammed all the way down, I'm not to sure it can make it onto a tow truck to take it wherever to be diagnosed. I'm kinda of stuck at this point, and don't know what to do now go solve the problem? I'm in California, and have no clue on what to do, or even take it for a diagnostic.
Any help at this point is most definatly appreciated!!
I'm no mechanic, I can do some wrenching tearing down if I have to do the work myself, but I have a memory issue when it comes to putting it back together due to a medication issue.
Man, do I ever need some help. the car is paid for, and I don't like it sitting, for who knows how long, trying to get it figured out. my wife will not be happy(haha) with it sitting in the garage all the time, trying to rectify the problem. it's like throwing money out the window on the freeway! Thanks for all suggestions/thoughts/ideas/solutions/help with my frustrating issue!
 
There are four wires going to your pump.
White and blue are for the vent.
Black and red are for the pump.
The pump and vent are two different things.
Two things need to happen in order for your car to vent all the air out of the bags.

1) 12v to the blue and white vent wires at the pump.
2) 12v to all four bags solenoids.

A bad pump can not make your car vent, your system is telling your car to vent.
The hard fault "check air ride system" is not being caused by the pump.
 
ford nut said:
There are four wires going to your pump.
White and blue are for the vent.
Black and red are for the pump.
The pump and vent are two different things.
Two things need to happen in order for your car to vent all the air out of the bags.

1) 12v to the blue and white vent wires at the pump.
2) 12v to all four bags solenoids.

A bad pump can not make your car vent, your system is telling your car to vent.
The hard fault "check air ride system" is not being caused by the pump.
Click to expand...

Then why gen we put the new Arnott pump in 3 different times, and it never sent a code and turn the "check air ride" message on, and ever time we put the rebuilt pump in, it sent the code? that is what I don't understand? I figure we have a bad, leaking strut. I have replaced both fronts, left front about 34 months ago, and the right front around 2 years ago. they both came from Suncore(yeah, I know,junk,but I was very inexperienced then on who to buy from),so I ordered a front left new strut today , and will order the right front next week when I get paid, and will have new struts up from!
This should help get it going, hopefully!!
 
Are you just changing the pump and dryer?
Or are you swapping out the whole bracket with relay?
If your swapping relays I would guess its the relay sending the hard fault.
 
I took the whole thing out of the car, in front of the right front wheel well, the one I got last year in April, when it died, and sent it in, and he rebuilt the pump I pulled from the car, and sent it back to me last week. He had no pumps on the shelf, that is why he had me pull it off the car, and rebuilt it, then send it back. we sent it back to him yesterday, and he's going to re look it over. he k is his stuff, and I'm sure he'll check everything out, before sending it back.
A man that has that many hour of experience with these cars and issues, I'm sure will take care of business. and with the replacement of the front struts I'm going to do, should solve the problem. I think when the car slammed down on all 4 corners, it did more damage, but I think the pump may have a venting issue, but I'm not sure. I don't k ow enough. I'm hoping the rear bags didn't get damaged, otherwise that's another $200.00+ to replace. always something with these cars
 
Air Ride Fix

20130408_083704.jpg
 
Yep, I had a whole reservoir system with larger solenoids and a drier ready to go in my car... Front bags started to leak and I said screw it. Got the coil spring setup from a SuperCoupe in the junk yard, couldn't be happier.
 
Ok, the new front air struts fixed my problem, and the car is back on the road. but I have a question. before the pump/strut failure, the car was down on the drivers side, further than the passenger side. after the pump/strut replacement, with new factory Motorcraft struts, and rebuilt pump, it is still sitting further(lower)down on the driver side, than the passenger side.
What are the possible issues, and solutions,that would create, and resolve this situation? Thanks for the help!
 
Adjust the ride height sensor. Also a bad rear bag on that side can make it lean weird as well.
 
A rear bag would make the left front down lower that the right front? I am going to do a sensor lowering, after I replace the rear bags, but I'm trying to figure out how the front left would be down lower, or maybe it's the right front is higher?
I thought you couldn't change the ride heighth by sensor, without drilling a hole in the mounting bracket for the sensor?
 
Ride height sensors have adjustments from the factory that can allow up to 1.25" of shock travel.
 
If I can lower the right front for now, without any drilling, how's that done? Thanks!
 
Loosen the 11 mm nut on the bottom ball stud of the right ride height sensor. Move the sensor up to lower the car. If you need to lower the rear of the car, you move the only rear sensor down to lower it.
 
On my way to work Tuesday morning, and back on my way home Wednesday night, I'm still getting the "check air ride system" warning about 10 miles down the freeway. So I pull over, check it out, don't see or hear anything wrong. I turn the car off, restart it, hit the vehicle check button, and it says that it's ok. I'm thinking that the one thing I didn't think about after replacing the front air struts, and rebuilt pump, the code is still in the computer, and needs to be cleared. sound like the right solution?
Because when your drinking freeway speeds, and the code pops into the screen, the air ride stops working, until you pull over, turn the car kff, open the door, close the door, restart, the pump now works, and pumps up the bags. the new bags are holding pressure no problem. I'm going to see my mechanism Thursday morning before heading to work 84 miles away, and see if hell clear the codes before heading out, and see what happens. sound reasonable to you guys/gals? Thanks!
 
wkokaneeman said:
On my way to work Tuesday morning, and back on my way home Wednesday night, I'm still getting the "check air ride system" warning about 10 miles down the freeway. So I pull over, check it out, don't see or hear anything wrong. I turn the car off, restart it, hit the vehicle check button, and it says that it's ok. I'm thinking that the one thing I didn't think about after replacing the front air struts, and rebuilt pump, the code is still in the computer, and needs to be cleared. sound like the right solution?
Because when your drinking freeway speeds, and the code pops into the screen, the air ride stops working, until you pull over, turn the car kff, open the door, close the door, restart, the pump now works, and pumps up the bags. the new bags are holding pressure no problem. I'm going to see my mechanism Thursday morning before heading to work 84 miles away, and see if hell clear the codes before heading out, and see what happens. sound reasonable to you guys/gals? Thanks!
Click to expand...

No, your getting a hard fault.
First turn off the air ride in the trunk, see if all your bags hold air.

The car goes up, you hit the freeway it lowers, does it lower when you hit the freeway? or just crap a check air ride message?
When you stop and get out to check it does the car lower a little? go to curb height?

Factory air ride leaves a lot to be desired.
 
After I pull over after the check air ride comes on, and I shut the car off, restart it, the pump turns on, and when I check the system check button, it says that system is ok. the bags hold air over night no problem. They're brand new! I just wonder if the codes have to be cleared with a reader. that was the question originally.
 
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