Airbag lowering...is this normal

[halo001]

I just bought a 95' Mark VIII, and I have begun to notice that the airbag on my back passenger side is lowering overnight when it is parked on the very very slight incline on one side of my yard, but not on the flat other side of my yard. This makes me think that the incline causes it, but I have no idea cause I am new to owning a Mark VIII. If this poses a serious problem I would like to know so I can get it fixed before it causes damage to other parts of the car on accident. I would appreciate any suggestions as to the cause of this. Thanks.

 

[The Rev]

My bags leak sometimes. For instance on humid nights they will be lowered in the back (on the incline) of my driveway. It is not normal. The airbags should not leak for months if the air ride is switched off. Welcome to problem #1 on your new Mark.

I plan on going with coils in the future. Although many people love the air ride, me being one of them. Unfortunately a brand new air ride setup will cost more than a brand new coil setup.

You owe it to yourself to have a working air ride setup, the ride is amazing.

 

[Duck]

Sounds like it is time for rear bags. Mine leaked on the rear with a temperature change. If it was parked on an incline, it would go down faster.

 

[BAD97LSC]

i have some factory low mile rear air bags i'll sell, i have roughly 20 pairs, but some i keep aside from the others because they are low mile bags, no leaks and clean. usually if one leaks its best to replace both because the other one is right behind the leaky one ready to leak too!!

 

[LINCBRA]

My front started to lower because of the temp change, but it is weird because it doesnt lower if i turn the air ride switch off.

 

[BAD97LSC]

lincbra thats because the bags develope cracks over time, and all mark VIII's will vent to " park height " when they are shut off and the doors have been closed, usually what happens when the car vents to its parked height, the cracks are exposed causing a slow leak down evetually leading to fast leak downs over time. to see my point, start your car with the air ride switch on, let run for 90 seconds, shut car off, get out and close the door, let the car vent to parked height, and then turn your air ride switch off, i'm willing to bet you will see the car leak down, the reason why it doesnt now, is because you are shutting the switch off before the car vents, so the bags are filled still with alot of air and the crackes are staying sealed. this is the all too familar problem with the air ride in these cars, eventually the cracks in the rubbed bladders will get bigger and more spread out, and if left alone, will cause the compressor to burn out because it will be fighting to keep air in the bags.

 

[halo001]

Now that you mention parking height, I will go out and see about the differential heights in the tires to see if the slight incline on that side is mearly raising the wheel on that side up a little making it seem like the bag is down. Doesn't the car try to keep itself level?

 

[BAD97LSC]

yes but if it is parked on an uneven surface it will not correct one wheel until the car is pulled onto an even surface.

 

[LINCBRA]

lincbra thats because the bags develope cracks over time, and all mark VIII's will vent to " park height " when they are shut off and the doors have been closed, usually what happens when the car vents to its parked height, the cracks are exposed causing a slow leak down evetually leading to fast leak downs over time. to see my point, start your car with the air ride switch on, let run for 90 seconds, shut car off, get out and close the door, let the car vent to parked height, and then turn your air ride switch off, i'm willing to bet you will see the car leak down, the reason why it doesnt now, is because you are shutting the switch off before the car vents, so the bags are filled still with alot of air and the crackes are staying sealed. this is the all too familar problem with the air ride in these cars, eventually the cracks in the rubbed bladders will get bigger and more spread out, and if left alone, will cause the compressor to burn out because it will be fighting to keep air in the bags.

The last couple of night it didn't do it. I neither drove or turned the switch off.

 

[BAD97LSC]

well let me put it this way, if the car falls at all, in 1 days or over a weeks time, there is a leak. only way to fix, is to replace period. your bags have developed a crack and depending on where the car is parked, how the grade of surface is and where the bag is folded over the crack determines if its going to leak or not, sometimes parked in one spot a mark VIII can drop over night, then you'll go a week or two and everything seems fine, then it will drop again, they are not supposed to drop, a mark VIII with a perfect air ride should be able to be parked for months and not lose air. the air ride is no different than a car tire, how many years can a tire sit without going flat??