Airbags on 95 LSC?

[Old Blue]

Since my 95 LSC is the 1st Mark VIII that I have owned with airbags, I have a couple of questions about how they are supposed to work.
We live near a 65mph highway with several stop lights. Every time we stop after going 65, the pump starts up again. Sometimes that can be six or seven stops if the lights are wrong.
Is that the normal function on these?
Also when we park it in the garage sometimes it sits two or three days without losing air and becoming a lowrider, other times it goes down over night.....what's that all about?
Any help on this will be appreciated.
Ron
PS Happy Thanksgiving

 

[LuxuryO]

What i do know is at 60 mph the car lowers itself, so upon stopping the car thinks to lift itself back up, some guys move the air suspension switch to the interior so they can control/prevent that.

From what i read it is the relay valves i think that are occasionally dropping your car. This is just from what i read. Good luck

 

[Old Blue]

What i do know is at 60 mph the car lowers itself, so upon stopping the car thinks to lift itself back up, some guys move the air suspension switch to the interior so they can control/prevent that.

From what i read it is the relay valves i think that are occasionally dropping your car. This is just from what i read. Good luck

Thanks for that info luxuryO.
I think that I had better find the air suspension switch so I can control it instead of going up and down every time we go to town.
Ron

 

[LuxuryO]

Thanks for that info luxuryO.
I think that I had better find the air suspension switch so I can control it instead of going up and down every time we go to town.
Ron

It is in the trunk on the driver side, there is a velcro carpet and a label on it once you pull the velcro carpet down.

 

[germansheperd]

Sounds like its working as it should?

 

[Old Blue]

It is in the trunk on the driver side, there is a velcro carpet and a label on it once you pull the velcro carpet down.

WOW, that makes me feel pretty dumb. I thought you meant some other sensor switch. So, if I shut down the main switch, the car won't lower itself when it goes over 60mph, so it won't have to keep going up and down?

Sounds like its working as it should?

Thanks for your answer germanshepherd.
What about the dropping down overnight at times and at other times staying up for days? Surely that isn't normal. How do I cure it, and should I be prepared to repair/replace the airbag system because it is doing this?
Ron

 

[LuxuryO]

Itis working as it should. I was referring to a modification. I am sorry for the confusion. Add some guys relocate the switch to the interior somewhere

 

[germansheperd]

WOW, that makes me feel pretty dumb. I thought you meant some other sensor switch. So, if I shut down the main switch, the car won't lower itself when it goes over 60mph, so it won't have to keep going up and down?


Thanks for your answer germanshepherd.
What about the dropping down overnight at times and at other times staying up for days? Surely that isn't normal. How do I cure it, and should I be prepared to repair/replace the airbag system because it is doing this?
Ron

I know my car drops down a lil bit when I close the drivers door. It doesn’t drop to the floor or anything but it settles an inch or two and when I start the car it raises back up.

 

[chris2523]

normal operation.
after a set time above ~45, or immediately above ~60, car will vent to highway height.
below 60 for a set time, or immediately below 45, car will raise to city height.
its designed for that, not really a problem.

 

[Old Blue]

........................below 60 for a set time, or immediately below 45, car will raise to city height.
its designed for that, not really a problem.

Are you saying that it raises to city height while parked with no key in the ignition? Is it pumping up while I am not looking during the nights?
It is usually around 25º here in the early mornings, then up to 60º or so at midday.
My LSC sometimes sits in the garage for three or four days without running. At times, it is down the next morning when I open the garage. sometimes it is up when I check it after being parked in the cold for three or four nights???

 

[chris2523]

the car lowers to highway/park height when the car is off, and after a door has been opened and closed.
also, the car will not lower if a door is open.

the air ride computer is "awake" for about an hour after shutdown and can move the car if it sees fit to, under certain circumstances.

if the car is lowering significantly past park or highway height, something is leaking.

 

[joegr]

...if the car is lowering significantly past park or highway height, something is leaking.

Disclaimer: I don't have personal experience with this...

With the Town Cars, it's almost always the airbags themselves. You would think that they would either always leak or never leak, but apparently that's not how it goes. They get little cracks between the folds. If it's at just the right height, the crack is covered by the next fold and it doesn't leak at all. A millimeter higher or lower, and it may leak enough to empty overnight. At least that's the theory that I have heard.

 

[chris2523]

thats true joe. and sometimes, if you turn the air ride off before it vents, the cracks will often stay closed and the car wont leak as much over night.

 

[Old Blue]

thats true joe. and sometimes, if you turn the air ride off before it vents, the cracks will often stay closed and the car wont leak as much over night.

Thanks again for the additional info about the air ride system.

Mine leaked down to "patio town low" after two nights this time.
I will try turning off the pump immediately after it shuts off next time to see what happens.
So, if I leave the pump turned off the car will not lower when I go over 60mph, and won't hurt anything to run it that way?
Ron

 

[chris2523]

no it will be fine

 

[Scallywag]

I would check the solenoid valves as well.

I replaced my front air springs earlier in the Spring of this year and the Mark would bottom out again overnight by the beginning of Summer. I would hear a lot of air escaping from one of the air-springs when the Mark would lift itself and the compressor was constantly running even while fully lifted. So, I had the idea to put the old spring back just to see if I hear the same air escaping thinking that the new air-spring had cracked already.

Sure enough, when I removed the solenoid, I noticed that the top black cap had broken off and was stuck inside the solenoid cavity of the air-spring while the rest of the valve continued to dispense air. There was my problem...

 

[Old Blue]

no it will be fine

Thank you for that info, chris2523
I have been running the car without the pump turned on for more than two weeks now. I no longer have the aggravating constant on/off every time we stop at a traffic light.
I turn it on when I arrive home and shut it back off before I park it. The car stays up for 4 or more days now before it begins to lower slowly while sitting in the garage.
Soooo much nicer!
Ron