help please - air suspension

lsc1994

lsc1994

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Sep 5, 2005
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gibraltar, mi
got my 2nd mark 8

i've got this air suspension problem. is there a way to hack into the air suspension control module, force all 4 wheels to vent, and then turn off the switch and have it stay there? all bags and struts have just been replaced, but i can not afford to fix anything else on it for a while.
any wiring diagrams for that module? i'm sure nothing is leaking, it's quite an opposite problem. any help would be appreciated. thanks
 
put it on a lift with the switch on, put the key in and shut the door, it should vent, turn the switch off when you think it might be right, should do it
 
Well if it does not vent you cant force it until you fix the vent solenoid.
 
alright..how about removing air untill the ride hight is good. sorta like an older fill-n-go air ride system, with no compressor onboard. i've no leaking problems, i just need it at a drivable hight..the rear is up all the way..compressor has been off for days.. i tried just pulling the line off the solenoid, but it'll slide off a little, then stops.
 
To remove you have to push on the orange collard and pull on the line.

But that wont do any good since the solenoid is between the line and the bag. If you pull the solenoid, the car will drop too fast to control.

Fix your vent solenoid.
 
You want to pancake the car?
If that's the case, just jack up the car and remove all the spring solenoids on the air struts. It'll drop like a rock.

Otherwise, if you're compressor is still good, buy the spider-valve from American Air Suspension, that'll solve the venting problem and provide a few other benefits as well.
 
yes, somewhat..i want the rear bags to lose some air..i've sent power to all solenoids, and they all open and close. however, when i send power to the vent solenoid on the compressor, nothing happens..i just need to lose some air..without making a leak. the compressor is already disabled. i know the problem is somewhere in the wiring between the suspension controller and the compressor, vent solenoid, or all of these.

also, do i need a comp to get a vent solenoid? and is this on the compressor, along with the drier? diagrams would help

thanks alot, guys
 
Trash the air ride and do a coil conversion, I know alot of guys like the almost daily upkeep on an air ride system, but I for on do not. I spent $375 and haven't had to even think about my suspension since. If you want more of the headache keep the air ride, if you want peace of mind, do a conversion.
 
The cost of going coil is the same as getting the air-ride back to operation. There is no savings really unless you compare new OEM air to coil.

Try cleaning the connecting harness to the compressor relay. Often it gets bad and cleaning can work.

If you can control each solenoid, disconnect the dryer. That way the air can escape when you open the solenoids. The dryer is held onto the compressor with one screw, then it sorta twists and backs off. Then just hit up power on each solenoid you want to open.
 
unity said:
The cost of going coil is the same as getting the air-ride back to operation. There is no savings really unless you compare new OEM air to coil.

Try cleaning the connecting harness to the compressor relay. Often it gets bad and cleaning can work.

If you can control each solenoid, disconnect the dryer. That way the air can escape when you open the solenoids. The dryer is held onto the compressor with one screw, then it sorta twists and backs off. Then just hit up power on each solenoid you want to open.
Click to expand...
The difference is you are never done maintaining an air ride-period
 
Hemihed426 said:
The difference is you are never done maintaining an air ride-period
Click to expand...

A new system lasts 10 years, period. If someone replaces and entire system with new parts, like coil, they should not have to worry about it for a long time.
 
lsc1994- I think what people are trying to tell you is just turn your suspension switch in the trunk to the off position until you have enough time to properly disagnose the problem. By doing something wrong now could slam your car, which would make it undrivable. It may look a little rake now, but you're not hurting any thing.
You say it's too high in the rear, have you looked to see where the ride heght sensor is, did it come off. Have you measure all four wheel opening highest points to ground to assure proper height (level).
 
hey..do what i did,it works fine and fast...first things first,JACK THE CAR UP unless you want to be crushed,leave you air ride switch on. Get a 9 volt battery and two wires,tie them onto the battery somehow. Unplug your plug in on the bag solenoid and put the battery wires into the female part and wooooosh bag deflates...i did mine with the air line undone,i havent tried it with it plugged in. But thats how i did it. Just thought id let ya know.
 
The vent solenoids on the compressor fail all of the time, usually do to the unavoidable moisture trapped in the system. To solve this you have two options-
1. Replace the entire air compressor/dryer/vent assembly
2. Add an after market satellite vent solenoid. American Air Suspension sells one of these, it's called the SPIDER VALVE. It's not cheap, but it'll help remove any additional moisture from your system without damaging the compressor further. It'll also spare you from having to replace that entire assembly. I've found that if your vent solenoid fails once, it's likely to fail again quickly on the next compressor as well, so the spider valve is a good investment.

If you're confident it's the vent in the front of the car, and the car was ridiculously raked, you could pancake the car, then re inflate it to the proper height, and then SHUT IT OFF from the trunk.

Mind you, that vent might be failed shut right now, but it could easily free itself and then get stuck in the open position as well, meaning that the car wouldn't be able to re inflate at all.
 
alright...i've got this figured out, thanks to help from everyone. can't thank you enough. it's a damn shame there aren't more than one helpful sites on the net. well there are, but still not many.
back to the point...i pulled the air lines off both rear bags, which were certainly inflated completely. i then used my power probe (most useful tool ever) to send power to both rear solenoids. back and forth untill it leveled out with the front. the car is now at a level and low ride hight..but not too low. not sure why but the front was not being told to lift. no sensors were knocked off..nothing else wrong. i just need a comp..simple as that. but i can't afford it. so this works, just as long as the air i'm now holding in the bags doesn't contain any acid or other corrosive material.. but just to clarify, the compressor includes a drier and the system vent solenoid...is that right?

thanks again everyone.
 
anyways.glad it all worked out for ya thats pretty much what i did to get mine to sit,except i dont have a power probe
 
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