BRAKELIGHT: SUV Air Ride Suspension
This customer chose an interesting solution when the air ride suspension on his SUV started to leak. The rubber block looks like a wheel chock wired to the trailing arm of the suspension. I am sure the ride was not the most comfortable.
Air Ride Dryer Diagnostics
Understanding how air ride dryers function requires taking a step back in time to your high school physics class. Water can exist as a gas (vapor), liquid and as a solid (ice) depending on its temperature. When air is compressed, it gets hot, and water is converted into its vapor form. The purpose of the
Weak Air Ride Compressor Diagnostics
Today’s air ride suspensions seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to alerting the driver of a problem. Unlike engine-related trouble codes, most air ride codes are cleared every key cycle or when the vehicle has been sitting for a specific period of time. Codes are not always a sign of a leak, as they can be set by components like the compressor, sensors or reservoir. These codes can appear to be intermittent, but once you understand how the system operates and the criteria for setting a compressor-related code, a diagnosis can be easy.
The Future of Air Ride Systems
When Mercedes introduced a hydraulic suspension in 1999 called Active Body Control, it was only offered on cars, not SUVs. The 2016 Mercedes Benz GLC features an optional full-support, multi-chamber air suspension system and electronically controlled, continuously adjustable damping.
Air Ride Logic: How to Diagnose Common Behaviors
There is a logic to air ride systems. Air ride systems can control vehicle ride height, passenger comfort and improve handling. How they operate and work with the rest of the systems on the vehicle is part of the embedded logic of the control system. Written in this programming are three main edicts: preserve the
Air Ride Replacement Options For Variety Of Makes And Models
All air ride systems can fail and require service. There are several repair paths you can go down to offer the best option for a customer’s needs and budget. Here is a forecast of current and future air ride vehicles and replacement options. Makes covered include: BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Hummer, Lexus, Toyota and more.
Fixing An Air Ride Suspension That Has Gone Flat
How do you fix an air ride suspension that has gone flat? It depends on why the suspension went flat. Cadillac and Lincoln have used air-ride suspensions under their cars for many years. Other makes and models have air leveling suspensions that use air shocks and an onboard compressor to maintain ride height. If an air spring or air shock develops a leak (which most do after many years of service), the air spring or shock can’t hold pressure. It will leak and eventually go flat.
Air Ride: Compressor Diagnostics
On most modern vehicles, the compressor and air ride control unit are very intelligent components. Most communicate with the Body Control Module (BCM) on a high-speed serial data bus. These systems have malfunction indicator lights on the dash and require the use of a scan tool to diagnose the system.
Diagnosing Air Ride Systems
Air ride diagnostics is more than a spray bottle of soapy water. On today’s late-model vehicles, it requires a scan tool, meter and scope. Swapping components will only lead you down a diagnostic black hole that leads to an angry customer and parts supplier. Modern air ride systems have a compressor and a module to control the flow of air to the struts or shocks. Control modules can have as many as 10 valves. They can also have three or more sensors to measure the pressure.
Air Ride Height Sensor Diagnostics
Some ride height sensor modules connect to the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus or other SAE or ISO bus or ride control module. The module can connect directly to the ABS/ESC module on a CAN bus or it can be part of the overall CAN Network in a loop that connects various modules in the vehicle.