Air ride leak

[O3 pharoh]

Compressor went out, so I replaced it with arnott system. Had to run a few months with the new compressor and system was good.

Being thorough I replaced the airbags as well as solenoids from arnott and the car will not hold air. Seals all appeared good in the new bags and solenoids. Any ideas why both bags are loosing air? Where the heck do I search next? Thanks for any help.

[GetMeMyStogie]

Do they loose air while parked, and the car off? Or, does the car have to be on? Or driving along?

Also, is it both bags or just one side?

[O3 pharoh]

Both bags, and it was while parked. Drove it once and then allow them to refill. That is set for a day. Lost a quarter inch in ride height by the next morning. Then today I walked out to it all the way down. Once it is a little ways down it seems to get worse faster. Again both sides.

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[RF Overlord]

Bad o-ring on one of the solenoids? Bad connection on the air line?

[O3 pharoh]

Took o rings out and everything seemed fine, possible on the air line. Have to check tomorrow.

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[EMAS]

Bad connection to the hose will not cause the bags to leak down. The solenoid is closed, or supposed to be closed, when the system isn't filling or venting. So it has to be a solenoid that is leaking internally, the O rings on the solenoid or the bags themselves.

[GetMeMyStogie]

Given that both bags leak down slowly while the system is off - I'm assuming the system is off overnight* - I would have to suggest a problem at each air bag. That problem might be different from side-to-side, and might be caused by, as EMAS stated:
1. Leak in air bag.
2. Leak between solenoid o-rings and air bag.
3. Leaky solenoids.

(skip to the next paragraph, as this one isn't really helpful).
Hmmm... There is another possibility, though definittely a long shot. I'm not sure exactly how the solenoids are activated by the air-ride computer (ARC), but I'd take an educated guess that it does so by grounding one side of the solenoids coil, while the other has +12v. If so, a short to ground somewhere in that wire from the ARC to the solenoids might be activating the solenoids without running the pump. This would be intermittent, and inconsistent, which seems to jive with what the OP is observing. This could be eliminated, along with any other electrical glitch, by letting the car raise up, then shutting off the air-ride system with the switch in the trunk and running with the system powered off for a few days.


If you can drive around for a few days with the system off, and the ride height stays the same, you can eliminate leaks at the bags, o-rings and solenoids as the source of the problem. Conversly, if it does leak with the system disabled, you can be sure the leak is due to some combination of those 3 problems.

Now, if it doesn't leak when it's disabled... then it is almost certainly the pump (refer to caveat above).

* this assumption isn't actually correct. The system activates after parking the car for 1-hour, leveling the vehicle either by venting or by running the pump. Either way, it opens the solenoids.

[O3 pharoh]

Funny, I just turned it off last night because the freezing temps over night coming. About to go out and check it now to see if she leaked down. Thanks for the great response!

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[RF Overlord]

Funny, I just turned it off last night because the freezing temps over night coming. Why? Unless you have a defective drier and there's moisture in the system...

[RF Overlord]

- I'm assuming the system is off overnight* -
* this assumption isn't actually correct. The system activates after parking the car for 1-hour, leveling the vehicle either by venting or by running the pump. Either way, it opens the solenoids.My understanding is that the system remains active for one hour, then goes to sleep until a door is opened.

[GetMeMyStogie]

Well, that's almost the same thing. But, in that 1 hour time, I'm not sure if there will be a levelling event each time a door is opened, or just one at the 60 minute mark. Or, it could be both, but definitely the event at the 60 minute mark occurs whether or not the doors have been opened.

The shop manual is usually quite clear about the operation of such systems, but not so much this time. I'm going by what my old 1994 manual described, plus the experience with the MM.

[RF Overlord]

definitely the event at the 60 minute mark occurs whether or not the doors have been opened.I believe that's correct. I'm not sure whether opening a door resets the 1-hour timer or if it's a fixed 1 hour from the time the ignition is switched off.

[O3 pharoh]

Well, I turned system off and when I walked out both sides where all the way up with air. Very high, like when a ride height sensor goes. Not sure what that means though. I'm going to double check sensor. I turned air ride back on and sunk right back down to too low on drivers side.

So confused. Running in circles. Any other ides with that info?

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[GetMeMyStogie]

With the air ride switch turned off, I can't imagine any way for the rear to become more inflated. That should be impossible... unless the switch itself is borked.

How high is all the way up? Like a fully extended suspension, 12 inches or more?

[fastf50rd]

Any progress on this issue?

[O3 pharoh]

Still no progress air ride sinks everyday at work and at night. Arnott is out of ideas and so am I.

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[SC Cheesehead]

Still no progress air ride sinks everyday at work and at night. Arnott is out of ideas and so am I.

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I routinely get leak down on my car, but I figure NBD as long as it comes back up to ride height when I start the car.

[RF Overlord]

At this point, all I can think of is to put the car on a lift and run soapy water over the air-springs and solenoids and look for bubbles.

[EMAS]

If it leaks down while sitting the problem is one of the following in the most common occurring order.

Bad O rings on the solenoid where it fits into the bag.

Bag bags.

Bad solenoids.

One thing not to be confused by is the normal contraction of the air in them caused by a significant drop in temp.

[O3 pharoh]

Slow leak overnight, been thru two sets ofbags and solenoids. Replaced o rings on both sets. Complete deflation over night or at work. So soapy water doesn't show leak. Its so slow. But did try.
Thinking about a different company.
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