Thursday, October 21, 2010

Air Suspension Problems

I Found A Great Article at AGCOauto.com and Thought I should Share it with All Suncore Industries Blog Readers:

Ford Air Suspension Problems

The Lincoln/Ford air suspension is quite often maligned by those who do not understand it and those that profit by creating undeserved fear. The facts are actually quite different.
  • Air suspension has been installed on millions of vehicles and is one of the most dependable systems on vehicles.
  • Air suspension rarely gives problems and understanding the system can prevent most of those.
  • Air suspension benefits are numerous; Great ride, increase handling, decrease tire wear, the ability to adapt to changing loads.
Air suspension employs rubber bags that fill with air to support the weight of the vehicle. This concept is used the world over in heavy applications such as eighteen wheelers, heavy equipment and even emergency equipment.
The advantage is, with a sensor, vehicle height can be determined. Through an onboard pump and with use of a computer, the pressure can be varied to obtain optimum ride and handling. When the vehicle is loaded, the system simply adapts.
Basic Ford air suspension diagram
When the height sensor determines a change, this information is sent to the control module. If the vehicle needs to rise, the pump is commanded on and the solenoids in the bags open. If the height needs to drop, the solenoids are opened and air flows out of the bags through the lines and through a control valve in the pump. This is a very simplistic overview as the system also considers a multitude of other factors.
Like any piece of rubber, the suspension bags have a life span. Most will last several years and well over 100,000 miles. When they do eventually wear out, they must be replaced. This is the key to preventing expensive problems.  Most bags fail by developing cracks in the rubber.  Air leaks through the cracks and the vehicle starts to drop after sitting.
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A Lincoln Town Car uses two rear bags. Both can be replaced in under an hour and for a relatively low cost. Not replaced, they will leak, cause the pump to overheat and create a very expensive repair. To prevent this, the driver should be aware of the symptoms.
  • A vehicle that drops in height over night is a problem. The suspension will not drop unless there is a leak.
  • The vehicle returning to normal height after starting does not mean there is not a problem. The pump is being over run to keep the leaking system up.
  • A pump that runs more than just a few second is a problem. A good system will take very little pump action to maintain height.  When the pump runs more than a few seconds, it will overheat and be damaged.
  • Replace leaking air suspension bags before the pump and other components are damaged. This can save thousands in unneeded repair.
Ford air suspension problems
If your vehicle is over five years old, let the professionals at AGCO Automotive inspect the air suspension. A simple inspection can reveal a potential problem and prevent unneeded repair. Preventing problems, that’s the AGCO way.
Make sure to ask AGCO Automotive or Your Favorite Shop about Suncore Industries Suspension Parts.

Common Mistake When Fixing Air Suspension Problems

The Number 1 Mistake when fixing your Vehicles Air Suspension system.
When having Problems with this Suspension System and the vehicle is taken to the mechanic the number 1 mistake everyone usually makes is in diagnosing the problem. Everyone Usually reads the vehicle’s error code or can see that the Air Suspension Compressor is not working anymore. Most people change the Compressor right away but they are making a costly mistake because the Compressor is NOT the root of the problem, and all they are doing is damaging a brand new compressor. The Reason why an Air Suspension Compressor Fails or Burns out is due to a leak in the Air Suspension System, 99% of the times that leaks comes from leaky Air Spring Bags, Air Struts or Air Shocks. Rubber dry rots over time creating cracks in the rubber and small holes that can let the air escape. A good way to find the leak in the Air Suspension System is to air up the system and spray with soap and water, this will reveal any leaks. Once the Leak is found that part needs to be replaced before a new compressor can be installed. If only 1 air suspension part has been changed keep an eye on the rest because they are likely to go bad soon and ruin a brand new compressor. Is usually best to just change them all and not worry about the system for a few more years. Air Suspension Systems can be costly to maintain and specially if you go to the dealer for parts and in some cases can be more expensive to repair that what the car is worth. But there is a solution Suncore Industires offers Air Suspension Parts at sometimes 75% Less than Dealer prices if you want to maintain your Air System. We Also have Air Suspension Conversion kits that can replace and eliminate the Air Suspension into a Passive Suspension system at a fraction of the cost with instructions on how to remove the air suspension warning light. There is almost no difference on the ride quality of the vehicle and Passive Suspension parts Last A Lifetime. The Option is yours Air Suspension or Passive Suspension in any case Suncore Industries Has Both available with instructions included and helpfull technicians on staff to help you or your mechanic with the repair. Just go to Suncoreindustries.com

Lincoln Town Car Air Suspension

Town car suspensions (all air suspensions) will develop a slow leak in the air bellows. This occurs because of dry-rot in the rubber. When the leak starts. It is a slow progression. If you ever noticed the vehicle lower in the morning or after it sits for several hours. Your compressor will come on more frequently to try and keep up with the leak. The piston of your compressor is not lubricated. It has tephlon rings. Newtons Law on Force is F=MuMA (Force =Mu {coefficient of friction} – times mass – times acceleration). Once the piston has come on more often the coefficient of friction increases. Therefore requires more Force to achieve the same acceleration of the piston to inflate to the recommended pressure. The fuse is a 30 amp fuse in most cases and will allow it to draw more current to compensate for the increased load on the piston. As we all know rubber will eventually fail. If not caught early. The compressor will be the next thing to fail. The good news is you have several options. Lincoln Town Car Air Suspension has all the products you will need for your air suspension. Our main competitor has their products \made in China and assembled in the USA. Our components are made in the USA by American companies. The only exception to this is the Good Year Rubber sleeve which is produced by Good Year in Central Mexico. We have noticed that 50% of our customers convert to non air suspension and 50% keep the air suspension. Most times it is purely based on economics. Converting is cheaper. But, if you need the leveling support of the air springs for maybe a wheelchair or small trailer. We have never had a customer express any disapproval of the conversion kits. Satisfaction is guaranteed at Suncore Industries. www.suncoreindustries.com is your source for all your air suspension needs. Sincerely, Jason Lovins Below are the components needed for he Town Car suspension. Items can be purchased individually or as kits.

Air Suspension Problems and Solution

Common air suspension problems and Solution
Air bag or air strut failure - is usually caused by wet rot, due to old age, or moisture within the air system that damages it from the inside. Air ride suspension parts may fail because rubber dries out. Punctures to the air bag may be caused from debris on the road. With custom applications, improper installation may cause the air bags to rub against the vehicle’s frame or other surrounding parts, damaging it. The overextension of an airspring which is not sufficiently constrained by other suspension components such as a shock absorber may also lead to the premature failure of an airspring through the tearing of the flexible layers.Failing of the Air bag may also result in completely immobilizing the vehicle. As the vehilce will rub against the ground or be too high to move.
Air line failure – is a failure of the tubing which connects the air bags or struts to the rest of the air system, and is typically DOT-approved nylon air brake line. This usually occurs when the air lines, which must be routed to the air bags through the chassis of the vehicle, rub against a sharp edge of a chassis member or a moving suspension component, causing a hole to be formed. This mode of failure will typically take some time to occur after the initial installation of the system as the integrity of a section of air line is compromised to the point of failure due to the rubbing and resultant abrasion of the material. An air line failure may also occur if a piece of road debris hits an air line and punctures or tears it.
Compressor failure - is primarily due to leaking air springs or air struts. The compressor will burn out trying to maintain the correct air pressure in a leaking air system. Compressor burnout may also be caused by moisture from within the air system coming into contact with its electronic parts.
In Dryer failure the dryer, which functions to remove moisture from the air system, eventually becomes saturated and unable to perform that function. This causes moisture to build up in the system and can result in damaged air springs and/or a burned out compressor.
Air Suspension Problems Solution – SuncoreIndustries.com