I was talking to a guy at the dealership who saw my car and was interested in buying it until he saw the little black wires going into the top of the strut or shock tower. He said "I didn't know Caddies had the air ride in 1991, my '95 had 'em and when 1 shock went bad, they would not sell me one, Cadillac makes me buy all four!" Total cost 5500 (Canadian dollars of course.) I guess this kinda freaks me out a little. I couldn't afford to fix something like this. It is way overpriced! Why so much? Why would the CCR go bad anyway? Is it just higher mileage cars that might suffer from this problem? Also, what are "passive struts" from other threads, I've seen this term?:mad: :crying2: :bonkers: :crybaby:

Well, you can, as you probably know, replace them with passive struts (ie not controlled my the computer, normal struts basically). Active is just what it means, it is active and changes the damping force at any given time. Passive struts have the same damping force all the time. The CCR goes bad because, like all struts, go bad. Thats just the nature of the beast.

Supposedly the CCR gives the car a better ride, but I have heard that the rides with active and passive struts are about the same.

The CCR system usually doesnt go bad until close to 100k miles, so you have a long way to go :D

That's great to know, thanks. IF I still have the car I would just put regular gas-charged struts and shocks then.

I wouldnt see any reason to get rid of it.... Resale isnt going to be the best, and something with such low miles is becoming extremely rare.....

Wait a sec. Ralph. You have a FWD Fleetwood, right? Not the Big body RWD Brougham? That would make more sence. I'm sit'n here reading this woundering what the hell ya'll are talkin about and equating it to the Big 4 dr.

Scrapyard: yeah, mine is a FWD, and I hope that still means that I can simply put in the so called passive struts and shocks. Wes, thats why I was considering selling it NOW, because it was hardly driven by my stepdad. I was actually offered 22,000 which is probably like 10,000 U.S.? Enough for a Neon, but who wants one of those!

Dude, dont sell it..... Save it, there cant be very many with only 22k. Save some money and get another car as a daily, because in 10 years it will be worth a fortune.....

I agree with Wes on that one.

Ideally, yeah, but in ten years, we will probably all be driving electric cars in Canada (because the Liberal Govt. wants to adopt the Kyoto Protocal) and in ten years gas in Canada will be 4.00 a litre!? For now I am trying th keep the K off of it.

Well that would almost make it better.... You buy a tank, take it out once a week to keep it running good, and drive the electric as a daily.... Maybe you dont understand, but i know of someone who just paid 17k for a 1990 Q45 with 46k!!!! People value cars that have been meticulously kept WITH low miles... There are many cars out there with low miles (50k or so), but may have only had 4 oil changes in their life. IF you have done everything according to the book, and continue it, it will be worth a fortune.

When you watch a car show, and see people that bought 20 year old cars that were origional for like $60k, and their in mint condition.... THAT COULD BE YOU!!!

I think you should keep the car cuz like everyone else said its gunna be worth money and if you get another car as ur daily u'll value the caddy more,don't sell it

Its pretty unanimous, ralph!!

Thanks, for now I'll keep it unless one of you offers me a house for it!! LOL

Why would you want a house, your caddy has heat, AC, and a big comfy couch..... What more do you need???? :D

(maybe just a TV and your laptop so you can talk to us)

Originally posted by elwesso
Why would you want a house, your caddy has heat, AC, and a big comfy couch..... What more do you need???? :D

(maybe just a TV and your laptop so you can talk to us)

I think the new Jags have the tv's on the back of the headrests, no need for a house really. And the new Volvo s80's have a little refridgerator between the seats in back!!

There are passives for that car as far as I know Ralph....Mine were about $70 each or something like that.....I installed them myself. It's a bit of a job but it's doable!

Originally posted by kcnewell
There are passives for that car as far as I know Ralph....Mine were about $70 each or something like that.....I installed them myself. It's a bit of a job but it's doable!

That does put my mind at ease, especially for the long haul when I get highmileage at some point. I guess only the dealer can program it like you mentioned before, to ignore or forget the air shocks are gone. Thanks for the info, now I'm not so paniky about getting rid of it!;)

KC, what was your mileage when your ccr went on you, and what was the cause of the air leak? (I assume the problem would be an air leak on these?)

The "CCR" system came out on the 91 and 92 models. It stands for Computer Command Ride. The name was changed in 1993 on the Deville and Sixty Special (the "Fleetwood" name was dropped from the FWD cars due to the new RWD Fleetwood) to "SSS" which stands for Speed Sensitive Suspension. What this system does is based on vehicle speed, the computer can change the damping on each individual strut between "Normal," "Firm," and "Soft" to give the best ride again depending on vehicle speed. This is different from the "RSS" (Road Sensing Suspension) that was offered on the 93-95 Northstar Cadillacs that used a wheel position sensor at each wheel to determine road surface and adjusted the four struts individually in about 1/10th of a second between "firm" and "soft" to give the optimum ride on any road surface. It was changed again in 1996 to CVRSS (Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension) that was similar to the RSS except that the system could control the damping from "firm" to "soft" and any position in between depending on the input to the computer. Braking, accelerating, cornering all also have input to the CVRSS module to control damping.

This system is seperate from the Electronic Level Control System that utilizes an air compressor and exhaust valve to inflate or exhaust the rear suspension according to the weight in the car. Without RSS (or CVRSS) the ELC uses a height control module to determine rear height and inflate/exhaust the rear shocks. With RSS (or CVRSS) the rear height is determined by the rear wheel position sensors. The rear shocks with the ELC and CCR, SSS, RSS, or CVRSS contain an air chamber to inflate/exhaust the shocks as well as an electrical solenoid to change the damping mode which again is all integral with the rear shocks. The front struts do not have an air chamber, only the electrical solenoid to change the damping mode.

When the electrical portion of the shock/strut fails, the computer can no longer control the damping mode of that shock/strut and will illuminate the "Service CCR," Service SSS" light or display the message "SERVICE RIDE CONTROL" in the DIC that everyone dreads. When these messages are displayed, it means that the electrical portion of the shock/strut has failed and needs to be replace and the computer usually commands all 4 shocks/struts to the full "FIRM" mode. You can still drive the car and it won't hurt anything other than the ride is usually a little more firm and that blasted message is always on. This usually has no effect on the ELC system. It will still function normally.

The reason it is so expensive to replace is that each shock usually costs around $700 due to the electronics of it. You can usually get a passive replacement that has no electronics for a lot less but then you have to go through the hassle of finding a way do disable the message or just live with it.

I hope this clears a few things up.

Max

Wow, you know suspensions, and thanks for the info. You mentiioned the CCR fails when there is an electrical failure, I thought there also could be an air leak causing the system to fail? I looked under the rear of the car and there are a lot of wires and connections, etc. I hope that if I have to winter drive her, I don't damage any electricals by flushing out the underside!

I dont think you will damage anything........

It has been known that you can replace just the sensor thingy atop the strut and it will be OK...... Apparently most of the time its not the strut that fails, but the electronic sensor/solenoid that fails......

Correct me if im wrong, but I think you could detach the solenoid from the later SSS and not from the CCR (or at least without damaging the strut).....

There really is no "electronic" means to monitor an air leak in the ELC system. If you do have a small leak, the compressor will come on intermittenly to keep the rear level. If there is a massive leak, the compressor will continuously run, trying to maintain rear height, and will shut off after about 7 minutes so as not to damage the compressor. With an air leak, the rear of the car will ride very low and you will feel all the bumps. Now an air leak doesn't necessarily mean the shock is bad. If the rubber boot itself is leaking, the shock will have to be replaced to obtain a "normal" level ride.

Again, if the electronic portion of the strut/shock fails (by electronic portion I mean the solenoid in the shock/strut or the computer controlling it), the computer will no longer be able to adjust the damping of the shock, which means the system cannot change the ride to "firm" or "soft" but the car can still be driven normally but will usually stay in the "firm" mode and the message will be continuously displayed. Again, a failure in the CCR system will not affect the ELC system or vice versa.

Ralph-Your vehicle was equipped with CCR system and the ELC system as standard equipment which again are 2 seperate systems. As for damaging the electrical connections, it would be pretty hard unless the connections were loose or damaged. They were designed to resist the elements.

Elwesso-I'm not sure about being able to detach the solenoid. I've never heard of that. Even if it were possible, what would be the point? You would have an unattached sensor which would cause a message to be illuminated and the strut would act the same if the sensor were attached so it really wouldn't make that much sense. With all the turmoil that everyone seems to go through trying to replace the electronic struts/shocks with non-electronic passive struts/shocks, it would be too easy of a fix.

Max

Max, I heard somewhere that if they REPLACE the solenoid that it will fix it........ Apparently the strut doesnt fail, but the solenoid does..... Again, I am not sure about it.....

That would have been an easy and inexpensive fix for Cadillac to do but unfortunately they did not do that. The electronics are integral with the shock/strut and has to be replaced as a whole unit.

It's too bad that there isn't some sort of aftermarket company like Logan Diagnostics that could repair the shock/strut but I guess it would be rather difficult to remove the shock/strut and then send it for repairs since the vehicle would be inoperable.

Max

Originally posted by Maximln
That would have been an easy and inexpensive fix for Cadillac to do but unfortunately they did not do that. The electronics are integral with the shock/strut and has to be replaced as a whole unit.

It's too bad that there isn't some sort of aftermarket company like Logan Diagnostics that could repair the shock/strut but I guess it would be rather difficult to remove the shock/strut and then send it for repairs since the vehicle would be inoperable.

Max

I think it's stupid to put the electronics in the shock itself! Just about as stupid as putting the fuel pump in the gas tank, so they get more labour removing the gas tank to get at it.:rolleyes:

I have my fuel pump in the gas tank.... And all you have to do is remove the lining inbetween the trunk and the tank, unscrew a couple things, and out she comes!!

Besides, there is NO more room under the hood!

Personally I would go passive but the cost of electronic and air struts are starting to come down as the need increases. It’s a numbers game as I am sure you all know.

Ty

I just replaced the front struts with the passive struts on my 93 Deville at the dealer ($650.00 with the wheel alignment), and I actually like the ride better now than when new. The car does not glide, or float, I can feel the road now. Mine had the SSS (speed sensitive suspension/speed sensitive steering).

The thing is, they were not able to disconnect the dummy light, and I had to put a piece of electrical tape over it, and I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of this system, and in particular whether or not the steering system is linked to the suspension system?

How about simply removing the bulb?

Max

I like the floaty ride. What did they with the wires that go into the top of the strut towers?

Goto www.caddyinfo.com and look in the FAQ and HOWTO... There is a series of things you can do to make the computer not even look for the SSS!

Hello Max,

Wow that certainly clear things up. I believe I only have the ELC on my '91 deVille, with nothing like SSS, RSS, CVSS. Now I don't see any messages displayed on the dashboard but my rear end of the car is extremely low. How much do you think it'd cost to fix just the rear end?

Also, where can I go to find adjustable shocks to replace the original fronts? I want better control and the front wheels are probably the place to do it. Are there shocks for the rear wheels as well? My understanding is if it is just ELC, the air ride only acts as a spring, not the shocks. Is that correct?

Titus

Titus,

The Computer Command Ride (CCR) was available as an option on your 91 Deville so your car may or may not have it. As for the car being low, it could be a number of reasons. The first place to start would be your compressor. Turn your key to the "ON" position without starting the car and wait about 30 seconds to a minute for compressor to start. It is located under the hood on the driver's side and you will hear it come on. It cycles for a few seconds to pressurize the system and then turns off if there is no excess load in the vehicle. If the rear of the car is low, it may mean that you have a leak and then the compressor may continue to run. If the compressor does not come on at all, it is either malfunctioning or there is a problem with the electrical circuit. Assuming that it is OK, the next step would be to disconnect the link at the height control module. It is located under the car, between the 2 rear wheels *(you should be able to slide under the rear of the car without having to hoist it up). The link disconnects very easily by undoing the clip and then removing the link from it's socket. Again, with the ignition "ON" and the engine not running, pull the lever on the height control module down and hold it there for a few seconds. This should activate the compressor. At this point, if it does run, you will probably have to look for an air leak. Inspect the rubber boot on the 2 rear shocks for leaks. You can get a plastic bottle and fill it with soapy water and spray it on the rubber boots to see if it bubbles up indicating a leak. Also do this at the connectors to the shock and at the compressor.

Max

That Max, he knows his stuff, eh Titus?

Hello Max,

So if the compressor does run, and the car is still low, wouldn't that imply the shocks are leaking? I'm not following the logic for checking the height control module. Also, this link for the height control module is a mechanical rod of some sort, not an electrical link, right? Is it at the middle of the car between the two rear wheels, or closer to one side than the other? I don't know as I've never looked under.

Titus

Hello,

Yeah Max knows his stuff. Maybe he's a GM tech.

Titus

Titus,

The Height Control Module is the actual brain of the ELC system. Even if the compressor is functioning properly and there is no leak in the system, the module would "decide" where to keep the rear height of the vehicle. If it is not properly sensing that the rear of the vehicle is low, then the compressor will not come on to raise it.

The link is mechanical. It is basically a small metal link that connects the Height Control Module arm to the rear suspension. It is slightly off center between the 2 rear tires.

I am not a GM tech or any other sort of tech for that matter, I just really love Cadillacs!

Max

WAS INCORRECT ON MY ORIGINAL POST I EDITED AND FIXED THE TERMINAL LOCATIONS


I have the same problem with a Service SSS light also on my Cadillac. I work at a mechanic shop and have access to the all data mechanic aid program, and let me say its a big help. If you have a paper clip you can read the diagnostic code numbers and if you want I will look them up and give you the diagnostic procedure you can use. Take the paper clip and make it in the shape of a U. Then under the middle of your front passenger compartment under the radio by where your feet go you will see a large 12 pin connector. I know its on the LEFT side of the connector, TOWARD THE DRIVER'S SIDE, but i'm not sure if its the top or the bottom portion since its pretty much like this

......|......
.OOOOOO
.OOOOOO
|--------|
but you have to stick the paper clip in either these two holes (marked as x's)

......|...... <-- that is the top marker tab for connector position
.OOOXOX
.OOOOOO
|---------|
BE CAREFUL CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CONNECTOR ITS UPSIDE DOWN
SO POSITION THE PAPER ACCORDINGLY TO MATCH UP


Its pins A and C according to the ALL data Program if that helps
Now you turn the key to the on position (with out starting) all the dashboard lights will display including the service sss light. you know you picked the right pins when after the light goes out it begins to flash
it will flash once then pause a second and then flash twice together (this signifies a #12 code which means it is entering diagnostic) three times before displaying the actual trouble code. So you pretty much understand how you would read the codes after the three 12's that will flash out.. then you will get the codes listed. I got a code 24 on my car 2 quick flashes one second pause then 4 quick flashes. It will do each code three times before displaying the next. When it does the 12 code again that means it finished the code list and will start again.
email me at dzisblatt@si.rr.com and I would be glad to help in any way I can :)

Thanks for offering your assistance Coupe, and welcome aboard.

Thanks for offering your assistance Coupe, and welcome aboard.

Yea I just saw this thread, definitely some very helpful suspension folks on our board... wonder if that Maxim guy is still around.

Ralph, now you know why I detest electronic suspension systems so much, but on Lincolns its the worst case scenario, you cant replace them with passive struts because its actually a Firestone rubber air bladder that inflates and deflates which would be like the "elc" on the caddies. Problem is, theres one bladder shock at EACH of the four wheels, and in total this could run you 2000.00 - 3000.00 EASY from the dealer to replace them. My brother got lucky with his extended warranty which covered the first set for him! Now the rear of the car has a horrible thud over bumps and we fear the actual strut portion is out, and that could be putting extra stress on the bladder. Of course, the struts for the rear even without the bladder, can run 400.00 installed or more. It really begins to get hard to justify expenses like that when you pop open a black book and the thing is worth like 2000.00 total. I guess I could think of it as a restoration on the Lincoln since I like it alot, but then its not like your Deville, the Lincoln has about 120k miles! (but still runs strong)

Well I personally think that Lincoln Town cars are the single best cars on the road. And the Taxi guys use them like crazy so parts can be cheap and replacement is easy because the car is easy to work on. I work on about 5-10 of those a day and they are a pleasure. If you want better prices you need to do price searches. I've seen airbags (the suspension) for pretty cheap.

Well I personally think that Lincoln Town cars are the single best cars on the road. And the Taxi guys use them like crazy so parts can be cheap and replacement is easy because the car is easy to work on. I work on about 5-10 of those a day and they are a pleasure. If you want better prices you need to do price searches. I've seen airbags (the suspension) for pretty cheap.

I have no problem with TC's, in fact, right now they slot ABOVE the LS430 (in the newest model) in my large sedan preference. However, vehicles like the Continental, and Mark VIII did not have as high sales numbers and the systems are not cheap to find anywhere. If they are interchangeable with the TC then thats pretty cool, but I dont know if they are. Not to mention if you dont install it yourself (which not everyone can do), it can make things that much more complicated. I have always liked how the foreign manufacturers like Lexus and MB give you ride controlled suspensions as an OPTION but not as standard equipment, this way you can drive both versions and judge whether the air ride is really worth it.

Yea I just saw this thread, definitely some very helpful suspension folks on our board... wonder if that Maxim guy is still around.

Ralph, now you know why I detest electronic suspension systems so much, but on Lincolns its the worst case scenario, you cant replace them with passive struts because its actually a Firestone rubber air bladder that inflates and deflates which would be like the "elc" on the caddies. Problem is, theres one bladder shock at EACH of the four wheels, and in total this could run you 2000.00 - 3000.00 EASY from the dealer to replace them. My brother got lucky with his extended warranty which covered the first set for him! Now the rear of the car has a horrible thud over bumps and we fear the actual strut portion is out, and that could be putting extra stress on the bladder. Of course, the struts for the rear even without the bladder, can run 400.00 installed or more. It really begins to get hard to justify expenses like that when you pop open a black book and the thing is worth like 2000.00 total. I guess I could think of it as a restoration on the Lincoln since I like it alot, but then its not like your Deville, the Lincoln has about 120k miles! (but still runs strong)

I know, on the rear shocks I can see those large "bladder" rubber sleeves. I can't see them up front, but they must be up there somewhere in the strut tower. That's originally why I posted this thread, because I was concerned about the expense of fixing this in the future, but now I have realized something else!! If age makes rubber deteriorate over time, then my 27,000 mile beauty might light that dreaded CCR light anytime??!! If the bladders deteriorate, and develop a leak, that is. We discussed rubber and tire deterioration in some other thread I started, and now it's got me wondering, especially with all the trouble your brother had with Connie. I guess there's no point in worrying about it, if it breaks, I'll just go without food for a few months. :crying: :rant2:

I know, on the rear shocks I can see those large "bladder" rubber sleeves. I can't see them up front, but they must be up there somewhere in the strut tower. That's originally why I posted this thread, because I was concerned about the expense of fixing this in the future, but now I have realized something else!! If age makes rubber deteriorate over time, then my 27,000 mile beauty might light that dreaded CCR light anytime??!! If the bladders deteriorate, and develop a leak, that is. We discussed rubber and tire deterioration in some other thread I started, and now it's got me wondering, especially with all the trouble your brother had with Connie. I guess there's no point in worrying about it, if it breaks, I'll just go without food for a few months. :crying: :rant2:

Ralph, he is talking about the Town Car, they use air bag suspension... sweet ride, but really expensive to fix, and when they go, unlike the Caddy which you can see drive then the SSS/CCR ssytem has errors, once the air bags blow, the back end of the car is now a 2" off ground low rider... really bad for the car.....

Ralph, he is talking about the Town Car, they use air bag suspension... sweet ride, but really expensive to fix, and when they go, unlike the Caddy which you can see drive then the SSS/CCR ssytem has errors, once the air bags blow, the back end of the car is now a 2" off ground low rider... really bad for the car.....

What exactly does our front suspension have? Air bags, or a tube with a compressor line feeding it?

ok ralph. basically our suspension uses the struts not the springs to adjust the suspension. the ford method is air springs and conventional shocks. the gm is conventional springs and air shocks or struts. If you look at the strut tower in the engine compartment and see electric wires you know you will have a better ride, but a more expensive fix. Now GM is using magnetic particles. 2004 Cadillac SRX and the Corvette as far as i know have a magnetic suspension. Faster response than our mini air compressors :)

and btw MB is crap. who's gonna fix it? my bought a ml 430 2001 and it was window switch, speaker, MAF sensor, water pump, and the bearing were/are bad and that's with only 40k miles. sorry i know the car rides awesome, but unless i can get a mechanic... or afford a lease sorry i'd rather not.

LEXUS OWNS.. just did the HUD on my mom's 93 SC 400
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2464194234

check it out for all you frustrated lexus owners who don't want to pay 600 bux for a new gauge cluster.


p.s. if you don't have the electric wires on your 91 fleet on the front struts. To do the rear shocks right its gonna be about 800-1k that's springs, shocks, shock mounts and 4 wheel alignment
AC Delco parts only of course.

ok ralph. basically our suspension uses the struts not the springs to adjust the suspension. the ford method is air springs and conventional shocks. the gm is conventional springs and air shocks or struts. If you look at the strut tower in the engine compartment and see electric wires you know you will have a better ride, but a more expensive fix. Now GM is using magnetic particles. 2004 Cadillac SRX and the Corvette as far as i know have a magnetic suspension. Faster response than our mini air compressors :)

and btw MB is crap. who's gonna fix it? my bought a ml 430 2001 and it was window switch, speaker, MAF sensor, water pump, and the bearing were/are bad and that's with only 40k miles. sorry i know the car rides awesome, but unless i can get a mechanic... or afford a lease sorry i'd rather not.

LEXUS OWNS.. just did the HUD on my mom's 93 SC 400
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2464194234

check it out for all you frustrated lexus owners who don't want to pay 600 bux for a new gauge cluster.


p.s. if you don't have the electric wires on your 91 fleet on the front struts. To do the rear shocks right its gonna be about 800-1k that's springs, shocks, shock mounts and 4 wheel alignment
AC Delco parts only of course.

Good info! And thanks for explaining it simple for me. I'm no mechanic, as I only do general maintenance, tune-ups, and oil changes weather permitting. Yup, I got the wires going into my front strut towers. But why would the front strut wires (air shocks) make a difference in the cost of the rears? ok, I'm assuming it's because GM recommends doing all 4 which is very costly and hopefully NOT necessary IMO! Midas will certainly be an option if the price from GM is astronomical.

JD Power (I believe) says MB is on par with the quality of a Chev. (tied for 12th place) The Lexus info is shocking because Lexus is supposed to be the most reliable and quality vehicle on the planet right now! Just goes to show the Japanese are not that infallable. Everyone just assumes they will not break down for at least 10 years. LOL!

ok ralph. basically our suspension uses the struts not the springs to adjust the suspension. the ford method is air springs and conventional shocks. the gm is conventional springs and air shocks or struts. If you look at the strut tower in the engine compartment and see electric wires you know you will have a better ride, but a more expensive fix. Now GM is using magnetic particles. 2004 Cadillac SRX and the Corvette as far as i know have a magnetic suspension. Faster response than our mini air compressors :)

and btw MB is crap. who's gonna fix it? my bought a ml 430 2001 and it was window switch, speaker, MAF sensor, water pump, and the bearing were/are bad and that's with only 40k miles. sorry i know the car rides awesome, but unless i can get a mechanic... or afford a lease sorry i'd rather not.

LEXUS OWNS.. just did the HUD on my mom's 93 SC 400
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2464194234

check it out for all you frustrated lexus owners who don't want to pay 600 bux for a new gauge cluster.


p.s. if you don't have the electric wires on your 91 fleet on the front struts. To do the rear shocks right its gonna be about 800-1k that's springs, shocks, shock mounts and 4 wheel alignment
AC Delco parts only of course.

MB is crap if you judge them by the single shyttiest vehicle theyve ever sold. My friend has an 98' ML320 and I agree that thing is a total piece... it creaks and squeaks in the suspension, its plasticky and hard inside, the distance to empty cuts off English at like 75 miles but doesnt cut off metric til 0, cupholders are broken, throttle sticks...etc. I dont know what MB was thinking with the ML but they better rectify it with the next generation (the current one has been a sitting duck for like 3 years) or theyre gonna start losing luxury SUV customers who cant afford the entirely better G500, perhaps it was because it was their first vehicle produced here, the new R-Class and next M class should arrive soon though.

In any case my point was not whether MB or Lexus are good or bad, but rather that we should take a clue from them in customer choice, if I dont want a gizmo laden suspension, I shouldnt have to be forced into it. Id like to be able to choose my suspension option. I think the Corvette currently has an optional electronic system, but its not standard, which is cool.

ok, forget everything about Lincoln for right now:

the CCR/SSS works like this:

car has 4 wheel independent suspension

each wheel has a regular spring and strut

the REAR strusts are air-shock type struts (Cadillac has been using these things forever)

there is a small compressor under the hood that pumps are into the lines to RAISE or LOWER the REAR struts (therfore changing ride height...of the back of the car)

with the CCR/SSS ALL 4 struts are electronically controled.

the strusts that are electronically controlled have wires going to them

the selonied in the electronic strusts goes bad

they cannot be replaced

the whole strut must be repalced

they are expensive

The alternative is to use PASSIVE struts for ALL 4 wheels... they are regular struts and are NOT comtrolled by the computer

they are alot cheaper

for the back you will use AIR STRUTS, that way the car can still turn the compressor on/off to raise/lower the back of the car (make it level)

Lincoln uses AIRBAGS instead of AIR SHOCKS, but I am not gonna get into that....

Well I'm not 100% sure, but on my 90 Caddy that doesn't have the totally active suspension and that's how much it cost. I'm not sure if its any different on my 93 caddy, I didn't price the rears so i'm basically goin on that.

The actuators are not only ride leveling but an active suspension that increases ride tighness as speed increases. I believe its defined as 3 rides: comfort, normal, and sport. Comfort from 0-32 mph, normaly from 33-64 mph, and sport 65+. If the Service SSS light comes on the car defaults to sport mode full time, which has happened to me now. Personally, I enjoy the way the car rides so much better in this mode cause the low speed handling was lacking and far too bouncy, can bottom out easy.

yeah, that's about right... 5mph and under the car would go into Sport mode also for speed bumps and stuff....

...the thing i like, is there is the g-thingy and under heavy acceleration, braking and turning, it'll automatically turn it to sport mode....really neat....

Ya its a great idea, but not for long term usage on the car cause the price :)

but I still want to keep the car original... dilemma dilemma