01 SLS air ride problems

[slsonvogues]

Well its been 4 days since the mechanic lowered the car, and it appears to be slightly higher already, i cant say it is maxed out as it was before, but definately higher than it was just 4 days ago. If this system is not rocket science then how come noone can fix it other than the dealer? Does anyone have a picture or diagram of the suspected part / sensor that is causing the problem so i can check it myself?

[timothyr]

I'll take a picture later tonight. as far as my rocket science remark, is the fact that 99% of all mechanics are used to dealing with mechanical parts, accept the fact that a good protion of these cars are electronically controlled, learn exactly what a sensor does, how it works and its purpose and the game changes. traditionally suspension has been totally mechanical, (a strut or shock, a spring, and a bunch of bolts), add in "old fashion" air load levelers and it was still all mechanical (now you have a strut, shock or spring that holds air). take cadillacs load leveling, you ad a (very simple but still) computer to the equation....it has pieces that tell it what the cars situation is and then it makes mechanical adjustments to accomodate. In your case something is feeding it bad information, and my bet is that the sensor that sends the height information is either bad, loose or disconnected.

most traditionally "old school" good mechanics started to get intimidated as fuel injection became popular in the 70's; they fail to get their head around the concept that while you used to make mechanical adjustments to accomplish something, that is what the computer has been employed for....learn to adjust and diagnose it, because it will need the same type of maintenace (to its sensor, etc) to keep it running properly. its not rocket science, just a different mentality and approach

[submariner409]

..........or the exhaust valve on the level ride compressor in the r/r wheelwell is malfunctioning. The height sensor is a simple on/off/on switch and connector arm between the suspension arm and body in the r/r wheelwell. The wheel must be removed to check the connector arm.

Get a friend or two. Start the car and listen for the compressor to run for 4 seconds about 5 - 8 seconds after the engine starts. Now pop the trunk and the 3 of you sit on the trunk lip. The compressor should run and level the car. Now, everybody hop off and you listen in the r/r wheelwell for escaping air. If you don't hear air and see the rear lower to normal, it's compressor overhaul time. 3 parts in there: compressor, exhaust system, and silencer/drier (for moisture control).

Have you pulled your Diagnostic trouble Codes from the onboard computer/diagnosis system ? It's already built in.

[timothyr]

Sub, I would totally agree on your thoughts in regards to the exhaust valve, but question (or request clairification) on the compressor overhaul thought.
My thinking is if the car rises with his friends in the trunk compressor is fine (which i think you might be able to assume based on the fact that it was originally so high, and it is now starting to re-rise), if it fails to vent down, I would think switch or exhaust valve.

(from re-reading are you saying the compressor and exhaust valve are one unit? I have not looked at the 06, but on my others the compressor is under the hood, exhaust valve is in back)

[submariner409]

In this Seville series the compressor/exhaust valve/drier unit is up inside the r/r fenderwell with the air intake hose up inside the r/r trunk liner. (The secondary A.I.R. compressor is inside the l/f fenderwell) You have to remove the plastic well liner to get to it. The whole assembly is around $400+ at several sources, and is generic to several GM vehicles in the same year group. The filter/drier is actually a service-maintenance item, but it doesn't show up in any schedule. You have to get into a Helm FSM to find the procedure (simple).

Exhaust valve problems are usually caused by moisture in the system, which is caused by the compression cycles. The moisture eventually overwhelms the drier element (which is "blown down" by the exhaust valve operation) and causes a gooey brown snot to fill the system. The exhaust valve corrodes and hangs up, the shock air lines plug, and the shocks get rust in the air chambers and quit working.

Generally the 06 DTS bears little resemblance to earlier models, and almost nothing in common with the 98-04 Seville/Eldorado series of vehicles, which are very different from the earlier Sevilles. The two pictures are the same as the unit in the OP's car.

[timothyr]

YOU ARE CORRECT SIR! looks like it operates very very similarly, but the components are different. I was thinking of the layout of the 92-97 cars as reference, basic troubleshooting looks like it will pretty much be the same though.

[submariner409]

How right you are..........An STS is not an STS is not an STS, and a Northstar is not a Northstar, and so on......96/97 saw changes in mechanicals as well as OBD, 98 saw even more, and 2000 saw major engine and suspension changes.

I have been caught, more than a few times in here, making sweeping statements about a STS that bears no resemblance to mine other than it has a FWD V8 and 4 tires.

The real fix is to post questions showing your car, year, and model, and request answers on that alone, not someone's experience with a 1956 Widget V16 with freewheeling transmission.

Keeps us all honest. maybe............

[slsonvogues]

Ok well the air bags are once again filled to the max because the backend is way up there again. I have to agree that i have an exhaust problem if they system can fill but not let down. So your telling me the exhaust is built into the pump, so i need to replace the pump?
And now i see you guys brought up the secondary A.I.R. pump, that is something completely different i hope or else ill feel stupid because all along ive had P0410 which i thought was emissions related. The P0410 is the least of my worries, im just sick of eating away at my vogue tires and having such a stiff ride.

[slsonvogues]

By the way, were those pictures of the secondary A.I.R. pump, or the pump related to the air ride suspension? Im sorry to be such a pain everyone

[submariner409]

Level control. Usually comes as a unit, BUT some dealers can find the drier as a separate part. Not sure about the exhaust valve system.

You're not a pain - no way. Honest questions and reasonable requests are the name of the game. It's the neon lights, 26's, hydraulic jackers, and fuzzy dice that trip the WTF meter.

[Ranger]

Sub, I think the exhaust valve and/or solenoid may be serviceable.

[Ian-STS99]

You can try here to get the parts you need for the Air Ride Suspension.

Suspension parts (Air unit)

The parts are the same for years 98 to 2004.

[diddy]

I have been experiencing the same problem on my 07 dts for the past few days but i looked under the driver side wheel well and found that the arm that conects to the height sensor had fallen off, I ziptied it on (temporarely only cause its sunday and the dealer is closed) and it came back down to ride height just fine keep in mind i am no mechanic nor do i know much about these systems but with that said i just had a thought if its not the ride height sensor and it is the exhaust valve how is it geting that high in the first place? i would think if the height sensor was good or connected properly it would not continue to pump air in the shock but like i said not a mechanic, i'm a vehicle electrician just some thing to chew on

[submariner409]

Yeah, we went through the control arm link and the sensor connectors down in posts 1 - 8. The OP's mechanic "disconnected something and bled something down" which is what took us to the link arm in the first place.

[slsonvogues]

Well my theory is that when the pump kicks on for a few seconds after starting the car that it is slowly filling the bags and the exhaust isnt letting it out, thats why it took 3 days after being lowered to raise back up. if the control arm was bad wouldnt it have raised back up immediately? and also diddy said his control arm was on the drivers side and everyone is telling me the right rear so im very confused as to whats going on. Does anyone have a picture of this control arm / sensor so i can look myself?