Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 05:25 pm, by: Tom Wolfenden(Tomfiro)
I'd really appreciate some help, I've googled and looked around the forums. I've tried the airbag diagnostics and the light flashes on/off on/off in a constant loop which indicates everything is normal? I wanted to get it ready for a roadworthy, and I will spend money and replace whatever i need to...it's just figuring out what exactly i need to replace. Please help guys! Thanks
Sunday, January 29, 2012 - 05:24 pm, by: Dave Rose(Sand_groper)
Tom, it could be d/s/sensor, disconnect height adjuster rod from lower arm(just rear of drivers side wheel), with engine running push rod up car should rise.
Friday, February 03, 2012 - 03:53 pm, by: Tom Wolfenden(Tomfiro)
Thank you Dave! Will do and let you know how I go. I really appreciate the reply, car is just sitting in the garage and I want to fix the airbag suspension rather than removing it. Thanks again. Is it normal for the front to drop right down on both sides when the car is off? The rear holds a consistent height (The same when the car is on/off), however the front does not. The passenger side almost always rises (Once the car is turned on), but once the car is off it goes back down to sacked mode?
Friday, February 03, 2012 - 05:05 pm, by: Dave Rose(Sand_groper)
No the fronts should stay up...so it looks like its an air leak,mix up some washing up liquid start car to get it up again and with a brush try all the joints,pipes ,take off the two top hats on the top of the suspention brush round there.
Friday, February 03, 2012 - 08:55 pm, by: Peter Williams(Skeeta)
Tom, my suspension has done a similar thing twice over the last 12 months, both sides front, I just disconnected the battery to reset the suspension ECU, it's been all good for ages now.
Saturday, February 04, 2012 - 11:31 pm, by: Tom Wolfenden(Tomfiro)
Update. It is really weird and intermittent. Today I turned the car on with plans to do what Dave had suggested. Turned car on and it stayed low, after about 5 minutes the passenger front had lifted. (Drivers side did not move.) I was trying to remove the front bumper when I noticed the front passenger side had gone back down to be the height of the drivers side. This sucks, because I was trying to get the soarer onto some ramps, and I can't actually move it at all when it is so low to the ground. I'm going to jack the rig up tomorrow and take the wheel off, however I don't know what I am looking at or what I am doing. (Is there anywhere that lists all the airbag suspension components/lines/pump etc locations?) I will try resetting the Suspension ECU, however I have disconnected the battery a few times in the past with no luck. The rear suspension is fine, both when the car is off/on - so I am led to believe its not the pump but something with the struts? I think I read that each strut is individually controlled? So that would mean that both of my fronts have issues? I know there are also sensors and that kind of thing, but its so hard for me to diagnose. Is there anything that plays a role with both struts that could be playing up? I want to really figure out what exactly is wrong before I go out and purchase replacements. It is just time consuming and quite frustrating. I really appreciate your help guys, I will keep trying...going to give it a go tomorrow. Thanks again.
Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 09:16 pm, by: Tom Wolfenden(Tomfiro)
I found this:
Use diagnostic suspension connector in the boot to connect power to pump and solenoids to check that all are working. You can pump each individual strut up and down from here. Read the wiring diagrams. The very first plug on the air suspension wiring diagram is the suspension diagnostic connector ('A'). This connector has pins for +12v, 4 airbag solenoids, vent solenoid, pump solenoid and the pump. Connect airbag solenoid to be adjusted to 12v. To lower connect vent solenoid to 12v. To raise connect pump solenoid to 12v and then connect pump to 12v. Only connect one strut solenoid at a time for the front. Both rears can be connected but not with a front one (all the air from the front strut will go straight to the rear as there is heaps more weight and pressure on the front struts). Easy.
In this thread. (http://soarercentral.com/sc-forum/messages/30604/118491.html) Can someone please link me to the diagnostic suspension thread, I have looked through the whole forum, and I can't find it. I have searched. Can i use the suspension diagnostics to figure out why the front just will not lift anymore? Its weird because when I FIRST got the car it was less common and I actually drove it around the street twice with the suspension working? Then it got progressively worse until now the fronts won't even lift? I have to move house in 2 weeks and I really need help. I have contemplated paying someone to come and have a look, but who knows about soarer suspension/airbag suspension that I can contact on the gold coast? :S Thanks guys
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - 08:33 pm, by: Steve Millward(Mallard)
Tom, my front strut has just started leaking. I removed the TEMS caps and I can clearly see a circular crack in the rubber on one side.
The interesting thing is that if I start it in a morning when cold, it will rise but will drop back down fairly quickly once the engine is switched off. However, if I drive around for a while it stays up for the rest of the day.
My conclusion is that the circular crack closes when the engine bay gets warm and the rubber expands.
Have you looked for cracks around the top of the strut? Does this tie in with the times that yours will lift?
Saturday, March 24, 2012 - 09:15 pm, by: Tom Wolfenden(Tomfiro)
Update guys, BIG thanks to all those who gave me some advice. Dave and Steve, I did what you both said today at the same time!
My result was:
When i removed the tems caps, I sprayed some water mixed with detergent...then I undid that Height adjustment rod, turned the car on and pushed it up. The result was LOTS of bubbles coming from the top of the passenger side strut, so it is leaking big time. (Although it ended up lifting partially, even leaking lots of air.) I assume this means I need a new passenger strut.
When I did this to the drivers side however, No bubbles, drivers side did not raise...nothing changed? No bubbles so it's not leaking, could hear the compressor working away.
I assume that D/s sensor is cactus? Thank you once again for your input guys, finally I am making some progress towards a roadworthy.