Air Ride acting WEIRD

[JT///MC]

Ok, so to summarize how the air suspension has been acting lately so those of you who have experience with it and can possibly point me in the right direction. Basically, the air suspension acts like it has a leak while I'm driving. The front drivers side drops lower and you can tell b/c the steering wheel becomes crooked and the DS dips. I also hear clunking, like its a sway bar link is loose on the DS, over bumps. If I raise up the suspension and start driving again, it levels off and the clunking noise goes away. Then after a few miles, it drops again on the DS and I hear the same noise. WEIRD.

Now it gets even more weird. I park the car in the garage for a few house and the whole car is leaning to the DS. Looks like a really fat person is sitting in the driver seat. Also when I get out of the car, I hear hissing like the front airshock has a leak (as its settling down). So now I'm convinced the front airshock is bad. BUT, then after I start the car up again and raise it to the full (topmost) rideheight, the leak magically seems to disapear and when I put the ride height back to the middle position, it DOESN'T leak anymore and I leave the car overnight and 24 hrs later, it doesn't even sag or lean. WTH? I also placed a floor jack under the DS front in case the car starts to sag again so I know if it is leaning. But guess what, it doesn't even touch the jack after 24hrs. What is going?! Is it a faulty airshock or is just a bad control unit? Seems really weird whats going on.

Any ideas?

[jigaro]

Well, i guess it is a problem almost all 4.8is have.

Mine was acting exactly the same way, drivers side would completly drop, and then after i would start the car it would raise itself up, after a month or so acting this way, it dropped completely and i had to replace both airstruts. I'am guessing you have a leak and sooner or later you will have to change both front struts.

After replacing the struts mine still has a problem, Selflevel Susp Inact is constantly on and ride hight does not go up or down when i need to, or press the up or down bottons.

Basicly these 4.8is SUV's are flawless except these suspention issues.

I hope you don't have the same problem i did, and i'am hopefull because you don't have a constant Selflevel Susp inac message constantly and you can raise the ridehight manually. This is what makes me think you don't have a same problem i do. But then again you have a sound i did not have.
and you also have same weired sound when you are standing near the car and sound is coming when car is raising itself, or even lowering
Good luck, and keep us posted.

Originally Posted by JT///MC

Ok, so to summarize how the air suspension has been acting lately so those of you who have experience with it and can possibly point me in the right direction. Basically, the air suspension acts like it has a leak while I'm driving. The front drivers side drops lower and you can tell b/c the steering wheel becomes crooked and the DS dips. I also hear clunking, like its a sway bar link is loose on the DS, over bumps. If I raise up the suspension and start driving again, it levels off and the clunking noise goes away. Then after a few miles, it drops again on the DS and I hear the same noise. WEIRD.

Now it gets even more weird. I park the car in the garage for a few house and the whole car is leaning to the DS. Looks like a really fat person is sitting in the driver seat. Also when I get out of the car, I hear hissing like the front airshock has a leak (as its settling down). So now I'm convinced the front airshock is bad. BUT, then after I start the car up again and raise it to the full (topmost) rideheight, the leak magically seems to disapear and when I put the ride height back to the middle position, it DOESN'T leak anymore and I leave the car overnight and 24 hrs later, it doesn't even sag or lean. WTH? I also placed a floor jack under the DS front in case the car starts to sag again so I know if it is leaning. But guess what, it doesn't even touch the jack after 24hrs. What is going?! Is it a faulty airshock or is just a bad control unit? Seems really weird whats going on.

Any ideas?

[X5 Meister]

Do a thread search, I think this problem has been discussed, diagnosed and resolved already.

[jigaro]

Originally Posted by X5 Meister

Do a thread search, I think this problem has been discussed, diagnosed and resolved already.

It has been diagnosed, yes, but not sure if it has been resloved.

There are different causes to different cases!

[X5 Meister]

From what I can recall in reading about it the faults usually pointed to the same area.

Originally Posted by jigaro

It has been diagnosed, yes, but not sure if it has been resloved.

There are different causes to different cases!

[IMOLAredNC4.8is]

same exact problem here. mine does it on the passenger side..

[JT///MC]

Can you help me out Meister, I'm only on my iPhone today at work so it's kinds hard to use the search. Thanks for any help!

[X5 Meister]

I'll do my best...tba

I have a good article on the system and how it works but it's 57 pages long and too big for the system to let me attach it. Send me your e-mail and I'll forward it to you. It's not a fix yet but it's a start.

Originally Posted by JT///MC

Can you help me out Meister, I'm only on my iPhone today at work so it's kinds hard to use the search. Thanks for any help!

[JT///MC]

Originally Posted by jigaro

Well, i guess it is a problem almost all 4.8is have.

Mine was acting exactly the same way, drivers side would completly drop, and then after i would start the car it would raise itself up, after a month or so acting this way, it dropped completely and i had to replace both airstruts. I'am guessing you have a leak and sooner or later you will have to change both front struts.

Did yours clunk or drop while you were driving?

[JT///MC]

Originally Posted by IMOLAredNC4.8is

same exact problem here. mine does it on the passenger side..

What was your resolution?