Mark VII Air ride question.

Topic: Mark VII Air ride question. (Read 1468 times) previous topic - next topic

Mark VII Air ride question.

June 24, 2007, 03:41:41 PM

I know there are boards better suited to a question like this but I don't want to sign up on those boards to ask one question.

I drove a Mark VII a couple of days ago that I can get for a song. When the car sits for a while the suspension goes to rest and lays on the ground. When you start the car the compression runs and pumps up the rear and then the front. Takes about 5 minutes for it to finish. Not that it takes that long to pump up, it just waits and waits before it starts to lift.. Once it does it lifts right up. When you drive the "Check Suspension" light comes on.

The compressor is new. What can cause this? I don't have access to pull any kind of trouble codes at the moment. Just wondering if anyone had this happen before?

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #1 – June 24, 2007, 03:57:43 PM

solinoids on the bags, the bags them selves, check the bags with some soapy water. its very common for the bags to be cracked

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #2 – June 24, 2007, 06:13:46 PM

yeah, my friend with a mark VIII had a problem like this, but only out of one bag. it turned out to be a suck selonoid. i'd find it hard to belive at all four selonoids are sticking, or that all four bags are cracked, but anythings possible, especially in a 20 year old system. but do what my friend did, spring-ride convesrion. handles better, not more leaks, and it even had 1'' drop built right in.

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #3 – June 24, 2007, 06:24:53 PM

on a good day the bags last at most ten years. i bet its the bags. thats why the motor was replaced working harder than its designed to. just put springs in it. if fab work isn't your thing you can buy a kit.

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #4 – June 24, 2007, 07:04:06 PM

bet it is a case of dry rotted bags

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #5 – June 24, 2007, 08:07:18 PM

the spring kits are a harder ride, and most of them sit in the air bag pocket, and ive seen pics on other sites and the coil over tore the bag mount up cause it wasnt designed for it.

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #6 – June 24, 2007, 08:15:08 PM

Its a 90 Bill Blass and in awsome shape.. I'd probably just fix the air ride if I get it.. But I duno yet.

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #7 – June 25, 2007, 09:24:30 AM

Quote from: CougarSE;156667

Its a 90 Bill Blass and in awsome shape.. I'd probably just fix the air ride if I get it.. But I duno yet.

Probably the bags. If they can be pumped up once the car is on, that would be my guess. That's what it did on my Mark 8 when the front bags dried out. Don't let that go for too long because it will kill the pump.

I really don't understand the fear of these air bags. Considering all the work involved with converting to springs, I don't see how that is better than keeping the bags when they are fairly simple to replace. I was really surprised at how easy it was to replace the bags on my Mark 8. I would gladly do that every 80-100K miles to have all the advantages of an auto-leveling air ride system.

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #8 – June 25, 2007, 10:27:33 AM

If it was a bad solinoid it would either never raise up because its not open or if it was stuck open it would force all the air out to the rear bags when one opened for more air.

I have messed around with the air ride on mine and I could open all the bag at one and it would lay the from on the ground and raise the rear bumper up to knee level in the back.

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #9 – June 25, 2007, 12:19:29 PM

I looked at the car today (its at the dealership I work at). The front end is still up in the air from a couple days ago but the rear end is still down. This is odd because I've started the car twice over two days. From the first to the second day the cars suspension came to complete rest, but after airing up for the second time the front is staying up?

Mark VII Air ride question.

Reply #10 – June 25, 2007, 12:51:00 PM

they are strange. When i got my car, it had sat without being started for 2 years, and it still had air in the suspension. once i started it it rose up 3 days later it was down. now after running it a few times it stays up for weeks. im thinking the rear bags are shot.