Air suspension service immediately

[themust]

10 days ago I got a message that said to service the air suspension immediately. Truck staying in aero mode now and compressor runs frequently. Ram dealer was useless and rude but I need to have it checked out and serviced. Apparently my CPO is drivetrain only. Independent shops (with one questionable exception) say they can’t work on these things. Any help, tips, questions or guidance appreciated where to even begin.

 

[kapinallinen2]

10 days ago I got a message that said to service the air suspension immediately. Truck staying in aero mode now and compressor runs frequently. Ram dealer was useless and rude but I need to have it checked out and serviced. Apparently my CPO is drivetrain only. Independent shops (with one questionable exception) say they can’t work on these things. Any help, tips, questions or guidance appreciated where to even begin.

Try a different dealer perhaps.

 

[themust]

Try a different dealer perhaps.

Yup. Went up the highway 15 miles to the next dealer who gave me an appointment in late March to have it "inspected." I've got an appointment tomorrow morning with an independent place that does tires etc., so we'll see if that sheds any light.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Yup. Went up the highway 15 miles to the next dealer who gave me an appointment in late March to have it "inspected." I've got an appointment tomorrow morning with an independent place that does tires etc., so we'll see if that sheds any light.

If they have wiTech diagnostics (or even alfaobd) then they should be able to figure out what is going on.
Not sure if autel or other non fca specific ones can be used for air suspension.
Good luck.

 

[themust]

For anyone who may be following along, the shop required an initial $250 for a diagnostic, another $250 to run a smoke test diagnostic including as suggested by kapinallinen2 and then found a leak in the RR bag. Current estimate is $2500 for that corner and they're not yet sure it solved the problem. We'll see on Monday, hopefully. They need to get the truck up on a lift to inflate the system quicker, make sure it holds air, and recalibrate all the height settings. Fingers crossed...

 

[JRD]

For anyone who may be following along, the shop required an initial $250 for a diagnostic, another $250 to run a smoke test diagnostic including as suggested by kapinallinen2 and then found a leak in the RR bag. Current estimate is $2500 for that corner and they're not yet sure it solved the problem. We'll see on Monday, hopefully. They need to get the truck up on a lift to inflate the system quicker, make sure it holds air, and recalibrate all the height settings. Fingers crossed...

Damn man that sucks, unfortunately I’m having similar issues w RAM except mines the rear window warranty

Any idea what caused the leak?

 

[themust]

Damn man that sucks, unfortunately I’m having similar issues w RAM except mines the rear window warranty

Any idea what caused the leak?

I'm very curious about what caused the leak. Speaking with guy actually doing the work requires pushing through the front desk robots that aren't allowing those interactions. I'm hoping to get the discarded airbag and see if it has been punctured or just normal wear and tear, or whatever. I will post if I find out anything. I somehow thought I had read somewhere in one of these threads that the airbags were being extended under warranty to 100K or something as a settlement in a lawsuit? Maybe that was the rear window problem..... Good luck with that.

 

[JRD]

I'm very curious about what caused the leak. Speaking with guy actually doing the work requires pushing through the front desk robots that aren't allowing those interactions. I'm hoping to get the discarded airbag and see if it has been punctured or just normal wear and tear, or whatever. I will post if I find out anything. I somehow thought I had read somewhere in one of these threads that the airbags were being extended under warranty to 100K or something as a settlement in a lawsuit? Maybe that was the rear window problem..... Good luck with that.

Rear window is a joke, they gave extended warranties but only on specific vins and not all of that year/model/trim. An absolute joke to be honest I’ve been waiting on resolution since the 29th so almost a month. Thank god I don’t live in the southeast where we get a fair bit of rain

 

[themust]

After 10 days at the first shop, they said they couldn't finish the job and it had to go to Ram. They pressurized the system tank and let it sit through the weekend. The various heights were in line with specs, they said. HOWEVER: The truck rides horribly! It basically feels as though all the ride height settings have shifted downward. So when the truck is in "Normal" mode, it looks and feels like I'm in "Aero" mode. For the truck to feel "normal" it has to be on "Off-Road 1" position. On the Freeway it automatically skips down from "Off road 1" to "Aero" and rides like a low-rider, undulating and porpoising over over bumps. It won't stay on "normal" mode at freeway speeds. So if you've ever driven your ram on "entry/exit" mode, that's what "aero" now feels like. Dealer says no codes are being thrown so there's not a problem. The guys was also no help in discussing the fact that this truck has the "Off Road Group" which may or may not come with a 1" lift (though some of these forums say it does, and some say it doesn't). There is also some suspicion from another dealer several months ago that the prior owner had aftermarket links to provide a level for the enormous 35X12.5 Yokohamas he had to accommodate. (I've since moved to stock size tires). So I'm not sure what effect that could have on the system calibrations for ride height. They say it drives fine, but I took the foreman out in it and he basically says without a code there's nothing they can do. Is it possible there's too much pressure in the system? That's what it feels like but I don't know enough about how these air suspensions work and the dealer is throwing his hands up. Any advice appreciated.

 

[Darksteel165]

After 10 days at the first shop, they said they couldn't finish the job and it had to go to Ram. They pressurized the system tank and let it sit through the weekend. The various heights were in line with specs, they said. HOWEVER: The truck rides horribly! It basically feels as though all the ride height settings have shifted downward. So when the truck is in "Normal" mode, it looks and feels like I'm in "Aero" mode. For the truck to feel "normal" it has to be on "Off-Road 1" position. On the Freeway it automatically skips down from "Off road 1" to "Aero" and rides like a low-rider, undulating and porpoising over over bumps. It won't stay on "normal" mode at freeway speeds. So if you've ever driven your ram on "entry/exit" mode, that's what "aero" now feels like. Dealer says no codes are being thrown so there's not a problem. The guys was also no help in discussing the fact that this truck has the "Off Road Group" which may or may not come with a 1" lift (though some of these forums say it does, and some say it doesn't). There is also some suspicion from another dealer several months ago that the prior owner had aftermarket links to provide a level for the enormous 35X12.5 Yokohamas he had to accommodate. (I've since moved to stock size tires). So I'm not sure what effect that could have on the system calibrations for ride height. They say it drives fine, but I took the foreman out in it and he basically says without a code there's nothing they can do. Is it possible there's too much pressure in the system? That's what it feels like but I don't know enough about how these air suspensions work and the dealer is throwing his hands up. Any advice appreciated.

There is a setting that disables it changing to aero on your radios head unit. You can drive in aero or normal, but not the 2 off-road settings (you only have 1 off-road setting if you have the off-road group).

Get your truck on flat ground and do measurements from the ground to the bottom of you fender flare middle on each wheel and you can compare the the other folks here.

It does sound like you have aftermarket suspension parts installed if you think the truck is a low rider in aero, esp with the oem lift that does come with your off-road group package. Your aero is my normal, and I use aero on the highway and its great and now that low as I should still have the aad be able to be deployed.

 

[themust]

There is a setting that disables it changing to aero on your radios head unit. You can drive in aero or normal, but not the 2 off-road settings (you only have 1 off-road setting if you have the off-road group).

Get your truck on flat ground and do measurements from the ground to the bottom of you fender flare middle on each wheel and you can compare the the other folks here.

It does sound like you have aftermarket suspension parts installed if you think the truck is a low rider in aero, esp with the oem lift that does come with your off-road group package. Your aero is my normal, and I use aero on the highway and its great and now that low as I should still have the aad be able to be deployed.

Yes, Aero on the freeway (and even around town sometimes) is normally just fine. Would an aftermarket level/links confuse the system and have it compensate to the wrong levels? I'll take some measurements on level ground and post asap. Thanks for the reply! (BTW: What's "aad?"

 

[Darksteel165]

Yes, Aero on the freeway (and even around town sometimes) is normally just fine. Would an aftermarket level/links confuse the system and have it compensate to the wrong levels? I'll take some measurements on level ground and post asap. Thanks for the reply! (BTW: What's "aad?"

AAD is short for the Active Air Dam.
It's an air dam that is behind some 1500s front bumper and goes down at speeds greater then 35 mph (I think that was the number).
it's quite a low hanger.

I have measurements of my truck on a thread here somewhere which is a 22 Limited without the offroad group.
I don't think I was level ground so might need to take with a grain of salt.

The system does not know how high or low it is, just the amount of air it has.
You can tweak the numbers to make aero turn into offroad 1 in theory, there is a hard cap on how high and low it can go and obviously ride quality will be very poor and an alignment needed.
I believe I have seen people add links or stuff to get it a inch or 2 higher and it all adds up.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Would an aftermarket level/links confuse the system and have it compensate to the wrong levels?

Yes they could.

ASCM (air suspension control module) height sensors.

“The ASCM reads the four ride height sensor inputs (one near each of the wheels) which report the relative distance between the frame and the suspension. The ASCM uses these readings when determining the current vehicle height which has a diagnostic range between -100 mm from jounce to 153 mm rebound before any leveling. In addition, if any leveling is required, the ASCM sends the sensor signals on the CAN-C.”

 

[E.Hands]

The system does not know how high or low it is, just the amount of air it has.
You can tweak the numbers to make aero turn into offroad 1 in theory, there is a hard cap on how high and low it can go and obviously ride quality will be very poor and an alignment needed.
I believe I have seen people add links or stuff to get it a inch or 2 higher and it all adds up.

I do not believe that this is good info. The system DOES know how high or low it is. That is the purpose of the ASCM's on each corner.
The system may or may not know how much air pressure is in each corner. I do not know that.
I am not sure what is meant by "tweak the numbers" but using adjustable links to make drastic changes in ride height (more than one inch) will result in ride quality sacrifices if not out right problems. I know this from personnel experience on my own truck.

 

[Darksteel165]

I do not believe that this is good info. The system DOES know how high or low it is. That is the purpose of the ASCM's on each corner.
The system may or may not know how much air pressure is in each corner. I do not know that.
I am not sure what is meant by "tweak the numbers" but using adjustable links to make drastic changes in ride height (more than one inch) will result in ride quality sacrifices if not out right problems. I know this from personnel experience on my own truck.

It does not know how high or low it is from the ground. It only knows the differences from the starting point in the bcm, which as I said can be tweaked in the bcm.
People have goofed up and messed with the numbers and you need to keep selecting different numbers tk get it right. You can't just put in make me 40 I ches off the ground in normal. The truck does not auto sense like thay, and thus doesn't know how high or low it is from the ground.

There are several threads here confirming and explaining this in more detail.

 

[themust]

It does not know how high or low it is from the ground. It only knows the differences from the starting point in the bcm, which as I said can be tweaked in the bcm.
People have goofed up and messed with the numbers and you need to keep selecting different numbers tk get it right. You can't just put in make me 40 I ches off the ground in normal. The truck does not auto sense like thay, and thus doesn't know how high or low it is from the ground.

There are several threads here confirming and explaining this in more detail.

Great guidance. What I don't understand is what would happen if I were to put in OEM links back on (They are quite easy to pop on and off standing next to the truck). Because when I watch the installation video from Revel, it seems to imply that there is no need to readjust any settings or recalibrate anything. Keep in mind that the truck operated just fine in all the modes as intended, prior to the airbag replacement.

 

[Darksteel165]

Great guidance. What I don't understand is what would happen if I were to put in OEM links back on (They are quite easy to pop on and off standing next to the truck). Because when I watch the installation video from Revel, it seems to imply that there is no need to readjust any settings or recalibrate anything. Keep in mind that the truck operated just fine in all the modes as intended, prior to the airbag replacement.

I'm not sure about the links, my suspension is oem and never had aftermarket before when it comes to suspension.
I didn't realize you had airbags replaced I must of missed that.

I would get the truck in normal mode and measure all 4 cornor (middle of the rim from the ground to where it just hits the fender flares) and report back.
It might be there needed to be height adjustments with the replaced bag maybe and they just left it.
You can change the measurements with Alfaobd, but be careful if you go monkeying around in there.
I can measure my truck tomorrow on flat ground and yours should be 1 inch higher at each cornor.


Here is a thread with some good info.
Air Suspension Leveling AlfaOBD

Here are the pictures of where you can make adjustments if needed.

 

[E.Hands]

I really thought that my truck was still riding well, until I switched from the adjustable links back to the factory ones.

 

[themust]

So going out this beautiful Saturday AM to measure my truck's height at each corner at different stated heights, here is what I found: Starting at OR2 and measuring each corner from the center of the wheel to the center point of the bottom of the wheel well, there was uniform lowering. However, the toggle from "Normal" down to "Aero" brought up the "Tire Jack Mode Activated" warning on the screen. So I went into the settings menu and turned off "Tire Jack Mode," lowered to "Aero" and measured again. Seemed OK (Keeping in mind there was a consistent 1.5" - 2" difference at all achievable* levels, which means the truck has a back to front rake, which it didn't have prior to the airbag replacement (the difference is obvious visually as well). Attempting to lower from "Aero" to "Entry/Exit" brought up the dreaded "Service Air Suspension Immediately" warning light that started this whole fiasco in the first place! I don't know what would happen if I just removed the links and tried to recalibrate it? The install videos for the revel links don't show any adjustments one has to make in the electronics for the truck to operate normally with the level (as it had before the repair.) I will next attempt to get the OEM links length and adjust my links to match and see what that does. But I'm not sure how to then get the level back, uinless the truck will "reset" itself somehow. I apologize if these questions seem obvious and any additional thoughts appreciated!

 

[Darksteel165]

So going out this beautiful Saturday AM to measure my truck's height at each corner at different stated heights, here is what I found: Starting at OR2 and measuring each corner from the center of the wheel to the center point of the bottom of the wheel well, there was uniform lowering. However, the toggle from "Normal" down to "Aero" brought up the "Tire Jack Mode Activated" warning on the screen. So I went into the settings menu and turned off "Tire Jack Mode," lowered to "Aero" and measured again. Seemed OK (Keeping in mind there was a consistent 1.5" - 2" difference at all achievable* levels, which means the truck has a back to front rake, which it didn't have prior to the airbag replacement (the difference is obvious visually as well). Attempting to lower from "Aero" to "Entry/Exit" brought up the dreaded "Service Air Suspension Immediately" warning light that started this whole fiasco in the first place! I don't know what would happen if I just removed the links and tried to recalibrate it? The install videos for the revel links don't show any adjustments one has to make in the electronics for the truck to operate normally with the level (as it had before the repair.) I will next attempt to get the OEM links length and adjust my links to match and see what that does. But I'm not sure how to then get the level back, uinless the truck will "reset" itself somehow. I apologize if these questions seem obvious and any additional thoughts appreciated!

Can you post your vin so we can see what your truck left from the factory with?
You say your truck has the offroad group which means you CANT go into OR2, it shouldn't even be an option.
If you have the offroad group, and OR2 as an option your truck has been messed with. Did you purchase it new or used?
Sounds like all your settings are incorrectly shifted 1 level low, with aero being entry\exit, which would explain why you described it as a low rider in Aero.

When you measure in normal, give us the actual inches, I took pictures of tape measure against the truck.