Air Suspension Woes

[sam.ash]

Hi folks. New member, long time browser. Looking for advice on my 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie 5.7 4x4 with the air ride suspension.

I started getting the “suspension cooling” warnings occasionally earlier this summer coming off the highway. Didn’t think too much of it until I got the “service air suspension” warning. I turned off aero mode and didn’t get warning for a while, but eventually started getting them consistently. Truck never squatted, but wouldn’t respond to my requests to adjust height. It occasionally would get stuck in aero or OR1, but I’d come outside the next day and it would be fine.

I eventually get under it, remove the dust cover from the compressor and hit the fitting on it with some soapy water. I saw air leaks on 2 of the lines. I call the guys at Rebuild Master Tech and they tell me that I can use this fitting to replace the leaking one. He said I can just snip off the end, push this on and it will work. RAM 1500 2019-2025 (DT) VOSS Suspension Air Line Hose Connector Brass Fitting

I’m underneath the truck with the replacement Voss fitting from RMT. Unscrew the 2 leaky OEM fittings on the compressor, but it just doesn’t feel right. The Voss is a “push in” type fitting unlike anything I’ve used and I can’t see how it would be airtight, so I thread the stock hardware back in place - no worse for wear.

WELL…the ride height has been stuck LOW ever since. The compressor kicks on and runs but has never returned to normal height. It reads “normal” on the dash, but she’s slammed on the ground. I gave it all weekend to fix itself, but no luck. Frustrated, I drove my low rider to the dealership cause my local mechanic wouldn’t touch it. They quoted me $2100 to replace the leaking air lines ($600 parts/$1500 labor).

Dealer said it’s the fittings I messed with leaking. They don’t sell just replacement fittings for the newer version of the air system like they do for the old ones - gotta replace the whole line. He said it’s not lifting the truck at all now cause the leak is so much worse, which I didn’t see after putting it back together. I’m concerned that there could be another, more significant issue they can’t even see at this point. Valve assembly, compressor itself, etc.

I told the tech that I can buy a whole new conventional suspension from airdelete.com for less than he’s asking to put new lines on. He said if it was him, that’s what he’d do because of all the issues he’s seen with these systems.

Between this, hurricanes and some health issues I’m about to pull my hair out. Any suggestions would be welcomed - thanks in advance.

-Sam

 

[sam.ash]

You can see the bubbling soapy water on the fitting in this picture.

 

[GSD222]

Sam Ash=musical instrument guy by chance?

kapinallinen2 covered the connector issue a bit in the following post (the second in the thread):

T

Thread '2019 Rebel Air Suspension'

Sep 15, 2024

Hello all, I have noticed my front drivers side suspension dips to entry mode after 24-48 hours. I have done the soap test and found the LF line at the compressor with a small air leak. Has anyone taken the lines off as I tightened the fitting at the bottom but the top fitting where the line goes in has no real notches for a regular wrench. Does the top fitting come off and then you can remove the line? I tightened with pliers but it still leaked. I loosed it a little and the leak stopped. You cannot buy the fitting as you have to buy a $1,500 compressor. Any information is greatly...

• timbit31
• Replies: 18
• Forum: Suspension

• 

​

They advise that you don't reuse the lines if you replace the fitting. I went against the advice personally pretty recently and was just sure to cut the end of the line straight before I pressed the new fitting on.

Did you happen to refill your system with nitrogen after you replaced the fitting? If you lost enough nitrogen before you replaced the fittings or during the process of replacing them, the compressor isn't likely to recharge the whole system enough to raise it to the proper level. It sounds like to me that your system needs a recharge of nitrogen more than anything else. It'll still say you are in normal mode even if there's nothing in the system if that's the last reading the computer had, but it should correct itself to the proper reading if you disconnect the battery for 20 minutes.

In the picture you posted, it looks like the leak is coming from an old fitting, not a replaced one. So unless you see evidence of the new fittings leaking I'd recommend recharging the system and see if that helps.

 

[sam.ash]

Thanks for the reply! I do play a little music, but I’m not that guy…

Anyhow, I’d read that thread last week and watched the tutorial video. I remember the guy saying something like “recharging the nitrogen is a gimmick, air is mostly nitrogen anyhow”. That’s why I was confused when my compressor kept running but never lifted the truck. So you’re saying filling with nitrogen IS necessary - copy. I’ll search the forum for info on how to do that, but if someone wants to provide guidance here, it would be much appreciated.

The picture I attached was the leaking before I took any action. I never installed the Voss fitting from RMT because it didn’t look like it would hold air. I took the oem out, some gas purged (sounds like a few lbs), after a few moments of deep contemplation put the oem back in. You’re saying that I can carefully cut the ends off the oem lines > attach these fittings > fill with nitrogen and potentially be okay? 2019 Ram 1500 5.7L HEMI V8 4WD LARAMIE CREW CAB Fitting. Compressor - 68454987AA | Libertyville IL

Again, the dealership technician is saying it never raised up because it’s leaking so much worse - didn’t say anything about them trying to fill the system with nitrogen. Also - I’ve already tried disconnecting the battery for about 45 mins, hoping to reset the system but no help. I’m fixin to head to the dealership right now to get the truck back to the house. Might pick up some fuzzy dice on the way.

 

[Willwork4truck]

If and when mine fails I will likely choose to delete. Course that's after attempting any extended warranty coverage.

Perhaps the 23’ will last longer than the earlier versions seemed to. I remember a lot of 1500 owners complaining of the air suspension woes.

Here is a sample of replies from a 2021 thread through a competing RAM forum:

“I had the same problem on my 2015 after the freeze here in Texas. FCA refused to fix a know problem with their product (none of the air springs have a leak. I will be selling those). I had fought with it for 9 months and decided to have the suspension changed out for a conventional coil over system. Best decision. Truck rides at a normal height, I still can haul our BSA scout trailer and I never have to worry about it every again. I will be joining the class action lawsuit regarding this issue as it is a safety issue stated in their service bulletin. Dealer wanted over $4,000 to troubleshoot and fix the problem. I took it to Allout Offroad and had it all replaced for just over $1,800. Again, best decision.”

“My 2018 Limited has that 4 corner air suspension problem that the fuse kept blowing out. I saw someone in the northern state replaced the fuse with an auto-reset breaker, so I tried and I haven't had any problem since except two times, but it resets and works completely fine. It's been one year without burning my pocket for replacement fuses.”

“…My 2017 Longhorn at 58K miles had the same problem but on the front end. Restarting the vehicle had no effect on the issue. It was drivable but you had to keep the speed down. Took a week for the dealer to get it into the shop for diagnosing. It was a defective valve block covered under my MVP MaxCare plan…”

“I finally had enough of the air suspension problems and .
-removed the air struts and bags
-disconnected the air compressor
-coded out my computer (alfaobd)
-installed traditional coilovers and springs
I've been worry free for 6 months.”

“Well I did what I said and cut my losses. One day of wrenching, about $830 and I’m free of this headache. It was great while it worked (140K) but too unreliable. I replaced the front with Rancho quick lifts which levels the truck. The rears got New variable rate coils and Gabriel mono tubes. I also cut off the jounce bumpers and replaced with some different slightly shorter ones. Ride is just fine and frankly the front seems more “stable” with a bit less lean on sharp corners. I’m quite happy with it. I used the video on the Monroe kit to guide me. The only thing is I get the service air suspension message when I start for a few seconds. I can live with that…not even worth buying the Alpha OBD to delete it in my opinion.”

“Probably not your valve block or pump. What i’ve noticed by reading these forums and even talking to some chrysler techs is that their best way to diagnose these air systems is to forget all logic and start with the cheapest part and work up from there.

If your air pump is constantly working to raise your truck back up, it’s trying to replace the lost nitrogen in your once sealed system. YOU HAVE A LEAK.

The pumps and valve blocks failing are secondary faults. These fail due to over working, over heating and in some climates freezing due to moisture in the system. Fix the leaks first then concern yourself with the pump and valve block. Common leaks are the rear bags at the top, fronts leak at the lower shock o-ring. If your front shocks are rusty - that’s where the leak is.”
***********
After reading 6 pages of posts on this problem, it sure seems like it is a “when not if” it fails thing. I am slightly encouraged that the factory extended warranty will cover it, but that doesn't help those who either don't have one or are past the date/miles.

Sounds like there are aftermarket parts available for the air system as well as “return to normal coils and shocks” options available.
Look at this thread “Another Air Ride Suspension Delete Experience, August 19, 2024” from a competing forum for a list of parts.

Hope this info helps someone. As always, do a forum or other online search and you will find what you need for your situation.

 

[202snowman]

I believe the DTs were a redesign of the system, meaning the complaints about the system on the old generation might not be valid in these. That's one thing that hasn't gone wrong in my current 2019 and it's survived 6 years in the north east, albeit not in extreme cold temps

 

[Willwork4truck]

Possibly, the other threads I have read are both 4th and 5th gen reports. Some components are the same, many of the failure points are the same. Likely the same wear and tear issues as opposed to say, defective compressors.

Glad that yours is ok. Like any other reported issue, there are many that don’t fail, or at least they are not reporting them to a forum. Only FCA/Stellantis really knows the failure rates and they won’t publish that information.

 

[GSD222]

Thanks for the reply! I do play a little music, but I’m not that guy…

Anyhow, I’d read that thread last week and watched the tutorial video. I remember the guy saying something like “recharging the nitrogen is a gimmick, air is mostly nitrogen anyhow”. That’s why I was confused when my compressor kept running but never lifted the truck. So you’re saying filling with nitrogen IS necessary - copy. I’ll search the forum for info on how to do that, but if someone wants to provide guidance here, it would be much appreciated.

The picture I attached was the leaking before I took any action. I never installed the Voss fitting from RMT because it didn’t look like it would hold air. I took the oem out, some gas purged (sounds like a few lbs), after a few moments of deep contemplation put the oem back in. You’re saying that I can carefully cut the ends off the oem lines > attach these fittings > fill with nitrogen and potentially be okay? 2019 Ram 1500 5.7L HEMI V8 4WD LARAMIE CREW CAB Fitting. Compressor - 68454987AA | Libertyville IL

Again, the dealership technician is saying it never raised up because it’s leaking so much worse - didn’t say anything about them trying to fill the system with nitrogen. Also - I’ve already tried disconnecting the battery for about 45 mins, hoping to reset the system but no help. I’m fixin to head to the dealership right now to get the truck back to the house. Might pick up some fuzzy dice on the way.

I just changed my compressor out, and those are the same as the fittings that came with my new compressor. I only had one leaky connection, so I used the new connection for the leaky one, and reused all the old ones since I wasn't changing the lines. It took care of my leak. The fittings do just press onto the lines and hold air just fine.
I also have 2 tanks of nitrogen in the garage so recharging the system wasn't a huge issue for me.

When you change the connection make sure you thread them in by hand back into the compressor before using the wrench. Don't overtighten.

 

[sam.ash]

Update:
After a bunch of hunting, I tracked down a pair of new air line fittings and got them installed - no more air leaking. Every online store showed backordered. Ironically I called my local dealership with the PN from this thread and they found a dealership an hour away with a few in stock. I talked with the service guy who told me these fittings don’t exist…he was “surprised” is going to call me back once he talks with his boss about what they can do for me.

Anyhow I decided to see if the compressor would be able to refill the system on its own without a nitrogen fill. The compressor cycles through 30 second runs, then stops to cool, but it hasn’t lifted the truck any. I disconnected the battery for 1/2 hr to reset everything. The dash light showed “lowering” and eventually settled into “load” mode. I tried to raise it up to normal, but after an hour of running/cooling it doesn’t appear to be building pressure. I pulled the blue and brown hoses off the side of the compressor and felt for suction as it ran, but nothing.

Y’all think my compressor is shot?

 

[GSD222]

If you have the means to do the nitrogen fill, I personally would give it a go before replacing the compressor. I'm not a mechanic or engineer, but my understanding is that the compressor will stop itself to cool off long before it'll fill the whole system. I could be wrong about that, but I've played around with the air suspensions some at this point and it really doesn't take much for the compressor to shut off to avoid overheating.

Nitrogen is cheap and the system refill is easy. I have a picture of the type of set-up you would need here:

G

Post in thread 'Air Suspension Help- 2019 Limited'

Jul 21, 2024

Sorry for the delayed response, I've been traveling for a bit and just got home. I haven't 100% identified a solution yet, although I can offer some amateur guidance at least.

I notice you said you get the air purge noise pretty often. Is your compressor running consistently? I know it can be hard to hear when you're driving but at idle if it's running when you start you're truck then I would guess you have a leak somewhere.

The first thing to do would be to hit all your lines and connectors with a spray bottle of soapy water. I actually had a leak in both of my front connectors (where...

• GSD222

• 

 

[firecadet613]

If and when mine fails I will likely choose to delete. Course that's after attempting any extended warranty coverage.

Perhaps the 23’ will last longer than the earlier versions seemed to. I remember a lot of 1500 owners complaining of the air suspension woes.

Here is a sample of replies from a 2021 thread through a competing RAM forum:

“I had the same problem on my 2015 after the freeze here in Texas. FCA refused to fix a know problem with their product (none of the air springs have a leak. I will be selling those). I had fought with it for 9 months and decided to have the suspension changed out for a conventional coil over system. Best decision. Truck rides at a normal height, I still can haul our BSA scout trailer and I never have to worry about it every again. I will be joining the class action lawsuit regarding this issue as it is a safety issue stated in their service bulletin. Dealer wanted over $4,000 to troubleshoot and fix the problem. I took it to Allout Offroad and had it all replaced for just over $1,800. Again, best decision.”

“My 2018 Limited has that 4 corner air suspension problem that the fuse kept blowing out. I saw someone in the northern state replaced the fuse with an auto-reset breaker, so I tried and I haven't had any problem since except two times, but it resets and works completely fine. It's been one year without burning my pocket for replacement fuses.”

“…My 2017 Longhorn at 58K miles had the same problem but on the front end. Restarting the vehicle had no effect on the issue. It was drivable but you had to keep the speed down. Took a week for the dealer to get it into the shop for diagnosing. It was a defective valve block covered under my MVP MaxCare plan…”

“I finally had enough of the air suspension problems and .
-removed the air struts and bags
-disconnected the air compressor
-coded out my computer (alfaobd)
-installed traditional coilovers and springs
I've been worry free for 6 months.”

“Well I did what I said and cut my losses. One day of wrenching, about $830 and I’m free of this headache. It was great while it worked (140K) but too unreliable. I replaced the front with Rancho quick lifts which levels the truck. The rears got New variable rate coils and Gabriel mono tubes. I also cut off the jounce bumpers and replaced with some different slightly shorter ones. Ride is just fine and frankly the front seems more “stable” with a bit less lean on sharp corners. I’m quite happy with it. I used the video on the Monroe kit to guide me. The only thing is I get the service air suspension message when I start for a few seconds. I can live with that…not even worth buying the Alpha OBD to delete it in my opinion.”

“Probably not your valve block or pump. What i’ve noticed by reading these forums and even talking to some chrysler techs is that their best way to diagnose these air systems is to forget all logic and start with the cheapest part and work up from there.

If your air pump is constantly working to raise your truck back up, it’s trying to replace the lost nitrogen in your once sealed system. YOU HAVE A LEAK.

The pumps and valve blocks failing are secondary faults. These fail due to over working, over heating and in some climates freezing due to moisture in the system. Fix the leaks first then concern yourself with the pump and valve block. Common leaks are the rear bags at the top, fronts leak at the lower shock o-ring. If your front shocks are rusty - that’s where the leak is.”
***********
After reading 6 pages of posts on this problem, it sure seems like it is a “when not if” it fails thing. I am slightly encouraged that the factory extended warranty will cover it, but that doesn't help those who either don't have one or are past the date/miles.

Sounds like there are aftermarket parts available for the air system as well as “return to normal coils and shocks” options available.
Look at this thread “Another Air Ride Suspension Delete Experience, August 19, 2024” from a competing forum for a list of parts.

Hope this info helps someone. As always, do a forum or other online search and you will find what you need for your situation.

Great reply @Willwork4truck, now to archive it away in case I need it someday...