Possible air suspension issue

[CaptainCJ35]

Dealer is saying the compressor/regulator is failing and needs to be replaced. They weren't able to answer a lot of questions I had, so it didn't inspire confidence and want $2300 to get it done... which is preposterous. Air Delete here we come.

Update. I started working with a local repair shop for a second opinion and/or to replace the Air Suspension. They found a leak in the passenger front air strut, and the compressor they deemed to be ok.

Air suspension works great for me since I routinely go into Boston and park in very low parking garages... I wanted to preserve it if possible. Factory Air Struts seemed to be on backorder with no ETA info available, unless I wanted to pay a king's ransom. As a result, I went with re-manned struts from RMT. This was the air suspensions get outta jail free card.

RMT was good to work with, Kelly was very helpful, and they shipped replacements for both front struts in a few days after placing the order. I had the struts installed and the air suspension seems to work exactly as it should. The compressor only kicks on when it should, and pressures are nominal despite the repair shop not having the ability to fill the nitrogen tank. Which means... yep... my system has been ingesting outside air for a good long while! I will seek to get it purged at some point.

The local dealer had absolutely no clue about diagnosing or fixing the issue with my truck. There are a number of other dealers around, but I will not be going back to that one for any reason.

Final note: It's only been a few days since install, but the RMT struts clunk at slow speed on bigger bumps with some articulation. We could replicate the clunk at the repair shop and it's coming from inside the shock body right as it starts to compress. I reached out to RMT Customer Support but as of this writing I have had no response. It might be the consequence of going with reman. It's livable but not optimal.

 

[My1stHemi]

Update. I started working with a local repair shop for a second opinion and/or to replace the Air Suspension. They found a leak in the passenger front air strut, and the compressor they deemed to be ok.

Air suspension works great for me since I routinely go into Boston and park in very low parking garages... I wanted to preserve it if possible. Factory Air Struts seemed to be on backorder with no ETA info available, unless I wanted to pay a king's ransom. As a result, I went with re-manned struts from RMT. This was the air suspensions get outta jail free card.

RMT was good to work with, Kelly was very helpful, and they shipped replacements for both front struts in a few days after placing the order. I had the struts installed and the air suspension seems to work exactly as it should. The compressor only kicks on when it should, and pressures are nominal despite the repair shop not having the ability to fill the nitrogen tank. Which means... yep... my system has been ingesting outside air for a good long while! I will seek to get it purged at some point.

The local dealer had absolutely no clue about diagnosing or fixing the issue with my truck. There are a number of other dealers around, but I will not be going back to that one for any reason.

Final note: It's only been a few days since install, but the RMT struts clunk at slow speed on bigger bumps with some articulation. We could replicate the clunk at the repair shop and it's coming from inside the shock body right as it starts to compress. I reached out to RMT Customer Support but as of this writing I have had no response. It might be the consequence of going with reman. It's livable but not optimal.

When I go bird hunting we drive down some rough farm tracks. I often get clunks with my OEM struts too.

 

[Chavez96]

Hello All,

I have been having a similar issue with my 2020 Ram. I’m from Houston, once it started getting below 50 I noticed my air ride compressor would continuously run when i would remote start the vehicle. The compressor would purge then it would stop completely or overheat (I’ve only had this happen once) . I can hear the blow off sound when I drive to work. If I drive with the auto start stop function on when the vehicle shuts off I can hear the blow off sound. But if I leave the auto start stop feature off i don't get a blow off sound.

In normal ride height mode I have no issues. But if I put the system in aerodynamic mode I start having the above stated issues. When the vehicle sits in aero mode (while I'm at work) the driver rear side lowers leaving a slanted stance. But when i start the vehicle or unlock the door it goes back to its original stance. No lights on the dash, no overheating warnings. I took it to my trusted mechanic and he ran a full system test and gave me a receipt with everything the reader checked out.

I thought it could be a leak in the rear suspension. But if I has a leak it should be lowering in normal height also right? Or the compressor would be running continuously to make up for the loss of air or nitrogen

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Neokane]

My system started giving me the cooling notice more and more often.
I notice that When driving, after lowering to aero and trying to go back to normal ride height, is when I get the message. The ride can get rough and definitely feels like the truck is hitting the bumpers. Dealer put more nitrogen in it, but issue is still happening. Either they don't care or don't want to look into further.

 

[kapinallinen2]

My system started giving me the cooling notice more and more often.
I notice that When driving, after lowering to aero and trying to go back to normal ride height, is when I get the message. The ride can get rough and definitely feels like the truck is hitting the bumpers. Dealer put more nitrogen in it, but issue is still happening. Either they don't care or don't want to look into further.

Sounds like a leak in the system. I would go to a different dealer if possible.

 

[RamRebellion]

Hello All,

I have been having a similar issue with my 2020 Ram. I’m from Houston, once it started getting below 50 I noticed my air ride compressor would continuously run when i would remote start the vehicle. The compressor would purge then it would stop completely or overheat (I’ve only had this happen once) . I can hear the blow off sound when I drive to work. If I drive with the auto start stop function on when the vehicle shuts off I can hear the blow off sound. But if I leave the auto start stop feature off i don't get a blow off sound.

In normal ride height mode I have no issues. But if I put the system in aerodynamic mode I start having the above stated issues. When the vehicle sits in aero mode (while I'm at work) the driver rear side lowers leaving a slanted stance. But when i start the vehicle or unlock the door it goes back to its original stance. No lights on the dash, no overheating warnings. I took it to my trusted mechanic and he ran a full system test and gave me a receipt with everything the reader checked out.

I thought it could be a leak in the rear suspension. But if I has a leak it should be lowering in normal height also right? Or the compressor would be running continuously to make up for the loss of air or nitrogen

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

This is exactly what I was experiencing. My 2019 Rebel does not like to be in aero mode. The compressor is constantly running, and if I shut off the car for a while, the rears will drop to the bump stops. But it will hold pressure and ride height when in normal mode.

I connected the Alpha OBD, and here is what I noticed after watching it over several days:
1- When the airmass is very low, you cannot change the ride height; you will get “ Ride height unavailable” or something similar. I had to leave the car running for 20 min to build up air mass to 150 bar-liter or more to function.
2- I get a lot of faults: some regarding the ride sensor being stuck or the increased payload or the air compressor not functioning well. I believe I just have a leak somewhere that I need to figure out.
3- At around 130 bar-liter, the car can only reach aero mode. ~150 goes to normal ride height, >156 can rise up to off-road.
4- I cannot understand how the system works exactly in terms of charging the system. It will vent before it reaches optimum pressure, leading to a drop in the air tank for some reason. I can predict when it will vent by watching the reverse valve output 2 open.
5- I have gathered a lot of data from the graph logs and analyzed it but I could not reach a verdict.

I was hoping I can figure this out before I take it to the dealer because I want to avoid replacing parts I don’t need to place.

 

[kapinallinen2]

It will vent before it reaches optimum pressure,

Could be a problem with the pressure sensor/ASCM module.
A leak should not cause a blow off or an over pressure condition, sounds more like electronic issue.
You could record the air mass numbers, let the truck sit at least 4 hours and compare the readings to see if there is a leak at the compressor or the airbag side.

 

[kapinallinen2]

I cannot understand how the system works exactly in terms of charging the system.

This might help, or not. Or you are referring to the service procedure of the AS?

 

[wes8398]

Just joined the forum so I could help shed some light on this old, but seemingly revived thread...

First - if you're DIYing this system (which you probably should because even most master techs at dealerships don't bother to understand it), you HAVE to have a *quality* bi-directional scan tool. Don't even LOOK at a component of this system without one. I personally just use the AlphaOBD app on my (Android) phone and an OBDLink MX+ adapter. This $50(?) app has undoubtedly saved me MANY thousands of dollars over the 3 years I've had my Ram.

Second - You guys that are worried about the purge noises - you should be worried, but for a different reason. This 'short purge' is normal, but only after each time the system is commanded to bring in supplemental (ambient) air. The reason the system does this short purge is in order to dry/clean out the desiccant can that's attached to the end of the inlet hose (behind your tail light). So, if you're hearing this purge regularly, it's a sure sign that you have a leak somewhere. Soapy water spray-downs with a fully pressurized system are necessary. The spray-downs of the air bladders need to be observed at all different ride height selections (and ideally *while* adjusting) in order to give you accurate results (see next point).

Third - Air bladder/bag leaks - These will often *seem* intermittent / difficult to identify. This is because the bladders roll/fold over themselves to differing extents throughout their range of motion. The way these leak are via small holes/cracks that develop over time. When minor, these are able to "self-seal" to some degree *when positioned favorably*, but when they get positioned in such a way that they are on the 'edge' of the 'rollover' (my own terminology here), they become un-sealed due to the extra stress on that area of the bladder. This causes air/nitrogen loss. These cracks/holes typically develop on the bladder where the rollover is most often located - say, 'normal' ride height, for example. So when the bladder is at this "normal" height the cracks are exposed/stressed, and leak. But if you change the ride height to 'aero' or 'offroad' or 'entry/exit', this changes where the rollover is on the bladder and oftentimes puts the cracks back on 'the flat' of the bladder where they manage to seal themselves back up. This is where the "intermittent" thing comes in. The holes/cracks are always there, but they may not actually leak unless they are positioned on this rollover edge. This is why you might park it overnight at "normal" height and find, say, your rear driver's corner an inch or two lower in the morning; but not ALL the air is gone. What happened was the cracks leaked until they were no longer on the rollover edge, then were able to seal up. When you turn the vehicle back on, the ASCM will send air from the reservoir to the leaking bag to replenish the lost air and get back to the commanded height, and then may trigger opening of the supplemental ambient air intake in order to then replenish the reservoir. This introduces moisture which can wreak havoc in freezing temperatures, etc. Now this cycle repeats itself until the cracks become worse, leak more, and eventually start to stress your compressor, etc - blowing the 40A compressor fuse, getting overheating errors and other malfunction lights, and getting all kinds of wonky and inconsistent ride heights from all 4 corners. The malfunction messages/lights and even DTCs will have you pointed in a million wrong directions and you'll find yourself throwing thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary parts at it if you don't simply diagnose and address the leaks first.

I could keep going, but I think this is getting a little long-winded. One last thing I'll mention: Air still moves within the system even if your compressor is shot/fuse is blown, so a leaky *rear* bag can sometimes present itself with a *front* corner (or both) dropping to the bump stops while the rear still appears ok (or sometimes even over-inflated). This is because the valve block is still allowing movement even though the compressor isn't there to help. This will obviously cause issues when the ASCM wants to move air from a component (ie: a bladder) with *less* pressure than its destination (ie: the reservoir), as there's nothing working to overcome the pressure differential (ie: the compressor).

Happy to help further if anyone has questions.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Just joined the forum so I could help shed some light on this old, but seemingly revived thread...

First - if you're DIYing this system (which you probably should because even most master techs at dealerships don't bother to understand it), you HAVE to have a *quality* bi-directional scan tool. Don't even LOOK at a component of this system without one. I personally just use the AlphaOBD app on my (Android) phone and an OBDLink MX+ adapter. This $50(?) app has undoubtedly saved me MANY thousands of dollars over the 3 years I've had my Ram.

Second - You guys that are worried about the purge noises - you should be worried, but for a different reason. This 'short purge' is normal, but only after each time the system is commanded to bring in supplemental (ambient) air. The reason the system does this short purge is in order to dry/clean out the desiccant can that's attached to the end of the inlet hose (behind your tail light). So, if you're hearing this purge regularly, it's a sure sign that you have a leak somewhere. Soapy water spray-downs with a fully pressurized system are necessary. The spray-downs of the air bladders need to be observed at all different ride height selections (and ideally *while* adjusting) in order to give you accurate results (see next point).

Third - Air bladder/bag leaks - These will often *seem* intermittent / difficult to identify. This is because the bladders roll/fold over themselves to differing extents throughout their range of motion. The way these leak are via small holes/cracks that develop over time. When minor, these are able to "self-seal" to some degree *when positioned favorably*, but when they get positioned in such a way that they are on the 'edge' of the 'rollover' (my own terminology here), they become un-sealed due to the extra stress on that area of the bladder. This causes air/nitrogen loss. These cracks/holes typically develop on the bladder where the rollover is most often located - say, 'normal' ride height, for example. So when the bladder is at this "normal" height the cracks are exposed/stressed, and leak. But if you change the ride height to 'aero' or 'offroad' or 'entry/exit', this changes where the rollover is on the bladder and oftentimes puts the cracks back on 'the flat' of the bladder where they manage to seal themselves back up. This is where the "intermittent" thing comes in. The holes/cracks are always there, but they may not actually leak unless they are positioned on this rollover edge. This is why you might park it overnight at "normal" height and find, say, your rear driver's corner an inch or two lower in the morning; but not ALL the air is gone. What happened was the cracks leaked until they were no longer on the rollover edge, then were able to seal up. When you turn the vehicle back on, the ASCM will send air from the reservoir to the leaking bag to replenish the lost air and get back to the commanded height, and then may trigger opening of the supplemental ambient air intake in order to then replenish the reservoir. This introduces moisture which can wreak havoc in freezing temperatures, etc. Now this cycle repeats itself until the cracks become worse, leak more, and eventually start to stress your compressor, etc - blowing the 40A compressor fuse, getting overheating errors and other malfunction lights, and getting all kinds of wonky and inconsistent ride heights from all 4 corners. The malfunction messages/lights and even DTCs will have you pointed in a million wrong directions and you'll find yourself throwing thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary parts at it if you don't simply diagnose and address the leaks first.

I could keep going, but I think this is getting a little long-winded. One last thing I'll mention: Air still moves within the system even if your compressor is shot/fuse is blown, so a leaky *rear* bag can sometimes present itself with a *front* corner (or both) dropping to the bump stops while the rear still appears ok (or sometimes even over-inflated). This is because the valve block is still allowing movement even though the compressor isn't there to help. This will obviously cause issues when the ASCM wants to move air from a component (ie: a bladder) with *less* pressure than its destination (ie: the reservoir), as there's nothing working to overcome the pressure differential (ie: the compressor).

Happy to help further if anyone has questions.

That made for a good reading. Welcome to the forum`s sir.