Check Susp. Indicator - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

albl · 01-26-2003, 22:38

Hi All,

I have driven my EAII Fairmont Gia for the first time today - bloody excited :).

However I noticed the 'Check Suspension' indicator comes on shortly after driving. I had the car checked for the roadworthy certificate, but I don't believe they did everything. So I'm taking her for a service shortly.

What could be the reason for the indicator turning on (self leveling rear suspension system malfunction) and what is the best way to approach the problem?

Thanks in advance,

Cheers,
Alex

P.S the pictures of the car are at:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/alex/

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LTDHO · 01-27-2003, 03:15

I have the exact same thing in the LTD, it means the suspension is too low (or high) and when the compressor kicks in it will run until the car is at the correct height, unless you have a leak in the rear shocks or lines and then the compressor will time out and the light will come on, also alarm should sound.

My car has been lowered to much, I removed the relay that controls the compressor to stop it running. The alarm/light still go off. This will only happen until I set the height adjustor.

The height adjustor is connected to a switch above ya diff.....

Bass Crazy · 01-27-2003, 18:00

I took the fuse out of mine and put in standard shocks, no problems there.

harasn · 01-27-2003, 18:32

It is usually very expensive to repair the air suspension on the rear of those cars. The o rings on the compressor for the system leak and its about $600 to replace. The height switch is about $150 and the rear shockers are the same. Bloody expensive! Best to replace the rear shockers and springs with after market ones! Easy to do so just buy the bits and do it your self. Just for a bit of fun take out the shockers and leave the springs in. And then bounce the car. The rear wheels almost come off the ground!!! A good reason not to replace the shockers and leave the springs as with the air suspension the shockers act as part of the spring so without replacing the springs the ride would be bad!

albl · 01-27-2003, 19:50

Thanks guys, the information is very helpful.

Which after market shockers and springs would be the best choice?

Cheers,
Alex

SilverEA · 01-27-2003, 20:12

When I bought my EA Ghia, I was constantly getting the check susp light coming on. I got very annoyed with it so i decided to check it out. The original air shocks had been replaced with aftermarket jobs. The compressor still cut in and out though, so i decided to look further. The link bars to the module that sits above the diff had been removed and the one attached to the unit was tied up with tie wire! I diconected the plug to this unit and the light has never come on since. I also removed the fuse, air lines and compressor after this. I am now looking at getting my car lowered a bit so it sits level and the wheel arches are a bit lower to the top of the wheels than they are!

Aussiblue · 01-28-2003, 09:26

On both my Fairlanes this was caused by a leak in the rear RH shock (in the middle where the rubber collar is) brought on by a leaking rear muffer (heat on rubber). A set of replacement air adjustable shocks made by Monroe (who supplied the original) was an, easy, cheap and long lasting fix).

Spray the rubber part of the shocks and the nylon airline under the rear seat with a strong detergent mix and look for bubbles. Also do a self test - with the ignition on flip the drivers door pillar switch three times within 1 second (or open and close the door 3 times) and the system will pump up the shocks and then expel the air; takes a few minutes; then it will flash that warning light a number of times. Post the number here and I tell you what the fault code means.

Also drill a downward facing 2 t0 3 mm hole in the lowest part of the rear muffler (just near the rear RH wheel) and spray with cold galvanising spray. This will allow the cup or so of condensationn to drain off each day rather than rusting the muffler out every 18 months (its a long pipe and the rear rarely gets hot enough to evaporate this off). My 89 NB suspension is still working fine (as is the 93 NC's).

albl · 01-28-2003, 15:34

Aussiblue,

Thanks a lot for the post. This is my first car ever and I'd love to run in a close to perfect condition.

Unfortunately I don't have a garage (yet) therefore cannot try the spraying until I get her to the mechanic. Also my knowledge about cars is very minimal but I'd like to see this changed :) - thanks guys for all your replies, fordforums is an invaluable source of experience.

I tried the self test and the "Check Susp" light flashed once and sound beeped 3 times in less than a minute after flipping the switch.

Cheers,
Alex

Aussiblue · 01-29-2003, 00:07

Three flashes means a height sensor fault. Could be missing or dislodged link between diff and module but more likely just a loose or dirty connection where the wiring harness plugs in just above the diff - unplug it spray WD40 or better a contact cleaner lubricant into it and plug it together again.

albl · 01-29-2003, 00:13

Thanks Blue,

There was just one flash and three short sound beeps.

Cheers,
Alex