1995 Lincoln Mark VIII Air ride system diagnostic

STEELERSFAN_64

MEMBER
1995 LINCOLN MARK VIII

1995 Lincoln Mark VIII

I recently was given a Lincoln Mark VIII for free because the air ride system was acting up and she parked it for 4 months. Now after jumping the dead battery the pump would engage and sound like it was working, but would not inflate the air bags. I got the car home driving it on the ground basically and the system did not kick on even then while driving. Jacked up the car to check the bags, they seem fine with having what seems a little bit of air in them and in good condition, one seemed very pumped up and hard. Lower the car and its back on the ground. The compressor still kicks in for about 30 sec at a time then shuts off and warning signal from the console. The problem is none of the bags will inflate at all but the compressor sounds like it is working and no air leaks are apparent. Could this be a relay? Or any suggestions before I convert this over to shocks?

1 Reply

BLUECOLLAR

MEMBER
86 POSTS

Wow, this is a broad subject. If the compressor is running, the relay is not the culprit. The only way to know for sure is to put a gauge on the compressor to see if its putting out a minimum of 120 psi. If the compressor produces enough pressure, leaks in the air strut(s) maybe leaking out more air than that little air compressor can make up for.