Front air suspension loosing air
- Thread starter Destroyer
- Start date
whiplash15
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The only fix is to take a spray bottle of soapy water and find the leak, and go from there.
Its a real slow leak, sometimes the car stays up and doesn't go down (like last night), its strange. Isn't there some part like a valve or something that goes bad and I can just replace?.
whiplash15
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Well yes. Sometimes the vent valve in the compressor gets rusty and doesnt seat properly. That might give you the "sometimes" symptoms, in which case the fix is to replace the ari ride compressor.
jamies98lsc
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nick, with that car having no miles its all age, i will put money on it that the top bushings in the front air struts have a split in them causing your leak. open the hood, take the plastic covers off both struts and pour some soapy water on the top of the struts and look for bubbles, in first gens the air bladder is usually the cause for a leak, in gen 2 struts 9 times out of 10 is the huge rubber bushing in the top of the strut housing that splits and leaks, your fix if this is the case is replace them.
Figures, just as I'm fixing to sell the car. Oh well. Noticed you are selling both Marks on Craigslist. I'm selling the wifes and getting her a new or slightly used Mazda 3 or Nissan Versa. Gas mileage has become an issue and a warranty wouldn't hurt either even though until this, the Mark has been very reliable.
I got a warehouse on Ulmerton now, finally found one at a good price and its 2100 sq ft. Doin a little of everything, even bought a car I may part out ('72 Mercedes 450 SL). Where do you send them after you strip 'em?. If you are in the area, stop by. PM for directions man, its near Belcher.
Yeah but what are the odds of both going at the same time?
Ordered the 1.5" drop coil suspension from AMERICAN AIR SUSPENSION. The Mark is now undrivable till the kit comes it. I can hear it leaking out now. Its coming from the passenger side but I dont think its the air shock. I dont really care either. Its probably an easy fix but that air ride suspension sucks anyway and I'm just glad to be replacing it with more conventional/less trouble prone coils. I hate the way the air suspension feels, so this works out. 
jamies98lsc
Registered
the odds are, that both arent going flat, if one air spring leaks in the front, the whole front will fall because the car weighs 8 million pounds, one strut cannot hold the weight of the front end alone so it gives the appearence that both are leaking, if you sat in a chair and watched the car fall you would notice one side goes gown faster then the other side. but, when one is leaking, the other is right behind!
The system in this car has been working perfectly over the last year and a half we have had it. This car only had 16k miles when we got it plus I had a '95 M8 also. Yes it floats over speed bumps and all but it makes the steering feel very vague. Conventional suspension makes it feel more connected to the road IMO.You just haven't felt a good system.
Suspension, tires and what not go away slow. Not a noticeable until they are really sloppy.
All new stuff really tightens it up. I can't believe the way this thing floats over the speed bumps I have to cross now.
Red Box Rebel
Registered
I will vouch for the fact that if one strut is not holding air regardless of whether or not the air blader is leaking or it is the solenoid connection leaking, it will make the entire front end go down.
I just replaced the passenger side strut and solenoid. The entire front end is now back to normal and the entire system works great. One bad strut was causing the entire front end to go down.
I realize that many of you guys and girls either want to replace the air ride with the convetional coil suspension or already have due to the cost of the air ride stuff, but I really believe that the air ride is what the car was designed for and works best.
Yes it can get expensive, but remember you are driving a Lincoln, not a Yugo. It will cost more to drive and maintain a Lincoln, but oh is it worth it! Spend the money and maintain your air ride system in top condition. BTW, Eddie at American Air needs the money.
It is not just the air ride components that must be mantained. You also need to replace worn out upper & lower control arms, inner & outer tie rod ends, bushings, ect. When all of those components are either new or like new, then tell me you prefer the coils to the air ride. I then would love to sell you a used Cougar.
I just replaced the passenger side strut and solenoid. The entire front end is now back to normal and the entire system works great. One bad strut was causing the entire front end to go down.
I realize that many of you guys and girls either want to replace the air ride with the convetional coil suspension or already have due to the cost of the air ride stuff, but I really believe that the air ride is what the car was designed for and works best.
Yes it can get expensive, but remember you are driving a Lincoln, not a Yugo. It will cost more to drive and maintain a Lincoln, but oh is it worth it! Spend the money and maintain your air ride system in top condition. BTW, Eddie at American Air needs the money.
It is not just the air ride components that must be mantained. You also need to replace worn out upper & lower control arms, inner & outer tie rod ends, bushings, ect. When all of those components are either new or like new, then tell me you prefer the coils to the air ride. I then would love to sell you a used Cougar.
jamies98lsc
Registered
well i agree it was meant to have the air ride, but i have owned many mark VIII's and driven hundreds in the last 9 years and none of them could even compare the feeling like my current 93 with all new suspension parts and a lowered 1.5 inch coil kit from eddie, the car does not feel anything like a mark VIII when driving aggressive on the road, its insane how well it handles fast tight corners and doesnt ride stiff in the least bit. i would easily drop in another coil kit in any mark VIII i was to own just for the improved handling. the stock air ride handles like dog crap, take one fast corner and you will lose it and end up pointing in the direction you just came from.
Red Box Rebel
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jamies98lsc
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theres no driver error when comparing how a lowered coil spring kit compares to stock air ride, i dont care if richard petty is driving a mark VIII with air ride, take one fast corner and watch the body roll blow that thing around. the cars ride nice on air ride, they dont handle nice, unless all you do is go straight. nick trust me, with your wide tires and a new lowered stance that car will ride like its on rails. i always believed in leaving the air ride in too, but screw that now, after putting a coil kit in one of my own mark VIII's now, it would be the first thing i do to another one too!
Red Box Rebel
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Hey if you want your Mark VIII to be a street legal race car have at it. The handling of my Mark VIIIs is just fine the way they came from the factory. I like riding on air, but that is why God invented chocolate and vanilla.
jamies98lsc
Registered
have you ever driven a mark VIII with all new suspension components with a lowered 1.5 coil spring kit, until you do, you'll never be able to compare, just hearing coil vrs air ride is no way to compare. i agree the air ride does ride nice, in a straight line.
Red Box Rebel
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As I said, I like riding on air. I have nothing against anyone that wants to convert to coils. When I want to drive a race car I get out my '68 GTO.
jamies98lsc
Registered
putting coil springs into a mark VIII doesnt declare it a race car lol. you like riding on air fine, until the day you go outside and see the car belly down on the ground and have to pay for the air ride.