Self levelling help

[bigdaveakers]

It no worky

So I have been out with the spanners this morning and don some testing. I have attached a diagram to help explain what I have done and hopefully someone will be able to help.

Now I have had the compressor out and tested it on the bench, it works but I have never heard it run on the car. I loosened the linkage on the height sensor and manually moved it up and down, this resulted in the solenoid clicking so that works. I have opened and closed all doors in all combinations and still nothing from the compressor, tried to reset the system by simulating jacking the car up (manually moving the sensor) and still nothing.

So can anyone tell me what the cylindrical dvice next to the compressor is and what the electrical connections to it do?

Also does anyone know where the fuse is for the compressor? It seems that I am getting no power to it and thought it may be an easy thing to eliminate but short of pulling all the fuses I dont know which one it is- The system is expecting to work as evidenced by the warning light coming on after 10-15 mins of driving.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated, along with any bits of the system I am missing (is there a control module?). At the end of the day I dont really need to levelling system but it would be nice to get it working!

Cheers in advance!

 

[Howard]

According to my handbook there are both fuses and a relay.
In the main fuse box (under the hood)
8 Yellow 20 amp Self leveling switch
9 Orange 40 amp Self leveling relay

In the Aux box (drivers dorr)
10 Brown 7,5 amp load leveling and indicators

Naturally they don't say where the relay is sorry.

 

[bigdaveakers]

Cheers I wll go take a look.

Found out that the canister next to the compressor is a dryer to remove moisture from the air........still dont know what the 8V electrical connection is for though!

I will fix this!

 

[blueka]

can you post up a pic of the rear levelling sensor?

I don't know where it is

Si

 

[bigdaveakers]

The sensor is located on the drivers side (uk!) between the diff and the roadwheel and is mounted vertically behind the rear axle. I will post a pic when I am next under there as the fuses were not the problem

 

[DaveFuk]

I had the same problem, and found the following,

fuses were ok and no voltage to the compressor?
Seem’s that the voltage is only supplied on an as and when needed basis ie if the thing is supposed to run then power on.

The Dryer needs volts for the electric elements inside to got hot also seems to be a link between the pump and dryer so if dryer not hot then pump not supplied with electric.

Question.
you say that the light comes on the dash after driving short distance or time period?

if so then the control module is working (located behind the dash in the hole behind the stereo) second one back on needs 5 volt so I’ve been told).

I tested every component and found no problem even removed the pump and to bench test it but for me the fix was in the air dryer, seems to be if not hot then pump not told to start. So I replaced the complete unit works fine now.
Also found out since that the UK air ride was made simple ie
one height gauge
one pump and dryer unit
one control module which I think just acts as a control unit to start and stop the dryer and pump assembly (not complicated like the usa version) that’s it
My Best guess would be to change the pump and dryer with a known working unit and this will probably work.

 

[bigdaveakers]

Thanks for that. I will have a look at the module tomorrow and see if I can force the compressor to start

 

[CDW6212R]

The dryer can be replaced with a new part, I paid about $40 to a company which services other vehicle models. I bought a unit which required plugs for the extra outlets, it works fine.

To force the 99-01 system to work, open the rear hatch, a door should work, turn the key on, shut all doors and stand on the rear bumper. That weight should be enough to cause the ARC to attempt to function in 30-60 seconds.
Listen carefully for at least a clicking noise. With no extra weight I had just a simple click after 30 seconds or so, and sometimes more clicking shortly after.

I started with nothing, I added every component into my 99 project truck. I thought that it was doing nothing, that the clicking was some kind of malfunction. By standing on the rear bumper I added just enough weight to make the height sensor trigger the ARC.

After I knew that it could work, I spent a lot of time altering my height sensor adjustment. I had installed 1" lowering blocks, so my height sensor needed an adjustment. I ended up elongating the holes in the frame where the height sensor mounts at the top.

You shouldn't need that kind of alteration, but the height sensor could be part of your issue. Try the extra weight added first to see if it will make any noises. Good luck,

 

[bigdaveakers]

I have had the clicking which is the solenoid valve operating......it just has no air to control!

Keep the suggestions coming they are all very helpful!

 

[bigdaveakers]

Been out this morning swapping the cloth for cow but that is another story altogether! Took the radio out and found the control module, fiddled about trying to get the connectors off and the compressor burst in to life. For now I have reassembled everything and will see what happens!

Can anybody tell me the exact procedure for resetting the suspension, I have read a few other posts and have been left confused

 

[CDW6212R]

I hope you found a simple answer, a loose connection. I installed my ARC parts/system over many months. When I got most of my 99 truck back together and switched the ARC on for the first time, nothing happened. I turned it off and continued getting everything else buttoned up.

When I first started double checking my truck, I found nothing off besides three missing dash fuses. I noticed the first clicking noise after turning the key on off, with the ARC switch on and doors open, then closed, after 30-45 seconds. My truck was within the goal height of the ARC, so the air did not change(in/out).

I first found evidence that it functioned when I disconnected the height sensor from its mount and moved it in either direction.

Open the doors, turn the key on, then off, and shut all doors. Stand on the rear bumper for close to a minute. The compressor should come on and raise the height. Then get off of the bumper and see if the truck lets air out to lower it back down. Regards,

 

[bigdaveakers]

Can you alter the goal height at all though?

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, I made the upper height sensor bolt holes longer. I drilled holes above the OEM two, and ground out the gap between them. That makes a range which is lowered in height compared to stock.

I have 1" lowering blocks and am planning to buy Steeda 1.5" blocks to replace these. Adjusting the height is very tricky, because of the very reason for this thread. It is hard to make the ARC system do something. It took me a little while to learn the few steps I posted above.

I had to make the adjustments in steps(guesses). I set the sensor in the slots(snug), raised the truck slightly(1-2 inches), key on doors open, close doors, wait. That makes it let air out(lowers it). Then I let the jack down to allow the truck to settle, then I activated the ARC again(as above), to achieve the new goal height.

If that height wasn't right(I began by measuring fender heights before any work), then I went through the adjustment process again with a new sensor height mounting location. I ended up with my 99 truck about 7/8" lower than stock in the rear.

 

[bigdaveakers]

OK, will try that - I thought I had tried it yesterday but I think I may have done things in the wrong order!!!

I will try your last method

1. Lift truck up on jack slightly
2. Open Drivers door
3. Get in
4. Close Drivers door
5. Turn key on
6. Wait 2-3 minutes (to be sure!)
7. Turn key off
8. Open Drivers door
9. Get out
10. Close Drivers door
11. Wait 2-3 minutes (to be sure!)
12. Lower truck to ground
13. Repeat steps 2-11

 

[CDW6212R]

Dave, the last post I made was about changing the actual ARC ride height of the truck. I hope that didn't confuse you.

To make your truck do something, assuming that it will, do this. Open the rear hatch, turn on the ignition and get out, close the door(all), shut the rear hatch, and stand on the rear bumper. With the ignition turned on, the ARC should test and correct the rear height after 30-45 seconds(doors shut). The added weight of standing on the rear bumper should be enough to make the ARC add some air with the compressor. If that doesn't work then I'd be wondering about components of the system.

 

[Ian5700]

Don,

You seem to know the the ins and outs of the self leveling system. I was wondering if you would know the answer to this question. If i adjust the height of the front up (through the torsion twist bolts), will the rear then pump itself up, thus making the vehicle level again, but just 1 or 1.5 inchs higher? What gets me thinking that it might, is that if i park on a upward sloping driveway and idle the rear starts to pump itself up, now by upward sloping i mean a resonable height, more than one is going to get by lifting the front 1 or 1.5 inchs.

 

[CDW6212R]

On a slope like that you have some weight being shifted from the front to the back, making the back slightly lower. The ARC is just correcting the height, as soon as you get back to level ground the truck likely lets out some air to make up for it.

I hear my compressor run very very rarely when I'm at work. It runs every day when I go on my mail route, after I have loaded 200+ pounds in the back. But I hardly ever hear it during the three hours of my route. The truck is losing weight, and I never hear the air let out at any time. Usually being on some kind of slope is all that will make it run without adding a load.

Ian are you dealing with a 95-98 model, the four shock ARC system? If so you have the front to deal with also, regarding changing ride height. Don't raise the truck with the torsion bars without in some manner altering the ARC front height sensor.

You don't want the shocks to operate with no air in them. If you raise the truck, the ARC will let all of the air out, trying to lower it to it's set height. I could have done my rear that way, but I would have no air in my shocks, and they wouldn't work as intended or last as long.

You want the ARC to control the heights so that there is a proper range of air pressure for the shocks. You could do the same thing for the fronts, but you need to begin with measurements of current fender heights. I haven't looked at a front height sensor to see how it could be changed. Basically what you want is to alter the mounting location so that it is longer or shorter, depending on what level you want.

If you adjust the front ride height in any way, you need a front end alignment for the suspension, the tire wear is affected by any change.
So plan on an alignment before you make any ride height change.

Here's my thoughts about it, this is what I would likely do for the ARC front. Measure the fenders to ground first(leave the difference intact, they will be different). Do what is necessary to the front height sensor to make the ARC raise the truck to your desired level. Lock that height sensor securely in place, and measure those fender heights next. These second measurements will be your goal height numbers(baseline).

Okay, here's the tricky part. You want to remove all of the extra air just added to attain that height, and use the torsion bar adjustments to regain that height. The result will be that a certain amount of air will be in the shocks, just like when it was stock. You don't want to run around with that much air pressure in the shocks constantly. The idea is to use the torsion bar adjusters to raise the truck, and let the ARC system release air to reset the height where you had it.

To raise the Explorer with the torsion bar adjuster bolts, the truck should be lifted most of the way off of the tires. Turn off the ARC with the switch in the tire jack pocket. Raise the front till the tires are almost off the ground, and then crank the bolts in a good amount, equally, like 1/2". I don't know the magic amount, you need to try something and test it. Set the truck off of the jack and roll the truck a few feet back and forth if you can. Friction from the tires(narrower when they touched the ground) will keep some excess height in the truck until driven. You just want a rough estimate to start with.

Check the fender heights and see if you gained anywhere near the difference between the first two measurements that you made. What you are shooting for is something near that difference in change. If you added 1.5" to the height(comparing the first two measurements), then you want it close to being 1.5" above the second measurement(baseline). When you have it roughly close, do not make it exact, just in the ballpark to start with, then turn on the ARC and take a very short test drive.

The ARC will let out air and settle to at least the second fender height measured. If it happens to be higher than that, then you have the bolts(torsion bar adjustment) in too far. What you want is to adjust the bolts until the height is slightly above your baseline, and then loosen those adjuster bolts about 1-2 turns. That process should take a good while, it takes time to adjust the bolts once. Take your time because what you are doing is adjusting the amount of air pressure that the front shocks will have in them under normal conditions.

Adjust those bolts and check fender heights until you are comfortable that the torsion bars are set just under the ARC height baseline(knowing where they need to be to match the baseline height, loosen the bolts equally about 1-2 turns). You want to know that the height of the truck is mechanically below the baseline, so that the ARC is adding some air to achieve that baseline.

All of this should be done on a level surface, and lstly you want the suspension level left/right. Look at and measure the heights of the front lower control arm bolts, to the ground. They are inboard from the ends of the torsion bars, large heads on them, and usually less than 12 inches off of the ground. Those need to be the same, identify which one is lower. Then turn the torsion bar adjuster bolt on that side to make those control arm bolts level.

When you get there I hope that you are happy with it because that was a lot of work to do. Just an idea, good luck.

 

[Ian5700]

It's a UK model (97), so it only has the self leveling suspension (ARC) on the rear, it just has normal shocks on the front. My thinking was that i could adjust the front and the rear would adjust itself by pumping it up. By adjusting the front there should be some weight shift to the rear like on a slope? So it sounds like it Might work, maybe? If it did work, what would happen when the rear was fully loaded, because the rear shocks are assuming that there is some weight in the back all the time, so when the rear is fully loaded, the rear shocks will not be able to keep the rear level as they have run out of travel?

 

[CDW6212R]

Well skip all of that difficulty for a US 95-98 model, good. You can adjust the front as you like, but remember to do an alignment with each change in height.

The rear will not be affected on level ground, and the slight amount that you notice on slopes will be insignificant. If you really want a noticeable change in height, you will need to do basically what I did, except with some kind of lift parts. You shouldn't be after some massive change that would put the shocks near either end of their range, like a 4" change. The same goes for the fronts if you had 4WD/AWD, the front axles can't be pushed far from level(ride height).

Search around here and see if you can gain the lift height you want with a simple kit like the blocks which are made to lower. I am not familiar with the lift kits. First you need to be able to mechanically lift it, then adjust the ARC to work with the new height(proper air in shocks). Good luck,

 

[Ian5700]

Don,

Thanks for all of your help answering my question. I now understand that if the front is raised the rear will not raise itself to level off the truck. I wonder if it is worth adjusting the front, considering the rear will be left at stock height, i suppose it gives the front higher clearance when climbing etc. Would you be able to notice looking side on at the truck (lifted 1.5 inch at front) that the front was higher than the rear?