Air Suspension Went Out

[DRTYFN]

Yesterday I noticed a slight list to the left(as seen from behind). I got in and started the engine and hit the ride height button and up we went. I drove home (2 miles), and parked in the driveway. I got out my creeper and flashlight and slid under the beast to see if I could find anything. Nothing. I decided to take her to the dealer first thing in the morning. The light next to the ride height button kept flashing for the entire 17 mile drive. Very disturbing. I don't like flashing lights in vehicles- it usually means bad things. When I got there she was squatting down on her left haunch. Diagnosis- Bad sensor. But they have to replace both of the sensors. I heard from the technician that another customer had driven back from Seattle(about 200 miles) and destroyed his transfer case. The dealership gave me a little Sable as a loaner. I think I'll go play Days Of Thunder to ease my separation anxiety.

[DRTYFN]

Yesterday I noticed a slight list to the left(as seen from behind). I got in and started the engine and hit the ride height button and up we went. I drove home (2 miles), and parked in the driveway. I got out my creeper and flashlight and slid under the beast to see if I could find anything. Nothing. I decided to take her to the dealer first thing in the morning. The light next to the ride height button kept flashing for the entire 17 mile drive. Very disturbing. I don't like flashing lights in vehicles- it usually means bad things. When I got there she was squatting down on her left haunch. Diagnosis- Bad sensor. But they have to replace both of the sensors. I heard from the technician that another customer had driven back from Seattle(about 200 miles) and destroyed his transfer case. The dealership gave me a little Sable as a loaner. I think I'll go play Days Of Thunder to ease my separation anxiety.

[H2Jim]

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. It sure seems like there is a lot to go wrong with the air suspension. THe H2 I got was ordered by someone else who's financing fell through. It is the color I wanted (white) and has all the options I wanted, and doesn't have the ones I didn't (3rd seat and sunroof), but it has the air suspension.

I thought from the get-go that there must be a lot to go wrong with the system. Then I read here a month or so ago that a guy punctured one of the bags while off-roading. The transfer case story you just told us does not sit too well, either.

Oh well, I'll just knock on wood (not my head) and hope for the best. I'm sorry to hear you had a problem, but it sounds like your dealer is taking good care of you.

[TonkaH2]

By leaving it in 4-lo? It has happened to lots of newbies.

I hope you're not saying it was because he had a problem with the air-bags. . .

-Jack
Yellow H2 adv. on order
"I think I can make it. D'OH!"
www.sunspotnatural.com

[alpha]

I just ran mine to CO Springs from Newport Beach CA, and got a service Suspension light in Aspen Vail area at top of pass. Turns out (as the CO Springs dealer said) the truck never had a high altitude software update and should have. They figure the low density air caused a sensor to over work and blow out (we were at 12.5K feet at one point) they replaced the sensor and did the update and no problems since.

[DRTYFN]

The tech said it was from driving with the suspension at such a low level that it changed the geometry of the suspension and put too much stress on the transfer case for too long of a time.

"I smell varmint poontang."

[Hummie2]

We saw this H2 with a bad suspension sensor in shop in Houston while picking up our new H2 on 12/30/02.

[This message was edited by Hummie2 on December 31, 2002 at 10:31 PM.]

[Texas Red]

So, you're saying it's all traced to a bad suspension sensor. Right?

My rig certainly doesn't sag in back like that picture. I think the rear of mine is just slightly higher than the front. Going into the garage my front roof lights cleared but my back roof lights clipped the edge of the garage door.

Jim
Red H2 in Texas

[Hummie2]

Red...

When I saw the vehicle sitting there I asked if it had blown the air bag. The salesman said "no the sensor was bad and they were waiting on parts". I didn't get a chance to get too close to the H2 too see if the ride sensor was still mounted of if they had removed it already. If the sensor had failed in the position that lets air out of the bag the bag would deflate and cause the rear of rig to squat down. There are many more H2s with air than without. A few failures are to be expected and the air does have an advantage off road due to its height adjust feature. A lowering feature might also be nice for times like you mentioned going into your garage.

Don

[Glenn]

One of my buddies had the sensors fail driving home from houston. The hummer rear end dropped, like the one in that picture. He called the dealer, they told him to drive it home. He did, they replaced the sensors. Terre was no damage from driving from Austin to Fort worth.

I am planning a fly fishing and 4x4 trip to Colorado this summer. Is there anyway to know if the sensor software is updated on my hummer, other than asking the dealer?

[MAC]

My air suspension is fine, but at 6000-7000 feet when I cold started the Hummer, "SERVICE AIR SUSPENSION" warning came on and stayed on. Once I stopped at some place, restarted, the warning did not come on. This happened several times. I am at 7,000 miles, 4000 miles since last oil change, I will take the Hummer in for oil change and have them update the software or chips. Thanks to the info on this subject here and in previous posts, I did not panic, otherwise I could've freak out, get out to check air suspension or cut short the ski trip to rush home.

[BKLYNH2]

Add me to the list of air suspension failures. I noticed the drivers' side(rear) was a little low for a few days ago last week. Then as we were driving to VT this weekend the service air suspension warning went off. I pulled over, shut off and restarted the engine, as per owners manual, but the warning came back on. Just to see what would happpen, I pressed the height control button. The air system kicked in and even corrected the leftward sag, but it never completed its cycle and the light continued to flash and suspension came back down. Left side was low and right side slightly lower than usual.
Anyway I rationalized that the body was not resting on the tire and the air cushion was not the only element of the suspension system so why not go skiing. It's not like I was going offroading. I probably drove about 400 miles on it and do not feel any other elements were damaged by what I did. Do to the super snowstorm I also had to lock the transfer case a couple times to get through the deep stuff. Overal the ride without the air suspension was bouncier.
I got it to the shop yesterday, I hope it won't take to long to get back. I really can't understand how this could make a tranfer case go unles the body sank right down onto the tire.
Peter

[rhonda-m]

My air compressor runs randomly. There are no check lights on, but the compressor comes on when I put it in reverse and it comes on a various times when I am moving and even when stopped. The dealership replaced the sensor but that did not solve the problem. Any ideas?

[H2 Bill]

rhonda-m, It's just keeping your H2 level. That is normal.

2003 H2 Hummer, Yellow,Polished Whipple Supercharged, Edelbrock ceramics, catback,18" Ambush w/mudders,lots of goodies!
Y2K Corvette Millennium Yellow Convert/Blk/Blk, B&B headers, B&B Tri-Flo's, H-Tech MAG,GMS MAF, RM Racing TwinFlow.
1994 Chev 454 Suburban, Blown, Doug Thorley
1970 Trans Am, balanced, blue printed, Hooker ceramics

www.4swimwear.com

[PARAGON]

Rhonda

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rhonda-m:
My air compressor runs randomly......Any ideas?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mine was doing the same thing. I could having sitting still in the driveway on level ground and stand outside for 10-15 minutes and every minute or so the compressor would kick on, stop, and then you would hear it deflate. I didn't take it in for a while and when I finally did, the service guy said there was a programming update for the air suspensions. I also told them that my battery mysteriously ran down overnight in my garage and I didn't know why. He said that they have had a couple of rigs come in where the compressor would turn on and off all night even though key was out of the ignition and it was all locked up. It would keep doing it until there was no more juice left in the battery.

After they "re-programmed", it works just like it is supposed to. This is what my invoice said:
Found Code C0711 Found update for prevent excessive leveling
Reprogrammed ASM Old CAL #15167825 New Cal@ 15205560

[KIDZBOX]

Stupid newbie question but I'm assuming from this thread that it's normal for the compressor to go on and off when I'm driving - just keeping it level right?

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KIDZBOX:
Stupid newbie question but I'm assuming from this thread that it's normal for the compressor to go on and off when I'm driving - just keeping it level right? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Right

[max]

Another "service air suspention" victim. Mine sagged heavily on the left rear. The raise height control did not work and the rear compressor button failed to start the pump.No lights and no noise. I checked the fuse and it was fine. Called the dealer on a Friday (I was out of town) and he stated that it was OK to drive. Brought it in on the Monday for a new sensor and everything was back to normal.

[chris millar]

I had an issue where my pump was going on and off (with the key out of the ignition) and then my airbag popped.

My Dealer is trying to make me flip the bill because there is aftermarket suspension, yet this is professionally installed and didn't affect the airbags or the sensor.

Has anyone else out there had trouble with dealers not covering air suspension problems?

I have a 2005 with 14K miles, and my dealership are saying they don't know what the problem is....

The truck has had the suspension for a year without issue, and now in 1 month it has had the "Service air suspension" light come on, and then the right rear air bag has popped. So, I've gone through two air bags and my dealership doesn't know why this has happened.

Any help? Anyone else had airbags blowing up on them?

[Fastest H-Town Realtor]

Bummer DRTY-Want to borrow a spare Nitrous tank for the D-O-T re-enactment?