March 12, 2013 - If your vehicle suddenly starts riding harder than it used to, you might have a suspension compressor problem. If the bumps and knocks on the road seem to be causing more bumps and bruises, you might have a suspension compressor problem. Maybe you hear the pump kicking in and running all the time; maybe you have a spewing leak? You might have a suspension compressor problem. I could go on and on but I’d rather this not sound like a Jeff Foxworthy routine.
Regardless of what type of vehicle you have, if it is equipped with any type of air suspension such as bags, bladders, struts, springs, etc. there is always the risk that the compressor can go bad. If it happens to you, you will probably be able to figure it out without enormous difficulty. Since the purpose of the system is to assure a nice, smooth ride, you might really begin to notice it when something goes wrong with your air suspension.
One thing is for sure, if you are used to your air suspension system, you are going to want to get it fixed. Maybe you have customized your vehicle and “jacked” it up with air suspension. If that were to go bad, you might find it on the ground. That would definitely be unfortunate.
So how do you fix such a system? Of course, it depends on what goes bad. If it’s the compressor, you can replace it. It could be a fitting, a bad line, a leaky bag or bladder, etc. The biggest reason the compressor usually fails is a leaky line, spring, strut, or valve. The leak overworks the compressor and it eventually burns up.
For your own safety sake and to save yourself losing cash in the long run, you may need to have your friendly neighborhood mechanic take a look. Whatever you do, just be careful and be wise. Don’t risk your safety or your checkbook (okay even that is becoming an old fashioned term). Maybe, it’s time to say don’t risk your bank account since checkbooks are going out of style as well.
