The SLS on the D2 has developed a drooping problem over the last month. The rear will drop only when the car is not running, and usually does so in a matter of seconds as soon as you shut the car off (as opposed to a slow leak off). When it began, it only did so when parked on uneven terrain. Now it does it even if parked on perfectly level ground. It is intermittent, and while both sides drop, the driver's side sags further than the passenger side...unsure if the passenger side drops to compensate for the driver's side, if both sides have leaks in the bags themselves, if it is a sensor issue, or some sort of pressure release valve dysfunction.

I am ignorant as to the inner workings of this system, so if someone could at least provide some insight as to where to start troubleshooting, it would be appreciated. I will try to do some reading in the RAVE as well to better educate myself.

 

So, have you checked the bags for a leak, have you listened to see where you hear the air leaking from, the air bags or from under the drivers seat at the frame?

 

It's my girlfriend's ride, so I'm not around it for most of it's misbehavior. I have had it over the weekend while she was out of town, and it has yet to pull its shrinking act while I've had it. I'll see if it will do it today. Is it at all normal for an air bag to leak intermittently? And according to her, when it does leak off, it does it very quickly right after shutting the car off. I wouldn't think a bag would only leak on occasion and then all of a sudden dump out in a few seconds, but who knows. Again, it maintains height while being driven.

I'll try to get some better info today...feel free to guess in the meantime! Thanks everyone.

 

Take a spray bottle and fill it with soapy water, start the truck, close the doors, spray the air bags with the water and look for bubbles.
If there is a leak it will leak all the time and the compressor will put out enough air to keep it up, for now.
It will burn up the $700 air compressor.
Once you find the leak you have a couple of options, replace the air bags with a spring kit or replace the leaking parts.
If you are not going to marry this woman go cheap and only fix the bare min, if you are going to marry her put in a spring kit so you dont have to fix it again in 6-9 months.

 

Just went out to run some errands in the LR (and to get the SES light scanned)...made several stops and it never deflated. I had planned on soakin the bags with soapy water, but when they're not deflating with the vehicle shut off, it doesn't sound too promising...especially in 35 degree weather. Regardless, I will take your advice and see if I find anything...soapy water is cheap.

If I planned on marrying this girl, I would talk her in to driving that ticking time bomb to the bottom of a lake...she's not far from doing it now, and we haven't even gotten around to blowing head gaskets or the 3 amigos yet.

 

Maybe now would be a good time to talk her into trading it in?

 

Yeah, that's been the discussion the last month or so. Unfortunately, I doubt it happens until tax season. I am happy to do any of the repairs on it, but the potential for repairs that will put it out of commission for several days in a row seems rediculous. I know this can happen with any vehicle, but very few are you essentially assured you are going to blow a head gasket by 100k miles (she's at 93k now and has yet to burn one up).

Rant complete...back on track. Sure enough, after she picked up her truck this evening and parked it in her garage, the truck did it's magic trick (it was better behaved for me). She reports it sounds like it is leaking off by the driver side rear tire (not up by the compressor). Furthermore, she said that the drivers side drops very quickly, and then the passenger side settles slowly. Is this a function of the system trying to level out, or does the passenger side just have a slower leak?

I am open to suggestions for a fix on this. What is the best bang for your buck spring swap set-up? What would the compressor be valued at if I were to make the swap (how much money could I recover selling off parts)? Thanks again for the input.

 

where are you located? i'll buy it cash.

 

Kansas City. I have to weigh the options on fixing this, but I'll let you know if we swap it over. The swap to coils looks pretty easy up until tuning the ECU to a coil spring set-up...not sure where I would get the tool necessary to do that.

 

Mine has been doing the same thing lately. My bags are tight and so are all air connections. I tested the compressor and workie good. I pulled off the cannon plugs on the height sensors, and they were corroded beyond belief. I cleaned them up and the problem is less frequent now. I plan on replacing the sensors ($62 each, AB) but then RAVE says to calibrate the height with TESTBOOK!!! I haven't got one of them, and dealer will steal my lunch money. I would check yours for corrosion, could be the way to go. Anyone out there know how to calibrate without testbook?