Who should I take my 2017 to for a rear air suspension issue? I can’t put it off any longer. Raises and lowers on its own, makes a lot of noise like it’s working too hard, and gave me an error message while towing the other day. Should I go to Dodge/Ram? Mechanic? Who would know best and fix it and still be easy on my wallet if at all possible?
gpearson26
Replace the system with conventional coil.
FCC/FCA should be doing a recall on this defective system, but they will not.
If you live in a cold climate, this failure will happen when it gets good and cold out. Mine would collapse on the front stops if it was colder then -15C overnight. Twice the "repairs" were made under warranty and the third was made as a good will gesture by the dealership. There never less then 4 trucks on the dealership lot with collapsed air suspension when I would bring my vehicle in.
If it is cold related, all the dealership does is check the system for leaks, purge, refill, and reset. This will resolve the situation temporarily but is not a solution.
The solution (if it is cold weather related) is to swap out the air suspension and replace it with a conventional coil system. If you can turn a wrench, it is something you can do yourself. There are several forum posts on this site that can help with a parts list and how to's. There are also videos on youtube that show how to do the conversion. I paid about $2000 CDN for the parts and did the work myself. As a good measure, I would suggest an alignment when you are done.
However, unless you can have your computer flashed, you will have a brief error message indicating your suspension requires servicing. This will happen on every start up (unless you remove the air suspension from your truck's computer.)
This problem and the "hemi-tick" have made me re-think my commitment to Ram. Both of these problems are easily remedied by FCA/FCC. They are unwillingly to correct these two problems that can cost their customers thousands of dollars to repair.
FCC/FCA should be doing a recall on this defective system, but they will not.
If you live in a cold climate, this failure will happen when it gets good and cold out. Mine would collapse on the front stops if it was colder then -15C overnight. Twice the "repairs" were made under warranty and the third was made as a good will gesture by the dealership. There never less then 4 trucks on the dealership lot with collapsed air suspension when I would bring my vehicle in.
If it is cold related, all the dealership does is check the system for leaks, purge, refill, and reset. This will resolve the situation temporarily but is not a solution.
The solution (if it is cold weather related) is to swap out the air suspension and replace it with a conventional coil system. If you can turn a wrench, it is something you can do yourself. There are several forum posts on this site that can help with a parts list and how to's. There are also videos on youtube that show how to do the conversion. I paid about $2000 CDN for the parts and did the work myself. As a good measure, I would suggest an alignment when you are done.
However, unless you can have your computer flashed, you will have a brief error message indicating your suspension requires servicing. This will happen on every start up (unless you remove the air suspension from your truck's computer.)
This problem and the "hemi-tick" have made me re-think my commitment to Ram. Both of these problems are easily remedied by FCA/FCC. They are unwillingly to correct these two problems that can cost their customers thousands of dollars to repair.
There is an option to get you by.
One time, I brought my truck to a heated garage and left it there for about 10 hours. The system reset itself and the truck returned to normal height.
I then, pulled the fuses for the compressor and height modulator motor. This left my truck at the standard height, even during cold weather. A temporary fix until I was able to replace the system with conventional coil.
Its not a perfect solution, but it will get you through.
One time, I brought my truck to a heated garage and left it there for about 10 hours. The system reset itself and the truck returned to normal height.
I then, pulled the fuses for the compressor and height modulator motor. This left my truck at the standard height, even during cold weather. A temporary fix until I was able to replace the system with conventional coil.
Its not a perfect solution, but it will get you through.
stevefo,
That’s a very well written set of post and probably the best explanation and advice I’ve read on this site for this issue
my plan in the future is to go through these guys…
airdelete.com
They even provide a programmer you can “rent” to flash your PCM so you don’t get the air suspension error
That’s a very well written set of post and probably the best explanation and advice I’ve read on this site for this issue
my plan in the future is to go through these guys…
Ram 1500 4th Gen (2013 - 2018 & 2019+ Classic)
North America's Premier Supplier of Air Suspension Removal Kits for Ram 150, Ram 2500, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
airdelete.com
They even provide a programmer you can “rent” to flash your PCM so you don’t get the air suspension error
Yeah you’d think they’d want to help out their loyal customers, but sadly what corporations really does that LOL
I did like the fact that the air suspension was an optionon the 2019+ Rebels, but I have a 2018 and I really like the styling of my 2018…
I do truly enjoy the air suspension while it works correctly, especially when hooking up my trailer. It the few times it hasnt that really gets me fired up. So when I can get the funds in the future AirDelete is the route I’m going, plus they also provide kits with lifts on top of the air delete
I know a couple of members here have gone the same route
I did like the fact that the air suspension was an optionon the 2019+ Rebels, but I have a 2018 and I really like the styling of my 2018…
I do truly enjoy the air suspension while it works correctly, especially when hooking up my trailer. It the few times it hasnt that really gets me fired up. So when I can get the funds in the future AirDelete is the route I’m going, plus they also provide kits with lifts on top of the air delete
I know a couple of members here have gone the same route
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