POS Air Ride Suspension

The diagram just doesn’t show it.

corneileous said:

According to Mopar Parts Giant it’s part #4 that just looks like a pice of tubing. Where’s the filter or is that diagram even right?

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Sorry, wrong part number. Parts diagrams can be useless at times. Should be 68302326AA.

Elvira said:

Do you or are you able to drain system regularly, condensation will form and freeze valves in cold weather, possible reason it starts working again once in warm garage. Semi truck systems suffer same ailment but they are able to add alcohol and or have air dryers because of cold creating ice from moisture in system.

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You can drain it, but you’ll have it to have nitrogen and a scan tool to fill it properly.

Well the filter looked dry. Poured air brake antifreeze down both tubes. Few minutes later I reached through the window and pressed or2 after restarting the truck to reset the error briefly. Kept pouring it down the tube while it struggled and suddenly it bounced up and is working perfect. Success!!! @SK 2016 limited thank you for the write up and thanks @Tach_tech for the part numbers as the diagrams made it easy to see I had the right piece in my hand.

Hmm I'll have remember that if mine ever has any issues.
It's still need, and 2021 which I 'heard' has been changed since your model come out.
It was -30c to -34c with the wind. Since working fine so far.

CanRebel said:

Hmm I'll have remember that if mine ever has any issues.
It's still need, and 2021 which I 'heard' has been changed since your model come out.
It was -30c to -34c with the wind. Since working fine so far.

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First 2 winters I had it up north mine saw as low as -42 and still worked albeit slowly and unhappily sounding after -20. This is the 3rd and the issues have started. It gives errors at anything below freezing now. See how long the air brake antifreeze trick works, but if it keeps working well with it I may make it a maintenance item for me. It was really simple to do and adds some lubrication to the system.still getting it leak tested and nitrogen purged on Tuesday, but the truck is drivable now and no errors after driving it around and cycling the suspension after.

corneileous said:

Yeah, that doesn’t make any sense. You’d think the system would be designed to hold a whole lot more pressure than it really needs to operate correctly to where it wouldn’t have to vent any away and when it’s too much and then have to turn around and suck in damp air to compensate for the loss which ends up totally going against the whole concept of a sealed nitrogen system.

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I think my new game plan is change the air intake filter every 2 years and add some air brake antifreeze every fall before the freeze and keep a little in the truck just in case. Suspension working like new this morning, but it was only -10C.

Dynopax, thank you for the kind words.

I was bound and determined to figure out what my problem was. Just like you said, moisture is the culprit (freezing, corrosion etc..).

LouM said:

Or Do It Yourself it's not rocket science.
Go to a welding gas supplier get a small N2 cylinder and a regulator to refill and purge the system.
That would just be a PM in cold climates for it.

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Sounds like you have moisture in the system. This is a very common problem with air brake systems in semis. If you parked in a heated garage and it started working again you definitely have moisture.

By way of an update my system did freeze up again last night, but it is at least still sitting at normal ride height. Maybe a few more cycles with the antifreeze will help. Not surprised 1 go didn't cure it, but as a band aid to keep it roadworthy until I can get it serviced it was great.

BWL said:

By way of an update my system did freeze up again last night, but it is at least still sitting at normal ride height. Maybe a few more cycles with the antifreeze will help. Not surprised 1 go didn't cure it, but as a band aid to keep it roadworthy until I can get it serviced it was great.

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Damn man, its starting to sound like you'd benefit from checking into these guys.

It's still going in the shop Tuesday so hopefully a leak test, repair as required, but a tiny leak over time is all it takes and may be hard to find. Nitrogen purge. Hoping if I keep the filter clean and dry and keep adding a little airline antifreeze as I planned to those inlet/outlet tubes it will be reliable or at least reliable enough. Once warranty is up though if it's still problematic I'll likely go to new stock suspension or maybe go with an adjustable fox or king set up with an inch or 2 of lift.

I had the valve block and compressor replaced in 2019 and everything worked perfectly until about November last year. After starting it up one night I got the service air suspension immediately message in the dash and the front was completely dropped. The next day after clearing the code the suspension went back to normal ride height and I went in and disabled the aero mode. Ever since I disabled aero mode I have not had any issues with the air suspension. Hopefully just disabling the aero mode for the winter months fixes the issues with the air suspension.

17sport said:

I had the valve block and compressor replaced in 2019 and everything worked perfectly until about November last year. After starting it up one night I got the service air suspension immediately message in the dash and the front was completely dropped. The next day after clearing the code the suspension went back to normal ride height and I went in and disabled the aero mode. Ever since I disabled aero mode I have not had any issues with the air suspension. Hopefully just disabling the aero mode for the winter months fixes the issues with the air suspension.

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I already had aero mode off when it dropped. Done that since day 1 during cold snaps. Leave it on most of the time since most of my miles are highway and a little extra fuel economy is great. I'm really hoping I can find a way to keep mine reliable. On job sites and access roads I need the added ride height during the let's say softer road seasons, but hate the loss of MPG from lifting so the air is perfect for that. More or less. Hoping a little non routine maintenance (air brake antifreeze and periodic replacement of the fresh air filter) will work. From what I've been hearing 2 winters is the reliable time you get and problems on the 3rd is common. It does try to auto adjust for weight so getting in and out of the truck or even leaving a door open for a minute will make it auto level out so really no avoiding the occasional freeze up problem once moisture gets in there.

Fingers crossed for you!
I’m my case it was a $1500 option when I ordered my 14 . One compressor replaced under warranty, next compressor $2400 on my dime then 2 years later a quote of $2400 to replace both leaking rear bags.
Went with airdelete.com , got my truck leveled ,heavier rear coil for towing and I threw in a pair of airlift bags while I had it apart.
Now I can look out my window winter mornings and be assured the truck is sitting normal!

The parts prices have come down since the aftermarket started making the parts so now air shocks are a bit over 300, valve block 300ish and compressor around a grand, but still expensive. Considering the Carli commuter kit or similar with the HD progressive springs in the rear.

Well they're going to replace the valve block. With 1 side on the bump stops I'm not surprised. Unlikely to have 2 bags fail simultaneously. Purge the nitro and have it back tomorrow night. See if that cures it next cold snap. Compressor is still working fine. The overload warning makes me unsurprised about that. Supposed to cut out to prevent bag damage so a frozen valve that won't open would certainly trigger that with the position sensor telling it it's sitting low. Fingers crossed.

The valve block is pretty common. Any moisture in the valve block will cause issues and it’s recommended to be replaced if that happens. Service information actually recommends it be replaced if any moisture is found in the filter or hose assembly.

Well I picked up my truck last night. Read the service notes and the short version is cleared codes,replaced valve block, charged nitrogen to recommended pressure, tested. When I saw charged and not vacuumed and purged I knew I had no chance. This morning -8 and not working. You can change every part on this system and not fix it because there's no moisture drains and it just floats around the system freezing stuff once it's in there. it was in a warm shop over night so of course it worked when they tested it. I guess I have to find a shop that will do the vacuum and purge or give up and go to springs. Just frustrating.

BWL said:

Well I picked up my truck last night. Read the service notes and the short version is cleared codes,replaced valve block, charged nitrogen to recommended pressure, tested. When I saw charged and not vacuumed and purged I knew I had no chance. This morning -8 and not working. You can change every part on this system and not fix it because there's no moisture drains and it just floats around the system freezing stuff once it's in there. it was in a warm shop over night so of course it worked when they tested it. I guess I have to find a shop that will do the vacuum and purge or give up and go to springs. Just frustrating.

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Man, I feel for ya. Depending on exactly which lifetime warranty you got and your deductible but still, out of the entire cost of that repair, that still cost you 100 bucks and probably still makes ya feel like ya got cheated and wasted money just to have it all freeze back up again. I can’t believe they didn’t even treat that like they would an A/C system where before you charge it back up, you have to pull everything out and pull a vacuum before you recharge the system especially when it’s the moisture in there that’s causing your problems when not to mention, they didn’t even test it in the cold. SMH.

I hate to say it but it seems to me you are probably better off to convert to a spring ride system because I think this just further proves the point that these halfton trucks these days and this fancy air ride suspension just really ain’t made to be worked and it most definitely ain’t made to be worked up in areas where you’re at where it gets colder than a lot of us on here has ever felt before.

I’m not at all playing the blame game or the I-told-you-so game but it seems to me that for whatever it is that you do up there that you would’ve been better off with either a three-quarter ton or if a 1/2-ton still
made better sense, the Rebel probably would’ve been your best choice without nowhere near the options your Limited has.

No lifetime warranty available in Canada. I have about 5 months left on my coverage and 86000 kms roughly. Never get to that point mileage wise in that time. I have 46,000 miles on it in down south measurements. Most of the major problems happened before I ever used it for work because I didn't trust it to be reliable from the first time I drove it. Eventually my old 1/2 ton ram 2011 Laramie started to nickel and dime me a lot to keep it up to my standards, but sold it with nothing wrong and looking like new with close to 300,000 on it so a half ton is fine for me. From tradesman to limited the drivetrain, suspension (apart from air), brakes etc are all the same so no reason to expect a lower option truck would be more reliable.The rebel is just a 1500 with some appearance changes and a 1" lift so not any better or really different from a drivetrain perspective. I mean my power locks don't work still and pretty hard to find anything that doesn't have those nowadays. Same with the transmission issues, leaking diff and the rest. First trans leak and diff leak was under 1000 miles and it hadn't gone anywhere, but back and forth to the dealer and the golf course.