ARC suspension Please can some one help??

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axlrose

2/3/2008 5:46:30 AM

Hi can anyone give me any help or tell me of an website where I can sort this out??

I've had problems with the "Automatic Ride Control" & the compressor "clicking" every few seconds but not inflating.
I had a look under back axle & found 2 'bars' hanging loose 1 hanging downwards & other attatched loosely to back of frame pointing to rear & able to move up or down if attatched to a "spring". At the free end there's 2, 1" long - 1/4" 'bars' attatched at right angles, the first approx 1" from end & other approx 1" from that. I also found hanging down what looks like a 6" rubber 1" tube with like a "spring" inside.
I moved the bars about and then the "tube"-with the engine running- and all of a sudden the compressor came to life and the truck started to go up. So I presume that these bars & the "tube" are the -rear height adjuster,rear fill solenoid & rear gate solenoid ?

Regarding the Rear Height Solenoid As I've mentioned if I move the Height Solenoid around the compressor does come on and inflate the rear shocks, or the deflate valve is triggered to let it go down.
So I Took the Rear Height Sensor assembly off and cleaned it. Can't actually take the H. Sensor apart completely to clean;can you?? so I just cleaned & greased all the assembly parts so it all moved smoothly.
When I put it all back and started the car; every few seconds there was a clicking sound coming from around the compressor area.
I got back under with engine still running and detached the H Sensor again from its bottom mounting and as I moved the sensor the compressor came to life and the suspension went up.
Reattatched the H Sensor and again there was just the clicking noise but now life from the compressor.
Would it help if I removed the compresser & all connectios around it & cleaned them??
1 thing I have found is I thought an 98 explorer would have ARC front & back but I cannot find any sign of the Height Sensor at the front. Is this right ?

Sorry for the long message but I would be very grateful of any help anyone could give as the Workshop manual info on this is useless.

axlrose

2/3/2008 11:31:00 AM

Cheers Dennis for the info

Had Compressor off today, checked all wiring which with all doors/tailgate shut wre live with engine running.Reconnected everything whilst compressor unbolted so could see & check. then with engine running moved Height Solenoid up/down & compressor came to life & inflated shocks.
I watched and listened with engine running and compressor "clicked" every few minutes but did not inflate shocks.

Then I took the plunge and took Height solenoid off,romoved rubber gaiter and cleaned the inside.
While doing that I found the rubber gaiter has 2 or 3 splits in it.

Could that be the problem as with the gaiter split I presume it wont hold the pressure within it, IF its supposed to??

Could that be the cause of the problem??