FAQ: Automatic Leveling Control (ALC) Concerns

Yeah, that looks pretty rough... It was a dumb place to put the pump.

Have you had a chance to bench test it. Do you have the FSM or a copy of the wiring diagram.?
For the most part any used unit in the salt belt will look like that.
I got lucky a few years ago when i bought my car and after diagnosing both the rear air shocks and compressor's exhaust valve being bad, i called and got a used compressor assembly from Morad's.
They had 3 of them at the time and i asked the guy i was talking to if he could please ship me the one that looks the best without corrosion and in intact heatshield on it.
And wouldn't you know the one he sent me was in very good visual appearance, worked good, etc. I took off the heatshield, if that's what you want to call it as it is more of a road debri deflector and had it copied using stainless steel from a friend in the sheetmetal-metal fab business for a case of beer.
All system's are still working fine but I still bought yet an
another compressor to have on hand when this one goes.

I tried but i don't think i could get it to get a good ground. Everything is heavily corroded though...for instance, there's some parts i think used to be bolts but I'm not sure. It's THAT bad lol. The wiring for the compressor itself looks in decent shape though. That's why I'm almost sure the unit itself is burned out or just seized because of corrosion. The car DID sit for two years. I was lucky to get the 'heat shield' off at all, but I'm going to spruce that up in due time. Anyway, what would be the best setup to bench test it? Maybe I did something wrong. I still have hope! Thanks for all the help guys. I hope I'm actually contributing to the thread at the same time .

I'll have to look at my wiring diagram and try and find out if it's the same color wires at the connector to the pump.
That's how I tested mine and then did further dis assembly by removing the cylinder head and that when I realized that "I" caused the fault in the exhaust solenoid. Not corrosion or age or anything else, but me, i did it and if i hadn't messed up that solenoid i would have got many more miles out of it .
So, that's why i ask if you have done a bench test and studied how it is supposed to operate before doing anything else.
You could call Morad's and order up a known good unit and install it while you fiddle with this one if money is not tooo big a problem.
I think I paid about $70.00 shipped for the compressor and another $70-80 for the manuals, NEW. But we now know the manuals can be had for substantially less than that on E-Bay.

Z-type wrote:

I tried but i don't think i could get it to get a good ground. Everything is heavily corroded though...for instance, there's some parts i think used to be bolts but I'm not sure. It's THAT bad lol. The wiring for the compressor itself looks in decent shape though. That's why I'm almost sure the unit itself is burned out or just seized because of corrosion. The car DID sit for two years. I was lucky to get the 'heat shield' off at all, but I'm going to spruce that up in due time. Anyway, what would be the best setup to bench test it? Maybe I did something wrong. I still have hope! Thanks for all the help guys. I hope I'm actually contributing to the thread at the same time .

Through out any of your testing did you pull the arm off the level ride compressor's controller mounted on the driver's side and attached to the body and driver's side rear lower control arm. It senses what the height should be and sends the command (power) to the compressor. It will either cause the compressor to pump air into the shocks or relieve air pressure by energizing the exhaust solenoid.
The reason I ask is, have you ever heard the pump run at all during troubleshooting and did you attempt to manipulate the arm on the Controller under the car.?
Although your probably better off, given the age of the unit, to get another known good one and install it, then see if you can get this to work and keep it for a spare or sell it.

Nah I've NEVER heard the pump run. Not once. The first thing i did involving testing was a few weeks back, I did the control arm test. I didn't think much of it because I don't fully trust the switch/controller anyway. It's still a possible failing point of the system. After today's testing, I figured it was safe to bet that the compressor was still bad, since I put direct power to it several different ways and got nothing. (trying the level switch, jumping pins at the relay, applying power via battery to the compressor's harness). I don't THINK I missed anything critical, but judging from all that electrical testing, I think I covered most bases.

I apologize for the consistently long posts lol...just trying to be thorough.

Ah thank you very much...I was JUST looking for this diagram since I have access to Mitchell's. But thanks for the shortcut! Very much appreciated!

Ah-ha! I stared at the diagram for a while and figured out the best way to test the compressor off the car...I just had to have a COMPLETE understanding of the system first. Thanks SO MUCH for the diagram. I just really like to work on my car myself and this gave me a huge headway. Thanks! Will update later .

Alright I just did my 1st replacement of the rear shocks ( the other ones were super shot), Well after i got them in i took it for a nice drive got out and noticed that the shocks were not fully expanded and the push rod was still showing out the top. So I took a nice little hour trip to arrive at my destination and see they were looking good then.

Well about 1 day later they started to slip back down, eventually the left went almost all the way down and my left side was raised noticably higher, now it has reversed and the right side is lower... compressor does sound like tis running just dont hav an idea whats wrong.

Thank you for your time

-Jon

Is your compressor running?

soulbladexll wrote:

Alright I just did my 1st replacement of the rear shocks ( the other ones were super shot), Well after i got them in i took it for a nice drive got out and noticed that the shocks were not fully expanded and the push rod was still showing out the top. So I took a nice little hour trip to arrive at my destination and see they were looking good then.

Well about 1 day later they started to slip back down, eventually the left went almost all the way down and my left side was raised noticably higher, now it has reversed and the right side is lower... compressor does sound like tis running just dont hav an idea whats wrong.

Thank you for your time

-Jon

Look for kinks in the lines and dirt in the air line connectors at the shocks, to start. .

Use a little dish soap in water that you can brush or sponge on to find leaks. Brush or sponge the solution onto the air lines, connectors, the shocks (did you get new ones or junk ones?) and the shocks themselves. See where the bubbles emerge, that's likely your problem area.

Albertj

I don't understand the statement.."the pushrod was still showing out the top"
What does this mean.?

Rickw wrote:

I don't understand the statement.."the pushrod was still showing out the top"
What does this mean.?

Combined with the weird left/right balance, it almost sounds like the shocks are in upside down...

lol... kinda hard to put them in upside down... it could be a kink or a clogged hose. I did buy new shocks and the compressor does run but I didnt change the lines because the lines i got with the gabriel shocks arent the ones i need. I would need to buy another line package for them.

All i did was snip the line where it connects to the shock to take the little (what looks like a flang but i dont know the name) off of the end so i could slide the screw on connectors on the line and onto the shock. i need that little flang on the compressor end to hold into the clip. The other lines I got with them origionally didnt have those on and would'nt hold on to the clip.

Eldo wrote:

Rickw wrote:

I don't understand the statement.."the pushrod was still showing out the top"
What does this mean.?

Combined with the weird left/right balance, it almost sounds like the shocks are in upside down...

Only way I can think of to put in the shocks upside down might be to get the wrong shocks. The tops have a stud that fits in a mount; I don't think the mount will fit in the control arm, but then again I never tried that... Maybe soulbladexll could post pictures.

What he said:

"they started to slip back down, eventually the left went almost all the way down and my left side was raised noticably higher, now it has reversed and the right side is lower... compressor does sound like tis running just dont hav an idea whats wrong."

The problem here as I see it is that the way these shocks are set up, the air is shared between the two. On a Lincoln, for instance, there is one compressor but each air spring has its own solenoid to control letting air in or out. On the Riv, that is not the case. The air hoses are both connected to the compressor and the air pressure equalizes itself side to side. Only one solenoid. So I don't understand how one side would inflate more than the other. If either side was leaking then both sides would sag.

I suspect it's time to get and instal that new line kit.

Albertj

alright ill order it its only 20 bucks. ill keep you guys posted.

well i havn't even changed the lines and they look better for some random reason... the right side is still lower though... The Riv has also been riding relatively bumpy lately do you think this is my main problem? or could it be something besides the struts or shocks,

I would square away the problems with the rear Electronic Leveling system, then start looking at what else may need replaceing.
I don't know how many miles are on your car, but when got mine with about 78,000 miles the front struts, springs, etc were original and never been changed so I bought a pair of Monroe matic struts, a pair of OEM GM Springs, Monroe upper mounts with bearings and all the other rubber parts to make a whole new assembly off the car and then just swapped the new with the old and had an alignment done and it became a whole new car.
You don't really realize how bad some of these parts are until you replace them.
If you have anything like my mileage or more I highly recommend you do what I did up front including the springs.
My ride height up front went up noticeably and the car didn't scrape on bumps, driveways and parking lot blocks, etc any more.
Naturally while doing the strut assemblies I checked all balljoints, tie-rods and control arm bushings for wear.
They were good at the time and still are good at almost 110,000 miles.
If you get it up on a lift also check all the front engine/trans cradle rubber mounts for wear and dry rotting or oil soaked from leaks. Any of those conditions can cause drivabilty problems on the Riv. Check all the body mounts, they are made very similar to the cradle mounts and the rear of the car has a cradle also that is rubber mounted.

my rivi is sitting at around 185000 miles lol but shes still strong!!!! my dad bought it around 120000 ish and the engine looked like it had been replaced (he knows his stuff) so im looking at about 65k on the engine and i cant speak for the suspension... The back shocks were SUPER shot. i didnt buy the mounts for the front struts but see now that i should have and i will soon. Should I get new springs? do they go bad? or do they just break lol.

Sorry I am still new to wrenching but im learning fast and my dad knows alot more than me and shows me stuff i dont know. and now i have you guys!!

BTW i really do love the vibe on this forum almost feels like a family

springs generally don't go bad. they settle to a certain "set" and they stay that way. the myth that springs go soft is BS.
if you want a lower and stiffer spring there out there.the stock spring is ridiculously soft.
you say that your car has a new heart,drop a few buck into new shocks and bushings and she will drive even nicer....

Rickw wrote:

Iwhen got mine with about 78,000 miles the front struts, springs, etc were original and never been changed so I bought a pair of Monroe matic struts, a pair of OEM GM Springs, Monroe upper mounts with bearings and all the other rubber parts to make a whole new assembly off the car and then just swapped the new with the old and had an alignment done and it became a whole new car.
You don't really realize how bad some of these parts are until you replace them.
My ride height up front went up noticeably and the car didn't scrape on bumps, driveways and parking lot blocks, etc..

Having a low front end, combined with rear springs that sit too high even without the Level Ride running, I tend to agree with Rick... I put in the same new parts that he did, at about the same mileage, except for the springs, and I've gotten hooked on parking chocks and had to replace the chin-spoiler/splash-shield because it was scraped through. Until the struts are worn out again, I'm tempted adjust the Level Ride and use spring-clamps on the rear springs to raise the nose a bit...

Didnt know that the shocks are susposed to be at a certain foot pounds i just tightened them up... could this be causing a problem???

I doubt the amount of torque used in the replacement of your rear shock has any effect on the operation of those shocks.
You are talking about the rear shocks aren't you.?

robotennis61 wrote:

springs generally don't go bad. they settle to a certain "set" and they stay that way. the myth that springs go soft is BS.
if you want a lower and stiffer spring there out there.the stock spring is ridiculously soft.
you say that your car has a new heart,drop a few buck into new shocks and bushings and she will drive even nicer....

Yo Robo, I'm not quite understanding or am mis-understanding your statement regarding springs. It almost sounds like your saying springs never wear out, but I know that isn't what your saying at all.

If your saying that a springs rate doesn't change over time then that's
BS. I personally have experience in more than one vehicle that I have
owned that are 10 or more years old.
On the Riv, in the FSM, along with your front end specifications it list
the Factory recommended frame height at 4 locations to be measured
around the car while parked, on a flat surface or more preferably on an
Alignment Rack that you know is level. (or semi-level)
I was able to take the measurements, on my car, on a F/E rack and
determine that the ride height was below specs up front and by a
differing amount from left to right.
Between the springs being compressed more at rest and the struts being
worn out, well the car rode and handled like shit.

I had already replaced my rear air shocks with AC Delco's and put in a
used / working air compressor and set the rear ride height according to the
FSM. (Prior to checking, measuring and finally replacing the front)

After replacing everything in the front and rear, as i have mentioned the car rode and handled so very different, for the better.