Automatic Level Control

RetiredUSNChief

Get over it, snowflake.
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Just downloaded the schematic for my 2005 LeSabre ALC. I think it's the right schematic, anyway. Pretty simple system, it looks like. Connectors are clearly marked on the schematic...connector colors, wire colors, pin numbers, etc.

Anyway, the back shocks are shot and I'll be replacing them soon. But I don't think the ALC works...so I'll be working on that.

I've located everything EXCEPT the frickin' Rear Integration Module. Anybody here know where that might be? I'm thinking in the trunk somewhere...which I need to empty out anyway, so I can get to the top shock mounts.
 
Hope this helps, behind rear seat in trunk, you may want to check the relay first.

rim.jpg
 
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Hope this helps, behind rear seat in trunk, you may want to check the relay first.

View attachment 25015

I found that picture...but the article it's attached to says the guy working on it relocated it to this position. I don't remember if this was a 2005, though...I THINK it was on a 2004. I'm figuring it's either close to this spot in the trunk, or under the back seat.
 
Found it.

I cleaned my trunk out and pulled the forward plastic cover off the back of the seat. The Rear Integration Module is mounted right above the location shown in the picture above.

Now all I need is a day free of all other obligations so I can put my car up on a lift and fix the ALC, replace my air shocks, and replace the power steering pump.

Go figure when THAT might be!
 
Well, finally got an opportunity to work in the car. Came in to work this morning and NO PARKING AVAILABLE in the shipyard. What a pain in the keister! So I called my boss: "No parking available. I'm going to work on my car and come in this afternoon to put in my 8 hours."

Changed out the jet turbine (power steering pump) that has been whining forever. Worked just fine, but lately it's been REALLY whining, so I put a new one in (not remanufactured...hopefully I won't have to do that again for a while). It's MUCH quieter now, but still has a minor whine to it, which seems to be typical for a day or two every time I've ever had to replace one. I imagine in the next day or two it'll get even quieter as the air works its way out.

Replaced the air shocks in the back. Still haven't had the time to troubleshoot the ALC yet, so when I hooked the new air hoses up, I ran them to an air valve so I can manually charge the shocks as required. The valve is in the rear wheel well, next to the ALC air compressor. I have a 12 VDC air pump in the trunk, so it'll never be a problem if I decide to go the cheap way and say "screw it, I ain't gonna fix the ALC". Car has almost 193,000 miles on it...if it's anything like the last LeSabre I had, I'm good to go for another 120,000 miles. So I guess what it boils down to is how much it's going to cost to fix the ALC vs how much more I can expect to have the car before it goes belly up.

Tomorrow, I get two new tires to replace the back ones. When the shocks go bad, that's HARSH on your tires! They're scalloped pretty badly because of it. Probably have them put the new ones on the front and rotate the olds ones to the back, what with the car being front wheel drive and all.
 
Small little air compressor in the truck and a manual valve to the shocks and you'll be back in business. Won't be automatic but be a way better ride..and user adjustable.

Basically the air system we use on when we bag cars to be low riders.
 
Small little air compressor in the truck and a manual valve to the shocks and you'll be back in business. Won't be automatic but be a way better ride..and user adjustable.

Basically the air system we use on when we bag cars to be low riders.

I have an air compressor in the trunk, just not the type you're thinking about. It's one of those portable 12 VDC compressors for tires. I don't remember how high it goes, probably up to about 65 pounds or so. Maybe higher. Minimum required for my shocks is 25 psi, maximum is 200 psi. I pumped them up to about 60 psi at the hobby shop this afternoon.

If I have to go to a compressor with a higher pressure output, I might as well just fix the ALC for the price. The most expensive part is the compressor. And it's pretty easy to get to...right above the muffler.

Auto Zone has one (CD-7714, Westar Air Suspension Compressor and Dryer) for $314.00. Amazon has the exact thing for $279. I'll do some shopping around and see what's available/pricing. Not to mention I need to look at one and see if it's REALLY an exact fit. Nothing's more aggravating than getting started on the job only to find out the fittings aren't right!
 
Nice!

Maybe I oughta bypass my installed compressor and just install this!
 
Nice!

Maybe I oughta bypass my installed compressor and just install this!
That compressor and a 3 gallon tank we installed on a 73 F100 that lays the frame on the ground. But for what you are doing be easy. Compressor isn't loud, dependable. What kind of hoses are going to the shocks? Hard plastic? Might be push lock that truckers use for brakes (DOT rating)
 
That compressor and a 3 gallon tank we installed on a 73 F100 that lays the frame on the ground. But for what you are doing be easy. Compressor isn't loud, dependable. What kind of hoses are going to the shocks? Hard plastic? Might be push lock that truckers use for brakes (DOT rating)

Hard plastic with after market threaded fitting, not like the GM OEM with clip on fittings.
 
Push lock?

The original hardware is a fitting with a snap ring. Pretty simple...the snap ring is a spring clip which fits in two grooves on the plastic fitting. With the snap ring in place, push the fitting over the nipple on the air shocks and it snaps into place. To remove, either pull the spring clip off or simply rotate it until it pops out of the grooves on the fitting. Then the fitting pops right off.

The new shocks, of course, can't POSSIBLY come with OEM fittings (that would be too simple). The new fitting on the shock is threaded and takes the threaded fitting shown in the first picture below. I have both lines from the shocks connected to a valve fitting like the second picture shown below, in which the third side is a valve stem which I use to manually adjust the air pressure. I ty-wrapped that fitting near the air compressor just behind the rear passenger wheel well.

Fittings Air Shock 01.jpg Fittings Air Shock 02a.jpg
 
These are worth their weight in gold
5143677-24.jpg
 
Hey Chief, did you look into disabling the air system and simply replacing the shocks with regular shock absorbers? I'm wondering if this is feasible. My wife's 2008 Buick CXS has a good compressor, but the damn suspension remains topped out in all conditions. Dealer replaced ride height sensor and some other bits, no improvement; sez we need new air shocks at $800 each. BWAAAHA HA HA HAAAA, we're not doing that!
 
Hmm. For anyone still reading, this Lucerne CXS, which came from my Mother-In-Law, is equipped with, in addition to the auto-leveling "feature", a magnetic ride control, which comprises shocks filled with a magnetic fluid that changes viscosity according to the current applied. The computer continuously figures out what current to apply, and more importantly for my project, the computer throws a trouble code if it receives no feedback from the shocks. Which it would not if I replaced them with conventional shocks, even air shocks. Now I know why the dealer said the shocks were $800 each. It also turns out these high-tech shocks have a life span of about 50K miles. Which is about when the MIL gave us the car; she's smarter than she looks.

I still want to replace these magic shocks with conventional ones, and have found good replacements. But what I have not found is a solution to the computer issue when it's not connected to the magic shocks. Do any of you car guys know how to mitigate this? I've seen resistors offered which allegedly fool the computer into thinking it's connected to the shocks, but I have not found any corroborating evidence to confirm that it works.

This is not a minor issue. I'm dealing with the rear shocks now, but the fronts won't be far behind. Complete OEM replacement of all four magic shocks would be in the $5,000 range :eek::eek::eek:, not to mention any other bits and bobs they find while they are at it. And I'd still be stuck with the auto-leveling system which will probably fail at some point. I just want to convert to good quality conventional shocks - easy to do - without causing the computer to throw an error code. Help?
 
I have used the strut mastrers stuff on a yukon denali with the auto level control and had good luck. The resistors or whatever they where worked well on it and no more check suspension message. Some companys will pay you for your old electronic shocks to rebuild new ones so do not trash them till you have checked.
 
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Have you checked Rockauto?
Looks like they are $300+ each if I picked the correct vehicle.
 
I replaced my lesabre shocks with coil overs and love them. My compressor and all worked fine I just didn’t reuse it, pulled the fuse.
 
Well...last week the rear seemed to be riding a bit low. So last Friday I went into work a couple hours early so I could take off early and visit the hobby shop to check the shocks out. Found a couple teeny-tiny air leaks at connections, fixed them, then did a soap bubble check to be sure there weren't any afterwards. Easy-peasy.

Decided that then was a good time to change the plugs and wires, since I'm at 195,000 miles and still on the factory originals. Having the car on a lift sure makes access from underneath a heck of a lot easier.

Heh...I said "easier"!

I could get to the plugs and wires on the back of the engine from underneath the car, but dang if I had enough room to get the leverage to twist/pull the wires off the plugs. After ripping one wire out of the boot, I was committed, regardless. With a little creative engineering (vice grips, long pry bar) and a little creative vocalization, I got it done, finally. Managed to clamp my right forefinger in the handle of the vicegrips, which was really exciting as I frantically worked to figure out how to snap the handles back open while they were firmly clamped on a plug boot with no room to get my other hand up there.

Minor bruising under that fingernail, and several scrapes of skin left in various places, plus about two frickin' hours and I was done.

Six plugs, plus wires...that's it. No points, no condenser, no distributer cap, no timing adjustments. Two frickin' hours! It took me less time to do a tune up on the old cars with points and condensers than it takes now, all because of how much of a pain in the keister those three back plugs are to get to.

Good news is the inspection of the old plugs don't show anything bad happening in the engine, even with almost 200,000 miles on them.

Picture of my right arm today, three days later. Looks better than it did Saturday, and not as bad as some other automotive adventures I've had in the past.

DSCN8050.JPG
 
LOL. Reminds me of my wife’s old Chevy II with 283V8. To change one particular plug you had to unbolt the engine mount and jack up the engine... sheeze. Glad you got ‘er done.
 
Next up is replacing the A/C Compressor. Mine's making a whining noise (I did, in fact, trace the noise to the compressor and not my P/S Pump, etc.). Guy at the hobby shop said the clutch could be replaced, just like a pulley. Yeah, but to get to it I have to remove the compressor to do it. It's also factory original...if I have to remove it, I might just as well replace it.

But I ain't doing that. I've got a good A/C guy, recommended by our friendly neighborhood (literally, just a few blocks from our house) mechanic. He's done me well in the past.
 
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