FX3 testing
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 38
Likes: 10
FX3 testing
Hello,
New owner here with a 1995 with the 6 speed manual transmission and convertible. I am very exited to final have a vette and I am going through the car fixing the few little things that are wrong with it for being a 30 year old car. I am having trouble with the FX3 suspension, I would like to keep it, I have ordered the light for it (one of the previous owners removed it form the information center) but is there any way to test it without the light? I know that the front two actuators are preforming the self test, I have not been able to test the rear ones yet due to an injury. The car has 80k miles and the shocks are tired so I going to replace them, but before I order the expensive ones I want to get the system working. Any tips or tricks form the experts? Thank you for any and all help in trouble shooting and getting this car back to 100%!
New owner here with a 1995 with the 6 speed manual transmission and convertible. I am very exited to final have a vette and I am going through the car fixing the few little things that are wrong with it for being a 30 year old car. I am having trouble with the FX3 suspension, I would like to keep it, I have ordered the light for it (one of the previous owners removed it form the information center) but is there any way to test it without the light? I know that the front two actuators are preforming the self test, I have not been able to test the rear ones yet due to an injury. The car has 80k miles and the shocks are tired so I going to replace them, but before I order the expensive ones I want to get the system working. Any tips or tricks form the experts? Thank you for any and all help in trouble shooting and getting this car back to 100%!
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2010
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 38
Likes: 10
Well I finally had time to pull the codes and it is the 2 front shocks, after further investigation the gears are broke on the shock, so I order new ones. My next question is the actuators seem to be working but when I shake them the gear inside seems to move around a little is the normal or do I need to have them rebuild? Nothing seems to spin freely just a little side to side play. Once I get this fixed I am going to have the front shocks rebuilt since I can not fine any new ones for purchase, I did order new rears and they will be here next week. Last question, can I assume that I can take the front shocks off the car, and send them in to be rebuilt and not leave the car on the lift, I prefer to just have the car on the ground while the shocks are being rebuilt.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,199
Likes: 449
From: NJ
You can test the system and actuators by removing the actuator from each shock. Then have someone bump the key which should “cycle” them. You will see the gear rotate. What typically goes bad on the mechanical end is that if the shock freezes the gear will strip. If your actuators are moving, I would think that means the system is operational. I did see 4 actuators in perfect condition at Carlisle. Mirrock was selling them in his tent. If they didn’t sell, and yours are bad, you could call Mirrock corvette salvage and have them shipped. I forget his asking price for them but the lettering was even still bright white and they were function tested.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 38
Likes: 10
Another question here now that my FX3 system is working, anyone know a source for new front shocks for the FX3 system? I have called and called and no one has them in stock or projects getting them in, so I am looking for new old stock. Let let me know if you have a lead, thank you for your help!
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 383
From: Northern California
Most conventional sources like Zip Corvette show them on backorder as you've found, but Napa has them and allows me to add them to my cart - which implies that they have some. I'm a bit suspicious about that though, so if I were you I'd call them to verify stock level - https://www.napaonline.com/accessori...truts/222a5683
I replaced the rears on my car recently, and I have the new fronts sitting in my garage waiting to get to the job. If you don't need them urgently, then waiting for the Bilstein people to stock them is probably fine, but see what you find out.
I replaced the rears on my car recently, and I have the new fronts sitting in my garage waiting to get to the job. If you don't need them urgently, then waiting for the Bilstein people to stock them is probably fine, but see what you find out.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2024
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Well, got the front shocks rebuilt and installed along with the new rear shocks. I installed the light in the dash and it was giving me a code for both front shocks before the rebuild, both gears were broken and the shaft was seized. Now that everything is installed the system works with no lights! Probably not the best investment, but I wanted the car to have everything functional, now the only thing left is to fix the gears in the driver seat as convertible weather is just a few weeks away!
For those wondering I used Performance Shock Inc. in Sonoma, Ca. Customer service was great, they answered my questions, called before the repair even though I authorized enough money for the repair, and then sent a dyno sheet of both shocks in both full hard and soft setting. They were pretty quick too, I sent the ECU and shocks out the same day and got the shocks back first by a day.
For those wondering I used Performance Shock Inc. in Sonoma, Ca. Customer service was great, they answered my questions, called before the repair even though I authorized enough money for the repair, and then sent a dyno sheet of both shocks in both full hard and soft setting. They were pretty quick too, I sent the ECU and shocks out the same day and got the shocks back first by a day.
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Good work 
I'm glad you got this sorted out. Good for you for keeping the FX3.
(Just in case someone else stumbles on this thread in the future, this place will rebuild the FX3 actuators https://www.captainzcnc.com/ and they have some diagnostic info also)
I'm glad you got this sorted out. Good for you for keeping the FX3.
(Just in case someone else stumbles on this thread in the future, this place will rebuild the FX3 actuators https://www.captainzcnc.com/ and they have some diagnostic info also)
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,564
Likes: 1,676
Thats not how the FX3 system works. It does a self test at every start. Any code it displays is a current code. Never a history code.