Is there any way to tell if the ride control actually works without any type of diagnostic equip. I dont have any light on the the console saying it needs service. Or is it one of those things that is based on speed, road conditions, curves etc. Or could anyone give an idea what to feel for if I road test it.

 

When you first start the vehicle, the SRC (service ride control) light will light up for about three seconds while it conducts a self check. If everything is ok with the system, the light will then turn off.

If the light does not come on at all,
a) the system could have been disabled,
b) service light has been removed,
c) the system could be working properly just the light may be burned out.

 

If you start the motor 3 times without moving the car, the SRC light will come on. If the system is working properly, the light will then go out after you drive the car for a short distance.

You can check for any codes by jumping pins A and C in the ALDL. The ALDL is located under the dash on the drivers side just in front of where your right knee is when sitting in the car. It may have a plastic cover on it. The pins on the upper row are labeled in this fashion looking at it:
E D C B A

Straighten out a paper clp and bend into a "U". Push one end into A and the other into C (rightmost upper row and 3rd from right)

Turn the ignition to the RUN position but do not start the engine. The SRC light wil beging to flash a series of codes in a specific format. Count the flashes as numbers i.e. 1 blink is a "1" two blinks is a "2" and so on. A single blink is separated by multiple blinks by about a second and the multi blinks are about a half-second apart.

The code series will beging with a "12" and repeated twice more for a totalof three times and all codes blink in the same fashion. After any error codes are displayed, the 12 code will flash again indicating the end of the codes. The whole process will repeat as long as the clip is in place or the key is on.

So what you should see is a set of 12's
blink blink-blink , blink blink-blink , blink blink-blink.

Then any specific error codes are displayed inthe same fashion. Then the 12 series again.

If you do not see any sequences between the 12's the system should be OK.

The FX3 system uses the switch for the basic settings and then vehicle speed is sensed by the system and further adjustments to the shocks are made. For example, the "Tour" setting at 70MPH is actually stiffer than the "Performance" setting at 25MPH.

I notice a big difference in my FX3 system settings on a freeway made of concrete with expansion strips that stick above the road surface. In Tour, I do not feel or hear them. In Performance, I hear a thump and can feel the tires go over them.

 

Thanks for the info I will check it out.

 

You can also have someone move the switch while you touch the actuators on the shocks. You should be able to feel the motors running. They are actually just adjusting the stem on the shock in and out.