Service Ride Control...Assistance?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 205
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Service Ride Control...Assistance?
Got a 91', auto with 60K on it. Suspension is all original and has had no work done on it other than preventative maint. Car runs super and I haven't checked codes yet.
The last time I had service the mechanic showed me a small amount of wheel bearing play in the front left wheel and a very small oil leak from two of the shocks. He said I could wait on both (he got my money on some other service). That was about 8K miles ago.
Anyone had ride control issues and are the shocks and/or wheel bearing contributing to the warning light?
Thanks In Advance
The last time I had service the mechanic showed me a small amount of wheel bearing play in the front left wheel and a very small oil leak from two of the shocks. He said I could wait on both (he got my money on some other service). That was about 8K miles ago.
Anyone had ride control issues and are the shocks and/or wheel bearing contributing to the warning light?
Thanks In Advance
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,518
Likes: 1,304
From: Windermere FL
Re: Service Ride Control...Assistance? (STS)
Let me take a stab at this.
First, the Service Ride Control light will come on if you turn the ignition on three times (I believe) in a row without starting the car. If this is what was done, then there is no problem.
If not, get the codes and it will tell you what it is complaining about. You can then examine the problem in more detail. Common things that go wrong is:
1. Bad electrical connections
2. Bad Actuators
3. Bad shocks that won't let the actuators move properly.
Get a GM (Helms) service manual and it will describe the procedures to get the codes, and help diagnose it. Best money you can spend.
As far as the shocks leaking oil, the cheapest thing to do is to send them back to Bilsteins for rebuild. Some folks get s cheap set of replacements if you can't stand the down time. They can even change the valving to change the handling characteristics too if you want. I think there is an extra charge if you want them powder coated, but then they look like new!
Good Luck!
First, the Service Ride Control light will come on if you turn the ignition on three times (I believe) in a row without starting the car. If this is what was done, then there is no problem.
If not, get the codes and it will tell you what it is complaining about. You can then examine the problem in more detail. Common things that go wrong is:
1. Bad electrical connections
2. Bad Actuators
3. Bad shocks that won't let the actuators move properly.
Get a GM (Helms) service manual and it will describe the procedures to get the codes, and help diagnose it. Best money you can spend.
As far as the shocks leaking oil, the cheapest thing to do is to send them back to Bilsteins for rebuild. Some folks get s cheap set of replacements if you can't stand the down time. They can even change the valving to change the handling characteristics too if you want. I think there is an extra charge if you want them powder coated, but then they look like new!
Good Luck!
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 88
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From: indianapolis, IN
Re: Service Ride Control...Assistance? (STS)
The car I purchased had been terribily mistreated. One of the things wrong was the Select Ride (FX-3). I took it to a dealer and they wanted to charge me $3000 to fix just the front. What you need to do is to determine what is wrong by understanding the codes. After I got the codes MAD was nice enough to fax me the diagrams for pin pointing the problem for each code. I took off each shock and found out that all the actuators were bad and a couple of shocks. I bought used actuators for about $125 each and used shocks for about $100 each. GM sells actuators for $538 and Ecklers for $179. If you can afford the down time you can send the shocks back to Bilstein? and they will rebuild them for about $100. The front shocks are easy to look at the actuators because they are out in the open. The rear actuators are hidden up in the body and the shock hs to be takn off to view them hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 205
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Re: Service Ride Control...Assistance? (IndianaKoko)
Flame Red Wins The Prize!!! I remembered that I tried "quick-starting" my car this morning and it didn't fire up the first couple'a times...maybe
three times? The car usually starts and runs so well that I start trying to take unfair advantage of it. On the way home tonight NO warning lights. I've never experienced this problem before, but I don't think I've ever had to try and start the car more than twice.
I also checked for codes after I got home and it's clear.
Thanks all for your suggestions.
three times? The car usually starts and runs so well that I start trying to take unfair advantage of it. On the way home tonight NO warning lights. I've never experienced this problem before, but I don't think I've ever had to try and start the car more than twice.
I also checked for codes after I got home and it's clear.
Thanks all for your suggestions.
