Very puzzling
 

3-18-12 Sunday
Wow! This is a new one on me.

I have a 2001 G.M. (LSE) model with the bucket seats and center consul and floor shift. It's got 45K miles on it.

Last week I replaced both of the air suspension bags because one was leaking. Naturally it was a lot more difficult than they show on You Tube. I thought that I had it done and told the wife to take the car to work. She came home and complained that the car rode terribly and there was a loud hissing noise coming from the rear of the car. Sure enough, the bag on the passenger side did not seat properly on the axle and it folded and rubbed against the frame and developed a small hole.
So much for the new bag. So I bought another bag and replaced it today. When the bag was installed, the air from the drivers side bag bled off into the bag on the passenger side and partially filled it. O.K. so far so good. I had my wife turn the air suspension switch on and off in the trunk while I watched to make sure that the bag seated properly and filled as designed. Nothing happened.
The air compressor that had been working fine when I backed the car into the garage on Wednesday was now not running at all.

I checked the 30 amp fuse (position #8) under the hood and it was fine. I checked the fuse panel itself at the terminals and there was current there so I know it was not a lack of electricity.

Then I thought that perhaps the car was sensing a ride height situation because the body was jacked up and the axle was hanging down which would cause the ride height sensor to believe that the bags actually had too much air in them and that the car was too high.

So I jacked up the differential and tried it again. Still nothing.

Then I tried to start the car and even though I had started it just about 30 minutes prior, it would not crank at all. It made a clicking noise like the starter solenoid working but only briefly.

I've never seen anything like this in my many years of car repairs. I know that last June my wife drove the car to the store and it would not start when she came out. It had the same sound. I let it sit for about an hour and sure enough it started right up and ran fine. About two weeks ago she had the same problem right here on the driveway when she turned off the engine and then tried to restart it. I let it sit again and after an hour I tried it and it started right up and ran fine.

So here I am with two problems and neither should be related to the other.
Has anyone else had similar problems and if so how did you fix them? I've been through the service manuals and I can't find anything directly relating to this. I wish the manual had a trouble shooting flow chart but it does not.

I have an OBD II but not a "Super Star II" tester and that's what the manual says to plug in to diagnose the air ride suspension. The plug in is in the trunk next to the air ride switch on the driver's side. It looks like the old OBD I test plug ins.

So I'm open to any ideas you may have. Please help..
Thanks,
Keats
Arizona :confused:

Sunday afternoon: I should add that I checked the battery and it was down a bit. Not way down but not fully charged. I'm charging it now. Battery is 5 years old. Maybe I need a replacement. That's a long time out here in Arizona with the high heat.

Update 3-23-12
So I charged up the battery and it was enough to turn the engine over. Eventually it fired up. Looks like my battery needs to be replaced again.. The hot weather here really destroys them.
As for the air suspension.
I located a relay under the hood and tested it. It was good. So I disconnected the ride height sensor and manually worked it. Fully compressed would tell the car that it was riding too low and it would add air. Nothing. I extended it fully which would make the car think it was riding too high and let air out of the bags. Nothing.
Everything points to the Control Module that's mounted right behind the glove box. I just don't know how to test it. Other than buying another module and trying it, what can I do? If that fixed it, cool. If not, then I'm out the cost of the replacement module and still no air suspension. The best I've found is about 79.00 on E.Bay for a used module. Ford gets about 300.00 for a new one. If it was a returnable item, then it might be worth a shot but normally electrical items are not returnable.
Looks like a steel spring conversion is next. I've heard good and bad about that switch but nothing factual. I know that I'll have to disconnect the air ride light on the dash somehow and I think that I'll leave the module in place just in case it has any effect on the steering system. Maybe that still works O.K. but I don't know.

Apparently no one had any ideas about this. That's too bad. I thought for sure that someone would have had a suggestion. Oh Well, thanks anyway...
Keats- Arizona