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There aren’t any warning lights in your vehicle that you’d be happy to see, but an electronic suspension light can be especially distressing. Your vehicle’s suspension plays a vital role in its performance and safety, so a warning light for your electronic suspension is a serious one. The dealership may quote you thousands to repair it, but coilover replacement shocks and struts give you a more affordable option.
In this article, we take a look at why you might be seeing that suspension warning light. We also go over why converting your suspension to coilovers offers more benefits than just the money you save.
Why Your Electronic Suspension Light Is On
The electronic suspension light in your vehicle alerts you when it detects a problem within the system somewhere. Some vehicles use different lights for moderate and severe warnings, but any warning light for your suspension should be attended to as soon as possible. Driving around on a faulty electronic suspension can further damage your car and make it dangerous to drive.
Common Electronic Air Suspension Issues
Electronic suspensions are complex, high-tech systems with a lot of components. That means that there are many things that can go wrong at any time and trigger a warning light on your dash panel. However, there are a few electronic suspension issues that are far more common than most.
Leaking Air Spring
One of the most common issues people with electronic suspensions experience is leaks in their air shocks that cause them to lose their functionality. When this happens, the system may not be able to properly support the vehicle and maintain the proper ride height.
As the rubber in the air bags ages, it can get brittle and lose its seals or develop cracks. When this happens, they will cease to be airtight, allowing air to escape and degrading the air bags’ ability to provide damping and support.
Other Air Suspension System Leaks
The air springs aren’t the only part of an electronic suspension that can develop leaks. Several other components in the system are also vulnerable.
Road debris like rocks and glass can get kicked up into the vehicle's body and tear or puncture the rubber air lines that carry air through the system. It’s also common in older systems for seals and gaskets to wear out or move out of place and allow air to escape at connection points.
Faulty Compressor
Like most mechanical components, the compressor that generates air for your electronic suspension can wear out over time and stop working properly. This can happen rapidly if there is a leak somewhere in the system as the compressor will work harder to compensate.
Most modern suspension compressors are barely audible while in operation. A compressor that’s excessively noisy or runs for longer than the standard cycle is a telltale sign that it isn’t working properly.
Ride Height Sensor Failure
Vehicles with electronic suspensions use mechanical ride height sensors mounted at each wheel to read the body’s height relative to the road surface. This information gets reported to the system so that it can compensate for changes and keep the ride level and smooth.
These sensors are moving parts, which means that they will likely wear down over time. When they do, they may no longer provide accurate information to the control unit, preventing the system from functioning as it should.
Electronic Control Unit Malfunction
The function of your electronic suspension is controlled by a specialized computer called an electronic control unit (ECU) or sometimes, an electronic control module (ECM). Like any other computer, the ECU can sometimes malfunction due to bad wiring, poor connections, or other causes.
When the ECU isn’t working properly, it will likely throw the entire electronic suspension system off. This can result in any number of errors that will set off the suspension warning light.
Converting to Coilover Shocks and Struts
If you’ve taken your car to the dealership after seeing the electronic suspension warning light, you probably got a repair bill that gave you pause. Electronic suspensions can be extremely expensive to fix due to the high cost of replacement parts and the difficulty of working on them.
But you do have a much more affordable option to fix that warning light with the ability to convert your electronic suspension over to a passive coilover system. Conversion kits allow you to remove your failing electronic suspension and replace it with simple, dependable steel struts and coils. This typically costs several thousand dollars less than replacing electronic suspension parts and has a host of other benefits.
Advantages of Coilover Shocks and Struts
Even if you are leaning towards spending the money to keep your electronic suspension going, it’s worth considering the many upsides of switching to coils. We detail a few of the biggest advantages of coilovers compared to electronic suspensions in this section.
More Affordable
The most obvious advantage that coilovers have over electronic suspensions is the cost. In many cases, a Strutmasters conversion kit can replace all four wheels of your suspension for about the same cost as just a single electronic strut replacement. When you consider that you’ll eventually have to replace all four electronic struts at some point, you can save several thousand dollars by converting your suspension.
More Dependable
Electronic suspensions do a remarkable job when they’re working properly, but once you see that warning light, the problems are just beginning. These systems are delicate and complex, and as they age, you’re likely to start having more and more problems on a regular basis.
Coilovers, on the other hand, are simple and sturdy. They use non-moving parts made from durable steel and other alloys, rather than air and electronics, to support your vehicle and keep it level. All in all, there are just fewer things that can go wrong with coil shocks and struts.
Easier and Cheaper to Install
Another reason why repairing electronic suspensions is so expensive is that they can be complex and difficult to work on. That means more hours in the shop and a repair bill that can get out of control quickly.
By contrast, coilover assemblies are fast and easy to install on your vehicle. There are no hoses or wires to connect and there is nothing to calibrate. It’s a quick job for any mechanic, which means a lower repair bill. But the simple design of these coilovers means many people can do the installation at home, even with limited mechanic experience. As a result, you save even more money when trying to deal with that electronic suspension light.
Comparable Performance
It’s true that electronic suspensions provide a top-tier ride in a number of ways. It’s also reasonable to be concerned that you’ll lose some of that performance when you convert to coils.
However, at Strutmasters, we obsessively test and refine our kits to ensure they offer fit and function that rival the electronic suspensions they replace. That means that you can expect a similar ride after you convert or even an improvement from your current status if you’re seeing an electronic suspension light.
Worry-Free Experience
Even if you decide to replace a few electronic suspension components, driving around just waiting for the next thing to go wrong can be stressful. But when you convert your suspension to a coilover system from Strutmasters, that’s not something you’ll have to deal with.
When you convert your electronic suspension to coils, you’re getting a brand new suspension with parts straight from the factory. That means you get to enjoy the full lifetime of your new shocks and struts. And thanks to their robust construction, you can expect to get years of satisfying use out of your new ride, worry-free.
Keep Your Electronic Suspension Light Off by Converting
Between the potentially dangerous situation a failed suspension can create and the expense of repairing it, an electronic suspension light can be a distressing sight. But with a conversion kit from Strutmasters, you won’t have to shell out thousands of dollars to turn it off. Once you’ve installed your new coilovers, you’ll never have to see that warning light ever again.
Use the search tool at the top of the page to find a kit for your vehicle. You can also contact our Suspension Experts to get help with your order and get your questions answered.
You can reach our support team at our Roxboro, NC headquarters by phone at 833-632-0764 anytime Monday through Friday from 8AM to 9PM, or on Saturdays from 9AM to 6PM.
