AutoRide delete

[syclnjr]

What’s up everyone.
So I pulled the trigger on lowering my 08 Denali.
Bought Tony’s 2- 4/3-4 kit he sells as well as the airlift bladders for the rear springs.

I searched on here and read through a 15page post on the AutoRide delete methods, but the answers were all over the place.

I have four resistors I bought off EBay for the shocks and my question resides around the height sensors.

the belltech kit comes with new links for the rear sensors so should I use these or just secure the sensor arm in the neutral position? What about the front sensors?

then this brings me to auto level, anyone ever tried using the system to maintain ride height with the airlift bags? I am certain there is a volume issue do you would have to put the initial air in them. I did chat with Tony about it and he said the compressor runs at too high of pressure for the bladder bags. This is understood just curious if any one repurposed the compressor somehow. Would really like to try and figure it out.

If I remove auto level function, do I disconnect the compressor connector? Will it throw a code?

thanks
Mike

 

[Rocket Man]

Hey Mike, glad to see you post. There’s a lot of experience here as opposed to the FB page imo. I’m real familiar with the NBS autoride delete and have read up on deleting it on the NNBS like yours but don’t have direct experience. I’m sure others who have done it will chime in. I believe there’s a fuse labeled ALS in your under hood box that you need to pull AFTER disconnecting the battery, then reconnect the battery. At that point the ride height sensors won’t matter since the system is basically deleted. I think that’s correct... as far as repurposing the compressor- I haven’t heard of anyone successfully doing that. It’s the consensus that it’s easier to either add an aftermarket compressor on a switch or like most people just put the fill ports in an easily accessible place and either carry a portable compressor or use one at home or a gas station.

 

[Big Mama]

Mark is right on all fronts. The rods won’t matter once you pull the fuse but I’d install the new ones anyway so I wouldn’t lose them if I tried to put it back. Listen to Tony on the compressor. Good luck

 

[syclnjr]

ok fair enough, thanks for the insight fellas

the threads that I found on the compresor delete, simple pull the fuse on it to disable and no NIC associated, or as stated, need to pull the fuse and negative lead on the batter to kill it?

 

[Rocket Man]

ok fair enough, thanks for the insight fellas

the threads that I found on the compresor delete, simple pull the fuse on it to disable and no NIC associated, or as stated, need to pull the fuse and negative lead on the batter to kill it?

Pull the negative cable FIRST before pulling the fuse or the BCM will see it and set the message in the dash. Then reconnect the battery. I’m just not sure what the fuse is labeled in an 08 so you need to find it first. I know in some trucks it’s not labeled at all. Someone else can help with that hopefully.

 

[syclnjr]

ok thank you sir

 

[Big Mama]

I believe it’s labeled “auto ride” but check your owner’s manual.

 

[syclnjr]

ok thanks I will find it

 

[Rocket Man]

@iamdub didnt you delete autoride in your nnbs?

 

[iamdub]

@iamdub didnt you delete autoride in your nnbs?

Haven't deleted it yet. I have the resistors and will solder them in when I swap in the Belltech struts and shocks when I lower it. I know the system is still functional but with worn shocks, which explains the firm ride.

the belltech kit comes with new links for the rear sensors so should I use these or just secure the sensor arm in the neutral position? What about the front sensors?

I'd at least install the shorter links. What I plan to do before I lower it and with it at it's stock ride height, is make a sharp and accurate alignment mark on the sensor bodies and adjust the links to put the arms back at those points after lowering. I'll do this to all four so the suspension controller doesn't "see" the change in height so it won't constantly be trying to send voltage to the shocks (actually resistors at this point) in effort to alter the damping. I'll probably deviate from the "neutral" position for the rear sensors if need-be to fine-tune the rear spring rate with a hybrid AirLift bag/OE compressor setup.

then this brings me to auto level, anyone ever tried using the system to maintain ride height with the airlift bags? I am certain there is a volume issue do you would have to put the initial air in them. I did chat with Tony about it and he said the compressor runs at too high of pressure for the bladder bags. This is understood just curious if any one repurposed the compressor somehow. Would really like to try and figure it out.

If I remove auto level function, do I disconnect the compressor connector? Will it throw a code?

I plan to do just this. I did some preliminary testing a couple months back and I feel it would work. The compressor may push a higher pressure than what the bags are rated for, but the compressor is controlled by height position sensors and not by air bladder pressure. It's not gonna keep pumping until it reaches 100+ PSI, it'll stop when it sees the rear end is at X height. The AirLift bags have more surface area than the OEM shock bladders, so they'll have more effect (lift) at a given PSI. This tells me that the OEM compressor will actually work less when adding air to lift the rear. It's designed to pump high PSI into a smaller chamber to achieve X amount of lift. But if you achieve that same amount of lift at a lower PSI, then that's less head pressure the pump has to push. The flip side is the larger volume that it has to fill which affects the amount of time the compressor is running. The way I see it, the compressor should be just fine running a little longer than normal but under less load. I connected a squashed/flattened AirLift bag to the stock air line and fired up the compressor, and it immediately began to inflate. By the way, the compressor has to be plugged in, even if it's not operational, or you will get the "SERVICE SUSPENSION..." message.

I have 3" McG lowering coils that may provide a stock-like ride and load capacity, but I want at least 4" of drop. I have some mystery springs that look like they would drop it at least 4". They look like they'd be too soft, so I want to use the AirLift bags to increase the spring rate to slightly lift the rear and also firm it up to stock-like, but not lift it back up too much. It'll be a balancing act involving adjusting the sensor arm link length once I have the compressor filling the AirLift bags. If it takes too much pressure to lift it where I want it, I have some 1" spacers to regain that initial height so that's one less inch of lift (and less PSI/firmness) required from the AirLift bags.

It may sound complicated, but at this point I'm confident I'll get it dialed in without much hassle.