Cross Roads with Air Assist - 2019 Tahoe LT

[andrwgrcia]

First time poster to be TYF.

I m at a cross roads with my 2019 Tahoe LT with ~110k miles on it. It has the rear air ride assist (non magneride). We have been chasing issues with the system for over a year now and are over $1k into repairs between the dealership and a local mechanic who services our truck. The air compressor continues to run much more frequently than one would expect, as well as noisily.

I am trying to determine between a complete replacement with the Arnott air assist delete, trying to do something semi custom with Bilstein / Fox and resistors, or just replacing the system with a new Arnott system.

Use case is primarily daily driver. We live in the country on a dirt road, so every day begins and ends with washboard, potholes, and sometimes mud. That said, car also sees quite a bit of highway / parkway miles so needs to have good on road manners. The current setup feels soft now when cornering at any kind of speed (50MPH+).

Would love thoughts or feedback from anyone who has gone down any of these paths before.

 

[SpareParts]

Have you sprayed the lines with soapy water to check for leaks? Have you sprayed the airbags with soapy water?
New or stock 2019 rear shocks?
If replacing rear shocks, I would go with GM stock shocks. Lifetime guarantee.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

I've had both the air assist and a passive rear shock systems, and I much prefer the air assist. In full transparency, though, other members of this Forum prefer the Bilstein aftermarket rear shock setup.

As @SpareParts suggested above, get a spray bottle filled with a dish detergent and water mixture, and with a cold motor, get under the rear of the truck and spray the air lines coming from the compressor and the shocks' air bags. Then start the motor and observe (important to be ready to observe as soon as the motor starts, and the air assist system begins its test/reset procedure). Do you see any bubbles? If yes, you're close to locating the source of your issue.

If no, then more troubleshooting is required, and we can assist you on that. This air assist system is typically fairly easy to work on and troubleshoot, if you have quality bi-directional scanner available for your use, and that puzzles me, as the dealer absolutely would have has this type of scanner.

Can you tell us specifically what you spent the $1k on? Specifically, what parts were replaced, and were they replaced with OEM parts or aftermarket parts, and if so, what parts were used?

Last, if you decide to go with the air assist system, I recommend that you use GM OEM air shocks, versus Arnott. Not that Arnotts are bad (as many folks use them), but the air line positioning on the Arnott shocks is different, and sometimes causes air line too-short length issues and leaks. You can purchase the GM OEM air shocks at more reasonable prices at RockAuto.com and GMPartsDirect.com.

 

[andrwgrcia]

Thank you both. Well, I believe the dealership replaced the compressor, but the current mechanic does not believe it looks new (although most of a year passed between the reported replacement and our bringing it to the new guy). I will try the soapy water.

I will also try to post some pics, although the truck is fairly stock other than a pinstripe and a couple minor interior mods (Boost Auto wireless charger and a Carlinkit 5.0 wireless CarPlay adapter).