98 Tc air suspension issue

last week i woke up and the rear end was on the ground, started the car, and it pumped up, stayed up. drove to the mall the next day, about 4 miles...while inside the mall it sank again, and would not lift back up.

the compressor kicks on, and i cant hear any leaks like some people have said they could.

unfortunatly because its 3 inches from the ground, i cant get under it to look for anything physically..im hoping i can fix it myself instead of getting grilled at a shop, considering how tight i am on money atm...

anyone have any ideas on how to isolate the problem?

You're going to have to jack up the car and inspect those bags. It's not easy but can be done. Don't forget to to turn off the suspension switch. Jack the car up and let the rear end hang down, it's the only way to see all of the air bags. Inspect the bags for large cracks by the base, check to see that height sensor is intact. Most likely your air bags are leaking.

Sounds like a leaking rear airspring to me, too. These airsprings have an average service life of approximately 15 years. Some can fail sooner. Any holding air after 15 years are living on borrowed time. I just replaced the two front airsprings on my 89 Mark VII. This was a very easy repair once I saw instructions and pictures.

If the leak is slow enough that you can still raise the rear, at least long enough to jack up the car, then do so. Then turn off the air suspension by the switch in the trunk before raising the car. With the car supported on jack stands, you can spray the rubber portion of the springs with dishsoap and water to check for bubbles to see which one is leaking.

For replacement airsprings, check out www.bagmasterair.com (http://www.bagmasterair.com) . They have a good reputation and their rebuilt units are better than OEM and cost half the price. I have heard of other independent suppliers that are cheaper, but their quality appears cheaper, as well.

For additional information on airspring replacement, visit www.thelincolnmarkviiclub.org (http://www.thelincolnmarkviiclub.org) or www.lincolnsonline.com (http://www.lincolnsonline.com) .