SMAX Air Suspension Failure

Alright, SMAX gurus, lend me your wisdom! My 2011 Ford SMAX diesel's air suspension has decided to take a permanent vacation. Symptoms galore: the whole thing's sunk to the bump stops, leaning like a tipsy tower, throwing errors faster than I can clear them, headlights pointing at either the sky or the squirrels, and the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. VCDS points to a compressor issue, and I'm suspecting a dodgy cable or plug connection. Anyone else battled this beast? Before I start ripping things apart, has anyone else seen the same kind of error?

4 comment(s)

Sounds familiar! I've got an SMAX too, and I had similar issues a while back. Vehicle sunk down, warning lights...the whole shebang. Did you check for air leaks in the system before condemning the compressor? I mean, if you have a leak, the compressor will run overtime, and that's a recipe for disaster. Makes you wonder, is it the compressor itself, or is it just working overtime to compensate for a leak?

Good shout on the air leaks! I've given the bags and lines a cursory look, but nothing glaringly obvious. Whereabouts did you find your leak, if you had one? Or was it indeed the compressor in the end? I'm just trying to avoid chucking parts at it without some proper diagnosis.

Nah, I didn't find any leaks, turns out it was the compressor in the end for me. I'm no mechanic, and after a bit of poking around I just bit the bullet and took it to a workshop. Cost me 95€ in parts, but you might get away cheaper if you get a used one. It's worth a shot, isn't it?

Cheers for the input! I had a proper look today and, just like you said, it was indeed the compressor. I managed to source one for a decent price. All fixed now, and the car is finally back to normal!

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