GMC Yukon Denali/XL Autoride Suspension

keithb4keithb4 Member Posts: 2
edited June 2015 in GMC
I have owned an 03 Denali for two years. Recently whenever I start up, I hear a motor running which sounds like a compressor from under thr rear of the car. I believe this is the Autoride feature. Thing is, when I first bought the car, it would only run if I had a load in the back, or put a trailer on. Now it runs every time I start up. Ideas?


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How To Replace Air Shock Compressor Motor
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  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    Sorry, I can not speak exactly to your model year as I have an 07 Denali; but, with my 07 Denali, the Autoride system does run for a few seconds each time I start it up. The system also releases air out of the system when I turn the ignition off, which lowers the vehicle by about half to an inch... With your Autoride system, I would say the key is to make sure that the compressor stops running after a few seconds of pumping; if it runs all the time or runs periodically every few minutes (while the engine is running with the vehicle parked), then I would be concerned about a possible leak in the system... Let's hope this is not the case as each replacement OEM Air Shock is in the $300+ range... ouch!
  • keithb4keithb4 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, that confirms my suspicions that I have a leak. It runs for about 20-30 seconds every time I start the car, and randomly while I am driving. Looks like I need a trip to the mechanic.

    Thanks for your help.
  • USMC_WifeyUSMC_Wifey Member Posts: 3
    Hi all! I have an '02 Yukon XL w/ autoride. My front right and left rear are shot and need to be repaired. I have been told by 2 separate mechanics that I need to replace all 4 (not just the two bad ones) b/c of the design. It will cost me in excess of $2400 to fix this. My car is sitting at 113K, recently replaced the entire intake manifold, had the throttle body replaced, new brakes, and regular maintenance. I am, over all, worried about final cost.

    My choices?

    1. repair and keep the car til it dies a miserable death b/c fixing the suspension will get me at LEAST another 75K miles!

    2. Trade it in and buy a new-to-me one (maybe an '05 or '06) b/c the cost of repair is more then I should pay given the value of the car.

    3. Other -- b/c there is always an other

    Help! What would you do and why? Thanks for the help!
    Anna
  • USMC_WifeyUSMC_Wifey Member Posts: 3
    Yup! That is exactly what it is Keithb4... Mine was doing that and it was a leak.
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    Parts wise for both rear autoride shocks are around $600 at your local GMC dealerships (its about $100 less per shock if you get them other than your local GM dealerships), as price for the front pair its the same story; so for all 4 shocks, the parts price is at about $1200, that means the remaining $1200 are mostly for labor... which in my opinion is a bit too pricey. I tend to agree about replacing all 4, but, not at the labor rate they are charging.

    Assuming you only need to replace all 4 Autoride shocks (no air line leakage or compressor and position sensor issues), you may consider an option #4 if you feel up to it, that is to order your own parts/shocks and have the mechanic replace them for you. Check out the store in the URL below (just found this place a couple of days ago...) where you can purchase the exact same OEM shocks for the front (Part Number 00GMOEF) and rear (Part Number 00GMOER)... Good Luck to you!

    http://www.arnottindustries.com/part_GMC_Air_Suspension_Parts_yid15_pid95.html
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    BTW, if you do choose option #4, be sure you have all the right shocks before going to your reliable mechanic. The part numbers I had in the post were from the Arnott site, double check with them for your specific model before ordering...
  • jgconstrjgconstr Member Posts: 1
    arnott Inc has replacement parts oem for 1/3 the price and great service there on line just got shocks for 2004 suburban autoride. But I will install my self good luck
  • vic136vic136 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 02 Yukon Denali for about 5 yrs, the compressor a the rear of the truck has not turned on for the past couple of week. Is my compressor bad and is it an easy fix?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Check the fuse first.
  • dbrown6dbrown6 Member Posts: 4
    I have the same problem on my 02 Denali XL. I tested all the fuses, no bad fuses. I don't see a label that clearly indicates a "auto-ride" compressor or any other variation that I would relate to the suspension. Am I not the master of the obvious or is there another name for the auto ride fuse? The truck now sags just a bit when it is loaded. I don't notice any big change in handling, it just does not sit level at all times.
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    My 2002 Yukon XL did not pump up to level yesterday when I had a load on. Where is the fuse for the compressor located.
    Thanks
    Jim
  • dbrown6dbrown6 Member Posts: 4
    Under the hood over the left fender. Mine was good. Either I have no bleed down or my pump just doesn't work. It's cheaper to have a failed pump!
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    Checked the fuse and it was OK. I will check the levers that make the compressor engage. I do not have any message at the dash saying anything is wrong.
  • marymc73marymc73 Member Posts: 4
    LOUD NOISE FROM REAR OF TRUCK FROM TIME TO TIME. SOUNDS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE GAS TANK AT TIME AND THEN AGIAN IT SONUDS LIKE IT MAY FROM UNDER THE RIGHT DIVER SIDE TIRE. ALSO WHAT IS THE RIDE CONTROL? THE DISPLAY IS SAYING TO SERVICE IT.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Can you describe the noise?

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • marymc73marymc73 Member Posts: 4
    sounds like a grinding sound ,like when the fule pump is turning on only louder and last longer and 10-15sec.
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    Not knowing your particular Year and Model, your vehicle probably has the factory Auto ride height adjustment system (aka Auto Leveling system); some where in this system there is a fault, which the display is telling you to bring it to your nearby dealership for service. The fault can range from a leaky component (air hose, one of the air shocks), a bad height position sensor, electric connection to your on-board compressor to a bad compressor and etc... Hope its nothing serious. Good Luck!
  • USMC_WifeyUSMC_Wifey Member Posts: 3
    I agree with previous poster. I had the exact same problem it was really problematic. When you have one bag that is leaking, you have to replace all of it. I took it to about 8 different people for estimates for repair and the best deal I got was $2000 to replace the air ride suspension or $1500 to buy the parts and have someone completely remove it and just use regular shocks. Good luck!
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    Take a look at this place called Arnott, they carry the OEM shocks and components for quite reasonable price; but we have to find and do the repair ourselves, or pay more $$$ for others to fix.
    http://www.arnottindustries.com/part_GMC_Air_Suspension_Parts_yid15.html
  • ssgrock3ssgrock3 Member Posts: 4
    which fuse is it?
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    In case your's is a different year, the best thing is to look under the box cover for specific fuse location for the system.
  • hiwasseehiwassee Member Posts: 3
    Hi folks, I would like to find the location of my compressor pump, my ride is rideing on the axle, the fuse is ok, but no sound coming from the pump and no dash info.
    2002 Denali XL 145,000 mi.
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    The Auto Level Control (ALC) air compressor should be on the driver-side behind the left rear wheel wall mounted on the outer side of the frame and can be accessed from under the vehicle.
    PS. Besides the fuse, have you also verified the ALC Relay under the hood (in a black relay/fuse box)?
  • hiwasseehiwassee Member Posts: 3
    I was unable to find a alc relay but I did find a
    RTD autoride ( real time damping ) would this be the right relay?
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    Yes, it could. Make sure its not the cause before you tackle wiring and the compressor. Good Luck.
  • jtm2004jtm2004 Member Posts: 2
    I'm considering purchasing a new yukon denali but I'm concerned about possible issues with the autoride suspension. I pickup about 600-800lbs of business supplies every week. The drive is a only a short distance but am I setting myself up for persistant autoride suspension issues?
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    In my opinion, as long as you are within the allowed carrying weight of your vehicle they should be fine, which is true for any suspension system OEM or aftermarket. Just keep in mind, when your vehicle is carrying a heavy load, speed and road condition can most certainly contribute to the ware & tare of your suspension. FYI, I had a 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser, it suppose to be bullet-proof, right? Well, let me just say that my TLC has been a perfect SUV until I had to trade it in for my current 2007 Yukon Denali. Nothing is perfect, but, so far my 07 Denali has been problem free other than an initial recall to fix the battery drain issue.
  • hiwasseehiwassee Member Posts: 3
    well folks, i went to the dealer ship and got a alc relay but can't find it in the fuse box under the hood of my 2001, only the rtd fuse. dont know to go from here.
  • boatergalboatergal Member Posts: 2
    Wondering how long the shocks, rear pinion seal/shaft, and fronts struts should last on this vehicle? I have 83,000kms which are all to and from my 3 kids sports. I tow a tandem jet ski trailer on occasion. I took it in to the dealership for it's semi annual servicing, and have the brakes done(told back in June that they would need to be done this fall) and was absolutely horrified to find out that apparently my shocks were cracked and leaking and needed to be replaced. They also said that the rear pinion seal was leaking. A $2.75 part cost $240. in labour! My total bill by the time everything was fixed, $2600. I've only had this vehicle for 3 1/2 years!
    I phoned GM and the service person said she would look into this and get back to me, but never has.
    This vehicle has been in for recalls, and warranty work since the day I got it, on a very regular basis, and as much as I love it, I'm really getting fed up. :lemon: ?
    Hopefully someone can enlighten me on the life expectancy on shocks.
  • gmni32gmni32 Member Posts: 2
    i am getting a motor sound humm when i turn my key to the on positon...and again after i crank the vehicle...now...i am aware of the auto leveling system...but should i be able to hear it to a point that whoever is around turns and gives and funny stare..what can i do to silent the noise a bit
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    The humming sound is coming from your on-board compressor, a part of your auto leveling system. You are absolutely correct. The compressor should turn ON for several seconds when the ignition is turned on or started your engine. Unless the load to your vehicle increases, otherwise, in my case, I have not observed/noticed it ever comes on again until the next time I turned the ignition on. If your on-board compressor turns-on/off every so often when the ignition remained on or engine running without any increase to the load, then that may be a sign of a leak in the auto leveling system. The compressor is most likely located behind the driver-side rear wheel wall, mounted on the outer side of the H frame, there should be a shield around the compressor to keep most of the road debris away from the compressor as well as keeping certain amount of the humming noise within... check to make sure the shield is not coming apart/off...
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    How long shocks/struts last, that in my opinion depend on a combination of driving style, road conditions and how much load you carry using your vehicle... As far as the pinion seal, I have seen some lasted the live of a vehicle, while some with minor sippage (i.e. wet appearance around the outer seal area), and for some unlucky owners had to replace the seal within 10K miles. Double check with your dealership, I thought with the exception of tires, brakes, shocks, otherwise, the pinion seal may be covered under the powertrain warranty for 7 years or so...???
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    Has anyone removed the compressor and shocks and installed shocks from a non-autoride Yukon/Suburban. Will this work.
  • boatergalboatergal Member Posts: 2
    I had the work done at the dealership, and I even phoned GM Canada directly, and both said that the repairs were not part of the warranty.
    Thanks for your reply.
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    Has anyone converted the autoride on a Yukon XL to convertional style shocks? If so what shocks did you use?
    Thanks
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    I have not done it before, but I have heard and also seen it done before (on a TV program call Trucks on the PowerblockTV.com). If I recall correctly, the replacement gas charged shocks were by Bilstein, and the kits comes with some sort of plug to fake the OEM circuit from displaying an error message all the time on your dash. I tried to find that episode, but I was not successful, Sorry. Just in case, in that episode, they were replacing the OEM autoride system on a 2007 White colored Tahoe/Yukon...

    http://www.powerblocktv.com/site3/index.php/trucks
  • marcjsmarcjs Member Posts: 1
    Getting ready to go on holiday road trip up north. I don't know if there's anything that needs to be done in the event that the AWD system is needed, nor can I really tell if it's been active in the time since I've owned it. I know the full-time AWD is different than true 4wd system that I've had in the past, but I'd feel a lot better knowing its active when it counts.

    Are there any displays that let me know it's active if the conditions get bad?
  • dena01dena01 Member Posts: 1
    Hello I have the same problem on my denali 2001 You know it's kinda embarrassing . Did you fix your problem ? if so please let me know how . Thank you
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    I have not fixed the problem yet. I installed a T and bypassed the compressor but I am leaking the air out almost as soon as it is pumped in. It has gotten cold here since I did that and have not had time or good weather to find the leak.
  • gmni32gmni32 Member Posts: 2
    well...i finally actually climbed underneath where the compressor is located. To my surprise the screws that hold the compressor to the bracket have a rubber type spacer with a metal inside that fits around the screw to i guess seperate the compressor from actually rested metal on metal....(in case you havent realized already..i am not really at my best when it comes to working on cars)...so..my compressor, every time it kicked on, actually was vibrating loosely which made it sound loud..so..pressed for time ...i ran to parts store to look for said spacer with the metal inside which noone carries except for i was told the dealer..well...long story short...made a make shift spacer myself...tightend down as much as i could...still can hear it when it kicks on...but not so much....i guess it would be impossible to not hear it at all when it kicks on...so...oh well...got cold..havent been to dealer for correct spacer...
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    jim334, by bypassed the compressor, (I don't recall your particular model year - if the autoride is only for the rear suspension or all 4 corners...) all shocks are operating without air-pressure which potentially can damage them. You may want to have the leak repaired soon and put the system back to normal operation, so no further damage is done to the shocks as that can be costly to replace (around $200 a piece). Below is one of the sites I found in the past with reasonable prices just in case you are interested:
    http://www.arnottindustries.com/part_CHEVROLET_Air_Suspension_Parts_yid11_pid92.- html
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the information. I am still planning on converting to traditional shocks. I have information that the GM Z71 package shocks will interchange. Do you know for sure?
    jim
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    Come to think of it, I did see someone had done that on his Avalanche, replaced the autoride shocks with gas-charged shock by Bilstein (similar to the Z71 shocks). You may want to contact Bilstein to see if they can help. Aside from the shock fitment, you may also want to check to see any "gadget" Bilstein may supply to trick-out/by-pass your on-board computer from displaying an autoride related error message as the system is unplugged... I will continue to check around off-line, if I find anything specific, I will post it here. Good Luck to ya!
    http://www.bilsteinus.com/contact.php
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    After my post below, I googled on "Convert autoride to standard shocks" and found quite a bunch of discussions to this topic, but two of which have some, in my opinion, pretty good detail and information that will help (assuming Bilstein can't). Their URLs are:
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0af225/18
    http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/general-discussion/technical-maintenance/291- 516-autoride-disconnect.html
  • wickn2lowickn2lo Member Posts: 3
    I also have a 2004 denali xl i was wondering how your vehicle felt prior to you replacing your shocks and did any lights come on to let you know that they were bad? And did that fix your problem and how many miles did you have when they went bad? Thanks
  • ukondoitukondoit Member Posts: 28
    It's my understanding that if you have Stabiltrac, that you should not use the Bilstein shocks since they don't have the ability to change the shock dampening that normally changes with vehicle speed if you have the OEM shocks. Does anyone have any other input on this?
  • ukondoitukondoit Member Posts: 28
    I have a 2004-Yukon XL Denali with an intermittant ride control problem. Intermittantly we see a Service Ride Control mesage on the dash display, but sometimes the system works fine. Sometimes, I know that the shocks have no air at all and other times they are fine. Sometimes I hear a load hissing sound that is coming from the left rear quarter section. I poped off the access panel where the jack is located in the fender well and it sounds like the hissing air leak is coming from there. Vehicle has 110 miles on it. Any ideas?
  • rshtrsht Member Posts: 277
    I have an 07 Denali, so I hope I am not going to miss lead you... the compressor for the autoride system on mine is accessible from under the vehicle, behind the Left/Driver-side rear wheel well, mounted on the frame. Once you open the cover around the compressor, you should see the lines/hoses to each of the shocks, hope you will find the leak there.
  • tazz1037tazz1037 Member Posts: 2
    Being half an idiot, I didn't know the fronts were hook up to the autoride system. I had Bilsteins put in for $200 and the truck rides great. Delphis were blown out badly. Made it two days before the light came on so I was hoping I had load assist only. Not so lucky so I'm going to buy the Delphi shocks for the front and wait until the rears go before I get the Arnott System.

    What is the sensor looking for on the front shock? There is no air line to it so does the sensor control anything? Why not cut off the top of the old shock and plug in the sensor to the cut off piece of the shock?
  • jim334jim334 Member Posts: 9
    I just put Z71 replacements on all four today. I will let you know how it does.
    Jim
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