Air Suspension Pumps

Air suspension systems provide drivers of luxury cars and sport utility vehicles with a smoother ride and improved handling. Air springs help maintain ride height even when a car or truck is heavily loaded or towing a trailer. When air springs sink due to a leak or faulty compressor, the vehicle becomes either impossible or less safe to drive.

Coil spring conversion kits from RockAuto were one good option when air suspension parts were unavailable or outrageously priced at the car dealer. Simply throw out the air suspension and replace it with conventional springs and shocks. RockAuto’s selection of air suspension components has increased, and now owners of many vehicles have more options for affordably retaining the original air suspension along with its benefits.

RockAuto offers new air suspension compressors from Cardone, Dorman and Westar for your luxury car or sport utility vehicle. These units are direct replacements to restore ride quality at a reasonable price. Each unit is designed to be plug-and-play, allowing for easy installation to get your vehicle up and running quickly. Each unit is tested vigorously by the manufacturer to verify performance is equal to or better than original equipment.

Cardone, Dorman & Westar Air Suspension Pumps

You can find new compressors in the RockAuto catalog for vehicles from the 1990 Lincoln Town Car to the 2005 Chevy Tahoe to the 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport in the “Suspension” category under “Air Compressor”. “Suspension” is also where to find new Air Springs, Shock Absorber Conversion Kits, Electronic Suspension Control Modules and other parts to restore or replace air suspensions.

Forum of the Month

F150Ecoboost.net is the "go to place" for information on the twin turbo F150. This forum aims to be a friendly and educational community dedicated to everything about the Ecoboost line of Ford Trucks.

Popular topics from general maintenance to performance, as well as competitive comparisons and purchasing tips are all discussed.

Registration is quick and free!


If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact marketing@rockauto.com.

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Recently, my 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis began exhibiting signs of an electrical issue. The instrument cluster lights went dark, along with the radio and automatic climate control. I managed to make it home safely and immediately began to diagnose the issue. I checked all the relevant fuses, everything looked okay, so I moved on to the engine wiring, battery and alternator. The battery was brand new and tested okay, so I tested the alternator - bingo! The battery was showing 12.0V under load, so clearly current was not getting to the battery.

After installing the new alternator, I torqued everything to spec and fired the engine up! I tested the current at the battery and...still 12 volts! I verified the ground connection, alternator-to-battery cable continuity, and all the connections I could think of, but could not figure out why the alternator was not producing current. I had run out of time to work on my vehicle that weekend, so I left it for the next.

The next weekend came, and again I re-checked and tested all the fuses, wires and the alternator itself. I fired the car up to test the current. Still 12 volts! At this point I had neither the energy nor the time to continue troubleshooting this issue, so I had the car towed to my local Ford dealer. Perhaps this was something they had seen before?

The next day the Ford mechanic called to inform me that they've fixed the issue. Elated that the issue wasn't as complex as I thought it might be, I asked for the cause. Turns out, although I had connected the alternator and battery, I had forgotten to reconnect the voltage regulator plug on the new alternator.

Lesson learned: double check ALL connections, and then double check them again!

Sean in Washington

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

Automotive Trivia

Speedometer cables used on antique vehicles connect mechanically to the backside of the speedometer's needle using gears. As the vehicle goes faster, the speedometer cable spins faster and a watch-like gear set moves the needle further to the right.

True or false?


Answer below

The Automotive Equivalent of Swiss Watchmakers

The speedometer on my family’s 1992 Dodge B250 van worked intermittently for the past few months. Often the needle stayed on zero when the van first hit the road, and then the speedometer would spontaneously start up and work normally for the rest of the drive. Without any speed data, the computer would not shift the transmission into overdrive. I was finally moved to take action after the speedometer’s condition deteriorated from occasionally broken to rarely working.

My brother remembered “recently” installing a new speed sensor on this family heirloom van. However, after looking at past parts orders in his RockAuto account, we discovered the van got its last new speed sensor nine years ago! Time flies. (Click on “Log In or Create Account (Optional)” in the upper right corner of the catalog to create a RockAuto account and see your past parts orders.)

The van’s speed sensor is mounted on the side of the transmission. This speed sensor has one electrical connector and attaches with one nut. It literally took five minutes to scoot under the van, remove the old speed sensor and install a new one. The repair was so quick, I had time to have a little fun figuring out how the speedometer sensor worked. I carried the old sensor to the laboratory section of my garage (where I keep the hacksaw), and I took it apart.

Dissected Speed Sensor

This sensor replaced the mechanical speedometer cable used on older versions of Chrysler’s 727 transmission. Instead of spinning a speedometer cable, the transmission spins a magnetic disk inside the sensor. The magnetic disk hovers over a reed switch. The switch closes when a magnet is near and it opens when the magnet moves away. An octagon of less-magnetic metal is attached to the side of the magnetic disk facing the reed switch. As the disk spins, the points of the octagon block the magnetic field and the switch opens. The switch closes again after the octagon’s point moves on and the magnetic field returns. This generates a frequency of on/off electrical pulses that the van’s computer uses to calculate speed.

Most modern vehicles also use various types of electromagnetic pulse generating sensors on their transmissions and/or on their wheels (as part of the anti-lock brake system (ABS)). The magnetic sensors typically react and generate electrical pulses as the metal teeth of a spinning gear pass by.

Using a magnet to close a switch or alter current flowing through a coil of wire is easy to understand. What is really impressive is the precision with which these sensors need to be built to generate consistent pulses that a computer can read. If one part is slightly too far away, is covered with a layer of corrosion or wobbles a little too much, then the sensor will not work. The magnetic gizmo in my new sensor is happily spinning away while sitting on the dirty underside of the van, about six inches (15 cm) away from the hot catalytic converter. Airtex/Wells, Delphi, Standard Motor Products (SMP) and RockAuto’s other speed sensor manufacturers are the automotive equivalent of Swiss watchmakers! See the speed sensor for your specific vehicle under the “Electrical” or “Brake/Wheel Hub” category in the RockAuto catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

No, it's not a muscle car - but it's mine.

I purchased my 1968 Volkswagen Beetle almost 25 years ago from the original owner. It's as stock and original as I have been able to keep it. I am pretty new to discovering RockAuto - but love the parts and great prices! I recently had to replace my starter. RockAuto had the original Bosch part at an amazing price. My Beetle now starts like a champ!

RockAuto is now the first place I look for parts for my Beetle!

Doug in Georgia

© 1999-2015 RockAuto, LLC - Madison, Wisconsin USA. RockAuto name, logo and ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED are registered trademarks of RockAuto, LLC. Manufacturer names and logos in the RockAuto catalog are trademarks of their respective companies and are used only to identify their products. All rights reserved.