shellshock

I was driving home tonight on the freeway and the steering just didn't feel right. It was all loose and twitchy feeling. I pulled over and checked my tires, all was good. I then pushed down on the left front fender. It felt solid and firm like it should. I then did the same to the passenger fender. The car was bouncy on this side, like a normal coil spring car that has a blown shock.

No airmatic failure warnings, pump noise, or air loss. The car can sit for days and stay level.

Any clue as to what can be the problem?

samdon

There is a hydraulic shock within the Airmatic unit. I assume it could fail just like one in a conventional setup though I have never heard of that happening without there first being a airbag failure. Air shocks produce much lighter oscillations than steel springs so the bounce/jounce is a lot less traumatic to dampers.

My left rear airbag went south in spectacular fashion while traveling over a gigantic blob of asphalt left by the DOT. The force was so great that it popped the airbag instantly and went on to destroy the hydraulic unit. There was oil splattered everywhere. The boot would have contained it but, as with most original shock units, it was in tatters.

Sam