ARC problems....

3.8

Registered User
Hey all, one of the many things wrong with my baby when I bought it was a flashing "Firm Ride" light. It blinks 1 time every 5 or 6 seconds.

Edit: When the switch is in the Firm Ride position it will blink only once. When it is put in the Auto Ride position it will blink 3 times.


Then I found this information posted by the guy who used to own the car I bought

I had a really bad problem with my battery dying and i got a new battery and check all my connections, alternator, cables and it was none of them. I opened the hood after it had set for about 10 hours and felt my Auto Ride Control (ARC) motors on top of the front shocks and they were hot. I pulled the fuse for them that is located just behind the battery and it hasnt died since. I asked a mechanic and he said the ride control computer was shot. It was causing the motors to run until the battery died even thought the car was off. Hope that helps.



I checked and the fuse near the battery and it is still missing. Are there any other fuses in the ARC circuit or is this the only one? Is it possible for the ride control computer to be defective as described in the above quote? What else would make the acuators get hot?

And would shocks and springs from a '92 Sport bolt-on to my '90 SC?







:confused:
 
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I would start by checking the two relays next to the ARC module in the trunk:
1) There is a 15 Amp fuse through which the relay coils are supplied with 12 volts in RUN. The purple/orange wire that runs to each of the relays should show 12 volts only when the key is in the RUN position.
2) One of the relays might be stuck in the closed position. Pins 3 and 4 for both relays should be open when the ignition is off (tan/black wire to black/orange wire at one relay and tan/red to black/orange at the second relay). Alternatively, with the 30 Amp fuse back in its socket and the ignition off, you should have 0 volts at pin 3 (tan/black or tan/red, depending on the relay). If you have 12 volts at pin 3, then the relay is stuck in the closed position.
 
Thanks, I will check them out and report back with the results. It may not be until next weekend though until I have some time to mess with it... unless I find some time later this afternoon.
 
I have an ARC computer and 4 modules that I just picked up off ebay, but will probably not be using them. $25 bucks shipped if you are interested. I bought this with the intentions of fixing the system I have, but have decided to do away with the ARC all together.
 
Thanks guys for answering this post. I asked the exact same question 2 days ago :mad: (roughly 6 lines down from this one) and it dropped right down. But either way i can't complain, my question was anwered so it's all good. :D

But 3.8 i had the same problem. But i never linked that ARC actuators being hot with that problem till you said that. I did think it was odd they were always warm. Well the fuse definately fixed the problem...but i miss having functional ARC.
 
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