So kinda like the title says, I have an issue with my new to me suburban, I see the rear shocks are completely torn open so no way is anything air working. Started it up and the compressor isn't coming on either. Checked the fuses under the hood and all are good. Checked again, and the compressor never came on.

Very curious if it's normal not to have error lights with this kinda failure, if I should have, since I bought it used, wondering if there is other things rigged that I need to be looking into.

Now for the repair,

So the shop is telling me that the air shocks have been bypassed, even though the boot is ripped open, the shock is acting as a normal shock. Is that BS or ???

What doesn't make sense is no fuses are blown, the compressor doesn't come on. Would I have an error if the compressor was bad? Would anything about the air shocks make the error light come on?

My thought if the shop is right is that the rear shocks are 1) air, and 2) electronic dampening. With the air not doing its job, the electronic dampening is still working and that's why I don't have an error light.

If I"m right, I should be able to unplug the electronic connection from the shock and it will throw a code? If I do this, when I plug it back up, will the code go away?

And if all of this is correct, would it ride better with a normal shock in the rear with a resistor bypass? Or the air ride shocks and compressor replaced? Or this is as good as it's probably going to be and I should leave it alone? My thought is after over a 100K miles, with blown air shocks, it will probably be a noticeable improvement with either new air shocks and compressor or new electronic shocks or just new shocks with out air and without electronics.

Please help
Sub has 144Kmiles and I got it to commute to work and use for the family soccer/dinner transport. It probably will see another 70K miles while I own it.

 

Hello, I have a 2011 Tahoe and my rear right shock is torn as well. The compressor stopped pumping as well. And I do not have any service lights on the dash. As far as I know it rides fine. I have read that system is to level the vehicle when towing or hauling heavy loads.

Hope you found something out. Best wishes

 

Hello, I have a 2011 Tahoe and my rear right shock is torn as well. The compressor stopped pumping as well. And I do not have any service lights on the dash. As far as I know it rides fine. I have read that system is to level the vehicle when towing or hauling heavy loads.

Hope you found something out. Best wishes

 

With a torn shock compressor will burn itself out after a while. Had a line come off a shock on my Tahoe and compressor cooked itself.
It gave no indication of being inop. but I noticed rear end seemed too soft and further listening didn't hear the normal quick run of the comp. on start up.
It is there to level loads IE passengers, cargo or trailer.