A luxurious, silky-smooth ride was one of the key features of the Lincoln Continental during its heyday. The vehicle’s advanced active air ride system provided top-tier comfort for drivers and passengers — until it wore out. Lincoln Continental air suspension problems are a common issue with the vehicles, degrading that celebrated ride quality.
In this article, our experts take a look at the air suspension issues that Continental owners deal with most often and how to catch them early. We also cover your options for a solution to those problems and insight into which of those options may be right for you.
Common Lincoln Continental Air Suspension Problems
With a network made up of moving parts and computer-controlled components, there are many points of potential failure in the Lincoln Continental air suspension. However, a few issues are a much more regular sighting than others.
These include:
Faulty air compressor
Leaking air springs
Malfunctioning ride height sensors
Worn-out seals and gaskets
The air delivery lines used to carry pressurized air through the system are another common source of trouble. As one Reddit user said on a thread about Lincoln Continental air suspension problems, “[There] could be a leak in one of the supplying air lines or connector, or the air spring has failed itself.”
Lincoln Continental Air Suspension Problems: Early Warning Signs
The Continental displays a warning sign that reads “Check Air Suspension System” when the vehicle detects a problem with the air ride. However, there are signs that things are going wrong that may appear even before the Lincoln diagnostic system detects them.
Here are a few early warning signs of a failing air suspension in your Lincoln Continental:
Poor handling: When the air suspension starts to wear out, it can’t provide the support for handling the Continental it’s designed to. If your Lincoln feels like it’s drifting or swaying when turning, your suspension could be on its way out.
Unable to maintain ride height: If your Continental sits lower than it should while driving, this is a telltale sign that your air suspension isn’t functioning properly.
Braking issues: A car’s suspension is responsible for absorbing the force of bringing it to a stop. If your Continental is taking a long time to stop and you know the braking system is in good shape, your air suspension is probably compromised.
Sitting low: You may also notice that your Lincoln isn’t sitting as high as it should while at rest. This sagging issue occurs most often in the rear of a Continental, but it can happen at any of its four corners.
Compressor noise: The suspension compressor in your Continental is barely audible when things are working well. But if there is a leak somewhere in the system, the compressor will work harder to keep things inflated. This can result in it making an excessive amount of noise while running, or cycling for longer than it should.
Lincoln Continental Air Suspension Problems: Solutions
It is critical that you don’t ignore air ride issues when you notice them in your Continental. Problems with the air suspension can get much worse very quickly, and can even cause damage to other systems in the vehicle.
You have a few options when it comes to fixing your Lincoln air suspension problems. We explore those options in the following sections.
Repair Lincoln Continental Air Suspension
The service center at the Lincoln dealership can repair the air suspension on your Continental. This involves replacing faulty air ride components with matching parts from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). While this seems like the obvious solution, it’s almost always an expensive one.
On average, the cost to replace just a single air spring in a Lincoln Continental is $989, according to data from RepairPal. Even if that’s the only repair you need right now, you’ll almost certainly need to replace other components in the near future.
Eventually, you’ll have to spend several thousand dollars to keep the air suspension in your Continental in good working order. You’ll also have to make repeat trips to the dealership as things fail over time.
Replace Lincoln Continental Air Ride: Conversion Kit
You have a much simpler, more affordable option for fixing your Continental air suspension problems with a Strutmasters Lincoln Continental suspension conversion kit. With this kit, you can fully replace your faulty air ride with a much more dependable passive coilover suspension. This solution ends your air suspension problems forever, and typically costs less than replacing one air strut on your Lincoln.
Lincoln Continental Air Suspension Conversion Kit Advantages
Switching your Continental to coils with a conversion kit can save you thousands of dollars. But that’s not the only benefit. There are a few other upsides to converting your air suspension instead of repairing it, including:
Worry-free suspension: The replacement suspension that comes in our conversion kit has no moving parts or electronics, meaning there’s very little that can go wrong with it. You’ll never have to wonder what the next thing to go wrong is again.
Quality ride: Strutmasters designs its conversion kits to provide a ride that comes as close as possible to your Continental’s original suspension fresh from the factory. Thanks to precision engineering, you’ll get back to that luxury gliding feeling your Lincoln is known for.
Long-lasting performance: These kits are made from the best materials for the job and manufactured according to Strutmasters’ strict quality standards. That means you can expect a comfortable ride and great handling for many years into the future.
Easy installation: We’ve also designed these kits to be as quick and effortless to install as possible. That means you won’t have to spend a fortune at the shop to make the switch. If you’re reasonably handy, you may even want to do the installation yourself at home to save even more money.
Strutmasters Lincoln Continental Air Suspension Conversion: Best Value
Your choice for how to fix your Lincoln Continental suspension problems comes down to spending thousands of dollars and countless hours at the dealership to repair it, or spending much less on a conversion kit to end those problems once and for all. For most Continental owners, going with a Strutmasters suspension conversion kit is an easy choice.
Browse our site to find a kit that matches your Continental if you’re ready to convert and get back on the road in comfort. If you have any questions, our Suspension Experts are standing by at our Roxboro, NC headquarters ready to answer them. Our team can help you make sure you get the exact kit you need for your Lincoln Continental, and even find a Strutmasters-approved mechanic to install it. Just ask for a list of members of our preferred shop partner network in your area.
