Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Steven J Reimers

Joseph M Raad

Ronald J Collins

Ray A Sackett

Martin Bieber

Christopher A Tallon

Kelly H Jones

Christine L Gordon

A method for preventing undesirable lowering of an air suspension system for a motor vehicle includes the steps of sensing vehicle speed of the motor vehicle, determining whether the sensed vehicle speed is equal to a predetermined speed, venting air from the air suspension system to lower a vehicle body of the motor vehicle if the sensed vehicle speed is equal to the predetermined speed, sensing height of corners of the vehicle body, calculating a height rate for the corners of the vehicle body based on the sensed height, determining whether a height rate of a corner of the vehicle body is greater than a predetermined rate, and disabling or halting venting of the air suspension system if the height rate of a corner of the vehicle body is greater than the predetermined rate.

Method for preventing undesirable lowering of an air suspension system

A method for allowing enhanced driver selection of suspension damping and steering efforts for a motor vehicle includes the steps of presenting to a driver of the motor vehicle a plurality of suspension damping modes and steering efforts modes for the motor vehicle, allowing the driver to select only predetermined combinations of the suspension damping modes and steering efforts modes, and adjusting the suspension damping and steering efforts of the motor vehicle based on the predetermined combination selected by the driver, and automatically adjusting the modes based on predetermined conditions.

Method for allowing enhanced driver selection of suspension damping and

An apparatus calibrates a suspension control module of a vehicle to within a preselected tolerance of a predetermined ride height with reference to the vehicle coordinate system, the vehicle having at least one adjustable suspension unit interposed between the sprung and unsprung vehicle mass. The calibration is adjusted for rigid body cross-talk and for suspension system overshoot and undershoot. The apparatus includes a first device for measuring a first distance corresponding to an actual ride height of a vehicle and for generating a first signal representative thereof and a second device for measuring a second distance between the vehicle sprung and unsprung mass and for generating a second signal thereof. The apparatus also includes a processor operatively associated with the first and second measuring devices for comparing the first and second signals and calculating a deviation between the signals, the processor being operative to generate a third signal corresponding to the deviation and store this deviation in the suspension control module. A centering mechanism on the apparatus centers the vehicle over the first measuring device prior to calibration of the suspension control module.

Apparatus and method for calibrating vehicle ride height

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Allen Park, MI, United States of America

Steven J Reimers