new 2009 Tahoe LTZ owner

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

stretchb1953

TYF Newbie
Joined
Jan 27, 2024
Posts
24
Reaction score
39
wife and stepdaughter went out and bought a used 2009 Tahoe with 137,000 miles on it. has some existing problems. think i got the "reduced power" P2138 problem fixed. big problem now is a "suspension system needs serviced" message on dash window. I have no clue as to what this is other than an auto ride system that my Chilton's manual mentioned. where can i find information/repair manuals for this?
 

Joseph Garcia

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
7,340
Reaction score
9,921
Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You can find out what suspension you have from the RPO codes on the sticker inside of the glove box.
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
wife and stepdaughter went out and bought a used 2009 Tahoe with 137,000 miles on it. has some existing problems. think i got the "reduced power" P2138 problem fixed. big problem now is a "suspension system needs serviced" message on dash window. I have no clue as to what this is other than an auto ride system that my Chilton's manual mentioned. where can i find information/repair manuals for this?


Welcome to TYF and congrats on the low-mileage find!

I haven't looked in a Chilton or Haynes manual in YEARS. The internet and forums such as this one you're on now have made them almost obsolete. You can be walked through damned-near anything on your rig or referred to threads where others have already been instructed.

Most likely, your suspension message is referring to the Auto Level Control system. Being an LTZ, my bet is it has this system and, at 137K miles, the air bellows on the shocks have worn through and the compressor worked itself to death trying to air them up. It can easily be disabled to stop the messages. But, first, we need to confirm exactly what you have as there are other possibilities for these messages. Post up some clear pics of the RPO label on the inside of your glove box lid and of your rear shocks.
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
Thank you for the welcome. will get those pics as soon as i can. is the compressor engine driven? shocks i think i can change without to much problem.


It's an electric compressor located in the left rear corner on the side of the frame rail, outer side between the frame and bumper cover. You'll see it when you're inspecting the shocks.
 
OP
OP
stretchb1953

stretchb1953

TYF Newbie
Joined
Jan 27, 2024
Posts
24
Reaction score
39
wife and stepdaughter went out and bought a used 2009 Tahoe with 137,000 miles on it. has some existing problems. think i got the "reduced power" P2138 problem fixed. big problem now is a "suspension system needs serviced" message on dash window. I have no clue as to what this is other than an auto ride system that my Chilton's manual mentioned. where can i find information/repair manuals for this? This is the only tag I could find in the glove box and this is both shocks. Hope it helps.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20240127_145202_BURST001_COVER.jpg
    IMG_20240127_145202_BURST001_COVER.jpg
    285.7 KB · Views: 14
  • IMG_20240127_145145.jpg
    IMG_20240127_145145.jpg
    230.5 KB · Views: 14
  • IMG_20240127_145312_BURST001_COVER.jpg
    IMG_20240127_145312_BURST001_COVER.jpg
    288.1 KB · Views: 12
Last edited by a moderator:

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
Yup. You have ALC (Auto-Level Control) suspension and those air sleeves on the shocks are deteriorated. The usual chain of events is they wear through and leak and the compressor runs more than necessary. The leaks get worse and the compressor eventually runs itself to death. You can replace the shocks and compressor and it'll probably pick up where it left off. OEM shocks, if they're even available, will be really expensive. An aftermarket compressor unit is about $200 last I checked. The shocks have electronically variable valving in addition to the air sleeves. Most, if not all aftermarket shocks that have the air sleeves bypass the electronic valving with a built-in resistor. So the aftermarket shock will connect just like the original with the air and electrical connections, but the variable valving portion won't be operable. The resistor is there just to keep the StabiliTrak and Traction Control Systems happy.

So, if you don't or rarely tow, or don't tow or carry much weight, you can disable the ALC system by removing fuses and install some ~$12 resistors to bypass the other systems. Then, install whatever quality "dumb" shock you want. Bilstein 4600 series are pretty much the #1 choice for this. Lifting or lowering will alter your shock of choice, if either of these are in your plans.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,312
Posts
1,865,771
Members
96,904
Latest member
Nix409

Latest posts

Top