Originally Posted by gerryvz

The suspension light should be on when the lever is in ANY position OTHER THAN the "all the way in" (normal operation) position. The car should always be left with the lever all the way in, unless it is going to be raised on a jack/lift (when the lever should be pulled out one stop) or moved slowly over rough/high terrain (when the lever should be pulled out to raise the car up). I also used to raise my car up all the way when I would change the oil -- made for very easy oil changes.

The engine must be running to develop hydraulic pressure when the system is raised or lowered.

Of course the sleeve trick was successful -- that's how I know that it was. And this is the only difference between the suspension on US and non-US cars. A simple piece of aluminum.

The lever should be left in 99% of the time. Really the only time you want to lock it, is when the car is being raised on a lift or jack. Locking it does nothing if the car is parked, because leaks can be anywhere in the system (struts, connectors, accumulators, axle valves, main valve, etc.) and simply locking the system doesn't necessarily prevent fluid from leaking at a fitting or whatnot.

Read the instruction manual for more info on operation.

Cheers,
Gerry