P38 Air suspension help needed...

Hi all.
Today have returned from Salisbury to Sheffield on the bumpstops.....It was crap. The car was fine yesterday, but this morning EAS fault and 35 mph only....Was not so bad on motorways, but on the bumpy roads.....
Had a look when I have got home and there is no suction from the pump inlet. No noise either. Should there be a sound with the pump operation?
Also I have purchased the EAS software and cable a bit back , but can not install the rotten thing on my laptop so it is works...
Anyone around Sheffield who could help please?
Any ideas would be welcomed....

The EAS software is free from RSW??? Go to the RSW site, you need to down load some additional Windows software, can't remember the name exactly, something like Net server, you'll find the details from RSW.

Pump will not run if you have a hard fault. Don't bother to look for the problem, just get the software working and read the faults, clear them and see if the suspension comes back up or not, then either way, re-read the faults.

Thanks for that. I have spent hours with the damned program.....Tells me that I have the wrong port. I have been on the mentioned website, but no joy....

Andras said:

Thanks for that. I have spent hours with the damned program.....Tells me that I have the wrong port. I have been on the mentioned website, but no joy....

Click to expand...

Thats easy, just change the selected port, you can manually select all the comms ports. I have to change mine to Comm 4

Come and do mine too please.....I can not manage......

What about this? From the rangerovernet...


If the compressor does not run when it should, possible causes include:

Failure of the pump motor
Blown fuse 44, Maxi Fuse 2, or Relay 20 (all in the engine compartment fuse box)
Faulty thermal cutout switch in the compressor
Faulty pressure switch in the EAS valve block
Faulty EAS ECU

The easiest way to diagnose the power flow is to unplug relay 20, connect its output socket to 12V and see if the pump runs. If so, the pump itself is obviously OK, and one of the other faults is present.

Andras said:

Come and do mine too please.....I can not manage......

What about this? From the rangerovernet...


If the compressor does not run when it should, possible causes include:

Failure of the pump motor
Blown fuse 44, Maxi Fuse 2, or Relay 20 (all in the engine compartment fuse box)
Faulty thermal cutout switch in the compressor
Faulty pressure switch in the EAS valve block
Faulty EAS ECU

The easiest way to diagnose the power flow is to unplug relay 20, connect its output socket to 12V and see if the pump runs. If so, the pump itself is obviously OK, and one of the other faults is present.

Click to expand...

Don't waste your time, the pump will not run because you have a hard fault (Slow £35mph) message. Are you using a serial to USB adaptor for your laptop? If so that could be your problem. I assume the software loads and runs but just does not connect to the comm port?

It's a long way from France to Sheffield, but if you want to pay the ferry costs, hotels and mileage, I guess I could come and do it!

Nice one....Can buy an another RR from that..
Yes USB adapter and the software loads but will not run.
Any ideas please?

Probably the USB adaptor, especially if you are running Vista ****e. Lots of compatability problems with Vista. Someone on here sourced a cardbus to serial adaptor which worked fine with Vista.

Thanks for that. A gentleman from Sheffield offered to come and have a look with his laptop. With a bit of luck maybe able to help with the program as well....
In the mean time been looking at prices for pumps......Oh dear...Could cry, but I would look very silly...
So you do not think, if I do as the rangerovernet suggest will not be able test the pump? I thought if I give direct power to it, it may work or not......

Andras said:

Thanks for that. A gentleman from Sheffield offered to come and have a look with his laptop. With a bit of luck maybe able to help with the program as well....
In the mean time been looking at prices for pumps......Oh dear...Could cry, but I would look very silly...
So you do not think, if I do as the rangerovernet suggest will not be able test the pump? I thought if I give direct power to it, it may work or not......

Click to expand...

Wait fer this chap to get there n av a look

Will do that. Hopefully not be too expensive repair....
Thanks...

The pump will run if you apply direct power, but whats the point? It WILL NOT RUN via the normal control while you have a hard fault.
The problem will most likely turn out to be a height sensor or a leaking air bag. If there has been a long term leak ie the car has gone down overnight and is slow to rise then the pump may well be shagged. An overhaul kit for the pump is not expensive if needed when the faults have been fixed.

Agree with Data. very unlikely the pump has failed entirely but in any case you can't do anything until you clear the hard fault. If you want to overhaul your eas entirely (as I recently did) what you'll need to buy are:

pump piston cylinder and seal
diaphragm
valve block overhaul kit (basically a lot of o rings)
inlet filter and exhaust silencer
pump suspension mounts

all available on ebay from a dutch company (forget the name) or from roverrenovations in the US and both provide full instructions. less than 200 pounds the lot as i recall. in my case i also changed all the o rings and brass collets for the airlines (at the EAS box, the airbags, the dryer and the reservoir tank), cleaned and refitted the height sensors (didn't need changing) and replaced the dessicant granules in the dryer. That just leaves the airbags themselves and the airlines which you don't need to bother with if they aren't leaking.

its a fiddly time consuming job but nothing to be frightened off.

Thanks. Two further questions please. Where is the exhaust filter on the airsystem? What are the dessicant granules? Where do you get them?
I am not worried about the repair as far as the work goes, but would be nice to keep it cheap.....
My helper will come tonight, keep you posted...

Andras said:

Thanks. Two further questions please. Where is the exhaust filter on the airsystem? What are the dessicant granules? Where do you get them?
I am not worried about the repair as far as the work goes, but would be nice to keep it cheap.....
My helper will come tonight, keep you posted...

Click to expand...

Compressing air releases moisture so there is an air dryer in the EAS system. That is where the dessicant lives. Not relevant to your problem. As you have no air pressure in the system the exhaust filter is not relevant either. Why waste time on the irrelevant? If you want more details, look at RAVE.

Jeese, wait fer this guy to come over... You may just learn summat

My little helper been, but either of us not learned nothing.....The program could not access the EAS system.
I am aware of the above mentioned things (dryer and exhaust filter) been irrelevant, just want to know for future use.
Would like to refurbish the whole system soon.

What you need is an EAS kicker or Faultmate etc.. Anybody near you with a FCR MV thingy??

Near me with what?! Speak English....

Andras said:

Near me with what?! Speak English....

Click to expand...

Look at www.blackbox-solutions.com