Active cornering enhancement (ACE)

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N

nemo2

Guest
HI,

I've got a 2000 Land Rovery Discovery TD5, this morning the red ACE
warning light came on just as I got to work I had the red ACE. I
stopped and turned the engine off and then restarted and drove the
remaining 200 yards with no problems. On the way home the red light
came on again after about 400 yards, I stopped turned the engine off
and restarted it and drove for about another 400 yards before a the
continuous amber ACE light came on. I drove the remaining 10 miles of
my journey with the light on. After my appointment I drove 9 miles
home without any problems.

Any suggestions what the problem may be? I contacted Marshall's my
local Land Rover franchised garage and they cannot take a look until
Friday, I may try Pillings tomorrow as they are fairly close to where
I work? Anybody know any good indepedent garages in Beds/Herts area?

Colonel Tupperware do Rogers have diagnostic equipment?

Regards

nemo2
 
In message <[email protected]>, nemo2
<[email protected]> writes
>HI,
>
>I've got a 2000 Land Rovery Discovery TD5, this morning the red ACE
>warning light came on just as I got to work I had the red ACE. I
>stopped and turned the engine off and then restarted and drove the
>remaining 200 yards with no problems. On the way home the red light
>came on again after about 400 yards, I stopped turned the engine off
>and restarted it and drove for about another 400 yards before a the
>continuous amber ACE light came on. I drove the remaining 10 miles of
>my journey with the light on. After my appointment I drove 9 miles
>home without any problems.
>
>Any suggestions what the problem may be? I contacted Marshall's my
>local Land Rover franchised garage and they cannot take a look until
>Friday, I may try Pillings tomorrow as they are fairly close to where
>I work? Anybody know any good indepedent garages in Beds/Herts area?
>
>Colonel Tupperware do Rogers have diagnostic equipment?
>
>Regards
>
>nemo2



First things first ....... Check the level of the fluid in the ACE tank.

No point throwing ideas at you. Get it plugged in and find out what the
problem is. As long as it has the correct level of ACE fluid in it you
will not do any further damage to the system.
--
Marc Draper
 
On Wed, 4 May 2005 17:35:01 +0100, Marc Draper
<[email protected]> wrote:

>In message <[email protected]>, nemo2
>
>> snipped

>
>First things first ....... Check the level of the fluid in the ACE tank.
>
>No point throwing ideas at you. Get it plugged in and find out what the
>problem is. As long as it has the correct level of ACE fluid in it you
>will not do any further damage to the system.


Hi Mark,

I've just checked and the fluid is low, only just above the level of
the pipes. I'll have to take a slow drive to buy some more fluid in
the morning. I've realised that when I went to check the level I've
been checking the power steering level not the ACE level in t he past.

You've just reminded me that about 4 weeks ago I thought I noticed an
oil leak from what I believed was the ACE unit a box with a number of
pipes and a drain plug in the bottom situated under the car on the
drivers side about level with the pillar between the front and back
doors. I cleaned it down and have been checking it regularly including
last weekend and has been no sign of a leak. However, I've just been
out to check and it's covered in oil; any idea (guesses) what that
means?

Regards

nemo2
 
you have a leak obviously from the valve block on the ace system,the pipes have 0 rings on the end were they go into the block there is also a filter on the bottom of the block,dont normally have cracked pipes but i would not rule that out,im afraid it is a specialist job as you have to bleed the ace system through and with the aid of a computor and you need to run a full systems check and clear the fault codes out hope this helps tiga.ps the ace system runs on extreme climate fluid same as for power steering its a greenish/clear color.
 
In message <[email protected]>, nemo2
<[email protected]> writes
>You've just reminded me that about 4 weeks ago I thought I noticed an
>oil leak from what I believed was the ACE unit a box with a number of
>pipes and a drain plug in the bottom situated under the car on the
>drivers side about level with the pillar between the front and back
>doors. I cleaned it down and have been checking it regularly including
>last weekend and has been no sign of a leak. However, I've just been
>out to check and it's covered in oil; any idea (guesses) what that
>means?



You will easily see which one is leaking once you have re filled with
the correct fluid. But it if the leak is from the front of the block you
will need to replace the seals on all the pipes on the side as you can't
do one at a time. The seal kits are bloody expensive.

The pipes are prone to cracking around the crimp end. Last one I did you
could not see a crack, but the fluid just pored out. A new pipe cured
it.

As mentioned before you need diagnostics to bleed it through after re-
assembly. There is a sequence to test the response time etc. that makes
the vehicle jerk from side to side which can be a little unnerving the
first time it is done.

Don't run the pump dry as that will make for a very expensive repair.

Only use the proper ACE fluid...... I have heard of people using LHM
(Citroen suspension fluid) as a last resort but would not recommend.
--
Marc Draper
 
On Thu, 5 May 2005 09:47:21 +0100, Marc Draper
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> snipped

>
>
>You will easily see which one is leaking once you have re filled with
>the correct fluid. But it if the leak is from the front of the block you
>will need to replace the seals on all the pipes on the side as you can't
>do one at a time. The seal kits are bloody expensive.
>
>The pipes are prone to cracking around the crimp end. Last one I did you
>could not see a crack, but the fluid just pored out. A new pipe cured
>it.
>
>As mentioned before you need diagnostics to bleed it through after re-
>assembly. There is a sequence to test the response time etc. that makes
>the vehicle jerk from side to side which can be a little unnerving the
>first time it is done.
>
>Don't run the pump dry as that will make for a very expensive repair.
>
>Only use the proper ACE fluid...... I have heard of people using LHM
>(Citroen suspension fluid) as a last resort but would not recommend.



Hi Marc,

Thanks, you're quite right, it's leaking from the pipe at the bottom
right (looking from front to rear of car) of the front flange; the
pipe is marked "P". The leak is just a slight weep (at least when the
engine is idling).

After I got over my panic, I took a very steady drive into work this
morning and popped to Pilling's the local Land Rover garage at lunch
time and brought some of the proper ACE fluid and filled the reservoir
up to the minimum mark. When I checked it back at work about 4 mile
drive from the Pilling's it was almost down to the level of the pipes
again. I topped it up to the minimum mark for the 21 mile drive home
and used just under half of what I had put in. I then cleaned
everything down and managed to find the leak that I described above,
just my luck to get the expensive front side.

I've got it booked into Pilling's for next Wednesday so till then I'l
be driving very steady and keeping a steady eye on the level in the
reservoir. Any idea what it's likely to cost me and is it worthwhile
changing the pipes at the same time or is that a pointless exercise?

regards

nemo2
 
On Wed, 4 May 2005 22:02:22 +0000, tigapiglet
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>you have a leak obviously from the valve block on the ace system,the
>pipes have 0 rings on the end were they go into the block there is also
>a filter on the bottom of the block,dont normally have cracked pipes but
>i would not rule that out,im afraid it is a specialist job as you have
>to bleed the ace system through and with the aid of a computor and you
>need to run a full systems check and clear the fault codes out hope
>this helps tiga.ps the ace system runs on extreme climate fluid same as
>for power steering its a greenish/clear color.


Hi tigapiglet,

Thanks, you're quite right, it's leaking from the pipe at the bottom
right (looking from front to rear of car) of the front flange; the
pipe is marked "P". The leak is just a slight weep (at least when the
engine is idling).

After I got over my panic, I took a very steady drive into work this
morning and popped to Pilling's the local Land Rover garage at lunch
time and brought some of the proper ACE fluid and filled the reservoir
up to the minimum mark. When I checked it back at work about 4 mile
drive from the Pilling's it was almost down to the level of the pipes
again. I topped it up to the minimum mark for the 21 mile drive home
and used just under half of what I had put in. I then cleaned
everything down and managed to find the leak that I described above,
just my luck to get the expensive front side.

I've got it booked into Pilling's for next Wednesday so till then I'l
be driving very steady and keeping a steady eye on the level in the
reservoir. Any idea what it's likely to cost me and is it worthwhile
changing the pipes at the same time or is that a pointless exercise?

regards

nemo2
 
As you are aware this thread is about problems with the ACE on my
disco and the loss of the ACE fluid. I sure that we've all had days
like mine started today so I'll share it with you.

During the night I had the brain wave that I could move some of the
fluid from the power steering reservoir to the ACE one. I was certain
that I had a syringe upstairs that I used for refilling ink cartridges
and if not there was one in the utilitity room. Well I searched up
stairs and couldn't find the syringe so went to the utility room and
you've guessed it that one was also missing. However, I found a piece
of pipe that I could use as a pipette. Initially, I tried putting the
pipe in the power steering reservoir and putting my finger over the
end of the pipe, but didn't manage to pick any fluid up. Another
bright idea (oh why do I have them), I know I suck the fluid up the
pipe. I can tell you that at 07:00am ACE fluid does not taste very
nice!!! NB the taste also lasts for a long time.

Oh and the day just gets better, as I'm spitting the fluid out, I
knock the cap of the power steering reservoir, which was balanced on
the top of the air filter. You'r quite right there's a gap between the
air filter and baulk head just big enough for the cap to slide down.
Never mind, I'll just get a screw driver and lift it out. Wrong my
screwdrivers are too short so I get two garden candles with long
sticks. By now I starting to panic about getting to work and the
traffic (remembering that I've got to drive very steady due to lack of
ACE fluid). I try to fish the cap out with the sticks, but after 10
minutes only succeed in knocking the cap where I cannot reach it and
there no obvious easy way of removing the air filter case. Giving up,
I put a piece of plastic over the top of the power steering reservoir
and hold it in place with an elastic band and head off to work.

Due top the delay in setting off to work I drive too fast around the
first roundabout and boing, boing .. red flashing ACE light. I stop
the disco at the side of the road and stop and re-start the engine. To
cut a long story short I had to stop twice more in the next mile, but
then managed to do the next 20 miles without having to stop; well at
least for the ACE alarm going off.

At least my day got better I thought that I would have one more go at
recovering the cap from down below the air filter before starting work
and within 90 seconds I had my finfger on the cap......only to drop
it; the air was only blue for about 30 seconds. However, I another go
(glutton for punishment) and with 60 seconds it was not only in my
fingers, but I was screwing it in place.

Since then with advice from Marc and tigapiglet I've managed to find
out the source of the leak; just got to get it fixed now!

I trust that you've had a good laugh at my misfortune (I am as I sit
here with a pint writing this), but I hope that you day has been
better than mine, but at least mine did improve as it went on.

regards

nemo2

 
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