P38A Air suspension won't rise

[LR-hobbs]

Hello everyone I have recently become an owner of a 1999 4.0 P38 , yesterday the air suspension will not raise , I just have a light on to show I am in access height and a constant flashing light on standard height

No warning lights on the dash , and when I turn the car off I can hear the compressor letting air out With that ticking sound


Any suggestions are appreciated

Thanks

 

[Rubberknees]

Hello everyone I have recently become an owner of a 1999 4.0 P38 , yesterday the air suspension will not raise , I just have a light on to show I am in access height and a constant flashing light on standard height

No warning lights on the dash , and when I turn the car off I can hear the compressor letting air out With that ticking sound


Any suggestions are appreciated

Thanks

have a look i technical archive for Wammers post on checking compressor. It could be duff

 

[LR-hobbs]

have a look i technical archive for Wammers post on checking compressor. It could be duff

The previous owner had ripped this car round a field before I had it , had to remove tons of mud .

When I opened the eas box its covered in mud stain, so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Mark Piercy]

I'd be checking around the air tank to make sure the air supply to it hasn't been popped off?
A good clean up needed then and a thorough examination of air lines and airbags.

 

[LR-hobbs]

I'd be checking around the air tank to make sure the air supply to it hasn't been popped off?
A good clean up needed then and a thorough examination of air lines and airbags.
[/QUOT
Just going to check that now , had the car running bonnet open the compressor seems to be working making all the correct noises.

 

[Rubberknees]

It may be running but is it making any air. If the piston seal is worn you will get very little pressure.

 

[LR-hobbs]

It may be running but is it making any air. If the piston seal is worn you will get very little pressure.

Checked the line on the air tank, all seems fine dirty but fine.

A worn piston seal might be the cause , as when I turn the car off you can hear the valve block releasing air , even tho the car hasn't raised.

 

[marjon]

At that age you probably have 4 bags past their shelve life and it only takes 1 to leak to get the car to lower over night.

So was it up when you left it and down the next morning?
You have probably been feeding a leak for some time and the compressor has fianlly got to the point it cant produce "puff" anymore.

You can buy some of the emergency EAS valves for the airlines so you can get it up and check for leaks on the bags. Even makes the car usable (depending on leak size). This will allow you time to remove the compressor to check/rebuild.

Best find Wammers guide and work through it.

J

 

[LR-hobbs]

At that age you probably have 4 bags past their shelve life and it only takes 1 to leak to get the car to lower over night.

So was it up when you left it and down the next morning?
You have probably been feeding a leak for some time and the compressor has fianlly got to the point it cant produce "puff" anymore.

You can buy some of the emergency EAS valves for the airlines so you can get it up and check for leaks on the bags. Even makes the car usable (depending on leak size). This will allow you time to remove the compressor to check/rebuild.

Best find Wammers guide and work through it.

J

The air bags are Dunlop and are very dry cracked so I assume there original or atleast very old.
The air suspension has been fine up until yesterday it even , stayed in standard ride height over night.

I sprayed soapy water on the air tank fitting no bubbles,
Prayed it on top of the rear air bags again no bubbles and the air fittings at the front same again.

The only odd thing is once or twice I'd enter the car in the morning to find it had gone into off-road height .

Cheers

 

[kermit_rr]

Cracks in the airbags will almost certainly be leaking

 

[marjon]

The air bags are Dunlop and are very dry cracked so I assume there original or atleast very old.
The air suspension has been fine up until yesterday it even , stayed in standard ride height over night.

I sprayed soapy water on the air tank fitting no bubbles,
Prayed it on top of the rear air bags again no bubbles and the air fittings at the front same again.

The only odd thing is once or twice I'd enter the car in the morning to find it had gone into off-road height .

Cheers

The thing is if you dont have operating pressure in the system it may not leak.
You need to spray the bags around the folds.

The "going to off road" some have reported that before, but I dont know if it was ever resolved.
But it could be sensor reading/electrical connections.

So dont forget to clean all the Ht sensor connections if its been treated like you said.

Either way, if it cant get it up anymore leads towards a leak or compressor as a starting point.

Its all been covered its a Rover trait.


Good luck but in the end its not difficult.

J

 

[marjon]

Oh and the famous white connector behind the kick panel.

J

 

[LR-hobbs]

The thing is if you dont have operating pressure in the system it may not leak.
You need to spray the bags around the folds.

The "going to off road" some have reported that before, but I dont know if it was ever resolved.
But it could be sensor reading/electrical connections.

So dont forget to clean all the Ht sensor connections if its been treated like you said.

Either way, if it cant get it up anymore leads towards a leak or compressor as a starting point.

Its all been covered its a Rover trait.


Good luck but in the end its not difficult.

J

A replacement air compressor is on the way, as I took the old one apart and now it doesn't work at all.
Due to the car being on its bump stops getting at the height sensor is a little difficult

I've been expecting an air suspension fault at some point it seems the range rover party trick.


Our l322 is also showing air suspension inactive

 

[marjon]

A replacement air compressor is on the way, as I took the old one apart and now it doesn't work at all.
Due to the car being on its bump stops getting at the height sensor is a little difficult

I've been expecting an air suspension fault at some point it seems the range rover party trick.


Our l322 is also showing air suspension inactive

I hate to like it but, we have all been there and feel your pain .

And yes I have been through it on a P38 and an L322, glutton for punishment some say, we will learn from this,is another way. So what explains us doing it, Again.

If you get those emegency valves you can get it off the stops to check for leaks. Put a new compressor on before doing it will possibly hurt your new compressor.

J

 

[LR-hobbs]

I hate to like it but, we have all been there and feel your pain .

And yes I have been through it on a P38 and an L322, glutton for punishment some say, we will learn from this,is another way. So what explains us doing it, Again.

If you get those emegency valves you can get it off the stops to check for leaks. Put a new compressor on before doing it will possibly hurt your new compressor.

J

Yes I am relatively new to working on cars ,so owning old landys is definitely going to teach me the hard way .

Trying to not just throw money at it until it works.

 

[pwood999]

Jack it under the axle & put axle stands under. Then height sensors are easy even on the bumps.

As others said get some schrader valves as well. Then you can raise it up, while fixing the pump.

 

[Datatek]

The air bags are Dunlop and are very dry cracked so I assume there original or atleast very old.
The air suspension has been fine up until yesterday it even , stayed in standard ride height over night.

I sprayed soapy water on the air tank fitting no bubbles,
Prayed it on top of the rear air bags again no bubbles and the air fittings at the front same again.

The only odd thing is once or twice I'd enter the car in the morning to find it had gone into off-road height .

Cheers

If the airbags show signs of cracking, they will be leaking. The leaks open and close where the bags fold so leaks are not always easy to detect. The bags have an 8 year 80K miles design life. They are not very expensive, I replaced all four on both my P38's soon after I got them to ensure reliability.

 

[LR-hobbs]

If the airbags show signs of cracking, they will be leaking. The leaks open and close where the bags fold so leaks are not always easy to detect. The bags have an 8 year 80K miles design life. They are not very expensive, I replaced all four on both my P38's soon after I got them to ensure reliability.

Ordering them now

 

[Datatek]

Ordering them now

There is a guide to replacing the airbags in the technical archive, if you can't find it I can send it to you.

 

[brianp38dse]

Here`s the late Wammers guide to fault finding the eas

Checking EAS compressor and diaphragm valve.

Remove inlet filter. Place finger over inlet. There should be suction. If no suction strip compressor and check piston seal and inlet/outlet valves in head. If suction. Remove compressor from mounts and remove blue pipe from compressor outlet. With compressor running put a finger over outlet, it...

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