ACE issues

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rojohex

Active Member
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114
Location
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So I have the ace warning light going off for the first time.I have read through other posts on here so need to check fluid, leaks, filters etc to investigate the cause.

I ventured out to get fuel for the first time since this drama (you know the one the government says is hardly happening ). And then while trying to find an open petrol station it happened while cornering and sounded the alarm, then went quite and stayed on. When I restarted the vehicle post filling up, it was off for a while then came back on again. It’s never done it before, but I assume it’s here to stay and I could notice the impact at the rear on the coils over bumps like never before but nothing major.

My concern is this, I have to drive up north for work for a week on Monday and can’t miss it. If I keep it full of fluid and drive carefully, I can’t have a catastrophic failure could I?. As far as I am aware the system would stop functioning and I would expect body roll etc, I have coil springs not bags so have more stability over stock without it.
Essentially the question I’m asking is how bad will it be to drive it for a few hours Monday, I can’t get it to a garage and can’t imagine I will figure it out over the weekend (seems a major issue when they go red).

I will probably replace with anti roll bars so not worried about the parts being damaged (other than the pulley wheels on the belt obviously).

Thanks all, I know no one likes a how dangerous will it be to drive it question, but I’m not sure about the ACE system.
 
rojohex said:
So I have the ace warning light going off for the first time.I have read through other posts on here so need to check fluid, leaks, filters etc to investigate the cause.

I ventured out to get fuel for the first time since this drama (you know the one the government says is hardly happening ). And then while trying to find an open petrol station it happened while cornering and sounded the alarm, then went quite and stayed on. When I restarted the vehicle post filling up, it was off for a while then came back on again. It’s never done it before, but I assume it’s here to stay and I could notice the impact at the rear on the coils over bumps like never before but nothing major.

My concern is this, I have to drive up north for work for a week on Monday and can’t miss it. If I keep it full of fluid and drive carefully, I can’t have a catastrophic failure could I?. As far as I am aware the system would stop functioning and I would expect body roll etc, I have coil springs not bags so have more stability over stock without it.
Essentially the question I’m asking is how bad will it be to drive it for a few hours Monday, I can’t get it to a garage and can’t imagine I will figure it out over the weekend (seems a major issue when they go red).

I will probably replace with anti roll bars so not worried about the parts being damaged (other than the pulley wheels on the belt obviously).

Thanks all, I know no one likes a how dangerous will it be to drive it question, but I’m not sure about the ACE system.
Click to expand...
I had my warning light come on once while driving down the mountain at my place in France. It just froze into a median position and stayed there. Acted like a normal anti-roll bar. No pump noise on bends at all.
I did what i had to do and then went back up the mountain to home (44 bends including hairpins over 360 metres climb in 10 minutes) it drove fine. Once back at my place, I pulled the fuse, checked it, put it back and then it righted itself and was fine.
So my advice is, provided it has stuck itself in a median position, pull the fuse and don't worry about it till you get back. Just remember you haven't got it and take it a bit easier on the bends.
 
Thanks guys and yeah I am worried about the pump and belt, but if the pump is moving fluid and I can see it circulating in the tank, then the pulley at the belt isn’t stuck, then it should be ok though right?.

And Stanley that’s reassuring, did you suggest pulling the fuse and then driving with it?, what fuse is it?.

it’s always worked fine so I haven’t had to have any dealings with it before .

Thanks guys
 
Since it is intermittant it would be worth checking over.

Check the wiring to it. Unplug each thing then replug.

If you know someone get it code read.

Are there any fluid leaks?

Cornering error is often from slow response, which could just be clean the filter and use newer fluid. (Mine was from too small hoses on a hose conversion)
 
rojohex said:
Thanks guys and yeah I am worried about the pump and belt, but if the pump is moving fluid and I can see it circulating in the tank, then the pulley at the belt isn’t stuck, then it should be ok though right?.

And Stanley that’s reassuring, did you suggest pulling the fuse and then driving with it?, what fuse is it?.

it’s always worked fine so I haven’t had to have any dealings with it before .

Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Your first para, yes, should be fine.
I did suggest pulling the fuse just so the system can't suddenly start trying to work, or half work and cause problems.
Sorry, as it's late and all my stuff is in the car, I can't tell you offhand which fuse I pulled but it is clear either from the drivers Handbook, or the fusebox or the Haynes.
But from a quick search ontinternet, it could be 29 in the fusebox in the car or 15 under the bonnet.
https://knigaproavto.ru/shemy/en/la...r-discovery-2-fuse-box-diagram-1998-2005.html
@sierrafery will know.
He may well come on and tell me i'm a complete numpty for suggesting this too, as I ain't much use when it comes to electrickery.
But I do know that you can drive a Disco 2 TD5 perfectly OK with a non-functioning ACE, as long as there is liquid in the reservoir and the pump is OK. The roll bars just lock into a safe, central position.
 
Are you getting the red light? If you are and the reservoir is full with no leaks plus you have good activity in the reservoir from the pump, it may just be a transducer issue. But codes need to be read on a Hawkeye really.
If its the transducer, then its safe to drive. If! But you must have no leaks and the pump working well. Red light means usually very low pressure ie youve lost all your oil. If its clear that hasn’t happened and pressure looks fine, then the ecu isnt getting the correct pressure. Its then possibly transducer or wiring issue.
 
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Thanks all
No I don’t have access to a scan tool unfortunately (not unless someone knows of a fair garage or friendly landyman in south London).

I’m going to check it all over today and see what the score is, unplug the wiring and clean, check fluid and pump, then maybe take the fuse out if it persists and seems stable.
- How do I check the actuators have locked in a median position and are effectively anti roll bars?.
- Should it just fail and stay lite all the time if it was a real mechanical or electrical problem, or is an intermittent warning normal? (goes off and stays off a while then comes back and just stays lite no noice).

It’s funny just last week I had all the headlining out to fix a sunroof drain leak that was running passed by rear view mirror and down, and that’s exactly where the top accelerometer is isn’t it?, could it still be damp/still be getting wet?.
 
Back in black you said you
backinblack said:
Not all D2's come with ACE so IMO disconnecting it isn't a problem as long as it's done properly.
Click to expand...

But you mean replace with Anti rolls though surely not just deactivate right?. Because without the ACE working or locked, the vehicle has no cornering support does it. Or as I’m on coil springs will it be less of an issue for a while compared to bags?.
 
My ACE faults were as follows.

Cracked pipes into block.

Now been hose converted

Few years ago failed after lots of floods. New ECU from Ebay was cheap

I also got a brand new rear ARB for £60
 
rojohex said:
Back in black you said you

But you mean replace with Anti rolls though surely not just deactivate right?. Because without the ACE working or locked, the vehicle has no cornering support does it. Or as I’m on coil springs will it be less of an issue for a while compared to bags?.
Click to expand...

I don't know if they are replaced with additional Anti rolls or if Anti rolls are standard fit and the ACE is added as well on some models. I do know that when mine failed due to a leak I was told by my local Indi to just remove the pump and fit a pulley and short belt, and replacing the ACE wasn't necessary. Mine was still on air and I didn't notice any difference but, I didn't carry lots of weight or rag it round corners.
 
Ok cool so I will investigate but I’m pretty sure I don’t have anti roll bars. Will check into all the suggestions.

cheers all
 
rojohex said:
Back in black you said you


But you mean replace with Anti rolls though surely not just deactivate right?. Because without the ACE working or locked, the vehicle has no cornering support does it. Or as I’m on coil springs will it be less of an issue for a while compared to bags?.
Click to expand...
When mine stopped working, the warning light came on and the pump that you can hear working to push or pull on the antiroll bar arms could no longer be heard. So it basically left the two rams static. The anti-roll bars thus worked as if they were ornery ones. So it DOES have support, just not the reactive increased support that ACE gives you.
 
Stanleysteamer said:
When mine stopped working, the warning light came on and the pump that you can hear working to push or pull on the antiroll bar arms could no longer be heard. So it basically left the two rams static. The anti-roll bars thus worked as if they were ornery ones. So it DOES have support, just not the reactive increased support that ACE gives you.
Click to expand...

But that has a risk of failure on the pump pulley right?, and could result in a snapped belt. I will investigate this afternoon when I get home, not sure what I have in the way off issues or anti toll bars etc.
It sounds like your system failed in the appropriate location so they continued to provide support.
 
rojohex said:
But that has a risk of failure on the pump pulley right?, and could result in a snapped belt. I will investigate this afternoon when I get home, not sure what I have in the way off issues or anti toll bars etc.
It sounds like your system failed in the appropriate location so they continued to provide support.
Click to expand...
As I said before, I am not sure how the electrickery works, but i think the pump turns all the time, let's face it it must as it doesn't have a clutch, so as long as there is fluid in the reservoir it'll just keep it circulating.
so i don't think there is any risk of pump failure, so no risk of a snapped belt. in fact, as long as the vehicle is driving down a straight road, such as on a motorway, the ACE will not be called upon. Only once the sensors tell it there is severe sideways tilt does it use the pressure to push or pull on the rams to "help" the anti roll bars.
When you look at your anti roll bars, you'll find one end is connected to the axle in the usual way, the other has a ram to push and pull on the arm to increase the action of the ARB in whichever direction is needed.
One of the fuses will be in the circuit that involves the sensors. If the sensors are disconnected the rams will get no signal so will just stay in the "at rest" position. At least that is how I would read it. But as I said before I am waiting until someone with more knowledge of this to come on and tell us both what is what.
Do remember that ATF like most fluids, is non-compressible so provided you have no leaks, which you obviously don't have, the liquid in the rams will stay where it is and not move, so your rams will act simply as connectors to the ARBs. For the liquid to have a bearing on the issue you need valves to be actuated to allow fluid to move in one direction or another. And that needs electrics and actuators. If they are disabled, either by an ECU or by a fuse being removed, none of this will work.
I do appreciate your worries, especially as you will need to drive it on the Monday.
If I were you I'd take it, just as it is and spin it around a bit in a car park or somewhere safe to see what happens. I bet you find it drives OK. The ECU will have put it into "safe" mode and it'll act just like a conventional ARB such as was fitted to Disco ones. They only put ACE on to improve the roll situation and because it's a bit longer than a D1.
All the best
Stan.
 
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