Air suspension issue

Hi all,
Since I bought this p38 the suspension has been a bit erratic and slow to react, finally it gave up dropped itself to the hard stops and threw up some faults on the display, bought and tried the software and it won't clear it ...... So I disconnected the air bags from the block and fitted some fill valves the pipes and connected my compressor to each in turn and pumped them up the only one that holds is the front left, the two rear ones will hold up for a few hours before dropping back to bump stops and the front right won't come all the way up and drops in minutes, so thats four shagged air bags ........... Contemplated coils but from what I've read here seems maybe not the best of ideas ......... Right ! So who can point me in the direction of some gen2 arnotts as p38spares seem to be out of stock, would it be ok to pump them up manually and use motor whilst I service all the other parts

Cheers tel

P38 Spares on Ebay is usually the best place for Arnott Gen II's. Apart from the compressor, there is a good chance the rest of the system will be fine once the airbags have been changed.
Sure you can pump the new bags up manually if you have a compressor, just get a set of valves off Ebay.

Gen 2 are great, but the original dunlops are up for the job too.....

What was your desicion for using The Gen 2's over the Dunlops.??

Saint.V8 said:

Gen 2 are great, but the original dunlops are up for the job too.....

What was your desicion for using The Gen 2's over the Dunlops.??

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Lifetime warranty maybe? Better ride??

Datatek said:

P38 Spares on Ebay is usually the best place for Arnott Gen II's. Apart from the compressor, there is a good chance the rest of the system will be fine once the airbags have been changed.
Sure you can pump the new bags up manually if you have a compressor, just get a set of valves off Ebay.

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Cheers for that have already fitted 4 x6mm push fits screwed into some 1/8 bsp schrader valves ......so just need the air springs now ...... Might go Dunlop if I can't get any arnotts sooner rather than later

They look better quality and of course the lifetime warranty is attractive

Order direct from Arnott. I ordered two rears on a Sunday and they arrived Wednesday.

rewmer said:

Order direct from Arnott. I ordered two rears on a Sunday and they arrived Wednesday.

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Can be expensive if you ordered from the States and you get caught for import duty

Think i will just order a set of Dunlop for the time being ....... Thanks for the help chaps !

Paid the dutie and still saved £40....

Hi, Frostytel. Im wanting to do the same, manually inflate my airbags, could you describe the fittings you used, is the pipe 6mm to the bags, i brought some valves from work, but are big and bulky. did you buy your fittings from ebay? I have a regulator what pressue did you use to inflate to standard? Colin

Colin from Hull said:

Hi, Frostytel. Im wanting to do the same, manually inflate my airbags, could you describe the fittings you used, is the pipe 6mm to the bags, i brought some valves from work, but are big and bulky. did you buy your fittings from ebay? I have a regulator what pressue did you use to inflate to standard? Colin

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The valves I got from thorite uk
4 x Schrader Valves 1/8 BSPT
Thread: 1/8" BSPT, Length:33mm (645B)
GBP 4.22 + GBP 0.84 VAT (20%)
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The used a push fit 6mm fitting with a female thread of 1/8 bsp x 4 to screw the valves into use pva tape if u do this to stop leaks, you can buy these valves from eBay but cost a lot more, pressure was around the 50 psi plus mark but was more interested in height from floor to centre of wheel arch which I have set to approx 30.5", you can disconnect the pipes from the valve block and put the schraders directly on the end or t into the system, if you go direct then u must disconnect the pump and the valve block, I'd disconnect them anyway just to be sure ....... Don't forget when disconnecting any of the air system pipes that there will be upto 10 bar of pressure in there ...... So be careful

Just apply pressure until the car reaches the correct height on each corner. Blow each corner up a bit at a time in turn. From memory it's about 50/60psi needed for normal height.

Replaced the air bags and they still won't stay up so I guess the pipes must be shagged I have serviced the pump and the valve block and reset the eas .... All that works ok although a bit slow, so it's time to replace all the pipe work to the air springs ....... Question is can the air connection to rear bags be got at without removing the arch liners or dropping the bags out again ??

Frostytel said:

Replaced the air bags and they still won't stay up so I guess the pipes must be shagged I have serviced the pump and the valve block and reset the eas .... All that works ok although a bit slow, so it's time to replace all the pipe work to the air springs ....... Question is can the air connection to rear bags be got at without removing the arch liners or dropping the bags out again ??

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I replaced my rear airbags without removing the liners.

Leaking pipes are usually due to exhaust leaks melting the pipe.