Air suspension problems and a brain dead owner !

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Thanks to all who chipped in to reboot my logic circuits. I am now back where I was before I started tinkering :eek:. But, that's exactly where I was, the nearside rear corner that started low and due to my lame brained intervention went high, is now low again and the diagonally opposite corner is now high. As the corner stayed high, I'm pretty sure it's not a bag problem.

When it's not moving, it rises and falls to each selected ride height and sits evenly, it's only when it's driven that the tilt occurs, so on the face of it it's only when the potentiometers are sending 'live' data to the brain that it goes squiffy.

Good news, the radio code was written on a label stuck to the case of the unit, so we now have music to drown out my incesssant bleating about the ride height :blabla:. I have now dusted down my Standard 8 to do the supermarket run, what a refreshing low tech refuge. The upside is that I don't need to run the Rangie day to day, so I've plenty of time to get to know it and its foibles. I've been offered the chance of a 1978 2 door Rangie, tempted, yes, I've owned around 10 2 door Rangies over the years and the original is still the greatest (probably). Is PFE 81P still around, I chopped it in for a 200tdi a few years ago and always regretted it :(.

Anyway I digress, is it now a case of see you later re-calibrator ?? Or am I once again missing something obvious !?

Pete
 
Last edited:
Thanks to all who chipped in to reboot my logic circuits. I am now back where I was before I started tinkering :eek:. But, that's exactly where I was, the nearside rear corner that started low and due to my lame brained intervention went high, is now low again and the diagonally opposite corner is now high. As the corner stayed high, I'm pretty sure it's not a bag problem.

When it's not moving, it rises and falls to each selected ride height and sits evenly, it's only when it's driven that the tilt occurs, so on the face of it it's only when the potentiometers are sending 'live' data to the brain that it goes squiffy.

Good news, the radio code was written on a label stuck to the case of the unit, so we now have music to drown out my incesssant bleating about the ride height :blabla:. I have now dusted down my Standard 8 to do the supermarket run, what a refreshing low tech refuge. The upside is that I don't need to run the Rangie day to day, so I've plenty of time to get to know it and its foibles. I've been offered the chance of a 1978 2 door Rangie, tempted, yes, I've owned around 10 2 door Rangies over the years and the original is still the greatest (probably). Is PFE 81P still around, I chopped it in for a 200tdi a few years ago and always regretted it :(.

Anyway I digress, is it now a case of see you later re-calibrator ?? Or am I once again missing something obvious !?

Pete

You need the EAS software which will let you see the actual sensor readings, drive it to the different heights and re-calibrate. It does sound like you have a height sensor problem:)
 
I bought the software and cables on ebay, including a USB adaptor and software to patch it in I also bought a laptop to do the deed. I will now have a chat with the bloke who sold me the laptop and see if he can get a conversation going betwen the laptop and the EAS brain ! Perhaps I've gone for overkill and should have looked for a RS232 (?) port lead ? Can I legitimately trade with you via Landy Zone or do I need to find Datatek independently ?? If so can you set me up with what I require ?

Just an update, it has now had a phase of behaving normally and returning from a blast round our bumpy Lincolnshire backroads, sitting happy and square, but by late afternoon yesterday, the fault had escalated to the rear sitting at the lowest setting (still airsprung) above the bumpstops and not having any interest in moving any higher, whilst the front responds happily to instructions !

I'm certainly going to need the software and leads to engage with the brain, but could this be a valve block problem ? I've a shiny new workshop manual and will sit down as all else has thus far failed and consult it !

I was reminded by the friend of a neighbour, who has a much newer P38 with even more woes than mine that Martin Taylor who used to be Riverside All Terrain is still weilding a spanner, so I'll go and bother him and I might just have a chat with Chris at Shaw Motor Services as he's a bona fide Auto Electrician. Plus my old mate Nigel Webster of the Range Rover Register may have a few thoughts on the matter !

If in doubt ask and as this is my first ever encounter with air suspension, I certainly have a shed load of questions. I will continue to share my experiences with the forum as I blunder about :D

Pete
 
I bought the software and cables on ebay, including a USB adaptor and software to patch it in I also bought a laptop to do the deed. I will now have a chat with the bloke who sold me the laptop and see if he can get a conversation going betwen the laptop and the EAS brain ! Perhaps I've gone for overkill and should have looked for a RS232 (?) port lead ? Can I legitimately trade with you via Landy Zone or do I need to find Datatek independently ?? If so can you set me up with what I require ?

Just an update, it has now had a phase of behaving normally and returning from a blast round our bumpy Lincolnshire backroads, sitting happy and square, but by late afternoon yesterday, the fault had escalated to the rear sitting at the lowest setting (still airsprung) above the bumpstops and not having any interest in moving any higher, whilst the front responds happily to instructions !

I'm certainly going to need the software and leads to engage with the brain, but could this be a valve block problem ? I've a shiny new workshop manual and will sit down as all else has thus far failed and consult it !

I was reminded by the friend of a neighbour, who has a much newer P38 with even more woes than mine that Martin Taylor who used to be Riverside All Terrain is still weilding a spanner, so I'll go and bother him and I might just have a chat with Chris at Shaw Motor Services as he's a bona fide Auto Electrician. Plus my old mate Nigel Webster of the Range Rover Register may have a few thoughts on the matter !

If in doubt ask and as this is my first ever encounter with air suspension, I certainly have a shed load of questions. I will continue to share my experiences with the forum as I blunder about :D

Pete

you can send me a PM. Your USB adaptor could be the problem if you cannot get the software to run & communicate.
 
I bought the software and cables on ebay, including a USB adaptor and software to patch it in I also bought a laptop to do the deed. I will now have a chat with the bloke who sold me the laptop and see if he can get a conversation going betwen the laptop and the EAS brain ! Perhaps I've gone for overkill and should have looked for a RS232 (?) port lead ? Can I legitimately trade with you via Landy Zone or do I need to find Datatek independently ?? If so can you set me up with what I require ?

Just an update, it has now had a phase of behaving normally and returning from a blast round our bumpy Lincolnshire backroads, sitting happy and square, but by late afternoon yesterday, the fault had escalated to the rear sitting at the lowest setting (still airsprung) above the bumpstops and not having any interest in moving any higher, whilst the front responds happily to instructions !

I'm certainly going to need the software and leads to engage with the brain, but could this be a valve block problem ? I've a shiny new workshop manual and will sit down as all else has thus far failed and consult it !

I was reminded by the friend of a neighbour, who has a much newer P38 with even more woes than mine that Martin Taylor who used to be Riverside All Terrain is still weilding a spanner, so I'll go and bother him and I might just have a chat with Chris at Shaw Motor Services as he's a bona fide Auto Electrician. Plus my old mate Nigel Webster of the Range Rover Register may have a few thoughts on the matter !

If in doubt ask and as this is my first ever encounter with air suspension, I certainly have a shed load of questions. I will continue to share my experiences with the forum as I blunder about :D

Pete

Think you may have a sensor problem rather than anything to do with the valve block. The lap top needs to have Netframework installed on it from Microsoft to communicate with the eas software. But as Keith says the USB adaptor can give problems.
 
The fellow who sold me that laptop will nip over tomorrow and solve the problem (hopefully). I will keep on posting my random acts on the site, but if it all goes Pete Tong, I'll pop a PM over to you.

Pete
 
Just a thankyou to all for the support and advice, plus an update. Air suspension sorted back in December, new nsr ride height sensor fitted and all recalibrated. All heights now select as they should :). Solved the alarm fault that popped up on the dash and yes it was the sensor on the n/s b/c post. Got one out of a 2004 Rover-MG 25 a pal was breaking, so a zero cost solution. Have just replaced the failed drivers window regulator and was favourably surprised at cost of new item and how easy it was to fit ! Even better, the P38 has now passed its first MOT in my ownership (straight through). So the ebay buy for £1,390.00 has panned out without tears :) (and it fits in the garage). So generally chuffed to little mintballs ! Next job, the bloke I bought it from reckons it runs out of fuel when the gauge reads quarter full. Any thoughts, the unit appears to be a bit of a ball-ache to replace !!

Pete
 
Thanks for that, I'll keep it topped up above half until the weather improves a tad and then crawl about underneath and assess my options. I think it'll be a summer job unless it packs up completely.

I've had shed loads of Landies, two and four door 'classics' and as a stick in the mud Yellowbelly didn't really expect very much from the P38, but just had to dip my toes in the water and I'm extremely impressed, should have bought one years ago, but am pleased I bought a bog standard manual diesel !
 
Thanks for that, I'll keep it topped up above half until the weather improves a tad and then crawl about underneath and assess my options. I think it'll be a summer job unless it packs up completely.

I've had shed loads of Landies, two and four door 'classics' and as a stick in the mud Yellowbelly didn't really expect very much from the P38, but just had to dip my toes in the water and I'm extremely impressed, should have bought one years ago, but am pleased I bought a bog standard manual diesel !
Fill the tank, reset the trip mileage and unless you have a lead foot or spend your time in heavy traffic you can count on 350 miles before you fill up:)
I never trust fuel gauges.
 
Sounds like a plan, I'll face the job down some time after May, I'll do it myself rather than farm it out, then I can Waxoyl the area at the same time. I'm planning to hang onto the vehicle and intend to gently apply a bit of planned TLC to deal with the remaining niggles. I'll have a go at posting a few pics and end this thread as the air suspension issue is resolved and the brain death apparently, if only temporarily reversed. I've a couple of questions about keys, saggy headlining, oil filters, servicing etc and would welcome input from the assembled mass and will feedback my progress as the year winds on. Anyway I'll start a new thread over the weekend. Many thanks Pete. :)
 
I'm sorry for posting this on this thread, but I am new on here and cant figure out how to post a new one!

We have just aquired a P38 Range Rover DSE and it is having EAS problems. The car is on its bump stops at the moment. We have purchased an EAS kicker, and the diagnostic has come back as "Wake-up reply indicates timer relay problem"

We cannot clear the EAS fault, and we cannot raise the suspension off the bumpstops. Can someone please offer us a little bit of advice on this, as we are stumped, and dont really have the funds to take it to a garage to get the whole thing diagnosed?

Thanks in advance :)
 
I'm sorry for posting this on this thread, but I am new on here and cant figure out how to post a new one!

We have just aquired a P38 Range Rover DSE and it is having EAS problems. The car is on its bump stops at the moment. We have purchased an EAS kicker, and the diagnostic has come back as "Wake-up reply indicates timer relay problem"

We cannot clear the EAS fault, and we cannot raise the suspension off the bumpstops. Can someone please offer us a little bit of advice on this, as we are stumped, and dont really have the funds to take it to a garage to get the whole thing diagnosed?

Thanks in advance :)

You really need the EAS diagnostic software and cable £11 plus P&P.
The timer relay is under the passenger seat assuming RHD.
New thread button is top left of threads page before you look at a thread. Better to start your own thread with an introduction giving year of car engine etc and put your location, maybe someone near who can help.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top