P38A car on bumpstops, will not raise

I recently bought a P38 with not much info on prior service history.

I noticed that:

- air leaks from valve block to the outside, where the air lines for the airbags are connected
- compressor output is very weak and the compressor produces a horrible rattle sound
- even with those problems, the car would raise, but would drop to bumpstops by itself upon shutdown and the compressor had to work hard/long

So I:

1) rebuilt the valveblock using the instructions that I found on https://paulp38a.com/range-rover-p38/eas-valve-block-renew/
2) replaced air compressor with a new Dunlop unit
3) replaced dryer
4) did a EAS error reset using EAS Kicker Lite

After all that, I have the following symptoms:

- car is still on bumpstops
- compressor runs and is giving decent air output (I checked by disconnecting the line from the top of the dryer), soapy water test shows that no airb bubbles are coming out of the valve block or the dryer
- no EAS fault is displayed on the dashboard
- the lights on the ihibition switch are not on all at once, they are functioning as expected - the one for the current (unload) height is constantly on, and the desired (standard) height is blinking, but nothing happens
- the car won't raise

I can't connect to the EAS ECU using EAS unlock V3 (tried with 2 different laptops, one with USB->Serial adapter, other with serial port). I can sucessfully connect/reset using EAS Kicker Lite.

Do you have any advice, what to try next? Is there anything else that I could try besides buying EAS Unlock V4 or Nanocom Evo?

I have no option of doing to the dealer. My local dealers either don't want or don't know how to deal with the old P38.

Thanks!

For a start. Go to tech archive and follow instructions and checks in my EAS thread. Possibly diaphragm valve leaking. Maybe leak in feed pipe to tank.

Thank you very much! Your instructions in technical archive helped me. Compressor tests were OK, but then I found out that air is escaping via exhaust outlet, where the silencer is. I will service the diaphragm and see what happens then.

lb1 said:

Thank you very much! Your instructions in technical archive helped me. Compressor tests were OK, but then I found out that air is escaping via exhaust outlet, where the silencer is. I will service the diaphragm and see what happens then.

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Once you've done that run the car for ten minutes with a door open to allow the air storage tank to fill, hopefully when you close the door it will rise.

The pipes to the tank and rear air bags run along the left hand chassis so if there has been an exhaust blow it can melt the pipes, sometimes very hard to see but does happen, if you tank does not fill after you sort the block, that is normally where to look next.
with the help on here you get it sorted and listen to Wammers he knows his stuff

If the EAS software does not connect, have you selected the right comm port? Usually Com 4 from the drop down menu. The serial port laptop is your best bet.

Datatek said:

If the EAS software does not connect, have you selected the right comm port? Usually Com 4 from the drop down menu. The serial port laptop is your best bet.

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Yes, that is not an issue for me.

wammers said:

For a start. Go to tech archive and follow instructions and checks in my EAS thread. Possibly diaphragm valve leaking. Maybe leak in feed pipe to tank.

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I replaced the diaphragm. Now the car seems to pass the diaphragm and compressor test, but still won't raise:

1. door open
2. tank empty
3. car on bump stops
4. I crank the car
5. compressor has decent suction on inlet side, no air is escaping via exhaust
6. compressor shuts down after 7-8 minutes, did not get very hot
7. I get into the car, close the doors, release the parking brake
8. the light on the inhibit switch for "standard" heigth is blinking, compressor stars again (why, if the tank is filled?), the car won't raise
9. no errors on the dash, no errors reported via EAS Kicker Lite

I am confused again... I doubt that all of the airbags/airlines broke all at once, I would expect at least one corner to raise...

What am I missing?

lb1 said:

I replaced the diaphragm. Now the car seems to pass the diaphragm and compressor test, but still won't raise:

1. door open
2. tank empty
3. car on bump stops
4. I crank the car
5. compressor has decent suction on inlet side, no air is escaping via exhaust
6. compressor shuts down after 7-8 minutes, did not get very hot
7. I get into the car, close the doors, release the parking brake
8. the light on the inhibit switch for "standard" heigth is blinking, compressor stars again (why, if the tank is filled?), the car won't raise
9. no errors on the dash, no errors reported via EAS Kicker Lite

I am confused again... I doubt that all of the airbags/airlines broke all at once, I would expect at least one corner to raise...

What am I missing?

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If the compressor restarts, the air must be going somewhere. The fact that the compressor runs and the standard height light is blinking suggests no faults present, so it may be a matter of tracking down where the air is going. diagnostics might help.

More than likely you have a leak on the feed from valve block to tank. The compressor is stopping with overheat. Then starting again when it cools down. Light flashing and not rising is classic of no air pressure.

wammers said:

More than likely you have a leak on the feed from valve block to tank. The compressor is stopping with overheat. Then starting again when it cools down. Light flashing and not rising is classic of no air pressure.

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7 to 8 minutes to fill the tank is about right, he says the compressor did not get very hot so restarting on loss of pressure sounds more likely than an overheat.

Datatek said:

7 to 8 minutes to fill the tank is about right, he says the compressor did not get very hot so restarting on loss of pressure sounds more likely than an overheat.

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Where is the air then? If the tank was full there should be more than enough to raise the car to standard height.

wammers said:

Where is the air then? If the tank was full there should be more than enough to raise the car to standard height.

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As I said there is a leak somewhere.

Datatek said:

As I said there is a leak somewhere.

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Seven or eight minutes should be long enough to raise car to standard height and compressor stop with doors closed. With door open tank should fill and compressor stop in five minutes. Providing of course good air is being produced. As said there is more than likely a leak in the feed line to the tank or the tank itself is leaking but that would be unusual.

wammers said:

Seven or eight minutes should be long enough to raise car to standard height and compressor stop with doors closed. With door open tank should fill and compressor stop in five minutes. Providing of course good air is being produced. As said there is more than likely a leak in the feed line to the tank or the tank itself is leaking but that would be unusual.

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If the leak was in the tank side the compressor would run until it overheated which would be longer than 7 or 8 minutes.
From the OP's description the tank fills, the compressor stops until the door is shut when it restarts as pressure is lost when it tries to fill the corners.

Just a thought, you say you release the parking brake (not necessary) but you don't have your foot on the foot brake do you?

Wazzajnr said:

Just a thought, you say you release the parking brake (not necessary) but you don't have your foot on the foot brake do you?

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Good point.

Wazzajnr said:

Just a thought, you say you release the parking brake (not necessary) but you don't have your foot on the foot brake do you?

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No, foot is of the brake.

Ok, does sound like the air is going somewhere then.
If you have a big leak on the rear bags/lines that will empty the tank in short order and the fronts won't raise until the back is up.
If you're not loosing air anywhere, could be the brake switch possibly.

Thanks everyone on your suggestions. I will investigate tommorow or the day after. It sounds strange to me that there is a problem with the airline to the tank, since the compressor did not stop due to overheating, at least I think so ( it was just a little warm when it shut down).

If I mount a T piece and a pressure gauge just before line enters the tank, and if the pressure is constant with doors open and compressor off, would that eliminate problems with leaks with the tank or tank airline?