P38A Cycling EAS

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B

Bertie Wooster

Member
Posts
74
Location
Midlands
Hello,
Any thoughts on my EAS difficulties please. The EAS pumps up when the engine is started. About five to 10 seconds after reaching the correct height (I assume) the pump stops then, around five to 10 seconds later something in the valve block starts clicking (around twice a second) and the suspension drops a little. The pump then restarts to pump the suspension back up. Then once again, about five to 10 seconds after the correct height is reached, and the pump stops, the clicking restarts and the suspension drops ..... and so on, this cycle is repeated on and on .......
Sometimes, when the pump is going and raising the suspension, this same clicking starts for just a few secpnds.
I've had the valve block apart and replaced all o-rings etc from an x8r service kit. It all looked clean and o rings were soft when I took it apart.
I've also replaced all the air bags.
After the engine is turned off the suspension drops within a few minutes. It doesn't drop smoothly (as would be the case with a leak). The rear right bag appears to drop first then the rest of the suspension drops at the same time as the valve block clicks a few times. (Would the auto self-levelling occur within a couple of minutes of turning the engine off?)
I've tried connecting the valve block to the rear right bag with a new air line (in case there was a leak in the air line) but that made no difference.
Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.
 
Could be a worn height sensor, dodgy driver pack connection, dodgy connection behind A-post or a leak somewhere.

But start with RRDT suggestion above as it is quick and easy.
 
Thanks for your speedy replies. I think I've done something similar - pumped up and disconnected the battery - and I believe the suspension was down at the rear 12 hrs later, but not the front. But I'm loosing track of what I have done so will try that and report back.
Cheers
 
Bertie Wooster said:
Thanks for your speedy replies. I think I've done something similar - pumped up and disconnected the battery - and I believe the suspension was down at the rear 12 hrs later, but not the front. But I'm loosing track of what I have done so will try that and report back.
Cheers
Click to expand...

If it goes down with battery off you have a leak.
 
As well as the rear air bags and connections check the pipe work as it can get melted by an exhaust leak but can be hard to find.
 
Once again, thanks for all your suggestions. I pumped everything up and pulled the relay from under the seat. Half an hour later the rear left was down 95mm and on the bump stop, the rear right was down 70mm, the front left was down 25mm and the front right was UP 20mm.
All bags have just been changed and all connections to the bags and valve block checked with soapy water - no leaks. I wondered about the pipe to the right rear (because that always falls the fastest) which is why I fitted a new pipe. Connections with this new pipe are good at both ends - no leaks, but no better than the old pipe.
Mmmm, I'm lost with this.
Cheers
 
Under the seat next to the EAS ECU? That's not a relay... well not really- that's a sort of delay timer thing which introduces some lag in the suspension activity so it doesn't chase every single bump on the road or every bit of body roll whenever you go round a corner. I'm not sure pulling that will disable the EAS- although it might. I suggest you make darned sure the EAS isn't doing anything and either unplug the EAS multiplug within the EAS box in the engine bay, or disconnect the battery. IF the left rear still sags then you have- for sure- a leak. It could be no more than a piece of lint stuck across one of the o-rings on the left rear solenoid so just because the orings are still nice and pliable doesn't mean you won't have a leak if the rebuild hasn't been done in VERY clean conditions.

The other height changes on the other corners of the car can be explained by just the fact that the left rear has deflated and brought the right rear and left front along for the ride, while pushing the right front up in the air.
 
Last edited:
NOTE WELL.... IF you choose to unplug the EAS multiplug and leave the battery connected, for the good of all that's pressurised and springy TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND PULL OUT THE KEY before you do it... and don't go turning the ignition on until you've reconnected the multiplug.

You may not.... but you also MAY cause your EAS to hard fault if you do.

Actually, you know what- just disconnect the battery.
 
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Myoney is on a twitching height sensor... If you can watch the height sensor reading on live data and it flickers is buggered.
Or.. Get the height sensor on a bench with a dvm ans read the résistance as you slowly sweep the arm. If it goes through the readings slowly then jumps upwards and downwards and then resumes its reading its buggered.
Rebuilding the block with orings is always a good bet. Along with changing the air dryer and pump seal.
 
Bertie Wooster said:
Once again, thanks for all your suggestions. I pumped everything up and pulled the relay from under the seat. Half an hour later the rear left was down 95mm and on the bump stop, the rear right was down 70mm, the front left was down 25mm and the front right was UP 20mm.
All bags have just been changed and all connections to the bags and valve block checked with soapy water - no leaks. I wondered about the pipe to the right rear (because that always falls the fastest) which is why I fitted a new pipe. Connections with this new pipe are good at both ends - no leaks, but no better than the old pipe.
Mmmm, I'm lost with this.
Cheers
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be possible to go up unless something is leaking inside the valve-block. I think @pwood999 might have had it in the past.
 
Loads of helpful ideas there. Many thanks everyone. Certainly if the left back sank to the bump stop it makes sense that the right front could rise. I hadn't realised that the relay under the seat was a delay - I'll try the test again in the morning by disconnecting the battery.
The reason for me to change the air bags and service the valve block was because of this problem so I think it unlikely that I've introduced any contamination into the block, but I can always take it apart again and check. It's the first time I've done this so it might not be perfect, but I was very careful. Air dryer and pump seal were changed at the same time.
The car was not driven with the new air line - it's not fitted to the chassis, I've run it from the valve block, out of the bonnet, round the outside of the car and attached it to the air bag. A temporary line just to check the old one.
I don't have a leak.
I have Hawkeye Total diagnostic thing but have never been able to get the EAS dongle to work, but can certainly test the resistance as it moves.
Are the non return valves part of the valve block, if so then I assume I've put new seals in - all the rubber parts were changed changed.
One thing I found odd was that with the valve block kit there were no rubber circles to fit into the ends of the plungers. This is the rubber which closes onto the sharp cylinder to close things off. (Sort of like the washer in a basin tap). They looked OK so i left them.
I have some Schrader valves and tomorrow I will try detaching the four air bag supply lines from the valve block and try blowing the bags up with my little 12v tyre pump. If that works and they stay up then presumably the valve block or control system is the problem rather than supply line or air bags.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
 
Bertie Wooster said:
Loads of helpful ideas there. Many thanks everyone. Certainly if the left back sank to the bump stop it makes sense that the right front could rise. I hadn't realised that the relay under the seat was a delay - I'll try the test again in the morning by disconnecting the battery.
The reason for me to change the air bags and service the valve block was because of this problem so I think it unlikely that I've introduced any contamination into the block, but I can always take it apart again and check. It's the first time I've done this so it might not be perfect, but I was very careful. Air dryer and pump seal were changed at the same time.
The car was not driven with the new air line - it's not fitted to the chassis, I've run it from the valve block, out of the bonnet, round the outside of the car and attached it to the air bag. A temporary line just to check the old one.
I don't have a leak.
I have Hawkeye Total diagnostic thing but have never been able to get the EAS dongle to work, but can certainly test the resistance as it moves.
Are the non return valves part of the valve block, if so then I assume I've put new seals in - all the rubber parts were changed changed.
One thing I found odd was that with the valve block kit there were no rubber circles to fit into the ends of the plungers. This is the rubber which closes onto the sharp cylinder to close things off. (Sort of like the washer in a basin tap). They looked OK so i left them.
I have some Schrader valves and tomorrow I will try detaching the four air bag supply lines from the valve block and try blowing the bags up with my little 12v tyre pump. If that works and they stay up then presumably the valve block or control system is the problem rather than supply line or air bags.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Click to expand...

I think do the pump-up-and-disconnect-battery thing first. This will eliminate issues with the electrics (e.g. height sensor, driver pack etc). IF the car stays up with the battery disconnected then you know you don't have a leak and need to look at the electronics and not the physical bits. If it DOESN'T stay up then it's a leak and the question then becomes one of finding it.

Inflating the left rear directly with the schrader valve would be the next move in going down this path and if it still sinks then the leak is either in the air line or the air spring and if it doesn't then it's in the valve block. "Easy"!

LMAO!!!
 
Morning everyone 10.00am in the UK.
As DarthDude suggested, I pumped up and immediately disconnected the battery. An hour later (and possibly sooner but I didn't check):

Rear left fell by around 4in (to the bump stop)
Rear right fell 2.5in
Front left fell by 0.5in
Front right rose by 1.5in

The rise, I'm guessing, is because the rear left fell by so much and the car pivoted on rear right and front left. So, my guess is a leak somewhere, or several leaks because three air bags have deflated!

This very fast deflating started several weeks ago. I changed all air bags, serviced the valve block and checked for leaks at all airline junctions. This did not improve anything. A new air line to the rear left wheel (this falls the most) also has not helped. (I can't believe that several of the new air bags were sold with leaks.)

Is there anywhere or anything else that I could check? If not, would you advise dismantling the valve block again?

I will try pumping bags up with the Schrader valves to double check each airline and bag but this will take some time.

Many thanks everyone.
 
Ok so chances are your electronics are fine.

I'm still thinking you only have the one leak in the left rear. The other height changes can be explained by just that so I'd focus on that one corner for now. Don't worry about the dropping right rear and left front just yet- it could just be from having to carry more weight since the left rear isn't.

I THINK (my memory isn't too clear at this point right now) that the left rear solenoid is #1- the second from the back on top of the valve block.

Maybe. I think.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go with the schrader valves right now. Inflate all 4 airsprings until the car is very obviously off the bumpstops and leave it for an hour. That'll tell you if your leak is in the valve block (if it DOESN'T drop then pay special attention to solenoids 1 and 2 and the orings in their respective output collets) or AFTER the valve block (if it DOES drop then chances are it's in your airspring since your airline is known-good).

Good luck- you're getting there!
 
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