Disco II Air suspension – the definitive guide

Hi All, been reading these messages with interest and wondered if you could give me some advice.
Air suspension on tD5 dropped 2 weeks ago on offside, once engine started it returned to normal ride height and stayed there for two weeks.
That said a couple of days ago got up to find the air suspension had dropped on the same side again, which again returned to normal height once the engine was started and is currently holding, but for how long?
Do you have any suggestions on what this might be.
Thanks in advance!

garbett said:

Hi All, been reading these messages with interest and wondered if you could give me some advice.
Air suspension on tD5 dropped 2 weeks ago on offside, once engine started it returned to normal ride height and stayed there for two weeks.
That said a couple of days ago got up to find the air suspension had dropped on the same side again, which again returned to normal height once the engine was started and is currently holding, but for how long?
Do you have any suggestions on what this might be.
Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

Air bags have become porous, get them changed.

Only just found this thread. Excellent.

I think air springs get a bad press but by the sounds of it there is nothing significant to worry about.

Mine off-roaded very nicely and the extra height when grounded did come in handy.

The main reason for the air suspension failing is lack of basic maintenance. Cleaning the compressor filters and washing dirt and grime off the bags being the main cause.
As the bag rolls over itself, any dirt acts as an abrasive, wearing holes in them

Are Land Rovers psychic?

Yesterday I'm reading up on Air Suspension and this morning I get to the car to find it is sat down on its stops!

Based on what I read yesterday I am confident that I just need to replace the air springs. I'll be ordering them to collect from Peterborough at the weekend.

Hello everyone, I've read through this thread carefully and with a couple of exceptions my problem appears to be the opposite of everyone else's. My 2002 TD5 is decidedly high at the rear end even when rested overnight. The height adjustment button works but although this raises the suspension it only returns to the unusually high position. The Amber warning light is on which to me could indicate a problem with the ride height sensors. The over inflation appears evenly distributed across both sides rather than just one. If the sensors need replacing / re calibrating or even the whole thing plugged in to nanoom or similar could anyone please recommend someone in the South East corner either Kent or Sussex ideally.
Any advice gratefully received.
D

Have you inspected the sensors, the bar that is bolted to the trailing arm should be encased in rubber, a lot of the time the rubber perishes and splits.
Look through from the front of the rear wheel-arch to check.

I've just had a look and it appeArs that there is a small amount of rubber top and bottom but none through the middle four to five inches of this rod. Excuse my ignorance but does this make a difference?

The rubber around the bolt hole must be intact for the sensor to work properly

Coastguard said:

Hello everyone, I've read through this thread carefully and with a couple of exceptions my problem appears to be the opposite of everyone else's. My 2002 TD5 is decidedly high at the rear end even when rested overnight. The height adjustment button works but although this raises the suspension it only returns to the unusually high position. The Amber warning light is on which to me could indicate a problem with the ride height sensors. The over inflation appears evenly distributed across both sides rather than just one. If the sensors need replacing / re calibrating or even the whole thing plugged in to nanoom or similar could anyone please recommend someone in the South East corner either Kent or Sussex ideally.
Any advice gratefully received.
D

Click to expand...

It sounds like at least one of the ride height sensors has broken (which you may not be able to obviously see visually) to send it higher than it should be.

One question - does the pump actually turn off? It sometimes occurs that the compressor doesn't shut off unless the relay is physically removed. Probably unlikely, but worth having a listen for. If it's over-running or not shutting down when it should - best thing you can do is remove the relay immediately as otherwise this kill the compressor very quickly indeed.

Recommendation for repair is Gary Bignall at Bigbury 4x4 just outside of Canterbury. He'll only charge you for the actual part required (genuine sensor is about 25-30 notes or so iirc), and probably an hour's labour. You might even be able to book it with him to do it while you wait if you're travelling a fair distance to him..... He's an LR trained mechanic and does a top job.

Many thanks for your replies, I shall try to contact Gary.

Regards D

Coastguard said:

Many thanks for your replies, I shall try to contact Gary.

Regards D

Click to expand...

Bigbury Garage - 4x4 Repairs Canterbury Contact

If you ring Gary - tell him Richard sent you!

I certainly will and thanks once again.

I've got a 53 reg Discovery 2. I have an intermittent problem with the offside rear air suspension. It will stay up for 2 weeks or more at a time then occasionally the offside will drop overnight. It comes up no problem when I start the engine in the morning and if I switch off again it will stay up. The level detectors have been replaced but to no effect, it still occasionally drops. I can only think that this must be a sticky valve which is sometimes OK sometimes not. The definitive guide suggests that some people have replaced a valve unit. Does anyone have experience of this and where could I get one? Thanks

JHughes1379 said:

I've got a 53 reg Discovery 2. I have an intermittent problem with the offside rear air suspension. It will stay up for 2 weeks or more at a time then occasionally the offside will drop overnight. It comes up no problem when I start the engine in the morning and if I switch off again it will stay up. The level detectors have been replaced but to no effect, it still occasionally drops. I can only think that this must be a sticky valve which is sometimes OK sometimes not. The definitive guide suggests that some people have replaced a valve unit. Does anyone have experience of this and where could I get one? Thanks

Click to expand...

Sounds like you have a very small air leak from somewhere. Likeliest candidate is a very small hole in the airbag where it rolls over to allow the airbag to expand and compress, which is where they mostly all fail with time as they age - soapy water is the best way to try and find any little air bubbles from the unit itself...

raise your ss to the top, spray soapy water on the air bags, if it bubbles you have a leak, replace both sides if so as recomended, doesnt take long to do!

If you have to replace the sensor(s) is it obligatory to have them recalibrated or is there something you can remove to keep the computer happy (fuse, relay) and to make a simple unbolt/bolt-on?

Harold 4x4 said:

If you have to replace the sensor(s) is it obligatory to have them recalibrated or is there something you can remove to keep the computer happy (fuse, relay) and to make a simple unbolt/bolt-on?

Click to expand...

diconect the battery before attempting it, it then should save its existing calabration

the sensors work on the hall effect principle, basically they are rotating magnets with an arm on them. Disconnecting the battery will not make a difference to the setting.

Changing them should not effect the calibration too much....

Change them then let the system settle. Measure from the wheel hub to the top of the wheel arch and compare sides, if they are wildly out take it to a dealer to recalibrate.

battenberg said:

the sensors work on the hall effect principle, basically they are rotating magnets with an arm on them. Disconnecting the battery will not make a difference to the setting.

Changing them should not effect the calibration too much....

Change them then let the system settle. Measure from the wheel hub to the top of the wheel arch and compare sides, if they are wildly out take it to a dealer to recalibrate.

Click to expand...

beg to differ, mine lost all calabration whislt jacking rear end up, all because the compressor dumped the air from on side, without battery connected it cant do this