E.A.S. in freezing weather

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dogsbody

dogsbody

Very senior member
Posts
10,685
Location
Bristol
2000 DSE

This is my first winter with a Rangie. Back in summer I rebuilt the compressor, kit from Holland, and replaced all the bags. I squirted soapy water everywhere and found no leaks. The system worked well and quickly.

Since the freezing weather I've found that I can start it, leave it running for ten minutes or so whilst the screens clear, then drive for 20 minutes with the suspension 'low' light on and the 'normal' light flashing. Mostly it sorts itself out but I have had to re-set it once.

I've got myself a valve block O ring kit and a new drier and this weekend I intend going right through the system from the compressor to the bag connections, including draining the tank.

But what I can't help wondering is, how do the guys in really cold places get on? There are winters like this every year on mainland Europe. So, you guys that post in from Denmark, Germany etc. how do you get on with eas? Is there anything special that I could / should be doing? Did Land Rover do anything to 'winterise' Rangies that were sold to cold areas?

Or is this just a case of old O rings getting a bit hard and not sealing as well as they should?
 
dogsbody said:
2000 DSE

This is my first winter with a Rangie. Back in summer I rebuilt the compressor, kit from Holland, and replaced all the bags. I squirted soapy water everywhere and found no leaks. The system worked well and quickly.

Since the freezing weather I've found that I can start it, leave it running for ten minutes or so whilst the screens clear, then drive for 20 minutes with the suspension 'low' light on and the 'normal' light flashing. Mostly it sorts itself out but I have had to re-set it once.

I've got myself a valve block O ring kit and a new drier and this weekend I intend going right through the system from the compressor to the bag connections, including draining the tank.

But what I can't help wondering is, how do the guys in really cold places get on? There are winters like this every year on mainland Europe. So, you guys that post in from Denmark, Germany etc. how do you get on with eas? Is there anything special that I could / should be doing? Did Land Rover do anything to 'winterise' Rangies that were sold to cold areas?

Or is this just a case of old O rings getting a bit hard and not sealing as well as they should?
Click to expand...

It's just lack of air pressure. Looking a some other posts on the subject i would take a look at the compressor piston seal. The Dutch one seems to be failing at an alarming rate.
 
I've got the same issue, as have a few others. I replaced my seal with the Dutch effort a few months ago but since the cold weather it's been taking ages to rise.

I took the compressor apart again and found the nearly new Dutch seal is not making full contact inside the bore any more. It's also pretty hard, not flexible at all. So I think all their gusto about new material glass fibre / teflon blah blah blah is exactly that. Obviously wasn't tested properly by them as it's ****e.

Pity we can't buy the OEM version as a service part. I ordered a yellow one from a UK supplier that i've got to pick up from the postie tonight. Will fit it and let you know if it's any good. :)
 
wammers said:
It's just lack of air pressure. Looking a some other posts on the subject i would take a look at the compressor piston seal. The Dutch one seems to be failing at an alarming rate.
Click to expand...


I'd spotted the posts about the Dutch seals and that will be the first thing that I'll be checking. However according to the date stamp on my drier it is the original so I'm assuming that the valve O rings are probably ten years old as well and then I'm wondering how much water I've got in the system, hence the tank drain.
 
dogsbody said:
I'd spotted the posts about the Dutch seals and that will be the first thing that I'll be checking. However according to the date stamp on my drier it is the original so I'm assuming that the valve O rings are probably ten years old as well and then I'm wondering how much water I've got in the system, hence the tank drain.
Click to expand...

Well, you are supposed to drain the tank at regular intervals. The drier should theoretically last for ever as it is self drying. All exhaust air is channelled backwards through it to atmosphere. This is supposed to dry the desicant. Cold weather will find out hard O rings and such like but to be honest O ring leakage in the valve block is mostly insignificant to operation. As the only time most of them are in contact with air is when the system is actually adjusting itself. It is only the O ring connecting NRV1 to the tank that has constant pressure on it. The Dutch seal is not good, i have just taken one out and refitted a standard one. Slow rising EAS was immediatly sorted. Lack of good air pressure is the biggest EAS killer.
 
What ever wonder material the dutch guys use is crap i too fitted 1 and it shagged the barrel now fitted barrell and seal from uk supplier see how long they last
 
Kungfu0210 said:
I've got the same issue, as have a few others. I replaced my seal with the Dutch effort a few months ago but since the cold weather it's been taking ages to rise.

I took the compressor apart again and found the nearly new Dutch seal is not making full contact inside the bore any more. It's also pretty hard, not flexible at all. So I think all their gusto about new material glass fibre / teflon blah blah blah is exactly that. Obviously wasn't tested properly by them as it's ****e.

Pity we can't buy the OEM version as a service part. I ordered a yellow one from a UK supplier that i've got to pick up from the postie tonight. Will fit it and let you know if it's any good. :)
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's of any use to you guys but I've just had to re-build my pump and replace all of my air springs.
I got all of my parts from P38spares.co.uk I thought it was very good value turned up sharpish and the pump kit (Piston, seal & bore) was OEM £99 ;)
 
I have the same problem with the Dutch kit, fitted 6 months ago approx. Have ordered the 4 valve kit of eBay to keep the thing pumped up until I take the pump seal and liner back to OEM configuration
 
As Wammers says the air dryer should be "ever-lasting". But it won`t do any harm to take off air dryer, carefully undo top, (compression spring inside), and tip the clay like beads inside onto a clean foil tray and cook `em gently in a warm oven for a half-hour. Take care not to empty the contents all over the floor when taking top off tho`.
 
gtland said:
As Wammers says the air dryer should be "ever-lasting". But it won`t do any harm to take off air dryer, carefully undo top, (compression spring inside), and tip the clay like beads inside onto a clean foil tray and cook `em gently in a warm oven for a half-hour. Take care not to empty the contents all over the floor when taking top off tho`.
Click to expand...

nice idea, might give that a try!
 
Thanks for the tip GTLAND, wish you'd posted before I'd bought a new one. Especially as the plans for a complete service of my eas have gone for a burton this weekend.

My doctor has told me that I've got to spend the weekend resting my twisted knee, so, feet up and I've got to eat three times a day to wash the pills down.

Yea your right, SHE doesn't believe a word of it!
 
i only buy my kits from p38a spares usualy find that when the original seal has failed tiny bits of it pas into the valve block and damage the seals too!
always replace the filters inlet and exhaust once a year and drain the tank once a year too
ensure the height sensors rubber joints are free too they rust up quick in the winter too
 
The intention was to do a complete check of the eas, end to end, to try and either find out why it was so poor in the recent freezing weather or just cure it without knowing which bit was the cure. I don't really care as long as it is sorted before my Hogmanay trip to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth to see the family.

Well it didn't last long. Compressor out and the piston is slopping about in the barrel like, well, make up your own sexual simile. When I fitted it I had to ease the piston into the barrel at 45 degreees, now I can chuck it in any old how. So let me join the growing ranks who say that the Dutch piston seals are c**p! Either the seal has worn away or it's 'polished' the inner surface off the barrel. The original lasted about ten years and this dutch cap lasted about six months. Utter C**P!

Obviously without a fully working compressor I'm not going any further but I did have a look at the reservoir tank. There's no water drain valve. Well not as I'm used to on any other compressor. There's a supply pipe and a blanking nut on the other end. What am I supposed to do? Undo the blank and tip the Rangie up on end? Or were Land Rover so convinced that the air drier was so effective that you couldn't get water into the tank?

Oh, one last thing. The weather has warmed up (a couple of degrees above freezing) and my eas is working quickly and perfectly.
 
dogsbody said:
The intention was to do a complete check of the eas, end to end, to try and either find out why it was so poor in the recent freezing weather or just cure it without knowing which bit was the cure. I don't really care as long as it is sorted before my Hogmanay trip to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth to see the family.

Well it didn't last long. Compressor out and the piston is slopping about in the barrel like, well, make up your own sexual simile. When I fitted it I had to ease the piston into the barrel at 45 degreees, now I can chuck it in any old how. So let me join the growing ranks who say that the Dutch piston seals are c**p! Either the seal has worn away or it's 'polished' the inner surface off the barrel. The original lasted about ten years and this dutch cap lasted about six months. Utter C**P!

Obviously without a fully working compressor I'm not going any further but I did have a look at the reservoir tank. There's no water drain valve. Well not as I'm used to on any other compressor. There's a supply pipe and a blanking nut on the other end. What am I supposed to do? Undo the blank and tip the Rangie up on end? Or were Land Rover so convinced that the air drier was so effective that you couldn't get water into the tank?

Oh, one last thing. The weather has warmed up (a couple of degrees above freezing) and my eas is working quickly and perfectly.
Click to expand...

The blanking nut is the drain according to Land rover. Did you fit a new piston seal?
 
wammers said:
The blanking nut is the drain according to Land rover. Did you fit a new piston seal?
Click to expand...


No.

As I fitted the dutch cap about six months ago when I replaced all the bags THAT was the one thing that I didn't think I'd have to do this time.

I just bolted it back together and though 'sod it' and ordered a new compressor from Island, it's the original one on there and I intend keeping this beastie for a while. Once I've got that I'll start again.

When I said in the last post that it was working quickly that was a relative term. It has been taking 45 minutes to level off in the really cold weather, now it's only taking maybe 20 minutes, and that's only from access to drive. Back in the summer I could show off and bow to people.

Once I've got the new compressor on I'm going to chuck the piston, complete with it's dutch cap into the freezer and see how it responds. I won't be at all surprised if it freezes solid.
 
dogsbody said:
No.

As I fitted the dutch cap about six months ago when I replaced all the bags THAT was the one thing that I didn't think I'd have to do this time.

I just bolted it back together and though 'sod it' and ordered a new compressor from Island, it's the original one on there and I intend keeping this beastie for a while. Once I've got that I'll start again.

When I said in the last post that it was working quickly that was a relative term. It has been taking 45 minutes to level off in the really cold weather, now it's only taking maybe 20 minutes, and that's only from access to drive. Back in the summer I could show off and bow to people.

Once I've got the new compressor on I'm going to chuck the piston, complete with it's dutch cap into the freezer and see how it responds. I won't be at all surprised if it freezes solid.
Click to expand...


45 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek:
 
has anyone fitted the compressor repair kit from island4x4, seems good value. i have had all the same symptoms as described, thinking about repair kit, and new front bags to start with as they are originals on my 2000 4.6 vogue
 
lizalandy said:
has anyone fitted the compressor repair kit from island4x4, seems good value. i have had all the same symptoms as described, thinking about repair kit, and new front bags to start with as they are originals on my 2000 4.6 vogue
Click to expand...

Evening
All I can tell you is that if the inside of the bore isn't perfect then the seal wont last much longer than a few months :( it doesn't seem such good value then...
 
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