EAS - Troubleshooting help!

Hi,

Have got a reasonable amount of help on this over on rangerovers.net, including from some names I recognise on here, so apologies for the double post.

Seems like there are more people on landyzone who are in the UK, so I'm more likely to get responses during my own waking hours.

To summarise:

Bought P38 in August. Suspension has been crazy ever since, doing traffic light dance, not responding to buttons properly, taking a while to get up out of access height (when it actually decides it wants to go there in the first place!)

It tends to level out at normal height after I maintain 40mph for a mile or so, and often if I select access height then only the front goes down.

It usually goes into off road height ok, just struggles to come back down again.

I got a hard fault the week before last (a few days prior to this, it was struggling to get the front up after I'd put into access height - it's never lost height overnight though). Made a cable, and plugged into EAS Unlock and got the following:

7: Vehicle has moved
2: Cannot lower RL
2: RL valve stuck closed

Unlocked, and it ran fine for a week (well, as fine as it was before!)

After extensive reading though, I think I need to try and identify the cause of the issues now, rather than waiting for another hard fault to occur again!

I spent this weekend replacing o-rings on the valve block, which I think i did successfully, and spotted no obvious leaks/damaged o-rings in there.

Also replaced 2 x 2 o rings on the dryer unit. There was one leak on the dryer unit which is no longer present.

After I put it all back together, I ran the car for about 10 minutes with all doors and tailgate closed, bonnet open. Eventually, it raised the left hand side to full height, but nothing with the right hand side. I selected off road height, and the left hand side went up further. The right stayed firmly on the bump stops.

All the while, the pump was running and getting too hot to touch.

I then selected normal height, and all four corners levelled out to normal.

I went for a spin, and it seemed ok. Selected off road height, and the left hand side went up, RHS stayed in normal. Went to bed, came down this morning, LHS is up, RHS is normal.

Drove 5 miles to work, and the dash 'said' it was normal. Stopped to check, tt was lying - LHS was still higher. Selected access height. It dropped right down, but the light was still flashing on access height, and was static on normal. Selected normal again, nothing happened.

Drove the final mile, and it's parked on the flat carpark outside and seems reasonably 'normal'.

I checked the passenger side footwell white plug this morning (vefore driving to work), and it is corroded. Spent 5 mins with an emory board, air spray, and precision screwdriver, but clearly a problem is still present.

My next scheme of work is:

• Check faults in EAS suite
• Check height settings in EAS suite
• Maybe recalibrate heights
• Solder and user heat shrink wrap to protect cables in passenger footwell to replace white plug
• Do the same on the driver side
• Refurb compressor pump (after checking pressure as per Wammers guide)
• Check for leaks on airline connectors on corners (although, presumably it would lose height at night if there were leaks?)

Thanks in advance for any other thoughts or suggestions, and I'll keep this updated with my next steps and keep reading Rachelkgr's thread, as I think a lot of the suggestions on there are very valid to my issue(s)!

Bonnet doesn't freeze the EAS, only a door or the Tailgate (on the P38)....so if your intention was to fill the tank, this was in vain!

Use a good quality Electrical contact cleaner in addition to your efforts to clean the plugs...

You'll need to check the Compressor output and go over it with a Soapy spray to check for leaks....if they are check out, time to look at the Height Sensors....

The EAS ECU isn't clever enough to know if a valve is 'actually' stuck in either open or closed...but it surmises a stuck valve when it is given a command to open and raise the vehicle, yet the height sensor gives no height change feedback so it assumes a valve is stuck....

It is more likely a split air bag, lack of air pressure or a dicky height sensor...

As for the fault message 'Vehicle Has Moved' you can ignore that one as it just means the height has changed since the ECU was last powered up!

Thanks for the speedy reply!

Saint.V8 said:

Bonnet doesn't freeze the EAS, only a door or the Tailgate (on the P38)....so if your intention was to fill the tank, this was in vain!

Click to expand...

I wasn't aware of the 'filling the tank' until I read Rachelkgr's thread (a couple above or below mine at the moment, also EAS issues!). By specifying the bonnet was the only thing open, I meant that I was therefore expecting the EAS to work.

Saint.V8 said:

Use a good quality Electrical contact cleaner in addition to your efforts to clean the plugs...

Click to expand...

Will add to the shopping list! Although, shouldn't need this is I just strip the wires and solder together?

Saint.V8 said:

You'll need to check the Compressor output and go over it with a Soapy spray to check for leaks....if they are check out, time to look at the Height Sensors....

Click to expand...

On the blue pipe?

Saint.V8 said:

It is more likely a split air bag, lack of air pressure or a dicky height sensor...

Click to expand...

Would this not result in height loss at night though?

I think I read somewhere that splits can sometimes be 'hidden' because the bag folds over itself at certain heights. That said, it often stays in off road height overnight with no height loss.

Hello again, forgot to add, if you can get her up to wading height or have a good jack take a can of elec cleaner and give a good clean to each connector on the 4 height sensors. They are well known for getting all cruddy and dirty due to their location, just remove connector from sensor and blast them with cleaner. Make sure the connector and sensor pins are nice and clean and dry. Hope this helps.

Remove the EAS exhaust silencer, a little tube towards the rear of the EAS box engine side. It may be full of white powder and if blocked will make it slow to lower and may give a valve stuck closed fault.

If you have a leaky NRV, is this usually because of the o-ring, or the shape of the NRV?

One of the NRV's had a misshapen head - see below.

That can cause it to stick, can be carefully re-shaped.

Datatek said:

Remove the EAS exhaust silencer...It may be full of white powder and if blocked will make it slow to lower and may give a valve stuck closed fault.

Click to expand...

Thanks

I've noticed you've suggested this before on another thread somewhere. It gets full of the dessicant from the dryer unit I think you said? You also said that if this is full of white powdery stuff, then chances are the valve block will be too?

Will take off and check this evening, also put finger over the end and check for pressure.

Going to start the engine now, with a door open, so I can let system pressurise before I drive home in ten minutes!

Datatek said:

That can cause it to stick, can be carefully re-shaped.

Click to expand...

Can they be replaced?

It's all rebuilt now...but now I know what I'm doing, and I don't have to replace 3,000 o-rings, I can whip it out and sort it next weekend.

How would I go about reshaping?

Yep, the dryer dessicant breaks up eventually and coats everything.

crumble said:

Can they be replaced?

It's all rebuilt now...but now I know what I'm doing, and I don't have to replace 3,000 o-rings, I can whip it out and sort it next weekend.

How would I go about reshaping?

Click to expand...

Lathe or pillar drill and a smooth file.

Datatek said:

Yep, the dryer dessicant breaks up eventually and coats everything.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I didnt finish what I was trying to say before...I meant to finish by saying that I assume I'd have spotted the white powder all over the inside of the valve block at the weekend when I refurbed?

crumble said:

Sorry, I didnt finish what I was trying to say before...I meant to finish by saying that I assume I'd have spotted the white powder all over the inside of the valve block at the weekend when I refurbed?

Click to expand...

Maybe, some folks don't see it until it's pointed out as it can look like an original coating.

Further update:

The exhaust DID have white stuff in it, maybe half a teaspoon full, and it didn't come out until I took the screw out.

Have been running with it out for the last half hour or so, it's scared the **** out of me a couple of times, and the dogs have run into the house.

Haven't checked pump strength, but I left the engine running with door open and the compressor turned off after 5 or so minutes.

Cleaned contacts on both footwells with contact cleaner spray. Somewhere along the way I have made my external temperature read -40c...god knows how? Perhaps it's one of the other plugs in the footwell?

EAS Suite logs no faults. It is doing some funny things though.

To start with, if I went to the 'Heights' page, where I can press up and down for each corner, the FL went up and down fine. FR went Up when I pressed Up, and weirdly, it still went Up when I pressed Down.

Rear did nothing.

Then, when I clicked FL up, the RR went up...the FL controls are now controlling RR...weird!

On each 'up' and 'down' click I can hear the 'click' noise from the block.

When I press 'Get Sensor Heights' the exhaust makes one loud short noise, and then a longer hiss. Any corners that I had previously asked to go Up then go down.

Unplug EAS suite, Height Selector reads Wading height. I select Normal, and FL goes sky high, RL goes to what would usually be wading height, FR and RR goes to bump stop.

Then choose Access Height, and FL stays high, FR drops to 'normal, RR stays on bump stop, RL goes to access height.

I'm cold and hungry now and have a Clio brake light to replace, so going to stop playing, and hope it works for my drive to work in the morning!!

crumble said:

Further update:

The exhaust DID have white stuff in it, maybe half a teaspoon full, and it didn't come out until I took the screw out.

Have been running with it out for the last half hour or so, it's scared the **** out of me a couple of times, and the dogs have run into the house.

Haven't checked pump strength, but I left the engine running with door open and the compressor turned off after 5 or so minutes.

Cleaned contacts on both footwells with contact cleaner spray. Somewhere along the way I have made my external temperature read -40c...god knows how? Perhaps it's one of the other plugs in the footwell?

EAS Suite logs no faults. It is doing some funny things though.

To start with, if I went to the 'Heights' page, where I can press up and down for each corner, the FL went up and down fine. FR went Up when I pressed Up, and weirdly, it still went Up when I pressed Down.

Rear did nothing.

Then, when I clicked FL up, the RR went up...the FL controls are now controlling RR...weird!

On each 'up' and 'down' click I can hear the 'click' noise from the block.

When I press 'Get Sensor Heights' the exhaust makes one loud short noise, and then a longer hiss. Any corners that I had previously asked to go Up then go down.

Unplug EAS suite, Height Selector reads Wading height. I select Normal, and FL goes sky high, RL goes to what would usually be wading height, FR and RR goes to bump stop.

Then choose Access Height, and FL stays high, FR drops to 'normal, RR stays on bump stop, RL goes to access height.

I'm cold and hungry now and have a Clio brake light to replace, so going to stop playing, and hope it works for my drive to work in the morning!!

Click to expand...

I trust you have put the solenoid coils back in their correct places. It is important to do so.

wammers said:

I trust you have put the solenoid coils back in their correct places. It is important to do so.

Click to expand...

I'm wondering the same thing. 99% sure I put them all back correctly, but with that slight doubt, I plan to take apart at the weekend.

Next issue is that I think I've damaged to fuel tank, or a line. Just arrived to work, parked, and I'm in a puddle of diesel :-(

As Wammers said, coils in wrong places, I would add or pipes in wrong holes.

Datatek said:

As Wammers said, coils in wrong places, I would add or pipes in wrong holes.

Click to expand...

I'm certain it's not the pipes - I have a 'before' photo. Will double check though.

More concerned that it's dumped £70 worth of diesel outside the front door of the office.

RAC?

Just add a piece of lighted newspaper and all your problems are solved.

Dopey did similar - was sure coils in right place but vehicle had odd behaviour....

Then he thought maybe they were wrong....so we followed this diagram and traced the wiring back to the plug, and two of the coils were in the wrong place!!