Front air suspension leak at top nut - L322

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RRick

RRick

Member
Posts
21
Location
Hitchin, Herts
Hi everyone,

I've looked high and low on the interwebs for this info to no avail, so am hoping someone out there can help.

I've just fitted a new pattern air bag to the front right strut (L322, 2004) and it's leaking air from under and around the top nut ie the one at the top of the strut.

There were some small seals and spacers in the kit (as well as the big lower ones which went on no problem) but no fitting instructions and nothing out there on the web showing where the top seals go. I put them where seemed sensible but have this leak. (Maybe they're for air line unions at the distribution unit, but I didn't disturb anything other than the fitting that screws into the top of the bag when I replaced it.)

Any ideas? Or should I have a go with a light slather of flange sealant up the thread and on the surfaces?

Thanks!
 
I’m sure I replied to this one, have you had a look at the RSW Solutions site as I think he shows changing just the air spring?
 
@chicken @Saint.V8 - yes I have looked at the site and the vid. He used Arnott units which have the big o-rings captive and there's no mention of top seals at all. My unit is OEM-style ie without the aluminium top section so needed the lower o-rings fitting manually.

It seems the job of sealing round the threads and under the top nut is achieved without any rubber bits. Which a) makes me wonder what the small seals in the kit are, and b) whether I should swap back to the top nut I removed when I changed the spring. Reckon I'll give b( a go and see if it improves matters. If not maybe some PTFE tape might help. But I'd still like to know the answer to a)!
 
Now I have the 'air susp inactive' message and the compressor won't run. Hope it's not been overloaded and gone duff. Will perform the steering reset.
 
RRick said:
Hi everyone,

I've looked high and low on the interwebs for this info to no avail, so am hoping someone out there can help.

I've just fitted a new pattern air bag to the front right strut (L322, 2004) and it's leaking air from under and around the top nut ie the one at the top of the strut.

There were some small seals and spacers in the kit (as well as the big lower ones which went on no problem) but no fitting instructions and nothing out there on the web showing where the top seals go. I put them where seemed sensible but have this leak. (Maybe they're for air line unions at the distribution unit, but I didn't disturb anything other than the fitting that screws into the top of the bag when I replaced it.)

Any ideas? Or should I have a go with a light slather of flange sealant up the thread and on the surfaces?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi,
I have just replaced the front left air bag on an L322 2006 Range Rover Vogue. I bought the air bag on ebay with no instructions so watched the Arnott video. The sealing is different! My kit had 3 large nylon/PTFE? rings and 2 black rubber O rings which fit over the large body of the strut. There was also small nylon rings and black O ring(s). I am unsure if it was 3 nylon and 2 black O rings or 2 nylon and 1 black O ring as they may have got mixed up with the old parts. I have just requested instructions from the supplier. I figured out that the gold flange down washer that is fitted to the top end of the strut is then followed by a white nylon ring, then an O ring, then a white nylon ring. I had looked up into the air bag and there is recess to accept them. The big rubber bung with the steel insert would not affect a seal. I suspect that the Arnott air bag has them pre-fitted as I did find an air bag with the large seals pre-fitted in a recess. My only problem was that I could not press the bag down on the shock absorber with enough force to get the large seals to fit into the recess. The metal plate was level with the end of the plastic air bag and it should be about 6-7mm inside. Any help from anyone please? I gave up when it turned dark.
Regards, Neil
 
Neil1950 said:
Hi,
I have just replaced the front left air bag on an L322 2006 Range Rover Vogue. I bought the air bag on ebay with no instructions so watched the Arnott video. The sealing is different! My kit had 3 large nylon/PTFE? rings and 2 black rubber O rings which fit over the large body of the strut. There was also small nylon rings and black O ring(s). I am unsure if it was 3 nylon and 2 black O rings or 2 nylon and 1 black O ring as they may have got mixed up with the old parts. I have just requested instructions from the supplier. I figured out that the gold flange down washer that is fitted to the top end of the strut is then followed by a white nylon ring, then an O ring, then a white nylon ring. I had looked up into the air bag and there is recess to accept them. The big rubber bung with the steel insert would not affect a seal. I suspect that the Arnott air bag has them pre-fitted as I did find an air bag with the large seals pre-fitted in a recess. My only problem was that I could not press the bag down on the shock absorber with enough force to get the large seals to fit into the recess. The metal plate was level with the end of the plastic air bag and it should be about 6-7mm inside. Any help from anyone please? I gave up when it turned dark.
Regards, Neil
Click to expand...
hi Neil,

Sorry it's taken a while to get back to you. Sounds like you had the same problem I did, no instructions for non-Arnott springs! I didn't get any joy asking for any, either.

Think the top seals are 3 nylon and 2 rubber o-rings. They go over the thread on the top of the strut (nylon, rubber, nylon, rubber, nylon) and sit on the 90 degree shoulder of the strut shaft. Then there's the plastic recess you've seen inside the top of the airbag which sits over them to seal when you slide the bag on. From memory the gold washer sits on the shoulder above.

At the bottom of the airbag, you're right, those big o-rings are a tight fit! Use some vaseline to lubricate them and push them into the airbag before you seat the bag at the bottom. Use the nylon spacers to protect the rubber and something blunt to do the pushing - I used the small rounded end of a wooden kitchen spatula. When the last nylon spacer is level with the bottom of the plastic part of the spring, slide everything down into position and secure with the locking washer.

cheers
Rick
 
Hi Rick,

Thanks for your informative response. I got the bag on and replaced the strut, but the car did not lift. I then replaced the Hitachi piston seal, guide bush and O rings. Stripped the air drier, took out any powder and baked the desiccant. Still would not lift. OBD would not communicate so could not read codes. I suspected the replaced strut as I thought that I could hear a leak from the bottom O rings. Removed strut and air bag. No visual damage to seals. Slid the large seals back on in the correct order as you stated. I measured the recess depth at the inside top of the bag with blue tack. It was the depth of 2 O rings and 2 nylon washers. The large black stepped washer fitted over the shock absorber, then the yellow bump stop, then the washer with lip down over the shoulder on the piston. I should have fitted all 5 washers but only fitted 4 leaving out one of the nylon washers as I did not think that the recess was deep enough to accept all 5. I agree that I should have fitted all 5 as that is how it is designed, but any leak would be insignificant compared to the tear on the old bag which nearly sealed against the shock absorber in the normal height position. Back together but failed to rise. Removed the battery terminal to reset as I had read online. Would not rise. Steering lock to lock reset did not clear. OBD link not working. Accessed hidden codes on the infotainment screen but none were displayed. The infotainment system has not worked in normal mode for years. No radio, satnav, reversing camera etc. I read that it was on the same bus as the OBD but too electronic for me!

The compressor runs but the new bag is not getting any air as it is still soft. The primary fault is therefore not a leak in the strut. The only air pipe to the strut is fitted correctly and not over tightened. The compressor puts out a short burst of air after it starts which I think is getting rid of moisture. If I remove the black pipe from the air drier to the valve there is air pressure.

You were stuck when you wrote your original post but obviously up and running now. Did you have to perform a reset and how did you do it?

Regards,

Neil
 
Neil1950 said:
Hi Rick,

Thanks for your informative response. I got the bag on and replaced the strut, but the car did not lift. I then replaced the Hitachi piston seal, guide bush and O rings. Stripped the air drier, took out any powder and baked the desiccant. Still would not lift. OBD would not communicate so could not read codes. I suspected the replaced strut as I thought that I could hear a leak from the bottom O rings. Removed strut and air bag. No visual damage to seals. Slid the large seals back on in the correct order as you stated. I measured the recess depth at the inside top of the bag with blue tack. It was the depth of 2 O rings and 2 nylon washers. The large black stepped washer fitted over the shock absorber, then the yellow bump stop, then the washer with lip down over the shoulder on the piston. I should have fitted all 5 washers but only fitted 4 leaving out one of the nylon washers as I did not think that the recess was deep enough to accept all 5. I agree that I should have fitted all 5 as that is how it is designed, but any leak would be insignificant compared to the tear on the old bag which nearly sealed against the shock absorber in the normal height position. Back together but failed to rise. Removed the battery terminal to reset as I had read online. Would not rise. Steering lock to lock reset did not clear. OBD link not working. Accessed hidden codes on the infotainment screen but none were displayed. The infotainment system has not worked in normal mode for years. No radio, satnav, reversing camera etc. I read that it was on the same bus as the OBD but too electronic for me!

The compressor runs but the new bag is not getting any air as it is still soft. The primary fault is therefore not a leak in the strut. The only air pipe to the strut is fitted correctly and not over tightened. The compressor puts out a short burst of air after it starts which I think is getting rid of moisture. If I remove the black pipe from the air drier to the valve there is air pressure.

You were stuck when you wrote your original post but obviously up and running now. Did you have to perform a reset and how did you do it?

Regards,

Neil
Click to expand...
hi Neil,

I did reset the system, I have the iCarsoft gizmo for reading and erasing trouble codes.

Have you tried resetting the steering angle sensor by turning the steering wheel from lock to lock a few times with the engine running?

cheers
Rick
 
Hi Rick,
I did the steering lock to lock a couple of times with the engine running. I could not read any codes as the vehicle failed to communicate to the OBD reader although I proved the reader worked on another two cars. Can you remember if the car lifted before you cleared the codes or did you have to clear the codes to raise the car?

Regards,
Neil
 
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