oh dear, need some help

Hi All,

My Dad has got a Range Rover P38 X reg V8 and the other day his exhaust started blowing, today he was driving and he herd a loud hissing noise and the rear suspension sunk all the way down.

He thinks the heat from the blowing exhaust has gone through the air line for the air suspension.

Does anyone know if this is a garage job or is it possible to fix oursleves.

Thanks very much

John

Should be fixable by yourselves.

(Obviously) check around where the exhaust is blowing and see if any airlines have burnt through, then trace each end back, get a part number and replace it. It it goes through any body holes etc, then leave it in place, undo any fixings at each end, tape the new airline in place and pull it through with the nackered one!



OTOH, the two might not be related and could be coinicidences ... in which case all bets are off, though if you search through the forum, especially the Range Rover section, there's shed-loads of info to help you along with trouble-shooting and fixing.

have fun ...

if the hole in the line can be cut back and the ends still close enough to meet you can put a straight connector in like these: Range Rover P38 EAS Air Suspension Airline STRAIGHT on eBay (end time 19-Jul-09 18:07:00 BST)

you can probably get em in sheffield from one of the plumbing suppliers!!!

it'll be worth a try to see if it cures the eas but obviously its gonna work only if the exhaust gets fixed!!!


i'm in rotherham so could probably help you out if its not fixed by the w/end!

also while your at it, get a eas cable too off ebay, you can then reset the faults on the eas so hopefully it wont require any garage costs!!!

EAS Air Suspension Diagnostic Cable - Range Rover P38 on eBay (end time 28-Jun-09 00:08:08 BST)

again, i'm only in rotherham so can help out at the w/end if needed!!!

Hi All

Update.

We have cheked the pipes and we cant find any evidence of the exhaust burning a hole we have also run the engine and we cant here any hissing noise to suggest a leak.

We have had the computer on and we got a fault code of 7. vehical has moved.

We are going to try and clear the fault code and see if the car will raise the suspension.

Will let you know how we get on.

Any futher idea's welcome.

Cheers

John

Ok,

Update,

Cleared the fault with the computer and run the engine for a good 5 minutes, the suspension has not raised at all.

We then used the software to depressurise the tank and springs and no air was expelled we did this to try and re set the relays, we run the engine again and still no joy.

We then put the computer nack on and did another fault search and it came up with no fault codes.

Also whilst the engine was running we removed the compressor inlet filter and there was a slight sucking but how powerful should this be??

So....

Has anyone got any further idea's?

Thanks very much

John

Run the engine for 15 minutes with your door open. If your door is open, then the suspension won't move, but the tank should fill with compressed air. Hopefully after 15 minutes and you go back to your car and shut the door, it should work.

As the others have said..the airline can be replaced/repaired easily if damaged, although fewer joints in the system, as with any pneumatics or hydraulics reduces the chance of potential future leaks.

Find a pneumatic supplier and get a couple of 6mm push in fittings (Connectors) and a length of 6mm O.D. nylon tube capable of a working pressure of 10 bar. It is quite cheap and well worth keeping at the back of the garage in case you ever need it.
I have a "Stock" of it, together with the fittings which I "Aquired" whilst I was at work as we used loads of them.
:behindsofa:

The compressor delivers a very small volume of air, therefore the intake is likewise very small.
Depending on the suspension software, the system can be emptied and recharged, set at the different heights etc. by remotely operating various valves etc. in the system.
One thing to remember is that failure of the compressor piston seal (Common) would contribute to slow or non inflation. If the seal is working at say 80% efficiency there would be some air compressed and I would have thought that if there was a leak, it could be heard. Removal of an air spring feed pipe at the suspension box would confirm that pressure was being generated.

Ok Lads, thanks very much will give this a try and let you know what happens.

Cheers

John

Ok,

So found these Air Suspension Inflation Valves Air Suspension Inflation Valves - Range Rover P38 EAS on eBay (end time 16-Jul-09 22:53:24 BST)

on ebay and I have some questions.

It says that when these are fitted we can manually charge the air springs (all good), but what affect does this have on the compressor on the car i.e does it run all the time?

Also, what would happen with the natural rise and fall of the car when doing motorway speeds and normal speeds.

Also would using these for a temporary period couse any ill effects on the ecu.

So I suppose what i am asking is would using these couse any damage to my other components on the eas system.

Thanks very much

John

It depends on why the air springs are leaking - the compressor will keep trying to inflate the leaky springs if its working properly, as far as I know, until it cuts out because its overheating etc. The manual systems are great - I have one which has been excellent - just pump up the air springs individually AFTER removing the compressor/valve block relay from under the passenger seat - so the compressor won't keep working its ar** off and pack up!!! Then you can drive in relative comfort OFF the bump stops, until you can have the EAS sorted or sort it yourself with the use of the EAS cable and free software and new airbags / sensors whatever.

The manual system is a splendid back up and I'm really happy to have one. Provided you remember to REMOVE THE EAS RELAY there will be no damage to the compressor.

hammy2909 said:

Run the engine for 15 minutes with your door open. If your door is open, then the suspension won't move, but the tank should fill with compressed air. Hopefully after 15 minutes and you go back to your car and shut the door, it should work.

Click to expand...

Hi, we did as you suggested sadly its made no difference. However we will prevale in the end. I will not be beaten.

Cheers

John

Remove the compressor and check the piston seal for breakage etc. (15 minute job). New seals are available for around 20 quid off Ebay which is cheaper than the manual valves.
As I posted before, the more joints in a system, the more potential for leaks somewhere.

If the system has no air in it, either the compressor has died mechanically/electrically..can you hear it running?? or there is a leak/open valve somewhere which you would hear if the compressor was working properly.

TIP. If you remove the compressor..when you come to refit it, do not overtighten the M5 nyloc nuts on the mountings, just give them a light nip...if you overtighten them, the compressor will be noisy.
Apart from airsprings (Bags) and the compressor seal, the system is pretty reliable.

Thanks for the advise everyone, Irishrover I will do as you suggest over the course of this week, my dad has ordered some manual valves just to get it up and running, also with the air suspension down we can't check the air bags to see if any have burst or if any of them are leaking so the manual valves will come in handy big time.

rangiegal thanks for the tip about the relay.

I will put an update on when we have sorted it all out.

Thanks again.

John

Final Update,

Hi All, we have fixed the problem, the heat from the blowing exhaust did melt through the airline for the suspension, we fixed it by getting a couple of connecters from a local company that supplies pneumatic equipment and after removing the middle section of the old exhaust pipe, we attached the airlines back together.

Also I do recommend the manual valves for blowing up the suspension yourself they are well worth £30.00.

Thanks for everyones help its much appreciated.

John