P38A P38 - intermittent EAS fault

Hi All,

New to the forum and studied posts meticulously on this topic but wondered if anyone with any knowledge could point me in the right direction. Be kind, my first post out of the ‘introduction’ section!!

Have an intermittent fault whereby the dreaded ‘EAS Fault’ appears and the car goes into the highest ride height.
Upon plugging in the laptop and using the RSW software the fault is ‘Pressure signal constantly high’.

Upon resetting the fault, the car has run for weeks without any issues, but has appeared twice in the last week.

The car cycles through all ride heights within seconds without any problems and I’ve checked for leaks throughly. No loss of air overnight.

The car occasionally changes randomly into the highest setting whilst driving along, with the orange light on the dash, without any input.

Yesterday the EAS lights started flashing randomly in an odd sequence whilst at the traffic lights, almost disco style! But then settled at normal ride height.

I’m guessing pressure switch and Drivers Pack are a good place to begin, but any other suggestions as to where I should start investigating would be appreciated!

Thanks
Joe

I suggest the driver pack or at least that was what mine to jump to high just because it wanted to

Have you looked at the the white connectors behind the passenger a post kick panel they corrode best to remove and solider and heat shrink the wires.

P38Joe said:

Hi All,

New to the forum and studied posts meticulously on this topic but wondered if anyone with any knowledge could point me in the right direction. Be kind, my first post out of the ‘introduction’ section!!

Have an intermittent fault whereby the dreaded ‘EAS Fault’ appears and the car goes into the highest ride height.
Upon plugging in the laptop and using the RSW software the fault is ‘Pressure signal constantly high’.

Upon resetting the fault, the car has run for weeks without any issues, but has appeared twice in the last week.

The car cycles through all ride heights within seconds without any problems and I’ve checked for leaks throughly. No loss of air overnight.

The car occasionally changes randomly into the highest setting whilst driving along, with the orange light on the dash, without any input.

Yesterday the EAS lights started flashing randomly in an odd sequence whilst at the traffic lights, almost disco style! But then settled at normal ride height.

I’m guessing pressure switch and Drivers Pack are a good place to begin, but any other suggestions as to where I should start investigating would be appreciated!

Thanks
Joe

Click to expand...

Strangely, a duff height sensor can cause the "pressure signal constantly high" message. Just had that on mine.
If you look at the actual sensor readings at different heights, you may find as I did that one has readings that do not make sense. Other than that as others have suggested, the white connectors, the driver pack and the connectors in the EAS box may be the cause. What it is not likely to be is the pressure switch.
Welcome to the mad house.

I would also take a look at the connector block in the A Pillar kick panel plus the connectors to the EAS ECU and the connector to the driver pack, all are notorious

cornishboater said:

I would also take a look at the connector block in the A Pillar kick panel plus the connectors to the EAS ECU and the connector to the driver pack, all are notorious

Click to expand...

We have an echo LOL

P38Joe said:

Hi All,

New to the forum and studied posts meticulously on this topic but wondered if anyone with any knowledge could point me in the right direction. Be kind, my first post out of the ‘introduction’ section!!

Have an intermittent fault whereby the dreaded ‘EAS Fault’ appears and the car goes into the highest ride height.
Upon plugging in the laptop and using the RSW software the fault is ‘Pressure signal constantly high’.

Upon resetting the fault, the car has run for weeks without any issues, but has appeared twice in the last week.

The car cycles through all ride heights within seconds without any problems and I’ve checked for leaks throughly. No loss of air overnight.

The car occasionally changes randomly into the highest setting whilst driving along, with the orange light on the dash, without any input.

Yesterday the EAS lights started flashing randomly in an odd sequence whilst at the traffic lights, almost disco style! But then settled at normal ride height.

I’m guessing pressure switch and Drivers Pack are a good place to begin, but any other suggestions as to where I should start investigating would be appreciated!

Thanks
Joe

Click to expand...

When mine exhibited the same error, it was the EAS Driver pack.
Good luck!

Before you replace the driver pack, check the multi-pin connector underneath the valve block. Although the housing seems tight, the contacts are often loose causing intermittent connection to the valve solenoids. So when the ECU commands small adjustments, it doesn't see the height change so assumes the car is grounded, and tried to jump to extended mode. Fix is to remove each contact (one at a time), and gently squeeze the sockets so they make better contact on the pins. Quick test is to use one pin to check the tightness of the sockets.

Kieth is also right about dodgy height sensors causing similar confusion to the ECU. I suspect one of mine is starting to get this way. Tried doing recording with Nanocom during a 20 mile drive, but that time it behaved !!

The disco light mode on the switch is most probably left footwall connectors as other have said. The height switch contacts simply ground pins 32 & 33 on the EAS ECU, so dodgy footwell connectors are more likely to prevent these working that actually cause height changes.

It's unclear in all the docs I have read, whether the links between EAS ECU, Height Switch & BECM that drive the LED's are outputs from EAS or BECM.

Welcome to the Zone all the help you need is here plus a bit of the old friendly banter.

Hi all, thanks for the responses. To update you all, I checked and cleaned the connectors in the passenger footwell and next to the compressor and valve block - so far, so good, and I haven't had any further issues since - might just be coincidence but thought I'd start here and see if the problem reoccurs. Happy motoring for the time being

I also have a few MGF latches that have missing or wrong microswitches and/or duff motors, so unusable as direct replacements, BUT are good for mechanical parts.

P38Joe said:

Hi all, thanks for the responses. To update you all, I checked and cleaned the connectors in the passenger footwell and next to the compressor and valve block - so far, so good, and I haven't had any further issues since - might just be coincidence but thought I'd start here and see if the problem reoccurs. Happy motoring for the time being

Click to expand...

It's better to cut out those white connectors, solder and heat shrink the connections or the problems will recur.

+1^^^

Datatek said:

It's better to cut out those white connectors, solder and heat shrink the connections or the problems will recur.

Click to expand...

+111111111

The air suspension woes start again after a month of trouble free motoring! In the last few days the car has started to randomly jump to the highest height setting again. Was coming back from the coast yesterday evening when the dreaded "EAS Fault" appears on dashboard whilst driving up the A3, around 10 minutes later the car displays "EAS Max Speed 35" and the car deflates... made it back home eventually...
Plugged the laptop in and the fault codes are FL signal incorrect, FR signal incorrect, Pressure signal constantly high, RR valve stuck closed.

Will cut the white connectors out and solder together as suggested, check the height sensors, look at the electrical connections around the compressor/valve block and if all else fails get a drivers pack ordered and see if that sorts out the issues. I guess process of elimination is key.

get the connectors done and also check the compressor pressure. Take pipe off underneath and see if you can hold your finger over it. If you can compressor fubarred

The white connectors would be my first step. Then check the earth points under/next to the EAS box and check the connector pins in the EAS box are tight.

I Concur

Spent my Sunday afternoon removing the white connectors and cleaning up the connector pins around the compressor. Just got back from a drive and everything seems to be behaving itself… for the moment! Cycles through the ride heights in seconds and no unexpected ‘jumps’ to full height.

Thanks @Datatek and @Rubberknees for the advice!

P38Joe said:

Spent my Sunday afternoon removing the white connectors and cleaning up the connector pins around the compressor. Just got back from a drive and everything seems to be behaving itself… for the moment! Cycles through the ride heights in seconds and no unexpected ‘jumps’ to full height.

Thanks @Datatek and @Rubberknees for the advice!

Click to expand...

Nice one