Suspension compressor runs constantly

Dave Marriott said:

Hi gstuart, sorry missed the last bit of your message.
Compressor still runs in access mode. When I change from off road to normal it stops for a second when normal height is reached and then starts again. When I go from normal to access mode it again stops when access height is reached then starts again and stays on.
The compressor stops when the yellow light comes on.
When I drive it the light is normally yellow but goes red sometimes

Click to expand...

Did the compressor run all the time before you overhauled it ?

Hi lhandrover, I bought the kit from i6 Automotive because they are based locally to me so I could pick it up and not have to wait for delivery.Here is a link to them on ebay,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rov...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
It does seem to pump up faster and I've not had the "Suspension rising slowly" warning since I fitted it. I also rebuilt the front valve block so I'm not certain whether this has helped as well. It seems to be a very good kit but didn't come with instructions so I found a YouTube video with very good instructions.
This one is for piston repair

This one is for drier repair

Hope this helps

I took the reservoir tank off today and sprayed with soapy water. There were no bubbles anywhere. While I was underneath I sprayed around the compressor and got bubbles where the drier meets the compressor body (I have attached an image below). I took the compressor out and found the o-ring had just about disintegrated and there was a lot of crud in the joint. I cleaned it out and fitted a new o-ring. Before I put it back in I placed it on some blocks of wood and connected everything apart from the exhaust and inlet pipe. I again sprayed around the compressor and there were no leaks. I put it back in place and connected everything. When I started the car the compressor ran for a few seconds and then stopped. There was no warning light so I decided to put some fuel in and take it for a drive. I went into the house to get my money out and when I came back the yellow warning light was on. I restarted and once again the compressor ran continuously.
I jacked the rear end up as Sierrafery suggested but that didn't work. I then jacked the front end up and the compressor stopped. I checked the dash and there was no warning light. I then lowered the front end and the compressor started running again. I jacked the front end up again to verify what I'd found but this time the compressor kept running. I tried a few more times without success.

freelance said:

Did the compressor run all the time before you overhauled it ?

Click to expand...

Hi gstuart, I'm not sure whether it did or not. The reason I decided to overhaul it was that there was white powder in the front valve block so I wanted to change the dessicant and filters. Thought while I had it out it would be a good idea to replace the piston seal.

You really need the codes reading
It could be something as simple as a height sensor to a faulty compressor. It’s just wasting time guessing at things

johnlad said:

You really need the codes reading
It could be something as simple as a height sensor to a faulty compressor. It’s just wasting time guessing at things

Click to expand...

+1 - having ruled out obvious known faults like the reservoir being split, and having jacked the vehicle and had the compressor stop, albeit only once, I think your next step has to be getting the DTC's read - my guess is a faulty height sensor - worn (out) in its usual position giving a crap reading.....

I'd also suggest getting your own diagnostic tool - it'll pay for itself rapidly, and given the forum knowledge, ( well @gstuart at least ) of the Gap iid - I'd bee looking there first

johnlad said:

You really need the codes reading
It could be something as simple as a height sensor to a faulty compressor. It’s just wasting time guessing at things

Click to expand...

Thanks for that johnlad, I'm currently looking at fault readers

Dave Marriott said:

Hi gstuart, I'm not sure whether it did or not. The reason I decided to overhaul it was that there was white powder in the front valve block so I wanted to change the dessicant and filters. Thought while I had it out it would be a good idea to replace the piston seal.

Click to expand...

hi

sounds like you’ve gone a few steps forward and the D3 decided to throw another tantrum, lol

does the compressor run with the engine off, do u hear a hiss straight after u turn the engine off plse

agree ref the code reader as the suspension can become complicated if u don’t know what’s happening

with a code reader u will be able to check first and foremost what pressure the compressor is outputting , i will find the pressure chart for u

what fault codes are present

as there was silica in ur front valve block i bet it’s gone round the entire system it can sometimes cause a valve block to do all sorts of things

if i may suggest , put the suspension into normal height , measure all 4 x wheel heights, taken from the centre of the wheel to the bottom of the wheel arch

Front466mm
Rear 485mm

then pull the F26 fuse again , see if it changes

have u also bubble tested the silica dryers cap , as u can get a hairline crack between those two pipes

from then on u really need i’m afraid that code reader , as that way u can see as u progress that things are working correctly , has the repair of the compressor worked, also if the exhaust valve is holding airtight etc

plse let us know how u get on and plenty here to help , shame ur not closer otherwise i could have plugged my iid in for u

this is the kind of thing u get with an iid diagnostic reader

here’s the compressor pressures readings u should get

johnlad said:

You really need the codes reading
It could be something as simple as a height sensor to a faulty compressor. It’s just wasting time guessing at things

Click to expand...

Thanks for that johnlad, I'm currently looking at fault readers

Disco1BFG said:

+1 - having ruled out obvious known faults like the reservoir being split, and having jacked the vehicle and had the compressor stop, albeit only once, I think your next step has to be getting the DTC's read - my guess is a faulty height sensor - worn (out) in its usual position giving a crap reading.....

I'd also suggest getting your own diagnostic tool - it'll pay for itself rapidly, and given the forum knowledge, ( well @gstuart at least ) of the Gap iid - I'd bee looking there first

Click to expand...

Thanks for that

Disco1BFG said:

+1 - having ruled out obvious known faults like the reservoir being split, and having jacked the vehicle and had the compressor stop, albeit only once, I think your next step has to be getting the DTC's read - my guess is a faulty height sensor - worn (out) in its usual position giving a crap reading.....

I'd also suggest getting your own diagnostic tool - it'll pay for itself rapidly, and given the forum knowledge, ( well @gstuart at least ) of the Gap iid - I'd bee looking there first

Click to expand...

Thanks for that Disco1bfg

Disco1BFG said:

+1 - having ruled out obvious known faults like the reservoir being split, and having jacked the vehicle and had the compressor stop, albeit only once, I think your next step has to be getting the DTC's read - my guess is a faulty height sensor - worn (out) in its usual position giving a crap reading.....

I'd also suggest getting your own diagnostic tool - it'll pay for itself rapidly, and given the forum knowledge, ( well @gstuart at least ) of the Gap iid - I'd bee looking there first

Click to expand...

must admit i tried to fix my suspension problems without a code reader and blimey did i chase my tail and wasted endless hours , then bought one and after getting the DTCs and live data it soon became apparent

the faults were

air tank leaking on the seam at the top
front and reservoir valves letting by , even after fitting new o rings
weak compressor
exhaust valve was letting by
compressor inlet filter was restricted with junk
req height recalibrating

ah, i thought , why worry , it’s only money , lol

gstuart said:

ah, it’s only money , lol

Click to expand...

Yeah, but.... you only buy it once I have Hawkeye for our old things, and it's great to be able to "talk" to the "black boxes" and find out what the **** is going on

Disco1BFG said:

Yeah, but.... you only buy it once I have Hawkeye for our old things, and it's great to be able to "talk" to the "black boxes" and find out what the **** is going on

Click to expand...

oh yes , them bloody boxes here they and every ucking where , lol

plus we all remember me trying to find that sodding airbag light on mine , still , it gave me some experience and must admit wish i had bought a disco years ago , awesome motors and by far my favourite

was good being able to stick my fingers up when i sorted that Srs light, well until it decides to string me along in false hope then, ping here’s a fault for u to sort out , aaaaaahhhhh,

gstuart said:

hi

sounds like you’ve gone a few steps forward and the D3 decided to throw another tantrum, lol

does the compressor run with the engine off, do u hear a hiss straight after u turn the engine off plse

agree ref the code reader as the suspension can become complicated if u don’t know what’s happening

with a code reader u will be able to check first and foremost what pressure the compressor is outputting , i will find the pressure chart for u

what fault codes are present

as there was silica in ur front valve block i bet it’s gone round the entire system it can sometimes cause a valve block to do all sorts of things

if i may suggest , put the suspension into normal height , measure all 4 x wheel heights, taken from the centre of the wheel to the bottom of the wheel arch

Front466mm
Rear 485mm

then pull the F26 fuse again , see if it changes

have u also bubble tested the silica dryers cap , as u can get a hairline crack between those two pipes

from then on u really need i’m afraid that code reader , as that way u can see as u progress that things are working correctly , has the repair of the compressor worked, also if the exhaust valve is holding airtight etc

plse let us know how u get on and plenty here to help , shame ur not closer otherwise i could have plugged my iid in for u

Click to expand...

No the compressor doesn't run with engine off, I've just checked and can't hear any hiss when I stop engine. I went straight round to compressor and couldn't hear any hissing. Also when the yellow warning light comes on the compressor usually goes off.

I've just set it to normal height and pulled F26
Front driver 460mm
Front passenger 480
Rear driver 500
Rear passenger 495

I got a metal dryer cap with the kit and fitted that.

Once again thanks for the help

Dave Marriott said:

No the compressor doesn't run with engine off, I've just checked and can't hear any hiss when I stop engine. I went straight round to compressor and couldn't hear any hissing. Also when the yellow warning light comes on the compressor usually goes off.

I've just set it to normal height and pulled F26
Front driver 460mm
Front passenger 480
Rear driver 500
Rear passenger 495

I got a metal dryer cap with the kit and fitted that.

Once again thanks for the help

Click to expand...

thks, u are allowed plus or minus 10mm on the figures , but will be interesting to see what the figures are like in the morning , pulling that fuse stops it from self levelling , it’s the sure way and will show u if anything is leaking as that corner , etc will drop and help u identify what’s happening

plse let us know what the mm readings are

good you’ve replaced the metal cap

may i ask , is it just the yellow warning symbol that appears , do u get any other messages

will wait to hear back tommorow of the figures ,

indeed if u can go for the gap iid code reader

ref the hiss, as u stop , open ur door with the engine running , turn the engine off and u should hear a quick short hiss, that’s the exhaust valve opening , but maybe the system isn’t making enough pressure ie, a leak

let’s see what the measurements are tommorow and can then carry on from there and work through it step by step

gstuart said:

thks, u are allowed plus or minus 10mm on the figures , but will be interesting to see what the figures are like in the morning , pulling that fuse stops it from self levelling , it’s the sure way and will show u if anything is leaking as that corner , etc will drop and help u identify what’s happening

plse let us know what the mm readings are

good you’ve replaced the metal cap

may i ask , is it just the yellow warning symbol that appears , do u get any other messages

will wait to hear back tommorow of the figures ,

indeed if u can go for the gap iid code reader

ref the hiss, as u stop , open ur door with the engine running , turn the engine off and u should hear a quick short hiss, that’s the exhaust valve opening , but maybe the system isn’t making enough pressure ie, a leak

let’s see what the measurements are tommorow and can then carry on from there and work through it step by step

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if I mentioned it but I did the test before and the front end dropped all the way down. I then took the front valve block apart and thoroughly cleaned it. When I left the car for 2 days there was no movement at the front but the rear went down both sides about 4mm. This was with disco at off road height.
I'll let you know what happens in the morning.
I sometimes get a "suspension rising slowly" (I thought this had disappeared but it's come back). Sometimes after the fault has triggered I get a "suspension fault".
I'll get someone to sit in the car tomorrow and listen to the compressor when they turn it off.
Did you get your iid code reader from the manufacturer or a dealer.
Many thanks again

Dave Marriott said:

I'm not sure if I mentioned it but I did the test before and the front end dropped all the way down. I then took the front valve block apart and thoroughly cleaned it. When I left the car for 2 days there was no movement at the front but the rear went down both sides about 4mm. This was with disco at off road height.
I'll let you know what happens in the morning.
I sometimes get a "suspension rising slowly" (I thought this had disappeared but it's come back). Sometimes after the fault has triggered I get a "suspension fault".
I'll get someone to sit in the car tomorrow and listen to the compressor when they turn it off.
Did you get your iid code reader from the manufacturer or a dealer.
Many thanks again

Click to expand...

hi

the warning message “ raising slowly is normally down to a knackered compressor “ , or the system simply can’t hold pressure because of a leak , when the valve has a lot of silica the white dust can travel everywhere and cause all sorts of issues with valves letting by and going through the crossover as it tries to self level

when i bought mine as a project there was a lot wrong with the suspension to which i had to go through it step by step

indeed the only sure way to test for leaks is the fuse removal in the normal height position, as i compared measurement then to the chart

i bought mine from island 4 x 4 in kent , the bluetooth version , currently i think are about £420 inc vat

i’ve learnt with these vehicles a reader is a must , only have to use it 4 x times and it’s paid for itself and makes life considerably easier , if u think there are a min of 25 x ecus fitted it can become a nightmare if not impossible to trace faults without one,

in getting one u will be able to see what the compressor pressure is through the live data , so that u can 100% prove if it’s faulty or not, saving u the case of trying to just fit parts in trying to resolve error codes

when it’s not a simple fix i found ur just wasting ur time and money without one

personally i now think that’s ur only option , buying a reader and u can then have all the figures and data in front of u

the iid will also allow u to calibrate all the heights if req,

more than happy to help all i can in walking u through the results from the iid and where to look

alas if u do happen to go with another reader i won’t know, but that’s only because i’ve only got experience with the iid

indeed will be interesting to see what results u get in the morning and the heights

gstuart said:

no worries, lol ,

thks ref the replies , like ur self , my concern is u burning ur compressor out

is good that u pulled the F26 fuse overnight and resolved the front dropping

when the light goes red that normally means the compressor is overheating

just using soapy water is fine to test for leaks , if there is a leak on the air tank it’s normally always on that top seam running down the length of it

if u prefer , disconnect the air tank and u can use a foot pump to pump up the air tank and then check for leaks if u don’t wish to use the compressor to pressurise it

plus plse check the wires on ur reservoir valve under the compressor cover whilst checking the air tank

Click to expand...

I dont think many foot pumps will be able to reach the pressures needed.

gstuart said:

hi

the warning message “ raising slowly is normally down to a knackered compressor “ , or the system simply can’t hold pressure because of a leak , when the valve has a lot of silica the white dust can travel everywhere and cause all sorts of issues with valves letting by and going through the crossover as it tries to self level

when i bought mine as a project there was a lot wrong with the suspension to which i had to go through it step by step

indeed the only sure way to test for leaks is the fuse removal in the normal height position, as i compared measurement then to the chart

i bought mine from island 4 x 4 in kent , the bluetooth version , currently i think are about £420 inc vat

i’ve learnt with these vehicles a reader is a must , only have to use it 4 x times and it’s paid for itself and makes life considerably easier , if u think there are a min of 25 x ecus fitted it can become a nightmare if not impossible to trace faults without one,

in getting one u will be able to see what the compressor pressure is through the live data , so that u can 100% prove if it’s faulty or not, saving u the case of trying to just fit parts in trying to resolve error codes

when it’s not a simple fix i found ur just wasting ur time and money without one

personally i now think that’s ur only option , buying a reader and u can then have all the figures and data in front of u

the iid will also allow u to calibrate all the heights if req,

more than happy to help all i can in walking u through the results from the iid and where to look

alas if u do happen to go with another reader i won’t know, but that’s only because i’ve only got experience with the iid

indeed will be interesting to see what results u get in the morning and the heights

Click to expand...

Hi gstuart, the readings this morning are:
Driver front 460
Passenger front 48
Driver rear 500
Passenger rear 490

All the same apart from passenger rear which seems to have gone down by 5, could be my measuring error though.
The only bit I think I've not checked on the compressor is the exhaust valve as the kit I got didn't contain one. I was thinking of finding the other end of the exhaust pipe and testing to see if any air is coming out. After that it looks like a reader.

Thanks again for your help