Towing and EAS

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bigsmellydaddy

bigsmellydaddy

Active Member
Posts
206
Location
Wallingford
Hi. Right the wife's gone to do her good deeds at church, time to ask my question. I hitched up a small but well laden Ifor Williams trailer to go to the tip. The RR seemed to go to motorway height without me asking, is this normal ? if not then why ?
 
No not normal. If you read your owners handbook, you will see that you should lock the EAS when towing. You can do this either at motorway height or normal height depending on the hitch height required.
Sounds like you have a leaky airbag or a height sensor problem.
 
TCubed said:
With the inhibit switch depressed, does the self levelling still function, ie the back be pumped up when the heavy trailer's connected, and it just won't change setting at speed?
Click to expand...

The inhibit button does not inhibit the self-levelling function - just the change of ride height.
 
I didnt touch the inhibit until after it had gone to motor way height, I did mention the slight slump in the eas in an earlier thread so I am guessing the issues are linked, I will put my gas testing spray on the air bags,`where is the best area to spray ? is it the 'love-handle' fold at the base of the bag ? how best do I test the sensor ?
Thanks
 
From an earlier post I placed this year - Quote: But, please, always remember to inhibit your air suspension (assuming yours has it!) on Standard setting when towing - see your handbook. I have a P38 here that was towing a trailer with a BMW Estate on it. The loading was obviously badly balanced and when the car got over 50mph and lowered to motorway setting (4" lower) the rig lost control and both cars and the trailer were destroyed!
Hope you don't mind me mentioning this
and ps This is not the best method of getting rid of BMWs !!

To be serious. Towing can be bloody dangerous if people don't do it correctly not only to yourself but to others on the road. Another thing a large number of post are answered in you handbook !!! you do have one? if not get one! The inhibit switch is right in front of your nose (well actually next to the height selector switch) don't you know what the switches do in your car - don't go out in it again until you do!
 
Last edited:
My advice is not crap!. You state that the car went to motorway setting which indicates that you saw it reach standard height and then watched it drop! It won't go to motorway unless the criteria for it has been reached.
A) are you sure it got to standard height before setting off if so you should have inhibited it at that height, or
B) It never got to standard height, was still pumping with a heavy trailer? after you set off?
 
Please don't take offence, look at the punctuation. I take you advice on board, and wasn't refering to your comments, it was a generalisation. I have only purchased the car recently and until I am aware of its bad habits (of which there appear to be many) I am open to all advice. :)
 
By mentioning Crap' in your reply to my post I took it as an inference to my reply. Regardless my advice is this.

You seem to think there is a problem with your air suspension - you need therefore to have it looked at by an independent or Dealer. I would not advise you get under with plastic bottles with fairy liquid! If you are going to be towing your Ifor Williams (don't know why you mentioned the make?) 2 or four wheel trailer which we all assume is in excellent condition and suitable to be towed by such a powerful car you need the suspension in first class order and hopefully you will pay whatever it costs to get it into first class condition. Whilst its in the workshop please read the owners manual.

I hope it all works out for you and all the rest of us on the roads hoping someone doesn't loose control of their rig and take us out!

Ps the car has no bad habits - only those caused by owner or bad mechanics.

end of this post for me. Good luck
 
I think we are missing the point a bit here - OP says the car went to motorway height without even getting to 50mph - this is surely very odd, trailer or no trailer?

What could cause the EAS to think it should go to motorway height when below 50mph, as even pressing the height switch on the dash cannot select motorway height?

Defective speed signal input??

The trailer could be a red herring - I for one cannot think of a single reason having a trailer on could cause EAS to do this.....

BSD - you say the RR seemed to go to motorway height - do you mean that the motorway height LED on the switch lit up, or it just seemed to 'drop a bit'?

Cheers,

Jerry
 
Hi Jerry. I hitched up and as i pulled off the motorway led lit up, so I hit the inhibit button. Symptoms thus far. Car sometimes drops a little over 3-4 days. Some times it flatlines straight away when the car is started, othertimes the access LED is lit and the flatline flashes for up to a couple of mins. Today i started it and the extended height led was on breifly before going back to flatline setting. Bizarre.
 
Datatek said:
No not normal. If you read your owners handbook, you will see that you should lock the EAS when towing. You can do this either at motorway height or normal height depending on the hitch height required.
Sounds like you have a leaky airbag or a height sensor problem.
Click to expand...

Keith

I confess I don't have owners handbook to hand so sorry if this info is in there, but can you lock EAS at motorway height, other than by pressing the switch when EAS has selected it automatically (i.e. above 50mph)?

From what OP is saying, I think connecting up some diagnostics has to be the next step....

Cheers

Jerry
 
You can lock at motorway height, thats not a problem, it's the fact that it went to that height on it's own and lit the led with no help. I will check the air bags and try my EAS lead and software tomorrow.
 
jerrytlr said:
Keith

I confess I don't have owners handbook to hand so sorry if this info is in there, but can you lock EAS at motorway height, other than by pressing the switch when EAS has selected it automatically (i.e. above 50mph)?

From what OP is saying, I think connecting up some diagnostics has to be the next step....

Cheers

Jerry
Click to expand...

Motorway height can be selected at any time by pressing inhibit button then selecting motorway. It will stay in that mode until inhibit button is cancelled. Vehicle should be locked in standard height when towing.
 
Thanks Wammers, never knew that! Could be handy when hitching up.

Still doesn't explain what is going on with OP's car though.... will be interesting to see what his diagnostics shows up.

Cheers,

Jerry
 
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