Odd air suspension problem on RR Classic

[ehasler]

My Rangie is behaving slightly strangly at the moment, and it started when I heard a popping sound from what sounded like the right rear wheel area when I was driving it at the weekend. Everything appeared to be OK, so I assumed I'd driven over some debris in the road.

Anyway, I get home, and the air suspension warning light is on, but it's still riding high and goes up and down when I press the buttons.

It then fails to start a few days later, as a small wire has come loose from the starter motor solenoid, but once this is back in place it runs fine, however the air suspension light is still lit. There is pressure in the system, and the car goes up and down a couple of times perfectly fine, until I press the down button one time too many and it sinks to the bumpstops and refuses to rise up again.

I then take it for a spin to see if it'll sort itself out, and even after 10 minutes of driving, it's still in "rapper" mode, sitting on the bumpstops, so I park up and leave it idling for a moment - and lo and behold, it rises up again! I then take it for another short drive, and it's running fine, but I can hear the compressor running more than I'd expect it to. It runs for about 10 seconds, goes off for 10 seconds, then starts up again. The fault light has gone out at this point too.

When I had a quick look at it this morning, it looks like the air bags have all stayed inflated.

Any ideas? I'm guessing maybe a leak from the compressor to the air bags, or maybe just a faulty compressor?

[BLUETHUNDER]

Really needs diagnostics.But i would hazard a guess and say faulty ride height sensors.

[tubster1275]

could be a problem with a bag, pipe union or valve block, those are generally the causes of excessive runs on the compressor. One option to test that is to get the car back up to either normal height or extended profile open the drivers door and switch off the engine, there is an inhibit switch under the drivers seat which prevents height changes while maintenance is being carried out. You can normally give the bags a god spray with the hose and look and listen for any bubbling. Leave it for a while and see if it drops. If it was a major fault it will dump all the air from the system and drop it to the stops.

[ehasler]

It hasn't budged in 24 hours, so it's not a leaky bag - these were replaced about a year ago anyway so are pretty new.

I've ordered a compressor repair kit, but will check the valve blocks for leaks too.

I'm assuming that as long as the air bags are pumped up, it should be ok to drive?

[tubster1275]

I would say so, it's when they're on the stops you have a problem you can only do a few miles in it before your teeth fall out. Are you having a lot more clicks from the valve block than usual after height changes which might suggest that the height sensor is intermittant as the previous poster said.

Have a look here...


http://www.rangerovers.net/repairdetails/airsuspen...

[Steve_D]

Have you had a crawl around underneath to inspect the ride height sensors?
I suspect you will find one or more damaged or disconnected which may have been the sound you heard.
Don't know to much about the system but logic says if it is staying up for 24 hours then the bags, pipes and at least part of the valve block is holding pressure. If it is up when driving but the pump keeps coming on then it points to electrics by my thinking. It could be the ecu but the sensors are probably vulnerably so would be my guess.

Steve

[BLUETHUNDER]

If one or more ride height sensors is out of range,if will give the symtoms you are suffering.One of the easiest and simplest things to check first on a plug in.

[ehasler]

If a height sensor has failed, won't it be unable to level itself?

Mine is sitting perfectly level, as if nothing is wrong at all!

[Psimpson7]

I had some random issues on mine, and it turned out the pressure switch on the tank had failed. Changed it, and all fixed!