[plyzo26]

Hello,

I have a 2010 Range Rover HSE that had a persistent Suspension Fault error show up. I've had this code for almost a year now without any issues with ride height. I've decided to try and fix the code as I want to sell it in the near future. The compressor is a Hitachi style and I purchased a replacement along with relay. I swamped the compressor and drove it around a few miles and the Suspension Fault didnt show up. Parked the vehicle and an hour later drove it again and fault code started showing up after a few minutes while parked. I hear the compressor going then turns off. Vehicle is set to the correct right height and viewed it in the 4x4 screen on the display to check all ride height sensors and it is accurate. I am at a loss here because I have taken this to an independent shop that recommended changing the compressor as the fault code was reading that it was filling up too fast which makes the suspension fault appear.

At this point I am not sure what else I should be checking.
I am going to try to disconnect the battery and have it sit for a bit to see if that will reset the fault code.

If anyone has other recommendation on next steps I would really appreciate it.


Thank you.

 

[RRToadHall]

So what is the actual fault code? There is little we can do to advise without knowing the code.

I've also never heard of filling the EAS reservoir too fast that is pretty much an impossibility since EAS compressors have a low out put.

 

[plyzo26]

The code received from independent shop is the following:


P 128872.2
Pump overheating

 

[RRToadHall]

EAS pumps only overheat if you have a leak or leaks it can't keep up with. So your reservoir is NOT filling too fast, it is filling too slow. You need to find your leak before you burn out another compressor.

Side note, disconnecting the battery does not clear codes. You need dedicated diagnostic gear to read and clear codes

 

[plyzo26]

Ok, so not sure how to find the leak considering I've had this problem for almost 2 years now and haven't burned out the compressor. I only replaced the compressor because that was just my first guess at there being a problem. What would be a good way of determining where the leak is coming from?

 

[plyzo26]

I read online that you can remove the air suspension fuse to disengage the pump from working therefore determining if there is a leak somewhere. Not sure if this will prove anything or work but going to try to attempt that tonight and see in the morning if the car has been lowered.

 

[anvilrob]

Does the car sag at all, when parked?

Do you habitually use the access mode to drop the car when parking it?

Did you replace the drier (black plastic cartridge alongside the compressor), when you changed the compressor?

Remove the trunk floor cover, spare wheel and the four small bolts which retain the top half of the compressor compartment, and remove the cover.

During normal driving operation, it's not unusual to hear the compressor run for a few minutes to "top off" the air tank/reservoir but it shouldn't run continuously beyond that.

It's possible you have a leaking airbag which is being compensated for. If you take a spray bottle and make a mix of dish soap (washing up liquid in UK) and water you can spray the solution on the rubber portion of the airbag and test for small leaks in the bladders (a leak will produce bubbles).

You can also try the same solution on and around the pneumatic piping from the compressor to the valve and beyond to detect minute leaks (which would be unusual but possible).

It doesn't cost anything to try

Rob

 

[plyzo26]

The car doesn't sag at all when parked.
I never use the access mode to drop the car when parked.
The compressor that I swapped came with the drier on it that is new.

When I start the vehicle I hear the compressor running then it stops and the suspension fault alert shows up.
I am going to try the water soap technique now and see what I come back with. Keep you posted.

 

[plyzo26]

Do you guys know where the front and rear valve block are located?

 

[plyzo26]

I found the front and sprayed and noticed no leaks. I just don't know where the rear is located. I sprayed on the bottom of the air bags on the front and rear and didnt notice any leaks. Only place I haven't sprayed is the rear valve block.

 

[anvilrob]

The rear valve is above the right rear wheel, "behind" the wheel liner, near the fuel filler area.

You'll need to drop the right rear wheel liner to gain access.

Before you do that, though:

Lift your car to its highest/tallest setting and go around all four corners, thoroughly soaking the air bag bladders with your soapy solution to test them for leaks.

Rob

 

[plyzo26]

Thanks Rob. I went ahead and did that and noticed no air bubbles forming from the soap. I also happen to have a new front valve and changed the old one out for this one since the company I purchased it from awhile back wouldn't allow me to return it so I figured I would just replace. After replacing I still get the suspension fault. Was is strange is all of this came after I changed out the Passenger side airbag after it had a leak. Ever since then I've had the fault code appear.

 

[plyzo26]

I removed fuse and relay overnight to see if vehicle is sagging in any of the locations. Measured each tire and none of the measurements changed. So I would assume there is no leak. Not sure what to do at this point. There seems to be no leak at least not in 24 hours. Anyone have a recommendation on what to do next or test?

 

[anvilrob]

Did you change/renew the temperature sensor in the compressor as well or did you use/swap in the original compressor's sensor?

Rob

 

[plyzo26]

Not sure where the compressor sensor is located, the only thing changed was the dryer and compressor pump as a unit. Where is the temp sensor? Not sure what it looks like.

 

[anvilrob]

The temperature sensor is a two wired, acorn nut looking device which screws in to the compressor's "cylinder head".

It typically is covered with a black or white silicone cap.

Rob

 

[plyzo26]

Oh ok. But if I put in a new compressor than wouldn't it be attached to the new one?

 

[plyzo26]

So the new compressor has it on there, I didnt replace with the old one. My understanding would be that if the temp sensor was bad the EAS wouldn't even allow the compressor to run. I am at a loss on what to even do here to get this code fixed. I dont know if I should just replace the rear valve block at this point.

 

[RRToadHall]

Let's take a BIG step back and look at basics. It is physically impossible for any compressor to fill the tank too fast. If your compressor is overheating it is running too long to keep the reservoir full for the demands being placed on the air available in it. EAS bags start to leak at motorway height most of the time because that is where most Rover spend their life. Testing at standard height or wading height only closes the cracks that form and then leak. Driving down the road at standard height usually means very little flex in the suspension. Once you hit he highway there is more flex than at standard height. The entire roll area at standard height through through motorway height is suspect.

Leak checks must be done through the entire range of movement of the bladder. You do not spray just the bottoms. Set your rig in wading mode and secure it with jack stands at one corner. Start with front right because that bag usually fails first. Spray the entire bag down on all sides with soapy water.

Notation: if you do leak test properly, you are going to get wet, you are going to be tasting soapy water and you are going to get filthy. :mrgreen:

Raise the tyre a bit at a time keeping the entire bag covered in soapy water. You will come up on a nasty bunch of cracks at the roll portion of the bag if these are the original struts. Proceed very slowly in your raising of the tyre... if the strut is leaking, any one of those tiny little cracks can be the cause of all this. This will be motorway height. There may be a spot where the cracks look like there are less, this is the areas between Motorway and standard height. Don't be fooled though. You will come on a denser area of cracks showing at standard height. Again go slow. If you make it the point there are no cracks you are above standard height and very few folks spend much time in wading mode.

If you see no bubbles OR hear no bubbles on the side of the sides of the bag you can't see. Then repeat on the left side

 

[anvilrob]

Temp sensors do fail but the chance of two in a row (old one plus the new one in the new compressor) is pretty slim.

At this point, if it were my car, before guessing at anything else I'd run the car by a JLR dealer, have them hook up to the OBD connector with their diagnostic computer and download and print out the existing fault record (that'll be everything that's occurred with a date and associated mileage) as well as check for, and clear, any current faults recorded.

OBD II scanners are great for many things but they also miss plenty. The JLR diagnostic is a far more comprehensive piece of kit (which is why they're expensive).

Start with a clean slate. There may have been a previous [temporary] fault with the EAS that has resolved itself but the code is still present.

It may cost an hour's labor to perform but it'd be worth that to know what else may have gone on with your car's history.

Hopefully you have a JLR dealer nearby.

Rob