[Holden guy]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have been having problems with the suspension. It had been dropping when the vehicle was at rest to the bump stops with the wheels touching the inner guards and on the advice of my mechanic we have replaced the compressor, valve block, both with new units and have trimmed all lines to the valve block. The vehicle will still drop when parked (but not always) and the local mechanic cannot find any electrical problem. The vehicle tends to drop when I open a door and then close it and you can hear a distinct sound of air discharging in short sharp bursts with the overall height dropping to just above the bump stops. If I start the vehicle it will quickly rise to the normal height and remain there. The vehicle does not drop on every occasion but rather once every few days and always when parked with the engine turned off. It has stumped the mechanic and he has all but given up.

Any thoughts? All replies will be reatly appreciated.

 

[Hoges]

1. The fact that it rises quickly to the correct height when you start the engine indicates that the tank is holding its charge OK.

2. Does the compressor run frequently while the engine is running? This can be due to either the bags leaking or leaks elsewhere OR the drive box unit is on its way out... (the electrical box bolted to the valve block...between the valve block and the compressor)

3. when you say you can hear air discharging, have you been able to determine where it's coming from?

4. does the vehicle drop from the same height setting each time? e.g. is it always at "Standard" height or does it sometimes drop also from "Access" or "Max" height when parked?

the point of Q4. is that if the airbags are deteriorating, they can develop cracking ... see "Common problems and Fixes for 4.0/4.6 " on this forum...there's lots of pics there. http://www.rangerovers.net/newrremedies.htm#suspension Cracking can lead to sporadic leaks which are not always apparent depending on the height setting.

Find the leaks first... lots of soapy water needed... refer to http://www.rangerovers.net/newrremedies.htm#suspension and read EXTENSIVELY... good luck!

 

[AMcK]

Could this be a faulty height sensor?
When you open and close the door the suspension will self level which is normal. The discharge of air you hear is it accompanied by a clicking type noise? If one sensor is faulty the suspension can self level itself to the bump stops.

 

[p38arover]

What happens if, before shutting down, you depress the EAS Inhibit switch?

 

[Holden guy]

Thanks for the helpful information.

To answer some questions raised. The clicking noise appears to be coming from the valve block but I am damned if I can find where the sound of escaping air is coming from at this stage. The air bags have been replaced over the past few years and I have sprayed soapy water everywhere to no avail. The vehicle drops from most settings although I have been driving around at the normal height...the one above highway ride. The inhibit switch doesn't seem to matter whether it is on or off.

I have been told that by leaving a door slightly ajar then the vehicle won't self level and only the faulty corner will drop so that I can hopefully isolate the problem corner but, typically, the vehicle hasn't dropped much in two days. No electrical faults are showing either on the dash or on the mechanic's analyser. I will perservere with this one until I sort it out.

In the meantime, many thanks.