[Bobert]

Is there an air valve for each air bellows to release air to lower the RR?

I don't have an owner's manual, I guess someone sold it somewhere along the way. So I don't know all of the details. My dealer keeps telling me they will give me one. Saying doesn't seem to be giving.

So I tried again to raise the Rover. I took the lid off of the turtle so I could hear the compressor. The compressor runs but the Rover didn't raise. I listened for air leaks and lie you said, I could hear a hiss at the front right. So I jacked the front right up and that let the air bag fill up. The Rover raised to normal highway height. I lowered the jack and shut off the engine - the compressor stopped and the Rover stayed at highway height. I could not hear hissing. I waited an hour or so and this didn't change. I started the engine and pressed the down switch.

The Rover went down below the normal low level I've ever seen. Again, I tried to raise it without result. I jacked it up again and pressed the up switch. It raised up to the highway position and stayed there. It is still up now, 5 hours later.

So it seems there might not be an air leak unless the Rover is down. Again, I apologize for my lack of knowledge but I sort of thought that is why we ask questions.

 

[Bobert]

After some surfing I see that there is an air suspension valve block. it is hard to tell what is what cuz there are so many Land Rovers with air suspension and the L322 SC is a different animal for lots of stuff. So I see different offerings of air blocks but couldn't find one for the L322 SC. The ones I could find range in price from $95 to $1500 something. I found an O-Ring kit on eBay.

So, given the situation I posted above - When it goes down, it stays down, and if you can get it up it will stay up - (no alternate meaning) - is it likely that my problem is in the air valve block? And where is this air valve block for the front (right) of an L322 SC?

thanks,
Bob

 

[MARK_C]

Probably not, if the valve block leaks it would leak with the strut in any position. What is probably happening is when you lower the truck, the bladder is being flexed at a different point on the bag and the cracks in the rubber open up allowing the air to escape, collapsing the whole assembly. When the bag is at roadway height the part with the cracks in it are either sealed against the side of the strut (the shock absorber part) or are just not being flexed (at least in your driveway, it would probably lower down if you drove it over bumps and rough spots in the road) and it hold the air in. Take the front wheel off, put the lower control arm on a jack stand at about normal ride height (so the truck is more or less level). then hose the rubber part of the strut down with a soapy water mixture and try to either lower it to access height, or raise it to roadway height and see if you can see any bubbles forming anywhere on that rubber bladder.

These are the basic parts of the system:

#15 is your Front Block Valve.

Yes you can replace just the bladder only. The struts are different, but the bladders are the same. Just make sure you get one for the proper side as they are left or right side specific. If you try to remove the struts you MUST depressurize the air system. If you don't have the software to do that you can pull the relay for the compressor so it won't be able to run, and raise and lower the ride height until the truck sits on the bump stops. Even then be careful as there may still be some residual pressure in the struts even after doing that.

Heres the piping runs:

 

[Bobert]

Thanks Mark. That is super helpful. I love having those diagrams.

So after my exercise of lifting the frame at the front right. letting the suspension pump up to highway height and back down a couple times, I left it up and drove a couple miles over some medium bumpy roads. Then I went to the store 7 miles away. It is still at normal highway height. So, like you say, I'll do the exercise with the wheel off so I can try to see where bubbles might be coming out.

Bob

 

[MARK_C]

Did you ever hear the compressor starting and running during these trips?

 

[Bobert]

No, I wish I had left the compressor cover off so I could tell. I will have to do that tomorrow. SWMBO has me booked out for this afternoon.

 

[diff]

Our arnott bag only had a crimp ring failure after 3 years on the 04. Very annoying as the bag only in Canada pushed 600$. So I bought a max speeding rod bag for just over 200 in Canada. Something is lesking as front goes down in a few days in off road or normal. Out of town but I must have a pinhole leak somewhere. Studs on the replacement bag are cheaper (read a touch smaller with smaller nuts) than OEM but all else looks the same. I think bag is by continental. Bump stop inside is like oem and tougher than the arnott stop which was crushed when disassembled and made from very soft material

 

[Bobert]

Update: I won't do the test to see if the compressor runs while driving until Wednesday. I have a dentist appt Wednesday and I'm afraid that if I do the test and it continues to leak after the test, I won't make the appointment that I've paid for.
Bob

 

[leftlanetruckin]

It's getting to the point where it would be quicker for you to drive it to me to fix the poor thing......rofl

 

[patpat]

If the car is fully low and your air tank is empty (i.e. small leak at the tank air connector) it takes longer to see the car going up; you will hear a hiss on the right side of the car that could be not really a leak but the air tank being initially filled.

If in the morning the car looks:
down on the front (symmetrically right-left) the chances are you have a bad front valve block.
down on the front (asymmetrically right or left) the chances are you have a leaking front right or left bladder.
down on the rear (symmetrically right-left) the chances are you have a bad rear valve block.
down on the rear (asymmetrically right or left) the chances are you have a leaking rear right or left bladder.


The car has a Crawl Mode (locked Access mode) that allows you to slowly drive i.e. in a low parking lot.
Are you sure you didn't accidentally selected the Crawl Mode preventing normally changing the car height?

This is a very short paragraph of the Workshop Manual

CRAWL (LOCKED AT ACCESS) MODE
Crawl mode allows the vehicle to be driven at low speeds with the suspension locked at
the access mode height. This allows the vehicle to be driven in low car parks etc. with
increased roof clearance.
Crawl mode can be selected up to 21.7 mph (35 km/h) with a long press of the switch
in a down direction. The access mode lamp and the crawl mode lamp will be
illuminated. When the control module is in crawl mode, on-road mode height will be
selected automatically if the vehicle speed exceeds 24.8 mph (40 km/h). At 18.6 to
21.7 mph (30 to 35 km/h) a message is displayed in the message center to warn the
driver to slow down or the vehicle will raise. Crawl mode can also be manually cancelled
by moving the switch in the up direction for 1 second. The crawl mode lamp will now be
extinguished.

 

[Bobert]

It's getting to the point where it would be quicker for you to drive it to me to fix the poor thing......rofl

So Sorry! We have just the one car, the L322. So I am afraid to lose all my transportation. I can drive it at highway height if I drive it every day.

I'm certain that it is a leak in the right front air bladder. If the car sits without starting for two or three days the front will go down to the bump stops. The thing is, it won't pump back up from there. If I jack the front up and wait for the bags to fill put to normal, it will stay up for a couple days. So like Mark C says " What is probably happening is when you lower the truck, the bladder is being flexed at a different point on the bag and the cracks in the rubber open up allowing the air to escape, collapsing the whole assembly. " Does the air reservoir keep the air bags inflated when the car isn't started?

So I'm saving my allowance to buy a right front air bag and I'll find out if I can change it myself.

Thanks everyone!

 

[leftlanetruckin]

Spraying them was said on page one.
Yes, the system will try to self level regardless of engine on or off.

Martin

 

[Bobert]

Spraying them was said on page one.

Martin

I understand about spraying them and I understood then. Since this is my only transportation and I live in a rural area, I was afraid to do anything drastic that might totally disable the Rover so I didn't want to take a chance on anything.

low budget bob

 

[Bobert]

I know it has been a good long while since the original problem but I finally changed that right front air bag today. I bought an Arnott - I think it was around $257 from eBay. There is a nice youtube from Arnott that helps. Of course everything went nice and smooth in the youtube. I'm glad I went to my Son in law's. he has impact goodies. I don't think I could have gotten the strut out without the impact tools. So anyway, The my Rover has divorced the old bag and gotten a pretty now one and all is well with ride height and mother load height. Changed the front brake pads while I was at it.

Thank all you guys for your help. I've learned a lot!
Bob

 

[Rover_doc11]

Hey Bobert,

Thanks for the update I am having the same problem with my 2011 l322 HSE. Did you purchase the air springs with VDS for that price $257?

 

[Bobert]

Hey Bobert,

Thanks for the update I am having the same problem with my 2011 l322 HSE. Did you purchase the air springs with VDS for that price $257?

YUP. Look at: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292770137252.

Mine leak was interesting. The Rover was OK if I left it in normal or high but if I lowered it, it would never come back up and you could hear a serious leak. Looking at the old air bag, I couldn't see where it was leaking.

 

[Rover_doc11]

Thanks Bobert!

Mine is down to the bump stops and will not raise anymore...

 

[Project RRSC]

Mine is down to the bump stops as well and will not raise.

I heard a leak on the driver side left so i assume that bag is ripped and needs to be replaced. I also have the "Suspension Fault Max Speed 30mph" error on the dash.

I purchased the iCarsoft LR V2.0 diagnostic tool to make sure its just the bag and not the compressor. The vehicle has 76k miles on it and i think its safe to just replace the air springs from Island. Might as well replace both from air springs for safe measure.

https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/suspension-parts-suspension-parts-c-144_2316_2839.html

 

[Project RRSC]

I noticed Island 4x4 sells an entire OEM Air Strut Assembly for $400 USD. How is this possible when the same part from another vendor ie British Atlantic goes for $1100???

Air Spring Strut Front LH L322 2010-12 Variable Damping (OEM) LR012885 LR032567:
https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/spring...riable-damping-lr012885-lr032567-p-27714.html