P38A EAS approach and solenoids seals

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J

Jerseyp38

Active Member
Posts
240
Hi All, hope everyone is as ok as can be?

I was hopping to have more info but stuck indoors because of the weather.

EAS been going down.

Changed the airbags (secondhand but looked like new). I did 'drop' the front axle on the jack when I lowered i too quickly. After changing the airbags she would go down overall over a couple of days. So I assumed I had damaged the front offside hieght sensor. So I have changed that but still going down over a period of a couple of days.

I carried on using her for 4 or so months and wore out the seal in the eas pump.

So I fitted new o rings to the solenoid block and now just the front is going down. So I bought a very cheap second-hand 'working' solenoid block and swapped them over but now she goes down on all four.

Last night I took out the bag pipes and fitted the schrader vales and pumped them up a bit (before the tyre pump broke...). She is a little down this morning but the schrader vales had a slight leak on them (saopy water test). I wanted to refit and try again before posting but impatience and being stuck in doors has taken over.

I do really think it is in the solenoid block. So was going to go through my original block again paying particular attention to the exhaust solenoid and the solenoids for the front air bags. In particular the rubber on the end of the solenoid actuator as this had deep rings in. I saw someone post they had put these on a lathe and resurface but surely cut with a sharp staley knife blade would be best? Evening thinking about buying three new solenoids but not sure which part number to look for.

Initially I have been easunlock V2 from 2007 and this did show all sorts of faults but switching everything on/off etc could get to the point of no faults.

I have just bought a nanocom evolution and that has shown no faults.

If you have read all that I heartily thank you but now do you have any other ideas/approaches to take?

Feeling I understand why people go for coils but I am determined not to. Her main purpose in lift is to take us all camping in Europe and N England and like the level travel.

Then I have the FIP to do and the ABS and the paint work........... Perhaps that VW torareg is looking temping!!! (No not really)

Thank you.
 
Jerseyp38 said:
Hi All, hope everyone is as ok as can be?

I was hopping to have more info but stuck indoors because of the weather.

EAS been going down.

Changed the airbags (secondhand but looked like new). I did 'drop' the front axle on the jack when I lowered i too quickly. After changing the airbags she would go down overall over a couple of days. So I assumed I had damaged the front offside hieght sensor. So I have changed that but still going down over a period of a couple of days.

I carried on using her for 4 or so months and wore out the seal in the eas pump.

So I fitted new o rings to the solenoid block and now just the front is going down. So I bought a very cheap second-hand 'working' solenoid block and swapped them over but now she goes down on all four.

Last night I took out the bag pipes and fitted the schrader vales and pumped them up a bit (before the tyre pump broke...). She is a little down this morning but the schrader vales had a slight leak on them (saopy water test). I wanted to refit and try again before posting but impatience and being stuck in doors has taken over.

I do really think it is in the solenoid block. So was going to go through my original block again paying particular attention to the exhaust solenoid and the solenoids for the front air bags. In particular the rubber on the end of the solenoid actuator as this had deep rings in. I saw someone post they had put these on a lathe and resurface but surely cut with a sharp staley knife blade would be best? Evening thinking about buying three new solenoids but not sure which part number to look for.

Initially I have been easunlock V2 from 2007 and this did show all sorts of faults but switching everything on/off etc could get to the point of no faults.

I have just bought a nanocom evolution and that has shown no faults.

If you have read all that I heartily thank you but now do you have any other ideas/approaches to take?

Feeling I understand why people go for coils but I am determined not to. Her main purpose in lift is to take us all camping in Europe and N England and like the level travel.

Then I have the FIP to do and the ABS and the paint work........... Perhaps that VW torareg is looking temping!!! (No not really)

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Or leak on line to tank.
 
Thanks for the replies, Guys, all helpful and encouraging. 4x4bags seem a good price.

So I did try getting the schraders to seal but trying to get some pressure in the bags seemed impossible.

Bought a little tyre inflator from the autosomal that supposedly went to 150psi but destroyed itself at 130psi.......

So I cutoff the tyre adaptor and fitted the 8mm pipe to the output from the eas pump but then just had air escaping from the exhaust valve........

Bumbed down the road to the garage but their air line only went to 80psi...... so bumped home again!

Have a little compressor at work will see if I can use that next. But will sort out the bag situation before moving on to the solenoid block.

Yes in Jersey . Think I have the only manual p38 on the island!

Thanks for the comments, will keep you updated and sure I will be back with more questions.

Cheers
 
Jerseyp38 said:
Thanks for the replies, Guys, all helpful and encouraging. 4x4bags seem a good price.

So I did try getting the schraders to seal but trying to get some pressure in the bags seemed impossible.

Bought a little tyre inflator from the autosomal that supposedly went to 150psi but destroyed itself at 130psi.......

So I cutoff the tyre adaptor and fitted the 8mm pipe to the output from the eas pump but then just had air escaping from the exhaust valve........

Bumbed down the road to the garage but their air line only went to 80psi...... so bumped home again!

Have a little compressor at work will see if I can use that next. But will sort out the bag situation before moving on to the solenoid block.

Yes in Jersey . Think I have the only manual p38 on the island!

Thanks for the comments, will keep you updated and sure I will be back with more questions.

Cheers
Click to expand...

With the schrader valves you put them on the 4x 6mm air pipes to the bags and should only need about 60psi to raise them to normal height unless i am reading what you are trying to do wrong.
 
Jerseyp38 said:
Bought a little tyre inflator from the autosomal that supposedly went to 150psi but destroyed itself at 130psi.......
Click to expand...

if you have the schraders on the bags you have more problems as 60-70psi should lift a p38.

J
 
Thanks Guys, I do have them on the 6mm pipes to the bags, I wonder what I am doing wrong????

I will have a look during the week but tied into 14 - 16hrs a day at the moment.........
 
Jerseyp38 said:
Thanks Guys, I do have them on the 6mm pipes to the bags, I wonder what I am doing wrong????

I will have a look during the week but tied into 14 - 16hrs a day at the moment.........
Click to expand...

Have you got / had an exhaust leak?

Don't use T pieces with Schrader valves. Pop the pipe out of the valve block and xonnect with straight connector. Put 55psi in each corner and then 5 psi at a time going round until it gets to the desired height. You shouldn't need to go above 80psi. I cannot recall what the bags max pressure is rated as but it is only 120 psi or so, maybe lower. Too much might blow a cap off.
 
As others have said, 60/70psi is all that is needed to get to normal height so I do not know what you are doing or where you have put the valves if it's not raising.
 
If you have schrader valve on airbags, there's only few leak points, i.e. Bag Seals or the rubber. Pipe or valves.

If there's air from exhaust when the pump is running, then either the diaphragm valve is split, or it's not operating. The diaphragm solenoid should activate from the same 12V feed as the pump.
 
Well I have been a bit of a numpty: Found that the socket the schrader valve was in was done up too tight and compressing the O ring and blocking the air flow. So slackened them and worked them more firmly on to the 6mm pipes. Then inflated around the 60/70PSI mark and up she went. SO far 24 hrs and not dropped a mm. Will try some different heights.

So what next? Will connect pipes back to solenoid block and then see what happens first. Then have a more logical play with the solenoid valves one at a time? And explore more what is happening on the exhaust solenoid?

Thanks
 
Hi,

Well the EAS finally seems to be working and the final problem seemed to be a slight leak on the inlet to the holding tank. So nipped that up and she seems good. I have put a gauge on the pump line and will probably leave that there. I also bought a kit for tyre pressure sesnors that covered the range for the airbags. But when I look at the extra connections it introduces I think I will leave it off for now but will keep it as it might be a useful diagnostic tool?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125034474523

Not totally convinced it is 100% but will monitor and have a bigger job to deal with (next post).

Thanks for the help and suggestions. And Merry Christmas!
 

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Jerseyp38 said:
Hi,

Well the EAS finally seems to be working and the final problem seemed to be a slight leak on the inlet to the holding tank. So nipped that up and she seems good. I have put a gauge on the pump line and will probably leave that there. I also bought a kit for tyre pressure sesnors that covered the range for the airbags. But when I look at the extra connections it introduces I think I will leave it off for now but will keep it as it might be a useful diagnostic tool?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125034474523

Not totally convinced it is 100% but will monitor and have a bigger job to deal with (next post).

Thanks for the help and suggestions. And Merry Christmas!
Click to expand...

That's what I have. A guage on tank for peace of mind and an emergency inflation kit disconnected but there for ... er emergencies. Never needed it since I disconnected it!

Didn't open your link but guages need to go up to 160 psi to handle the tank pressure. Bags are rated to about 110psi give or take a bit but guessing they don't normally go much above 80psi.
 
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