HELP!!! EAS Stuck on "high ride height"

Hey All...

Complete newbie to the range world. Just bought my range yesterday. Its a 1996 P38 - 4.6. Its covered 121,000miles and kept up to date on all services by previous owner. Now here comes my story. Driving the car back on the motorway. The car has moved from normal height mode to motorway mode with ease and did so as soon as i hit the mortorway travelling at 50mph, then 22 miles to go, all a sudden i hear a beep, the EAS lights all start to flash, the height warning dash light comes on and its a very long journey home. As you can imagine the car is at full height and very bouncy. The lights turn solid and i cant adjust the height of the car. I even pull into the services for a min or 2 put it in park and see if can get the car to lower. Nothing happens.

So ive now got home, thinking i would leave it over night to see if there has been any sort of improvement, come morning i start the car and hear that sweet engine turn over, then i get an "EAS Fault" indicated on the dash, with the lights still the same as before. I did some research yesterday night and seems like there could be be so many things to look into. The compressor isnt going off intermediatly or anything like that, nor do i have the "35mph EAS Fault" reading. The range is stuck in the highest mode with the EAS lights on and the height light in the dash, with and "EAS Fault" reading.

Really need to help peeps, i'm gutted i cant drive the car right now.

You dont realise it but you are lucky its stuck up not down! Ive had a few problems with my air suspension and one time in Ireland had to do 130 miles on bumpstops.......with wifey and mum & dad in law in the back & two akita's in the boot! took about 6 hours to get home!!
Theres a few things to try...
get a garage with the plugin diag-whotsits to reset and then see what happens. the fact that it stays up at least suggest the bellows are not leaking which is a good start. part of my problem was the severe cold freezing the ride height sensors on each corner. they look like a draghtmans (pair of) compass's, check they are not all gunged up and sticking in one position...
good luck

i just done one with same fault it was solenoid drive pack on side of valve block ,yours might not be but some thing to check

JD_RANGEY_4.6 said:

Hey All...

Complete newbie to the range world. Just bought my range yesterday. Its a 1996 P38 - 4.6. Its covered 121,000miles and kept up to date on all services by previous owner. Now here comes my story. Driving the car back on the motorway. The car has moved from normal height mode to motorway mode with ease and did so as soon as i hit the mortorway travelling at 50mph, then 22 miles to go, all a sudden i hear a beep, the EAS lights all start to flash, the height warning dash light comes on and its a very long journey home. As you can imagine the car is at full height and very bouncy. The lights turn solid and i cant adjust the height of the car. I even pull into the services for a min or 2 put it in park and see if can get the car to lower. Nothing happens.

So ive now got home, thinking i would leave it over night to see if there has been any sort of improvement, come morning i start the car and hear that sweet engine turn over, then i get an "EAS Fault" indicated on the dash, with the lights still the same as before. I did some research yesterday night and seems like there could be be so many things to look into. The compressor isnt going off intermediatly or anything like that, nor do i have the "35mph EAS Fault" reading. The range is stuck in the highest mode with the EAS lights on and the height light in the dash, with and "EAS Fault" reading.

Really need to help peeps, i'm gutted i cant drive the car right now.

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If you can use a laptop computer, download the free EAS software from www.rswsolutions.com get yourself a cable, Ebay or I think Mad Hat Man might do them and read the faults. It's a good chance that it's a height sensor. Quick easy job if it is. In the meantime you can try unplugging the sensors, one at a time and cleaning the connectors. Do this with a door or the tailgate open so the EAS is frozen and does not know what you are up to.
:welcome2:to the mad world of P38's

. Do this with a door or the tailgate open so the EAS is frozen and does not know what you are up to.
:welcome2:to the mad world of P38's[/quote]

thats it, trick them pesky sensors!

Listen to Datatek.

Welcome best get used to being on here its good fun - just as well put in your location someone may be close with the diagnostic software it is more than likely as Data says a height sensor clean all the connections and make sure they are all seated correctly first call

The eas software is easy to use so if you have a serial port on a laptop then its an easy job. Look up on youtube for eas software and it goes through it.
Change the exhaust filter on the eas block its a bugger for clogging and doing what your experiencing. £20 for this but a quick repair.
You will be charged £40 everytime testbook is pluged in so the £20 i spent 2 years ago on a lead and free software has saved me approx £220 and I can reset at home on the drive . It takes a min and reads all the fault codes. Just about to do the bags so I will need it again

You guys are awesome. Have downloaded the software and just purchased the leads. Great. Better keep a laptop permentaly in the Range no .

I know i may now sound a bit ignorant, i know the exhaust filter in near EAS block, but where exactly (sorry). I was an italian car freak before, give me one of thoughs and i will take it apart and put it back together. If any one can send pics or send over a link that would be great, also the height sensors. Sorry for coming across a bit of dumbo.

Most appreciated. Thanks

JD_RANGEY_4.6 said:

You guys are awesome. Have downloaded the software and just purchased the leads. Great. Better keep a laptop permentaly in the Range no .

I know i may now sound a bit ignorant, i know the exhaust filter in near EAS block, but where exactly (sorry). I was an italian car freak before, give me one of thoughs and i will take it apart and put it back together. If any one can send pics or send over a link that would be great, also the height sensors. Sorry for coming across a bit of dumbo.

Most appreciated. Thanks

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The exhaust filter is the white coloured item screwed into the valve block towards scuttle facing engine. The chances of it being sufficiently clogged to prevent air from passing through and holding the suspension at max height, are greater than those of winning the lottery every Saturday for a month. Take it out and see what happens but don't think it will be that causing your problem.

It's gone into soft fault mode. It could be anything, which is why you need the EAS Unlock software to read the fault.

Whatever it is, you will need to reset the EAS to clear the fault in any case. Often the fault will go away on it's own and just a reset will clear the problem for a while. Sometimes the fault messages aren't very helpful - Mine used to frequently go into soft fault mode with the 'pressure switch is not changing state' error, but that can be caused by any number of faults. It's a bit of an art form diagnosing the actual fault from these error codes! (You will almost always get a 'vehicle has moved' fault as well. That one can be ignored.

I bought an EAS kicker to carry around in the car with me but I've hardly had to use it since - I think just the threat was enough to make it behave.

If you put your location up, someone near you might be able to assist.

Guy

JD_RANGEY_4.6 said:

You guys are awesome. Have downloaded the software and just purchased the leads. Great. Better keep a laptop permentaly in the Range no .

I know i may now sound a bit ignorant, i know the exhaust filter in near EAS block, but where exactly (sorry). I was an italian car freak before, give me one of thoughs and i will take it apart and put it back together. If any one can send pics or send over a link that would be great, also the height sensors. Sorry for coming across a bit of dumbo.

Most appreciated. Thanks

Click to expand...

Download a copy of RAVE, the workshop manual, that will answer all your component location questions and a lot more besides. Try downloads at Green Oval or do a search on this site.
You don't need a picture of the height sensors, just look for some spindly little rods connected to the radius arms and going into a plastic lump with electrical connections. There are 4, one for each corner

I had title same problem over the holidays. Turned out to be the exhaust valve stuck. Once I had cleared the fault every thing was hunky dory.
Good luck