TD5 Air Suspension problem

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M

Marie

New Member
Posts
13
Location
Wiltshire
Hi

I'm on my 2nd TD5, couldn't cope without after I sold the last one!

The old one had an airbag problem, where the back end dropped one side which would inflate when starting the car, but got it fixed as soon as this happened.

Now this one has dropped completely at the back, both sides - happened last night. It doesn't go back up when starting the engine - and I've tried (after reading through some threads on here) the button inside which raises the ride height, and nothing happens.

My mechanic can have it in tomorrow, but is it ok to drive today? My husband has the other car and I need to have a car today! Help....

Thanks.
Marie
 
Marie said:
Hi

I'm on my 2nd TD5, couldn't cope without after I sold the last one!

The old one had an airbag problem, where the back end dropped one side which would inflate when starting the car, but got it fixed as soon as this happened.

Now this one has dropped completely at the back, both sides - happened last night. It doesn't go back up when starting the engine - and I've tried (after reading through some threads on here) the button inside which raises the ride height, and nothing happens.

My mechanic can have it in tomorrow, but is it ok to drive today? My husband has the other car and I need to have a car today! Help....

Thanks.
Marie
Click to expand...

Hi there Marie, the first thing I would be checking is the fusable link for the compressor in the engine bay fusebox. Can't remember the number of the link but I think it is a 30amp one.

If it is blown, loads of cars use these, so it doesn't need to be a Land Rover one, just one of the correct rating that physically fits.

Just been out to check - it is FL9 in the engine bay fusebox next to the coolant tank, you need to look at.

Good luck

Dave
 
Thanks both.

Dave - I'm going to sound like a real blonde now - can I tell by looking at the fuse whether it has blown?

From what I can see it looks much like all the others in that it has the gold bit still in tact in the little "window" at the top.

Edit -

Just swapped it with another 30A one and still nothing.

I am getting the quite high pitched whining noise that indicates that it is trying to pump up but no good.
 
Last edited:
Find the relay (little yellow box) next to the fuseable link ,look on underside of fuse box lid to see which one it is,take it out and give it a few sharp taps with screw driver handle then replace. Has the pump been making any noises before this happened ?
 
Marie said:
Thanks both.

Dave - I'm going to sound like a real blonde now - can I tell by looking at the fuse whether it has blown?

From what I can see it looks much like all the others in that it has the gold bit still in tact in the little "window" at the top.

Edit -

Just swapped it with another 30A one and still nothing.

I am getting the quite high pitched whining noise that indicates that it is trying to pump up but no good.
Click to expand...

Fuse sounds to be ok then. Can you identify where this noise is coming from? Could it be coming from, for example, under the car, under the front passenger area?
 
.........and make sure that all 5 the doors are well closed.......open them all and give them a good push back before u start the engine.
 
................................and the bonnet.

When all doors are closed, start the engine through the open window of the drivers door so you can stand outside and watch what (if anything) happens.
 
All doors/bonnet definitely firmly shut - just tried starting again with window open, and nothing happens, except for the whirring/whining noise, which is coming from underneath the rear of the car.

This noise has always happened since I've had the car (about 4 months), and doesn't sound like a sinister noise if you know what I mean!
 
In this case it's a "crawl under the car and.......bla,bla,bla.........compressor/valves/pipes" kind of thing so let it to your mechanic.
 
Thanks very much for trying to help.

It's all getting very expensive - only had the power steering pump replaced yesterday!

Reckon my mechanic has sabotaged it! lol
 
Ok, it's been into the garage, and he tells me that it is the ECU that controls the pump that has broken.

Cost of around £700 for a new one!

So... it's going to have springs fitted and get rid of the air suspension!
 
Marie said:
Ok, it's been into the garage, and he tells me that it is the ECU that controls the pump that has broken.

Cost of around £700 for a new one!

So... it's going to have springs fitted and get rid of the air suspension!
Click to expand...


I can understand that it is difficult for you, but if it was me I would be asking this guy what is the basis for this diagnosis. What has he done and what were the results that have led him to this conclusion. What electronic diagnostic tool did he use?

It could be that he is right, but 99% of all air suspension problems reported on these forums are due to the airbags leaking with the rest being caused by faulty ride height sensors. This would be the first time I've heard of a problematic air suspension system being caused by a faulty SLS ECU. It could be faulty earths causing the ECU to appear faulty?

If I'm right and he is wrong, you will get charged for a new part and installation without fixing the problem. Of course I could be wrong, but if I were in your shoes before shelling out that much cash I would want to be ABSOLUTELY sure that the problem would be resolved. Can he get hold of another ECU to test his theory?

Be careful

Good luck

Dave
 
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Are you saying that swapping to coil springs may not solve the problem?

I'll have a chat to him when he rings me tomorrow, but he had taken it to someone who deals with LRs to get it properly checked over.

I do trust this guy, as he could quite happily have charged me the £700 for the new ECU but he was the one who suggested changing over to springs. I was kind of thinking along the springs route last night.
 
Marie said:
Are you saying that swapping to coil springs may not solve the problem?

I'll have a chat to him when he rings me tomorrow, but he had taken it to someone who deals with LRs to get it properly checked over.

I do trust this guy, as he could quite happily have charged me the £700 for the new ECU but he was the one who suggested changing over to springs. I was kind of thinking along the springs route last night.
Click to expand...


Hi Marie, no, I'm not saying that, but there are a number of advantages in keeping the air suspension if it's not financially crippling to do so.

1. If it's a seven seater, they are only homologated for air suspension, if you change to coils you would need to tell your insurers and they would react how?

2. With air suspension you have greater load carrying limits;

3. With air suspension you get a smoother ride (I have both and the air model is smoother)

4. With air, you have self levelling, better for towing etc etc etc

If you can manage to keep the air springs it would be better, but if it is just too dear go for springs but with good quality shock absorbers, not cheapies.

Best of luck
 
You could definitely get another SLABS ecu for less than that on ebay.

I have found a lot of garages would rather just rip out air susp than try to troubleshoot it properly because they lack the expertise to do so.

David
 
You could definitely get another SLABS ecu for less than that on ebay.

I have found a lot of garages would rather just rip out air susp than try to troubleshoot it properly because they lack the expertise to do so.

David
 
Hi, Got a problem myself, my air spring has just exploded (passenger side) does anyone know the likely reason/s for this please? :doh:
:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(
 
Ok so my disco TD5 started randomly letting her ass down and was undrivable, 3 trips to the specialists 3 diagnostics reports @ £48 each and apparently no faults!! I'm sure you can imagine my bemused look when I reply " errr well there is definately a fault because I'm sure discos ride a lot higher than that"!!!
"Leaky Air bags sir"
Was the reply
"It's certainly not the airbags as they are only 6months old and it dosnt sag or go down slowly it just all of a sudden decides to deflate the system!!"
I said
"Your compressor is dead"
He said
"It's not as it's just had a full piston ring service and it pumps up the system in no time!!"
I said
Leave it with us and we will have a good look at it he said
So from the previous trips and growing list of there most expensive faults I thought right time to get cold and wet and lie on Tarmac for a while in heavy snow!! Of course the suspension wouldn't fail on a red hot Summers day!!!
So
Suspension fault light on dash one with 2 arrows
Sometimes when It did pump up the drivers side rear wanted to go into the sky ( this side had had britpart sensor fitted only 5 weeks ago with full calibration!)
So I'm thinking this sensor has gone faulty as when I disconnected the arm to fool the system to let it down it did nothing. A trip to my local parts dealers
2 height sensors
Relay
Wiring plug loom for sensor
As soon as I took the O/S sensor off there it was half of the pins snapped off in the plug which gave the reason for intermittent deflation / over inflation
Replaced Sensor O/S ( disconnect battery at negative terminal first)
Wired on new plug ( as snapped pins stuck in old one!)
Replaced sensor N/S ( rubber had perished around bolt so needed doing anyway but worked fine)
Replace battery lead ( negative )
Disco air suspension back working like new
Hope this helps someone as it's taken 2 months of getting frozen, arguments with the wife saying I spend more time with the car than her!!, and expensive trips the the "specialists" use that word very loosely!!!
Tony19820.
;)
 
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