Discomite

Member
Hi Folks, New here, so am still learning, but just mistakenly posted this thread below in detail in the Intro.section .So here it is again in the proper place this time..hopefully more of you will see it.


Yesterday while driving y 03 Disco 2 through the city , traffic was mayhem ,police and Portugese everywhere due to Queens visit or Uefa Cup Final,I don’t know which, but I noticed the ACE warning came on yellow. Figured it was probably a little low on fluid as I had checked it at the weekend when I was changing/treating the PAS fluid (I know they are separate).I kept going and when about a mile from home the light turned red ,bongs and all so I stopped and pulled in and noticed the reservoir was empty . I was on a windy road so chanced the mile or so and drove home. The reason I did this was that I had read before the pump should be bypassed when the fluid runs out and this happened to me last year when ACE pipes were chaffed in the front directly under the battery casing (seems to be a fairly known fault in Disco2,so if any of you haven’t come across this I would check it out and cut out a square of the plastic battery casing adjacent to the pipes,if the pipes are anyway close to it). That little 5 minute job will cost you nothing and could save you a lot. As this leak was accessible to work on I had it repaired in situ by a hydraulics specialist at a cost of €150...Expensive I know but the job was done well and I didn’t have to order new pipes,mess with washers etc.Topped up the fluid ,ran the car fast around an empty carpark turning sharply to try and bleed it which was quite successfull...

Anyway back to yesterday ,I filled her up and ran her and noticed it took almost a litre and then noticed the fluid leaking slowly inside rear drivers side wheel arch. On start up now the ACE check is done and the lights go out . So am assuming the pump is o.k.?? On further inspection the pipes had a bad spot where they are connected to the chassis near the wheel arch with the rubber insulation piece they were very caked in dirt and grime so managed to just get the nose of a power hose in there after removing the heavy stuff with a screwdriver. (Not sure if 1 or 2 pipes leaking just yet) This area is not convenient for a repair,so am looking at removing the pipes which raises a few more questions . Coincidentally this was close to the are I had been working on replacing the air spring at the weekend but feel 99% sure I didn't disturb anything!!!

Q1. If I remove the 2 rear ACE Pipes and feel that there is only one bad spot,will more than likely go for the repair. I’m assuming it will be cheaper than the last time as I’m calling on him and can wait a day or two for him to do the repair.
However whats the minimum I need to replace…do I absolutely need washers to go back into the Valve Block underneath drivers seat and assume I need a filter too.?? Do I need to change anything on the Actuator side? Also can I drop down the Actuator to undo the bolts, seems a bit easier to remove ,clean and put back .Is this easy and safe to do?I don't mind replacing seals and stuff if I have to,just that it'll probably take a couple of days more to get them.

Q2. If the pipes are not worth repairing I will order new ones. Ordering them from the UK can take almost a week .Again do I need to order anything else (washers,seals filters etc..) I don’t want to find I should have ordered something else ,then I’m 2 weeks without transport.

Q3. How easy is it to deactivate the ACE functionality…..assuming as I mentioned above it goes into passive mode when the fluid runs out. Is this risky to run for some time without the fluid. I read different threads telling me the pump will burn out while other say it “should “ protect itself in the “locked bars” mode..I also read that you didn’t have to add any new bars etc.to convert to non-ACE.

Anyway folks your advice and experience deeply appreciated
 
Hi Discomite, the ACE system is relatively simple but very expensive. The rear pipes are quite easy to replace, just fidly to get into position. If you get new ones they should come with washers, there are two bango washers on each of the two conections to the actuator. May be worth putting a new dust cover on the actuator at the same time as these perish. The anti roll bar can be dropped to aid working, you need to remove the drop links and then just unbolt the brakets, again it could be worth replacing the rubber bushes ( only £5 the pair ) whilst it's off. The connection to the valve block is a different matter. The waser set is £20 per pipe ! and they can get damaged just by replacing the pipe, buy I do know of people replacing them with standard o rings. Just keep the plastic spacers and the end seal in the right order.
I wouldn't recomend using the vehicle without the ACE system working, the pump can not be isolated easily and will get damaged very quickly. Alot of people seem to be opting to remove the system which means replacing front and rear ant roll bars and a new serpantine belt - around £300 for a complete kit I believe.
I've just replaced 2 front pipes on mine, I'm starting to think I shouldn't have wasted my money and stripped the system - only time will tell.

Hope that helps.

Paul.
 
Thanks Paul,and a good point about the actuator dust cover which doesn't look great either. I also have a box of o rings I bought in Lidl's for a fiver .Would you suggest putting an extra coat of Hammerite on the new pipes (if I buy new,if not I'll definitely coat the old ones)or would you think they'll last the distance bearing in mind I don't drive through fields or rivers as this car was a famers until I bought it 4 years ago and my intention was always to attempt to clean and seal underneath but just never got round to it, and now I'm paying the price...
 
Droplink nut offside appears to be turning completely and not loosening .I couldn't get a turn while underneath the car so put a trolly jack under the 18 spanner which started moving but then I noticed the threaded part was moving with it.Have I broken this little joint or what? Any ideas on how it should shift. I had put some penetrating oil on nut/threaded side.
 
Droplink nut offside appears to be turning completely and not loosening .I couldn't get a turn while underneath the car so put a trolly jack under the 18 spanner which started moving but then I noticed the threaded part was moving with it.Have I broken this little joint or what? Any ideas on how it should shift. I had put some penetrating oil on nut/threaded side.
 
You need a torx head tool inside a ring spanner to hold the bar as the nut turns. Can be fiddly and difficult to get purchase but shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Paul
 
local landrover guy gave me rough estimate of over a thousand pounds to replace front pipes so done away with ace and fitted ant roll bars easy job apart from rusty bolts broke a spanner and torx bits swapped link bars as well best to have the grinder at the ready as these bolts are a night mare pump and belt were easy to replace
 

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