Montyjohn
Well-Known Member
If you want a cheap temporary solution then buy four 6mm Schrader valves, stick them on the four pipes that lead to the bags and inflate them to get the car rolling.
Keep a set in the car and you'll never need them, touch wood I have. Don't carry them and???
JamesBB
Active Member
Ah. I can see I need to update my address. There are always some to forget.
I am actually 150-160 miles away.
Datatek
Well-Known Member
Yes, never used my set.
Best option is the Schrader valves suggested above.
Otherwise if you do the bump stop drive to Langley, just off M4-J5, I can help you get the airbags inflated again.
JamesBB
Active Member
Got the Schrader valves. Going to somebody local to the car that has a good shop compressor. If any bags are split I will swap the damaged one out before heading on....
Take a trolley jack as well. Rather than trying to inflate from bump stops (especially if they're folded), lift the body just enough to take the weight off the bags, and then inflate them bit by bit. 50-60psi is usually plenty to get them to Normal height.
Be really careful inflating them. Put 50 psi in each to start with then add 10 psi at a time to each one. Shouldn't need to go above 80 psi and definitely don't go above 90 psi. I think the bags are rated for 110 psi max when new but when worn may not take that much.
Datatek
Well-Known Member
As pwood999 said, 60 psi will put the car at normal height so no need to go higher.
When I was installing the engine on my project, I put 3x6mm tees on the airlines so I could inflate all in one go. Made getting the car higher or lower quick & easy, but def 60psi for normal height. Height is mostly air volume & not pressure, so anything above that is a waste of air (hot or cold).
The old volume over pressure chestnut
brianp38dse
Well-Known Member
JamesBB
Active Member
Update.
Bumpy ride to friend's workshop.
On the bump stops the exhaust (custom 3" rear pipes) had burnt through one of the flexi brake hoses to the point that I had a low brake fluid message pop up after 5 miles or so. Also burnt through ABS sensor cable.
Pumped up deflated and folded air springs. All popped back to life, except 1 of the 10 year old Dunlops that blew upon inflation. Top came off. But that spring looked damaged from whatever had happened to it.
Replaced that spring for now and inflated it.
All set to the same height with approx 60psi in each.
We then noticed the 2 new height sensors fitted to the rear where not even connected electrically (left unplugged) and they do not seem to have been installed correctly. "Glued" into (not bolted) a clearly different position from where they OEM ones go!!!
EAS fault still there (no surprise) and 35 MPH max.
Fitted new flexi hose and made sure they route a little lower down to avoid burning if it hit the bump stops again. Topped up and bled.
It did not lose pressure on the way home, and 2 days later still ok.
Looks like I will start from scratch on this one and go through everything.
I may order 2 new (or good used) OEM height sensors and reconnect everything to see where to move on from.....
Bumpy ride to friend's workshop.
On the bump stops the exhaust (custom 3" rear pipes) had burnt through one of the flexi brake hoses to the point that I had a low brake fluid message pop up after 5 miles or so. Also burnt through ABS sensor cable.
Pumped up deflated and folded air springs. All popped back to life, except 1 of the 10 year old Dunlops that blew upon inflation. Top came off. But that spring looked damaged from whatever had happened to it.
Replaced that spring for now and inflated it.
All set to the same height with approx 60psi in each.
We then noticed the 2 new height sensors fitted to the rear where not even connected electrically (left unplugged) and they do not seem to have been installed correctly. "Glued" into (not bolted) a clearly different position from where they OEM ones go!!!
EAS fault still there (no surprise) and 35 MPH max.
Fitted new flexi hose and made sure they route a little lower down to avoid burning if it hit the bump stops again. Topped up and bled.
It did not lose pressure on the way home, and 2 days later still ok.
Looks like I will start from scratch on this one and go through everything.
I may order 2 new (or good used) OEM height sensors and reconnect everything to see where to move on from.....
Where the hell does that custom exhaust go where it can burn through a brake flexi? There are 2 exhaust routes depending on whether it is pre or post '97/'98 and the brake lines similarly have 2 different routes to account for this. (There are more exhausts to account for manual and auto gearboxes).
If the sensors are placed in such a position they're outside expected range then it will always throw a fault. You have to get it close, then calibrate with diagnostics.
JamesBB
Active Member
The car is a 1996 GEMS 4.6 which had a single exhaust which was replaced 5 years plus ago due to it being totally knackered. The exhaust I replaced it with a Direnza twin tailpipe exhaust which meant re-routing the hard lines along the rear axle to make space.
There is a large pipe that runs between the rear silencers just behind the spare wheel well. That is where the flexihoses are.So I have replaced 1 and moved them down. The burn would not have happened if it had not bit the bumpstops for so long. I may make amendments to avoid it again.
Thanks
On the twin pipe it just goes straight down from the OSR with a flexi to the brake and then the usual hard-line goes behind the tank across to the NSR and then a flexi down to the brake there. Doesn't bother with the pipe across the axle at all.
