Evening all. New to the forum. Needing help on an EAS fault. Weird one. Can’t find anyone with the same issue....

I bought an L322 with an engine fault. Fixed that. But it also had inactive suspension. When plugged in on “Launch” diagnostics it said it wanted a front left sensor. Replaced that fine and calibrated it with the Launch without an issue.

The car was then standing level pretty much. Perhaps 5mm of difference, and with the LEDs all working as they should and the compressor buzzing and building pressure....

....but it will not move up or down. It won’t deflate or inflate hardly at all. If you give it a command it just flashes up or down but never reaches either. Virtually no movement at all, perhaps a little in the rear on occasions but I’m talking 20mm or so.

I don’t believe there are any major leaks as it stays up fine for a week or more, it doesn’t drop down. I drove it 40 miles including motorway (where it tried to lower to motorway mode but just carried on flashing) and then it went inactive again - hard fault, the code being “too much energy needed - front axle”.

The compressor doesn’t seem to overheat when on the diagnostics and it rises to 7 bar and so on with relative ease - sure it will rise to 11 fine.

However even when plugged in and forcing deflation or inflation on each corner it doesn’t react. To deflate, the valves squeak a bit/flutter indicating operation and the then there is a ticking sound as if they are deflating but no hight change occurs.

I did unplug the compressor and PRV, turn the ignition on and experience the system exhaust some air (when the rear had lifted a little), which levelled the car fairly quickly, so that leads me to think the PRV or exhaust pilot valve may be an issue re deflation, but I didn’t think they would cause it to hesitate raising as well as deflating, if that makes sense.

Has anyone come across anything like this? I know there are loads of threads on the EAS being inactive but I haven’t seen one where the suspension does nothing on command when the LEDs are fully functioning!

Thanks in advance for any input.

Your compressor sounds better than mine, but id imagine your pressure is still a bit low, look at the live data and see if any of the valves are operating. Mine had the same fault logged, except it was for the rear, and my compressor wouldn't operate. I just kept deleting the codes over and over (even though none were present) to get the compressor to run. Mine maxed out at 6.2 bar. I dove it about 12 miles today and the suspension inactive warning came back, totally different code this time (front height sensor). I think it just needs a bit of exercise after the layup. I've ordered a compressor and air dryer overhall kit. Ill get my working pressure right first and take it from there. The good news is that all the resetting let her lift up to a usable height. Ps, hows your battery? And if it was disconnected or discharged during engine work, did you reset the steering angle sensor? Good luck.

Dmcsweeney said:

Your compressor sounds better than mine, but id imagine your pressure is still a bit low, look at the live data and see if any of the valves are operating. Mine had the same fault logged, except it was for the rear, and my compressor wouldn't operate. I just kept deleting the codes over and over (even though none were present) to get the compressor to run. Mine maxed out at 6.2 bar. I dove it about 12 miles today and the suspension inactive warning came back, totally different code this time (front height sensor). I think it just needs a bit of exercise after the layup. I've ordered a compressor and air dryer overhall kit. Ill get my working pressure right first and take it from there. The good news is that all the resetting let her lift up to a usable height. Ps, hows your battery? And if it was disconnected or discharged during engine work, did you reset the steering angle sensor? Good luck.

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Thanks. Battery has been off but holds charge and has been re-set on diagnostics since battery was off. Have reset steering too.

My compressor runs and I don’t get a fault straight away when I clear it. It takes like 20 miles to bring up a code. I think you’re right about pressure, could be a bit low but you’d think it would do something at say 7 bar rather than birthing at all, and fail to deflate as well.

The car is with a Landy independent garage at the moment but I’m not sure they are having much joy with it, so I thought I’d ask on here!

PetrolHeadL322 said:

Thanks. Battery has been off but holds charge and has been re-set on diagnostics since battery was off. Have reset steering too.

My compressor runs and I don’t get a fault straight away when I clear it. It takes like 20 miles to bring up a code. I think you’re right about pressure, could be a bit low but you’d think it would do something at say 7 bar rather than birthing at all, and fail to deflate as well.

The car is with a Landy independent garage at the moment but I’m not sure they are having much joy with it, so I thought I’d ask on here!

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When I cleared the codes they didn't come back, nothing was displayed, but I kept selecting erase codes, and the compressor kept firing up. After repeating this about 20 times the car rose up several inches, and the compressor cut in and out as it should. Don't know why, when there were no actual codes, but it worked.

Dmcsweeney said:

When I cleared the codes they didn't come back, nothing was displayed, but I kept selecting erase codes, and the compressor kept firing up. After repeating this about 20 times the car rose up several inches, and the compressor cut in and out as it should. Don't know why, when there were no actual codes, but it worked.

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Hmmm, that’s interesting.

The first time we calibrated it after putting the new sensor on, it would rise and deflate a bit manually via plug in but not on its own.

The second time it wouldn’t do a thing really. But on Launch when you go to clear code, it opens and says no codes, so there is nothing to clear. So don’t think I can just keep clearing.

Urgh!!!

Did you check for codes in,ABS,SAS, Intrument pack, and LCM ? suspension faults pop up in them aswell and stop eas working.

Kds makes a good point there, I was advised to do the same, went through each module in turn and erased any codes present. Look at your live data as well, see if the lift function is triggering the valves or not.

kds said:

Did you check for codes in,ABS,SAS, Intrument pack, and LCM ? suspension faults pop up in them aswell and stop eas working.

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We looked at BCM but not the others. I would expect the Indy garage is checking them but if not I’ll get All Comms and go through it all...

Dmcsweeney said:

Kds makes a good point there, I was advised to do the same, went through each module in turn and erased any codes present. Look at your live data as well, see if the lift function is triggering the valves or not.

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Something for me to check if I get it back and still an issue!

PetrolHeadL322 said:

We looked at BCM but not the others. I would expect the Indy garage is checking them but if not I’ll get All Comms and go through it all...

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And I forgot to add the BCM,

kds said:

And I forgot to add the BCM,

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When you first start it up, it says HDC inactive for a few seconds, but the HDC button works and HDC light illuminates on the dash. I searched and saw people saying low battery can cause that. But the battery is holding charge ok and starts the car well, considering it’s not getting used much because of this issue.

PetrolHeadL322 said:

When you first start it up, it says HDC inactive for a few seconds, but the HDC button works and HDC light illuminates on the dash. I searched and saw people saying low battery can cause that. But the battery is holding charge ok and starts the car well, considering it’s not getting used much because of this issue.

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Been a few posts over on fullfat (sorry mentioning again) about HDC inactive on start up and mostly seems to be down to battery not big enough.

PetrolHeadL322 said:

We looked at BCM but not the others. I would expect the Indy garage is checking them but if not I’ll get All Comms and go through it all...

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What year is it, All Comms is for the early models.

kds said:

What year is it, All Comms is for the early models.

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It’s a “52” plate TD6

PetrolHeadL322 said:

It’s a “52” plate TD6

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Mines a 53 plate 04 M/Y, instead of All Comms it might be worth you looking at a BMW INPA lead (get the switch one) and "Mikes Easy BMW Tools Download" its a free software download (even I could do it) it gives you inpa and a couple of other bits of software that will do some things on L322 (its an X5 E53 underneath) @stustrong posted some pics a little while ago on which buttons to press, you normally get a dvd with the cables but as @dwarfer found out with his disc it put a couple of things on his pc you really dont want. (the cream helped with the swelling but he`s still takin the pills).

kds said:

Mines a 53 plate 04 M/Y, instead of All Comms it might be worth you looking at a BMW INPA lead (get the switch one) and "Mikes Easy BMW Tools Download" its a free software download (even I could do it) it gives you inpa and a couple of other bits of software that will do some things on L322 (its an X5 E53 underneath) @stustrong posted some pics a little while ago on which buttons to press, you normally get a dvd with the cables but as @dwarfer found out with his disc it put a couple of things on his pc you really dont want. (the cream helped with the swelling but he`s still takin the pills).

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I have INPA for my E36 but when I plugged it into the L322 whilst it connected, it came up with an error. Haven’t tried it since. May give it another go.

PetrolHeadL322 said:

I have INPA for my E36 but when I plugged it into the L322 whilst it connected, it came up with an error. Haven’t tried it since. May give it another go.

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Think you need pins 7 and 8 bridged on obd plug for it to work on L322, put a meter across them to find out.

kds said:

Think you need pins 7 and 8 bridged on obd plug for it to work on L322, put a meter across them to find out.

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if not bridged pin 7 and 8, solder two wires and a switch, worked fine for me
thats after removing the spyware and cleaning the computer

Dmcsweeney said:

Your compressor sounds better than mine, but id imagine your pressure is still a bit low, look at the live data and see if any of the valves are operating. Mine had the same fault logged, except it was for the rear, and my compressor wouldn't operate. I just kept deleting the codes over and over (even though none were present) to get the compressor to run. Mine maxed out at 6.2 bar. I dove it about 12 miles today and the suspension inactive warning came back, totally different code this time (front height sensor). I think it just needs a bit of exercise after the layup. I've ordered a compressor and air dryer overhall kit. Ill get my working pressure right first and take it from there. The good news is that all the resetting let her lift up to a usable height. Ps, hows your battery? And if it was disconnected or discharged during engine work, did you reset the steering angle sensor? Good luck.

Click to expand...

update:

lndy garage has diagnosed faulty compressor as, like you, it’s only getting to 7 bar and not much more. It tries to lift the back a bit but not the front and is putting the “too much energy needed for regulation” fault up.

new compressor ordered, hopefully that will then deliver 11.9 bar and allow the system to work. As you say, the system wants to have correct operating pressure.

PetrolHeadL322 said:

update:

lndy garage has diagnosed faulty compressor as, like you, it’s only getting to 7 bar and not much more. It tries to lift the back a bit but not the front and is putting the “too much energy needed for regulation” fault up.

new compressor ordered, hopefully that will then deliver 11.9 bar and allow the system to work. As you say, the system wants to have correct operating pressure.

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Hang on to the old compressor and rebuild it as a spare it normaly only need a seal and liner.