P38A EAS again.

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
JamesBB

JamesBB

Active Member
Posts
774
Location
Sandwich. Kent.
Hi All
1996 P38 4.6 HSE.
This all stems from a problem I had a while ago.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/unrepairable-eas-fault-after-side-steps-fitted.390318/

Here is the latest.
Last year I had a problem which meant installing the Schrader valves and manually pumping the suspension up. All was ok for 3-4 months then height dropped evenly all around, so a leak in a part of the system common to all springs. Since then it has just sat and done nothing on the drive.
I removed the Schrader valves and reconnected the lines to the valve block.

New Compressor installed (as the old one was very worn and original).

No EAS fault on dash at first. Then after a while I get the EAS fault message and all 4 height LEDs flash and keep flashing.
EAS unlock talks to the ECU, reading the faults the only one I get it RR signal incorrect, no other messages at all.
The compressor runs.
The front seems to have visually lifted to a normal looking height, the rear is on the bump stops.
Clicking Unlock EAS removes the message, but the lights are still flashing.
Checking the heights under the calibration tab confirms the front has lifted.
The RL seems to think it is high (but it's on the bumpstops).
The RR seems to suggest it is on the bumpstops (which it is).

Somebody replaced the RL for me after I had steps fitted and the RR seems to be the original.

What is my next step to take on getting to the bottom of this?
Thanks in advance.
James
 

Attachments

  • Fault.jpg
    Fault.jpg
    91.9 KB · Views: 27
  • Heights.jpg
    Heights.jpg
    126.8 KB · Views: 26
If it dropped with schrader valves fitted, then there is a leak. That problem needs sorting before you can progress.
How old are the air springs? The design life is 8 years 80K miles, put it up to max height with the schrader valves and check if the bags are perished. Is the exhaust OK? Exhaust leaks are likely to melt the air pipes causing a leak.
It also sounds like the RL is either incorrectly fitted or the connector is corroded.
 
Last edited:
Datatek said:
If it dropped with schrader valves fitted, then there is a leak. That problem needs sorting before you can progress.
How old are the air springs? The design life is 8 years 80K miles, put it up to max height with the schrader valves and check if the bags are perished. Is the exhaust OK? Exhaust leaks are likely to melt the air pipes causing a leak.
It also sounds like the RL is either incorrectly fitted or the connector is corroded.
Click to expand...
The rear springs are Dunlops fitted 8-10 years ago, so on the limit age wise, but only done maybe 20-30K miles in that time. The age probably trumps that.
When the schrader valves were on it it stayed up for 3-4 months with no issues, then very gradually the rear started dropping after that. With that in mind the rear springs need changing. One of the fronts was changed back in October when one went pop, the other is holding air but needs to be changed too so they are all done.

The RR signal incorrect, what is causing that? Almost like it cannot sense a signal. RL was replaced, but I am not sure on the quality of the part (looks new aftermarket) but not particularly well installed. I will get under it again during the week and investigate further.
For now it's on stands holding the body up from the axle (which is on shorter stands).

Thanks
 
JamesBB said:
The rear springs are Dunlops fitted 8-10 years ago, so on the limit age wise, but only done maybe 20-30K miles in that time. The age probably trumps that.
When the schrader valves were on it it stayed up for 3-4 months with no issues, then very gradually the rear started dropping after that. With that in mind the rear springs need changing. One of the fronts was changed back in October when one went pop, the other is holding air but needs to be changed too so they are all done.

The RR signal incorrect, what is causing that? Almost like it cannot sense a signal. RL was replaced, but I am not sure on the quality of the part (looks new aftermarket) but not particularly well installed. I will get under it again during the week and investigate further.
For now it's on stands holding the body up from the axle (which is on shorter stands).

Thanks
Click to expand...
As I said, the sensor problem could be just the connector or incorrect installation. However there are some Chinese height sensors on the market and they are not good quality, I tried one and the readings were all over the place.
Once the leak is fixed you can progress.
 
Surely if you put schrader valves on the airlines to the airsprings, then there was no point where there could be a "leak in a part of the system common to all springs". Or did you use t-pieces & retain the valve block connections ?
 
pwood999 said:
Surely if you put schrader valves on the airlines to the airsprings, then there was no point where there could be a "leak in a part of the system common to all springs". Or did you use t-pieces & retain the valve block connections ?
Click to expand...
No, you are right, it just dropped on the springs that are old, so the entire rear, the front was not so noticeable
I need to swap out the other springs and get a couple of replacement rear height sensors if the cleaning of connectors does not work.
 
Datatek said:
Only one rear sensor needed according to your diagnostics.
Click to expand...
I took the RL off, it looked a little suspect and had been custom wired into place, lots of glue or something on it too, Found out why, the mount is broken.
Then I took the RR off, seems to be as per original.
Putting a meter over the pins they both behave very similarly. Not sure what we should get in terms of ohms.
Here is a photo, on the L with butchered cable - RL.
RL - RR.jpg
The wiring that goes to the RR has also been messed with. In the other photo. Does this join to another part of the loom that goes up behind a liner?
RR Wiring.jpg
Interesting. I certainly need to order 1, probably 2.
 
JamesBB said:
I took the RL off, it looked a little suspect and had been custom wired into place, lots of glue or something on it too, Found out why, the mount is broken.
Then I took the RR off, seems to be as per original.
Putting a meter over the pins they both behave very similarly. Not sure what we should get in terms of ohms.
Here is a photo, on the L with butchered cable - RL.
View attachment 337285
The wiring that goes to the RR has also been messed with. In the other photo. Does this join to another part of the loom that goes up behind a liner?
View attachment 337286
Interesting. I certainly need to order 1, probably 2.
Click to expand...




Resistance measurements for a brand new rear height sensor shaft pointing up.

Across the outer pins 1200 ohms.

Across the centre to left outer pin 1080 to 2110 ohms as the arm is rotated.

centre to right outer pin 1180 to 2260 ohms as the arm is rotated.

I believe the values for the front sensors are the same but I have never checked.

The values vary slightly from sensor to sensor. they are not high precision.

I think I would order two.
The left side sensor loom goes direct to the EAS ECU, not sure about the right side.
 
Datatek said:
Resistance measurements for a brand new rear height sensor shaft pointing up.

Across the outer pins 1200 ohms.

Across the centre to left outer pin 1080 to 2110 ohms as the arm is rotated.

centre to right outer pin 1180 to 2260 ohms as the arm is rotated.

I believe the values for the front sensors are the same but I have never checked.

The values vary slightly from sensor to sensor. they are not high precision.

I think I would order two.
The left side sensor loom goes direct to the EAS ECU, not sure about the right side.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. They are similar figures to what I could see. I may swap them over and see if the fault moves or stays.
But I think in the end you are right, get 2 and that should eliminate them. Island 4x4 do OEMs which are £££, Eurospares for about £50 each. Or is it work secondhand........? I know somewhere near that may have some.
 
JamesBB said:
Thanks for that. They are similar figures to what I could see. I may swap them over and see if the fault moves or stays.
But I think in the end you are right, get 2 and that should eliminate them. Island 4x4 do OEMs which are £££, Eurospares for about £50 each. Or is it work secondhand........? I know somewhere near that may have some.
Click to expand...
Personally, I'm not inclined to use second hand. Eurospares should be OK.
 
We have tried to order height sensors from Island 4x4 multiple times with no luck. Either they just dont respond or they respond with no stock.

Because of this we are busy developing a mod that will allow you to fit magnetic potentiometers that are contactless with a 50million cycle lifetime and have a IP67 and IP69K rating.
 
FEI said:
We have tried to order height sensors from Island 4x4 multiple times with no luck. Either they just dont respond or they respond with no stock.

Because of this we are busy developing a mod that will allow you to fit magnetic potentiometers that are contactless with a 50million cycle lifetime and have a IP67 and IP69K rating.
Click to expand...
Ooh, Interested 🤨
 
  • Like
Reactions: FEI
Another update.
Swapped the sensors across left and right, cleaned connectors both sides.
Now I get this:
RL signal incorrect
RR signal incorrect
If I read the heights and move the sensors each time I get the RL sensor showing changes across the sweep of the sensor.
Doing this to the RR sensor stays at 4 the whole time.
Swap the sensors back to original positions and try again to read the heights while moving the sensors, I get the RL sensor showing changes across the sweep of the sensor, but the RR sensor again stays at 4 the whole time.

On the surface of it I have a wiring issue on the RR. Fair to say?
My other question is how is the RL sensor wired from the loom connector originally? Is there an 8-9 inch long extension between the sensor and the loom connector normally? The position of the loom connector does not reach down to the sensor's mounting position at all. I guess why an extension is required.

Now looking to find a damaged wire on RR.

Thanks
 
There should be no extension from the loom to the sensor. It could be that the wires are crossed or shorted inside the tape. I would get the connector and a decent length of wire off a scrapper, solder it to your loom and insulate with glue filled heat shrink.
 
OK another update.
Found a break in the Orange/Red wire about 6 inches from the RR sensor. Temp connected it and moved the sensors on both sides to a sensible looking position.
All is ok, read faults, none. Read heights and I get EAS error 35MPH Max message.
Although it does display sensible heights all around which move as I move the sensors. Maybe my sensors are actually ok.
What else is causing the hard error?
Thanks again.
 
JamesBB said:
OK another update.
Found a break in the Orange/Red wire about 6 inches from the RR sensor. Temp connected it and moved the sensors on both sides to a sensible looking position.
All is ok, read faults, none. Read heights and I get EAS error 35MPH Max message.
Although it does display sensible heights all around which move as I move the sensors. Maybe my sensors are actually ok.
What else is causing the hard error?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Also note that I checked the errors without the engine running. I will start it tomorrow and check again.
 
JamesBB said:
OK another update.
Found a break in the Orange/Red wire about 6 inches from the RR sensor. Temp connected it and moved the sensors on both sides to a sensible looking position.
All is ok, read faults, none. Read heights and I get EAS error 35MPH Max message.
Although it does display sensible heights all around which move as I move the sensors. Maybe my sensors are actually ok.
What else is causing the hard error?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
The beeps and the dash message is because it's in diagnostic mode, disconnect the diagnostics, cycle the ignition and see what you get.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Montyjohn
P38A Adding a valve to manually fill EAS tank and why did my pump fail again?
Replies
14
Views
2K
Datatek
Datatek
M
L322 L322 stuck in extended height
Replies
2
Views
225
Blob
Blob
D
Eas system holds air then drops after driving and turn off
2 3
Replies
47
Views
2K
Datatek
Datatek
K
Is my RR Classic in EAS shutdown?
Replies
12
Views
1K
kevleaper
K
D
Nanocom in Preston Lancashire
Replies
19
Views
1K
Mark Piercy
Mark Piercy
Back
Top