Before anyone chokes jokes or otherwise

I have a new problem on my own 03 L322 RR

Yes i know we produce diagnostic equipment and so on but as i have always tried to explain, we don't actually fix cars ourselves. We ain't mechanics, we are but computer programmers and our ability to access the systems themselves is but the first elememnt in solving any problem.

As such, now i have a problem, it does not matter if i use our equipment or the Land Rover stuff or any other to reveal what the car has to say about it, i still now need some help moving that info on to the next level. IE whats likely to actually be wrong. Which only experience, we do not have can possibly help with
Hence the reason for this post.

So the car pops up the EAS inactive message and takes a dive to the front left, and stores a fault of Articulation error

I checked live sensor input values and have compared them to examples of pre fault library values, the sensors seem to report real time input values consistant with what they always have. the FL sensor being about 10% lower than the others.

Similarly calibration values are also as they should be.

Clearing faults simply repeats the cycle.Although i note that even before it decides to store a fault and take the EAS off line the FL always appears to be low.

I have fitted and calibrated a new FL sensor and have even fitted a new front axle cross link valve bearing in mind mine is an 03 model. and cross linking was removed on late models. But ist still doing the same

Now i have options of FR sensor (7 times price of FL) or to start looking at the rear sensors and its cross link. valve.

However at this stage i am feeling it might be wise to see if anyone else might be able to add any input experience or light on this mystery problem.

And as such ui thought i might openly ask before moving further on with it myself. 2003 4.4 HSE

I'm no expert but while I was reading through it I was thinking "the sensor is bound to be the issue". As you have replaced the sensor and thought about the cross link valve my only (non technical) suggestion would be, replace it again??

The reason I say this is I remember when I was younger and had my first Land Rover I was horrified when the oil light came on. I replaced the oil sensor switch for a few quid and it came back again immediately. I thought the engine had bought it. A friendly man told me to replace the same part again. Long story short, just cos the part is new doesn't mean it works!


Anyone else got anything more useful than my drivel? Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

If the Plausability Logic is corrupt it could throw a code even if there is no problem? Perhaps the EAS ECU itself is faulty and giving an incorrect fault.

Have you another ECU to swap it out with? 

Hmmn, i once worked on a sport showing FR sensor fault which was replaced with no effect.
Following the same thought path RRUK i re replaced it. still the same. In the end it turned out to be the LR sensor

Interestingly the FL sensor pre 04 MY PN is super ceeded to the later type which costs just below 15 GBP but the FR is about 90 ish and the rears are also substantially more expensive. I have the Bi zenons with the height levelling which adds a second set of tracks in the front and rear height pots used exclusively by the self level so they are different.

Good thought Dan_uk_1984. I have considered this and in fact on the afore mentioned sport we had one from a D3 we tried out and progged up to suit. (That was fun) But this time i don't think i have one, but now i think i must double check in the morning.

I know after this model year the cross link valve was deleted, which was partly what led me to imagine that as a viable curlprit.

Actually i am now considering the possibility of a bag leak. it could be that it happens only in certain positions. At least it will cost me nothing but a splash of fairy liquid on a lift to check for, although if it does happen in only certain heights i will have my work cut out to find / dismiss it.

But of coures i will keep you apprasied and i thank you most appreciatively of your thoughts and input to this particular problem. It is slowly driving me quite nuts.  2003 4.4 HSE

I don't understand why the sensors at each corner should be more or less expensive? Is the FL corner a cheaper corner to fix for some reason? How odd.

I guess a bag leak could be feasible. I have heard how the older ones where the suspension is not altered up and down (i.e. the owners never use it off road or even try the access height cos they are numpties) have suffered from the rubber cracking and seal failing.

Let us know what you find out BBS. Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

under the drivers side sill there is a tank with a pressure sensor in the end this sensor measures system pressure but is only replaceble with the tank and at the other end of the tank more towards the rear of the sill theres a 5 way valve block thats non serviceble it could be eigher of these more so the valve block hope this helps  onto no6 Range Rover

Everyone needs a hobby

Ah the plot thickens.

Bought some kit home yesterday so i could clear the faults this morning and get it back to work. This time however it was reporting sensor faults on FL and RR.

Cleared it and the car levelled out, looked at the live sensor values and the FL was -50 but the RR +100, put CSV capture on and drove it. 1KM later the eas went into fault again. pulled over and looked at the values and they were about the same. Cus i needed to get to work i manually opened FL and reservoir valves for a minute to pop the corner back up so i could get it to work. Put it in our work bay which is quiet as a mouse, during which i had to get out to open a roller shutter, normally electric but the springs gone, that kinda month shut the doors, turned it off and was packing away the laptop from the pass seat when i noticed a slight hissing sound from the front left which was also slowly dropping.

Stuck my head by the FL wheel and sure enough i can clearly hear that air is escaping from somewhere round there at quite a rate.

Sadly i did not get time today to treat it to some soapy water but its certainly looking like i might have more or less found the curlprit which is likely as i had surmised may be a leaky bag, and so i had a smile on my face.
That was until i checked up the price on Microcat. Seems the bag only comes with a shock, i would have said hydraulic damper but at 500 quid a pop i think "shock" serves a double meaning quite well enough.

Those having read any of my previous posts will know this 03 L322 has only done about 80 K miles, none of it off road or harshly driven. And its had shed loads go wrong and it still needs its Mid line display unit changing due to the common lost pixels problem.

I really dont want to replace just one sides shock as i am mechanic enough to appreciate the importance of side to side balance.

I checked out Arnott, who are our distributors, Allmakes, Rimmer Bros etc but there seems to be no after market supplier of front EAS bags

I am so hoping its a feed line or connection issue.

The good news is i had a call from an old mate in the UK today and he has a good mid display unit he is happy to give me, and those cost 1,132 GBP new.

BTW Thanks SpeedymarkTD6 for your input.

RRUK
All the later sensors can be had for a song, like 55 quid the full set, and they are shared by the D3 and Sport but it seems that the earlier ones are a lot more expensive and only the FL is cross compatible.

Mine has the stand alone headlight levelling ECU, which uses sencondary sensor inputs from the EAS height sensors and was amongst the first things to go wrong and seemed such a common failure the factory ran out and the stand alone HLL was replaced the following year.

PS i dunno about numpties but its the wifes regular ride, does that count?  2003 4.4 HSE

I know it has been about 6 months since my last post on this problem.
However that is because it has been just how long my L322 has been off the road because of it.

However today i have managed to sort it i believe.
It seems that i was correct in finally guessing i had an Air Bag leak and today after replacing the front left Airbag / shock assembly, the vehicle seems to drive square and not droop to the front left.

There were quite a few nasty cracks in the removed Air bag and if i keep the vehicle any longer i shall replace the front right one too.
However i shall also be keeping a Faultmate FCR on board at all times now it covers the early L322's as well.

http://www.blackbox-solutions.com/FCR/news.htm 2003 4.4 HSE

Did you ever use soapy water on the air spring?

Yep tried that but could not find anything which did not surprise me because if the vehicle was left standing it would not lower any over time. It seemed to only leak and lower the corner when driving giving a lop sided feel much of the time. followed by the Articulation error fault being registered and the system going off line.

Now the bag is out i can see that there is a lot of perishing type cracks, some quite bad. 2003 4.4 HSE