Hi everyone,

I bought a LHD 2003 model Range Rover Vogue from a guy in Germany last Thursday and drove it back to the UK without any problems on Thursday and Friday. As the vehicle is black and was a little dusty from its journey back to UK and to impress the wife, I got it washed. We then drove to Chatham and after a while, onto Maidstone to visit the local LR dealership as I wanted to order an owner's manual in English. After finding out that their parts department had finished for the day, we left.

Soon after leaving, I noticed that suddenly I had warnings on the dashboard stating that the HDC and Air Suspension systems were inactive. I also had an amber triangle warning lamp, amber ABS and amber Brake System lamps illuminated. Concerned, I returned immediately to the dealer ship for advice. The salesperson advised me to leave the vehicle and take a taxi home as the vehicle needed a diagnostic check.

I decided not to heed their advice but instead drove the car home. The seller of my vehicle had recommended the fullfatrr forum and so I decided to see what I could find out. It became apparent that this is a common fault with this model. I visited Bourne Performance in Sittingbourne and after plugging in their diagnostic tool, the warnings disappeared and the suspension was working again. However, shortly after parking on a backward slope, the warnings returned and have not gone away.

I am tempted to try disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery for 20 minutes before reconnecting in the hope that this will cure the problem. The lack of off road capability does not affect me immediately but I am going to live in West Africa soon and I bought the vehicle for this purpose and I would like to experience some off road driving before the vehicle departs for Africa. Do I need to visit LR to get the system reset or is there a specialist near Sittingbourne who could help me out? I have read much about people using an IIP to read codes and reset them - what is this and how much does it cost?

Thanks for any help.

Regards,

Steve

Re the diagnostics, it's Gap iiD . Do a search onthe forum and you will get plenty of information. Thoroughly recommended piece of kit. HTH John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

I'm sure an expert will be along in bit, but you'll soon find out that all those lights come on when the air suspension is playing up so you probably only have one issue.

You don't need a LR dealer to reset the system just a RR diagnostic tool - several to chose from and definitely worth the investment as you can read and reset things yourself - but a normal car diagnostic tool won't reset or read specifc range rover codes. There is a post on here with people who have the tools and willing to help out - do a search and see if anyone in your location.

Your issue could be anything from a height sensor or leaking airbag but I'm putting money on a faulty compressor which is relatively expensive part (about £300) but is a 5 minute job for anyone with very basic spanner skills. There is a seal on the inside of the compressor piston which can wear and mean the compressor runs too much to build up the air and times out on an overheat error. You can buy a kit to recondition the piston for about £25 if its just that. The compressor is under the spare wheel in the boot.

The problem is the RR suspension software - once it errors it needs reset. If you are lucky and its just the compressor cutting out on an overheat, then you may be able to clear the error once its cooled down by starting the engine and turning the steering wheel lock to lock and then back to centre which may or may not clear the error until it returns.

Good luck but its probably the issue every RR owner has had (and welcome to RR ownership btw)

Nick Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)

Thanks for the responses so far. I saw a YouTube video with the person resetting it by going from lock to lock so I tried that but it hasn't worked. I will try a search to see if there is anyone in Kent who can help me and search for the tool.

Thanks,

Steve

I'd also be inclined to look at the condition of your battery and the voltage put out by the alternator.
I had similar to you a couple of months ago when I inadvertently started the car with the headlights on fullbeam. Don't ask.
The voltage dipped to such an extent all the lights and air sus inactive message came on.
After sitting puzzling for a couple of minutes I switched the engine off, turned steering wheel to full lock both ways, turned the engine off then back on again and everything was back to normal. Has been since.
Might be worth a try.
I'm glad you have learned your first lesson.......... always ignore the advice of salespersons in Main Dealers.

Yep, agree, my money is on battery and/or alternator to put those lights on....

If you are going to Africa then you really should take a IID tool or similar, some faults have to be reset with the tool even after you have fixed the fault...

Do lots of reading on here for faults, their causes and fixes..... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

In West Africa now, don't do it!!!

Was it this one by any chance....

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic31068.html Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Yes, Haylands it was! A really genuine seller and the vehicle performed faultlessly the whole way and not as thirsty as I was fearing - about 18 mpg. In total, around 1,200 Km for the journey.

I am off to West Africa for work, so I have no choice now. Anyone in Kent with an IIP tool that I could use to reset the suspension?

Steve

No point resetting the suspension if there is a fault

Should have added, if you can't tell, I love it. I will never tire of the V8 noise on start up, on pulling away and on kick down! The wife loves it too, which is good as she will be driving it in Africa to go to play golf etc.

Steve

OK but don't I need to establish whether there is a fault? My suspicion after reading other posts was that when the vehicle was washed, they use a high pressure hose to wash down the windscreen and the vehicle front and the damp of the sensors and after the rain that began no sooner than the car had been cleaned, might have attracted dirt to the ABS or another sensor and this is what is confusing the sensors.

I tried to buy a Haynes manual for the vehicle in Halfords and looked on eBay but couldn't find one at either - is there a Haynes manual for this vehicle?

Is there a specialist near Sittingbourne, Kent as I am reluctant to go to the main dealer and pay an over the top price for something that could have been rectified simply and cheaply.

Steve

There is a full workshop manual in the wiki called Rave (top of page under fullfatrr.com)

There is also the owners manual...

Washing the car won't effect much, the sensors are designed for it...

You do need the codes reading to see what is up, most independent garages will have a reader that will do it Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

I went to Bourne Performance in Sittingbourne and after doing the left and right lock, they reset the codes. The warnings disappeared from the dash. I drove to the other side of town and reversed parked on a downward slope and the warnings reappeared. Last Saturday I went to RCV in East Peckham and they plugged their diagnostic machine in and once again, after doing left and right lock they reset the codes and the warnings disappeared. I then drove to Maidstone, to Halfords where the car was booked in for a Bluetooth installation and when I parked up, the warnings reappeared.

I was further disappointed when I was told by Halfords that the connectors on the navigation system were too small to connect to the Parrot Bluetooth and so they could not complete the installation. I was refunded the £200.

On Monday, I decided to visit Guy Salmon Land Rover in Maidstone but they did not have any appointments until next week and I was told that any diagnostics or software upgrades would cost £99 + VAT per hour! I decided to try AHL Engineering at Ulcombe near Maidstone. They connected their diagnostic equipment and found that when the steering was turned left and right lock that the sensor on the steering was losing the figures when turned back from full lock. The sensor on the end of the steering was saying that one wheel was turning in a circle whilst the other was going straight and was then giving up.

The vehicle is going to them tomorrow to have the sensor on the steering replaced at a cost of £169 for the sensor and three hours work. AHL are confident that this will cure the problem - I hope they are right! The car is booked in for a full service including gearbox oil change at the end of the month and will then be shipped to Cameroon in early May.

I am still happy with the car overall - the V8 noise on start up and under acceleration is intoxicating and the power is effortless.

Regards,

Steve

Bizarre on Halfords - when I bought my 2004 there was a Parrot already installed and a receipt in the glovebox from an install done by Halfords.

I've had the steering angle sensor problem before as well - fortunately mine was fixed with a wheel alignment check and adjustment Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)