Air spring https://www.arnottindustries.com/part_LAND...id627.html

Air Struts Complete and $100 cheaper https://www.arnottindustries.com/part_LAND...id624.html

https://www.arnottindustries.com/part_LAND...id625.html

It's a no brainer replace the lot and save $200 as well  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Sorry, I was sure you had a 2003... my bad... same price though for the later ones, you could just change the one bag now if you want to do it on the cheap and keep the old strut, at least the shock absorbers would still be matched... the bags on their own are only $20 less than the whole strut though...

https://www.arnottindustries.com/part_LAND...id624.html

https://www.arnottindustries.com/part_LAND...id625.html

It's best to do both, and the shocks at the same time but not essential, the Arnott ones have a lifetime warranty....

Unfortunately these aren't cheap cars to keep on the road... the front bags seem to last about 8-10 years on average, the rears last a lot longer, mine is still on original rears and it's 14 yrs old soon.... Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

It's a no brainer ..

2 arnott struts , and 2 hours of your time and your back on the road .

You might save a couple of hundred bucks buying just the bags , but will take to twice as long to disassemble and reassemble , and at the end of the day you will have bolted new bags onto an old shock and top-mount .

It's a bit like putting the old engine oil back in to save a few bucks when doing a filter change .....

Ian...the arnott struts aren't "new" either.....just new bags.


anywhere here are all my symptoms...want to see if this helps. If its a bag I want to make sure I'm ordering the right ones since the entire suspension is on bumps stops now.

- go to pull out of side street and hear a loud PFFFFFFT that sounded like it came from under the glove box.
- Range is giving error "raising slowly" but both fronts are now on bump stops.
- look onto screen and it looks like the rears are lower on the screen...but rears are sitting fine when I look outside the car.
- drive the car a bit further and get the "suspension fault 30 MPH max" error and start to hear a loud clicking/clanking from the rear (lasts about 3-5 minutes) as the rears drop down to bump stops
- now all 4 corners are on bump stops - look on the nav screen and see the rear 2 wheels are flashing red (assuming b/c they dropped to bump stops)...but the front 2 wheels are no blinking red...they have the white dashes/lines.

If i start the car after all 4 corners are on bump stops the rear seems to raise fine, I get a "raising slowly" on the dash and I hear what sounds like a bike pump from inside the car (I'm assuming the compressor trying to pump the front up?). Once I start driving I get the "suspension fault 30 MPH max", loud clicking/clanking from the rear and the rear drops to bump stops and the cycle repeats. 2014 FF Autobiography 5.0 SC
2008 FFRR (sold)
2008 BMW M5

Very difficult to say where your hole is, a bag, a pipe, or the manifolds, it needs finding first... no point just buying bits till you know what you want... Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Think it best if you stop driving it around too, until you figure out what is wrong and fix it. No good can be done by running about on the bump stops  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

well I had to drive it over to my other property where my tools are but I found the culprit.

The "bike pump" sound was the front passenger side trying to inflate. I jacked up the front and gave the passenger side bag a squeeze and it there was no air in it. I'd squeeze and you could hear the air rushing out. Tried the driver side a squeeze and it was solid...couldn't squeeze it. So this would lead me to believe a bad bag. I mean I guess in theory it could be the air not getting to the bag to fill it (issues with the line on that side)...but the bag wouldn't be totally deflated like it is unless the actual bag had a leak I'm thinking.

Unless there are other ideas I'm off to buy 2 front Arnott struts tonight 2014 FF Autobiography 5.0 SC
2008 FFRR (sold)
2008 BMW M5

Well from what I can make out, your air bag has failed, possibly a little bit quicker than I would expect, but I have no idea as the mileage that your car has done and what sort of ambient temperatures it has been exposed to. My late 2003 ffrr's air bags went pop 2 years ago, just after I'd brought it , so I would have said that if it was a 2005/6 then age was the deciding factor. Yours' could be age related or just bad luck and some grit / mud that has worn the rubber.

As for changing 1 or 2, it's really up to you.... you could just change 1, it turns out to be age related and you'll be doing it all again very soon And judging the way that the air bags wear in general, you'll end up changing both in the next 18 months or so.

You said "the arnott struts aren't "new" either.....just new bags. " I would find that very hard to believe, as they are recon, they should be changing the guts of the damper to. So if they do change the damper as well, if you only do 1 then you could get uneven damping across the axle which will effect the handling and stability Personally I would do both, and then add that to the never to do again list, not because it's difficult  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

ive read somewhere (one of these forums) that someone spoke to an arnott rep and they said " we don't touch the strut other than checking to make sure it works and paint it and put a new bag" i.e. no work done to the strut itself.

I'm actually considering the bilstein air strut option now as I am able to get a set of fronts States side for around $550 or so and they are completely new/not rebuilt/no core charge etc.. Apparently they were the OEM supplier. But these are bilstein strut with Delphi bag. I will be changing both sides. 2014 FF Autobiography 5.0 SC
2008 FFRR (sold)
2008 BMW M5

Yep, your right Bilstein made the dampers front and rear with Delphi bags, sounds a good price, I'd go with them...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Hi,

I've just been through the exact same scenario, a blown front air bag on the original Delphi strut.

I replaced both fronts, like for like. Easy no real hassle but the main thing you'l notice is the ride quality. A vast improvement over the 9 year old originals that came out:



I'd suggest just change both whole units.

Cheers, Jerry

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  THIS WRECKAGE

Mmmmmm, I do remember something about that but can't remember what exactly. There are differences in the suspension of the early SCs compared to the NA engines, maybe that has to do with it ?? More weight due to the SC unit ??? Not sure but remember that remark.

I'd go with the Delphi anyway as you also replace the shocks and they need replacing anyway at the age of yours, probably !! MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

I remember the supercharged had less travel and a firmer ride , and they went with supercharged spec suspension on the Hse later on .

But when I asked arnott a couple of years ago they told me the only difference was a weight added to the top of the strut to help with oscillation vibrations .

You said the noise seemed to come from under the dash. Have you definitely confirmed it is the airbag and not the airline to the bag? No longer FF owner but still interested. Present car Jaguar XE
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Previous car Td6 SE
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Previous LR- Disco 300TDi Auto

Are the Supercharged dampers not active? That would double the price and then some.... might be thinking of a another make, but in the dark corners of my addled mind I vaguely remember that they were active ( computer adjustable ) Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!