Suspension Probs

[discojools]

Just found a couple of other UK people on Disco3 UK site with the same suspension problem as me ie: When selecting access height the car drops and as it is dropping it suddenly goes to extended height.. Any body else down here in Aus had the same thing?

[gghaggis]

Haven't had this problem, but the obvious thing that comes to mind is that the car thinks it is hitting something as it's lowered.

Check that all 4 suspension sensor arms are free to move (no cables, bits of plastic shroud or mud in the way) and that the suspension struts are not binding. As a test, you can try jacking up each wheel from the lower control arm (at normal height) and lower to access whilst on the jack - if one of the struts is binding, you may get it to travel freely whilst it is on the jack (more pressure on the strut).

The next culprit would be a faulty height sensor (although that would normally trip at any height), or a faulty air valve. Might need a dealer to check the dynamic data from the sensors.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Graeme]

The next culprit would be a faulty height sensor (although that would normally trip at any height)
A height sensor could easily have a damaged potentiometer track where the fault is only at 1 spot, rather like a faulty TD5 throttle position sensor.

[sniegy]

I too would say it is a sensor problem.
As the guys have said get all 4 checked.

Cheers

[discojools]

Thanks guys, will make sure that Peninsula Rangie check the height sensors when I take it for service. They seem to think its the compressor but I like you am not sure that it could be.

[discojools]

Have had car serviced at 130,000k and a new compressor fitted.. No more suspension faults or trying to go to extended when selecting to access. So hopefully that means it was the compressor playing up or just getting old!

[Graeme]

I'm surprised there weren't faults recorded that identified the specific cause. I wonder if it was a faulty exhaust pilot valve or main exhaust valve, although I thought these were servicible items rather than requiring a full compressor replacement.

[discojools]

Graeme, can you tell me how to identify the pilot exhaust and main exhaust valve? Haven't had time to look at old comp but will in the next few days..There may have been faults recorded that pointed to a specific cause but I was told by more than one person that spares for the compressor were not available. If that's not true then I will fix the broken one and maybe its possible to use it to pump up my tyres or keep it as a spare. I'm sure that I saw somebody else with the same probs as me either on D3 UK site or Aulro and replacing the compressor fixed the problem.

[Graeme]

I've just had a look and its the compressor delivery valve not the exhaust or exhaust pilot valve that can be replaced.