I love SLS, but ..... help!!

[Roulston]

I come out to the car, MY00 Disco II V8, to find the left rear suspension on the bump stops.

Drove home very carefully, handles like a hard tail.

The problem is that the son and I were due to going hunting for a long weekend and I need a quick fix if I can.

Symtoms are: right rear bag fully inflated, left rear empty, compressor seems not to be operating, all fuses seem okay.

The car is just out of warranty (second hand) and I was thinking of a quick coil install if I can get a pair form Pedders or ARB and junking the bags and compressor.

Is htere a test routine I can do to get the compressor running of is there a fuse or link I need to check.

By The way, is it normal for the ACE pump to be almost always running with the strong fluid flow in the resoviour?

Thanks all.

[Urban Panzer]

"could" be a duff height sensor that has caused this, if the sensor has failed then the compressor wont operate as it "thinks" the system is inflated correctly, unless offcourse the airbag has a big leak in it.

Will it not raise up with the offroad switch on the dash either ?

REF the ACE fluid, yes perfectly normal to see it bubbling around in the reservoir :)

[Pedro_The_Swift]

yes there is a fuse for the compressor,,
check it first.
put it in low range and press the extended height button,,
(doors need to be shut, engine running)
does the compressor work? listen hard,
if compressor runs and the full bag extends,
make a soapy solution and paint the empty bag (with compressor running) look for air leaks, mostly they will be in the rolled under section, so you may need to jack the rear up to extend the bag.
new bags are available from The Airbag Man in Brizzy(where are you???) and from Arnotts in the States.

A pair of new bags will last you a life-time.


edit;
why did I bother if he's already signed off??

[cal415]

a quick fix for the leaks to get you going for the weekend, get some tyre slime for the leaky bag, remove the bag and put in a small ammount of slime, slop it around inside and reinstall the bag, that are easy to remove when deflated,

[Roulston]

Thanks for all your comments.

I thought maybe the sensor, it is as if it "thinks" it is inflated, but even using the extension switch the compressor does not run at all as far as I can tell.

I have never noticed anything to make me think there was leak at in the bag at all, is a bag failure "all of a sudden" without hitting something normal? It was parked for say 3 hours.

I will check the fuses, I guess the relays to, could this be easily diagnosed if by some fluke Rolfe have a mechanic on duty this morning?

If things need I can do it myself, it will only be a matter of costs, particularly if a compressor is needed.

Thanks guys.

P.S. I just went through all the fuses and they are fine, the compressor will just not run. The dash switch does nothing. The relays are fine, I guess I might be up for a new comp, any idea of what cost?

Though another thing comes to mind. A couple of days ago while parking, the ABS activated, while puling to a stop. The ABS came on and stayed on for the first few minutes after pulling away. Could this be related? And could the ECU is the problem?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I dont think the ABS interact with the compressor---

the compressor will run constantly (even after you lock the car)trying to keep the bag inflated,, sooner than later it just stops.
try ebay in england and america,,

or your local LR dealer($$:eek:)

The part number is
PART NUMBER: RQG100041

[Roulston]

Okay, ran some tests and have confirmed that the fault is with the compressor. Use a scuba tank to pump up the bags, all okay, applied direct power to the compressor, nothing. Checked solinoids, they seemed fine.

I removed the compressor for some bench testing and after confirming that the comp would not run when power was applied, I striped the motor down.

The fault was easy to see, water had got in and the rotor and stator were a bit rusty, a quick clean and there it was, the man culprit. A brush spring has rusted and failed. rusted right through about one third in. About three loops of the spring just feel out on the floor.

I was able to reshape the remains of the spring to apply pressure on the brush, a reassemble and the motor ran perfectly. Complete reassembly and the whole system runs fine. All this because some water got in to damage a 50 cent part.

I guess what happened was that after driving off last night I hit a pothole, and shortly after noticed the left side was on the bumps. The compressor assembly contains an over pressure value which must have let go when i hit the pothole and because it was fully of crap, dumped all the air. I gave the whole system the clean when apart focusing on the over pressure and other valves.

As the compressor had failed it could not re-pressure the system. The bag seems to be fine and the compressor has not had to run since re-inflating following the rebuild.

Goes to show, we can be victims of those wanting us to buy a complete assembly for the sake of a small cheap part.

Now for the help. The fix will not last and I need to replace the brush spring, a cheap part, but hard to find, I guess. I also need to get back in to refit the trust washer that is still sitting on my workbench, Doh! It is not critical and will be put back in a few days.

So if anyone has an old compressor (motor), it can be a junker, I only need the brush spring. I will try the dealer in case the part can be ordered. I am happy to buy the old one and pay shipping etc, of course.

Anyway, this saga ends well, thanks to all those that offered their guidance, greatly appreciated. Looks like we can get hunting tomorrow.

Cheers,
Tony

[justinc]

Okay, ran some tests and have confirmed that the fault is with the compressor. Use a scuba tank to pump up the bags, all okay, applied direct power to the compressor, nothing. Checked solinoids, they seemed fine.

I removed the compressor for some bench testing and after confirming that the comp would not run when power was applied, I striped the motor down.

The fault was easy to see, water had got in and the rotor and stator were a bit rusty, a quick clean and there it was, the man culprit. A brush spring has rusted and failed. rusted right through about one third in. About three loops of the spring just feel out on the floor.

I was able to reshape the remains of the spring to apply pressure on the brush, a reassemble and the motor ran perfectly. Complete reassembly and the whole system runs fine. All this because some water got in to damage a 50 cent part.

I guess what happened was that after driving off last night I hit a pothole, and shortly after noticed the left side was on the bumps. The compressor assembly contains an over pressure value which must have let go when i hit the pothole and because it was fully of crap, dumped all the air. I gave the whole system the clean when apart focusing on the over pressure and other valves.

As the compressor had failed it could not re-pressure the system. The bag seems to be fine and the compressor has not had to run since re-inflating following the rebuild.

Goes to show, we can be victims of those wanting us to buy a complete assembly for the sake of a small cheap part.

Now for the help. The fix will not last and I need to replace the brush spring, a cheap part, but hard to find, I guess. I also need to get back in to refit the trust washer that is still sitting on my workbench, Doh! It is not critical and will be put back in a few days.

So if anyone has an old compressor (motor), it can be a junker, I only need the brush spring. I will try the dealer in case the part can be ordered. I am happy to buy the old one and pay shipping etc, of course.

Anyway, this saga ends well, thanks to all those that offered their guidance, greatly appreciated. Looks like we can get hunting tomorrow.

Cheers,
Tony

Good work Tony!

I would go to a local auto electricians, he may have a similar shape brush spring around, you never know...

JC

[Urban Panzer]

Yes!! good work,

I would have pulled the thing to bits aswell to see if it could be fixed..........nice one.:D

A little note on this, the most common place for water to get into the compressor is through the air intake which is located up behind the rear left light cluster. In there is a small "pot" with a foam filter in it and an intake tube leading down to the compressor.
Make sure the foam filter is dry and
also the lid / top is on properly, otherwise water can get in and it runs down into the compressor and poops it.

[simonl8353]

Yes!! good work,

I would have pulled the thing to bits aswell to see if it could be fixed..........nice one.:D

A little note on this, the most common place for water to get into the compressor is through the air intake which is located up behind the rear left light cluster. In there is a small "pot" with a foam filter in it and an intake tube leading down to the compressor.
Make sure the foam filter is dry and
also the lid / top is on properly, otherwise water can get in and it runs down into the compressor and poops it.

The quick dissconnect connector is also another place water can enter, this is very low. I have heared of a simple precaution to use a piece of plastic and two cable ties to help this connector seal.


Good to hear you got the compressor going again, These units are around $1000 for a new replacement. If anyone is looking for a replacement, its worth looking on eBay and the UK and US rover sites. I bought a new one on eBay for US$200 + US$100 freight about 6 months ago.

Reading this, I think now I'll take the old one apart for a looksy to fix as a backup.

[Roulston]

The whole mounting position seems a bit vulnerable. The box is anything but water proof requiring the whole compressor and value assembly to be water proof. There are a lot of O-rings etc in the motor and the connectors, but a little grit in these could cause the seal to fail.

The motor must have had a lot of water in it. The air side of the compressor wold get wet anyway by compressing humid air, but the water pooled in the MOTOR by about a cm according to the rust line on the stator. Enough to flood the brush plate and the spring.

I know they have to mount it under the vehicle, but in even a shallow water crossing, this thing is going for a swim.

I agree the sealing of the connector, I will use tape I used to apply on antenna connectors (I am, was a HAM). It is a stretchy, self sealing sticky stuff. However the main power connector is a good wet connector. You can hear, feel the pressure as it connects and seals, but I will tape it anyway.

I will check out the wreckers, auto sparky's and maybe scrounge a few old starters to find a spring.

On a side note, as all the values and solenoids are separate from the actual compressor, I suspect any old (reasonable) compressor could be fitted. A tyre inflator can provide sufficient pressure and run at about 37 lts per minute. Does anyone know the actual performance of the SLS comp?

Cheers, Tony

[Pedro_The_Swift]

AFAIK its a wabco,, If that helps.
a replacement must be able to reach 80-90 psi.

How difficult is the removal?

[Pierre]

On air suspended RRC, the compressor was built by Thomas, ex USA. In the past, I have done some transplants on these little rippers for US$65 + freight and some soldering work for cable adapting.

Would p38A air suspension have same/similar compressor?

For mine, I'd search the interest group sites for any info about the compressor itself.

At a pinch, perhaps fashion a brush out of another, say from small grinder/drill/saw?

[Roulston]

It was really easy to remove, the hardest part was getting the intake hoses off the canister to the rear.

The pressure lines undo with a spanner, the electrics all un-clip.

The comp housing is unbolted, one at each end and the whole unit comes out easy. The comp is then removed via three bolts from under the box, leaving the left/right feed solenoids.

The comp has a DC motor which opens via two long bolts with funny looking cross heads. I can see these buggers breaking. but could be replaced with some booker bar and nuts.

On the matter of the brushes, they are fine, plenty of meat, it is only the coil spring that presses it against the commutator that needs replacing.

Cheers, Guys.