Thread: My SLS is funky !

Fluids.
I, like you refused to believe that the bag was at fault for exactly the same reasons as you. any checks by LR mechanics and we couldn't fault the bag with soapy water etc. In the end,, after several months it got worse, admitted defeat and replaced the bag and have had no problem since.
Despite what justinc says about right hand side failing first, mine was the left hand side bag.

Its a fairly easy job to replace the bag.

regards
BRIAN

Originally Posted by sniegy

Kev,
The word you are after is "AIR SPRING"

HTH.
Cheers

OK .... A I R S P R I N G ... got it !

Thanks for that.

Kev..

JC & Brian ... yes, I hear ya'! maybe I should just listen to the voice of wisdom

Fatman ... excellent idea ... but I think I remember looking at that on the nanocom and didn't pay it too much attention ... but I think both sides said something like 4.97v ... but I'll check again.

It did it again this afternoon while I was loading for the weekend. (Back door open). Drove out and reversed in, back door open ... finished loading and left door open for hours ... didn't do it ... it's playing @#$%^&g games with me !

I can see new bags in my future ....

Kev..

I'll add my experience which may stir thing up a bit.

Set up: SLS on a '99 D2, 2" lift, King Springs, Bilstein shocks with brand new compressor.

While driving and pulling up to a stop (traffic lights), the rear would sink about 1", then compressor cut in and brought it back up about 10 secs later. This process repeated every stop. . Was told this is normal by Land Rover and some on this forum but bugged me anyway.

About 6 months ago my D2 would occasionally at first, then on every occasion more recently, sink rapidly to the bump stops, if either the back door was opened, kids stand on the back bumper, or any movement of the suspension in any way occured. Not 5 hrs for a typical bag leak, it would sink in 30 seconds . Turn the engine on, doors shut and up she'd come in 20 secs. (no need to move the vehicle)

I had started to think it was the SLABS ECU malfunctioning or the height sensors faulty. It was as if the "closed loop" system was too sensitive.

Now fast forward to now(ish) the airbags (original set) were beginning to leak, and it would sink to its bump stops in about 5 hrs. see pics





Was the earlier stuff all related to impending airbag leaks??. Dunno and I will never figure this out now because, although I'm a big fan of the SLS, as past posts would demonstrate, I have now gone to a coil conversion.

The last straw was coming back from Tallarook State Forest on the bump stops (94km) when due to the rapid deterioration of the airbags, the compressor closed down (a safety feature to prevent overheat, called a "duty cycle exceded" on Rovorcom)

Thanks ... it's funny how everyone's SLS failures seem to manifest themselves in a different way ... but ...

... I'm gonna get to the bottom of it ! I like the SLS too much to trade down to a coil suspension.

Kev..

There are airsprings on ebay at the moment $260.00.
They state they are genuine.

Hope you don't need them.

Regards

Chuck

Right! Found the leak. Yep, you're all right, it's the air spring I only just found it now. Disco's been parked in extended mode all night. No change in height. Started it and allowed it to return to std ride height. Stopped the engine. Stuck my head under the back, and bugger me, I can hear a faint hissing of air .... I can put my finger right on the spot (1 small pinhole in the roll of the spring, very small hole, very small leak ... explains now why it wasn't so obvious ... I can push the spring next to the leak with my finger and the leak stops! ?? wtf ??

Went out for the day on Sunday to the Lithgow area for the 4WD Action Magazine D4 test drive day. We stayed o/night at my sister at North Turramurra Saturday night, and left at 6am Sunday morning to drive to Lithgow.

All was going fine until we were about half way along Bells Old Line Rd ... with all the rolling and rocking we were doing (crappy road throwing the vehicle around heaps) must have worked that leak real good, 'cause we were now driving with the back RHS suspension on the bump stops ... Oh what fun that is ... and the compressor had overheated and shutdown ... and we're heading for a day of offroad piting the D1 D2 & D3 against the new D4 ... and I'm on one of the bloody bump stops .... so we pushed on to Lithgow Macca's, arrived about 40min early, got some breekie & coffee, and allowed the compressor to cool down .... after about 20min it started to run again, so I immediatley raised the suspension to offroad mode, and it held up .... the others arrived, I 'fessed up that I may have an issue (I own a Land Rover ! ) ... and we headed off ... OK on the flat highway, and as soon as we turned off into the bush, I put the suspension back in to offroad mode, and left it like that all day ... no problems. Had to reset it a couple of times when we got over 35km/hr, but other than that, it held up all day with some decent 4wd'ing. Even held up fine for the trip home ... stayed on the smooth major highways ... without all the rocking and rolling we didn't have any further issues ... but the Bells road trip was the straw I reckon.

Now, SWMBO, daughter, 2 of her friends, and son are all off to Surfers on Sunday night, in the Disco and I need to replace that air spring .... cheap from the UK, but no time to get it here ... $365 for the Contitech air spring from Karcraft (same as currently fitted), $260 from Airbagman (Dunlop) ... or does someone have a working air spring I can beg, borrow, steal, or buy to tide me over for this Sundays trip, and until I can get a new pair from the UK ??

It's a short 4 day week this week, so it would need to get to me by friday, no if's or but's ... (or my name is mud ) I'll even drive to pick one up if it's not too far away.

Thanks
Kev..

Mate I have an old original that was holding air. I can mail it or airbag it.
Let me know.