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Thread: Pump Running Wont Rise

  1. #1
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    Pump Running Wont Rise

    Hello again,

    My p38 EAS saga continues.

    I took the pump apart over the weekend to replace the thermal switch. Turns out the orange wire had broken free from the circuit board rather than faulty switch. Great! Easy fix. While I had the pump apart I followed the advice to reseat the bush and remove the plastic ring suggested in this advice -> Range Rover EAS compressor faults

    Pump went back together (lost the rear mounting bracket, so there was a tense hour and a half of head scratching and frustrated searching) pump went back in the car, car switched on, springs inflated and all was well in the world.

    I left it overnight and the was car still up in the air the next afternoon. I drove it home from my parents place and everything seemed to behave.

    However, when I drove it later that night, when I got in the car the standard height light was flashing and in my ten minute drive it failed to reach standard height. Checked the nanocom, all the input data seems to read normally. I am getting an 'Unknown fault' in the EAS. Heights suggest it is sitting at access height.

    I've just been out fiddling this morning. I had it idling for about 15 minutes (the pump was running) while I fiddled with the nanocom again and in that time the car failed to rise.

    The only other thing that I have done is remove the water drainage plug on the reservoir tank (I depressurised the system to remove the pump so took the opportunity to check if there was water in the tank).

    Any suggestions as to why the car won't raise? Anything to check?

    Cheers,

    Lloyd

  2. #2
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    I would say the very first thing to check it that the compressor is putting out sufficient pressure. Just pull off the compressor discharge (Blue) line and with the compressor running see if you can block it with your finger. I know from experience if the piston seal has burnt out you can block the air flow with your finger. If you can't see if you can somehow get a gauge on the line and check the pressure.
    04 L322 Vogue V8 - Work truck
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    74 Leyland P76 Targa Florio - Aspen Green
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    Previous LRs = 78IIa series - 81, 93, 95 RRC - D2V8

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by FisherX View Post
    I would say the very first thing to check it that the compressor is putting out sufficient pressure. Just pull off the compressor discharge (Blue) line and with the compressor running see if you can block it with your finger. I know from experience if the piston seal has burnt out you can block the air flow with your finger. If you can't see if you can somehow get a gauge on the line and check the pressure.
    Could be right. Blue line off this morning, I could block the air flow with my finger. Either I've buggered up the pump while I had it apart or over the past year while I've had the car, the leaky air spring, broken thermal switch wire etc I've dealt with have caught up with it and the pump has cashed its chips. The pump appears to be an aftermarket unit with 'recon' written on the side. So the next question is should I put a seal kit in it or fork out for a new pump...

  4. #4
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    Take it apart first mate. Usually rebuilding it yourself is the way to go unless you find uneven wear or smth. Also if it runs "rough" / noisy you might consider a new one. Else just rebuild for a fraction of the costs and see what it does. I have a (spare by now) pump that has been rebuild 3 times and the motor and pump itself is still fine.

    Cheers,
    -P

  5. #5
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    Very easy to pull the head off the compressor to check the piston seal and liner. I put a X8R (eBay UK) rebuild kit in my RRC almost 3 years ago. I had the whole EAS box out last week to replace the vibration mounts on the compressor, so checked how the seal and liner were going, they looked great. Always worth remembering that RRC/P38 EAS is quite basic and that most problems are easy fixes.

  6. #6
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    Update:

    So to cover all bases I ordered a seal kit from the UK and also bought a cheap e-bay compressor. My reasoning being I'll stick the new one in the car and put the new seal in the existing one, thus having a spare pump on the shelf.

    The compressor arrived earlier in the week, however it doesn't seem to be whacking out a much more (if any) than the (perceived to be dodgy) existing pump. I can happily put my finger over the outlet side

    Does anyone have a way of testing that a compressor is in spec other than finger over the outlet, or a more detailed explanation about how forceful the air should be coming out of the pump? I'm somewhat dubious of the cheap compressor. Has anyone had any experience with them?

    I might have to wait until the rebuild kit arrives and compare how much air a resealed pump throws out before I complain to the e-bay sellers.

  7. #7
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    I never ran the pump disconnected but since the system maintains around 10 bar of pressure under normal circumstances I reckon your finger should not be able to stop the airflow. I suggest hooking up a cheap manometer and see what it does?

    Cheers,
    -P

  8. #8
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    There is absolutely no way you can block the air discharged from a good compressor with your finger. That's why I said to check that first. The compressor in good condition puts out about 150psi. A compressor with a blown piston seal will put out bugger all. But that could be one of the check valves as well.

    Without actually checking it out myself I would say the new/refurbished compressor you bought is bad.

    When fitting the compressor piston seal there is a bit of a process to it to get it right. I've rebuilt a bunch of them and have about 15 compressors here for a P38 and rebuild kits to suit that I could sort for you. I also have a dozen valve blocks that I could re-kit if that was your problem. But I'd say you have a dud compressor.
    04 L322 Vogue V8 - Work truck
    07 Freelander 2 TD4 SE - The wifes
    74 Leyland P76 Targa Florio - Aspen Green
    91 Kawasaki GPZ900R


    Previous LRs = 78IIa series - 81, 93, 95 RRC - D2V8

  9. #9
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    UPDATE:

    New seal on the compressor, threw that in and still no dice. Figured I'd botched the seal job in the pump. However I think I might have found to culprit. Flicked off the exhaust silencer, air is getting pumped out of there which points to a faulty diaphragm. No pump in any condition was going to beat that.

    Does anyone have a diaphragm kit locally? Is it something that can be bought as easily as o'rings provided you have the specs?

    Can anyone confirm how to check the function of this electronically?

    It took 3 weeks for my compressor seal kit to arrive from the UK so trying to avoid another lengthy wait time...

  10. #10
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    Just to cap this off, it was the diaphragm. I did that first to confirm and have since done the whole valve block. EAS working great now!

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