Can somebody help me here please??

[brucemillar]

Folks

I am attempting to diagnose a fault with my 4.8is Air Suspension. At least I thought that was what I was trying to diagnose?

I am unsure what the "Air Suspension Inactive" is actually telling me? Is it self explanatory and my suspension is inactive? Or, is a generic fault that is triggered by a voltage drop or something else?

Why do I ask?

Well my suspension is driving me crazy. I have INPA and iCarsoft and have used both to try and understand what is happening.

When I bought the car. The Suspension Inactive message was constant and the car did not want to raise or lower BUT!!! It did not sag and was not on the bump stops. If I cleared the error (116) the suspension would spring into life (no pun intended) but the error would eventually return.

So I bought the bagpipingandy kit and replaced the piston ring and seals. The error was cleared and all was good again for a few days before it returned again.

But here is the odd thing. Sometimes it clears itself!! Yes... I go to the car and the error has gone everything works as it should. Then for no apparent reason it will come back again and the suspension stops working, but the car does not sag (even if left a week) so no leaks.

I can raise and lower the car using INPA which also shows good reservoir pressure.

So what I am saying is: WHen it works, it works fine and when it does not work, it throws up the error "Air Suspension Inactive" INPA shows 116 and the suspension does not work until cleared. But all sensors and pressures look fine.

Last night I reset the ECU using INPA and cycled the valves and reservoir pressures. I could not get the error to clear despite several attempts and using another computer.

This morning, I go to the car, the error has gone and everything has been fine all day despite several long trips (200+ miles) and the ignition being cycled and the car left off for over 2 hours.

I have read a post that suggests that the "top solenoid" on the compressor is sticking? and should be cleaned. Does his sound likely/ Or, am I just chasing my tail around an error that is actually being generated by something else outside of the suspension?

Any help for my sanity would be appreciated.

Merry Christmas....

[davewlee]

Check the sensor for the height adjustment... same sensor is used for the headlight adjustment ...one or both might be defective

[scourtaud23]

you probably should indeed check the connections for the height sensor, they are the number one source of problems in range rovers of all generations.

Second is a slow leak in the system that you can look for with soaped water applied with a spray. You'll want to start with the connections at the valve body and then the struts. I don't know if the X5s have cross lines but if so, they need to be checked also.

Pumps get weak but need to be almost dead to throw a code and tanks usually are eternal.

[tonycajjo]

could be a stuck relay for the pump but if no work has ever been done i bet the culprit is a small leak. the air system is pretty straight forward.

from what i remember that message "Air Suspension Inactive" comes on when the compressor is on too long or kicks on too often.