Air Suspension Help needed.

[johnsoax]

I'm having the "Suspension Fault - Normal Height Only" error on my 2006 LR3.
I've owned the truck for over a year, and bought it used from the dealer. The air suspension has worked find until early Feb when we got 5-8" of snow in Cincinnati on the day my dad got hurt and I had to go pull him out of a house. (One thing was that the truck, since purchase, has always been on the bump stops after leaving it sit overnight, or while at work, but it always pumped right back up when it was time to leave. I always thought this was normal behavior, but since have found it is not.)

After driving back and forth on the highway to a hospital and then to my house and back, I tried to lower the suspension to help my dad get in the truck and it threw this error. It hasn't gone away since.


According to my IIDTool that I got in early March, I get the following error code.
C1A32 - Front right Corner Valve

Going off that code and reading through the Service manual, I figured it was the valve that was the problem, so I ordered that. Replaced the front valve block over the weekend. Still have the error, still can't raise or lower the suspension without a full system fault that knocks out the Special programs, but the truck no longer sinks overnight, or during the day while it is parked.

One thing I did notice during the valve replacement is that there was some white residue inside the air pipe that feeds the right front corner. It didn't seem like a problem before, but could be an issue. A blockage perhaps? Anyone have a clue what could be the problem?

The battery on the truck was replaced in the fall. The compressor works just fine, so please don't tell me that it is the compressor that is the issue. I did a full system bleed to change the valve and it pumped the system right back up with no issues.

Should I just unplug the battery for a few hours and see if that finally resets everything?

Secondly, if you have not taken your fender trim off, I recommend you do so. I found a ton of leaves inside the fender that had come down from under the hood. Where the struts that hold the hood open mount is a large hole that allows leaves and water to get down inside the fender. Not the best design there...

 

[bbyer]

might try a hard reset

Well you said that as the air compressor makes air, it is not the compressor so that is good. As to the white residue, that is often dust from the desiccant particles breaking down within the air dryer attached to the air compressor. The residue has been known to plug orifices within the block valves. As to if the air dryer needs replacing or not, that would have nothing to do with the up down switch not working, if I understand correctly.

The air dryer can be purchased separately from the air compressor. A jpg of the air dryer is in the link below plus some other info on the air compressor.

http://bit.ly/1kRoKEi

As to disconnecting the battery, that may work to cause the light to disappear however sometimes if all is fixed, the lights seem to finally quit displaying after a week or so. It seems the trouble codes work their way thru the computers and just tend to disappear if not refreshed and the the lights go out.

Another technique that can erase codes and error messages and sometimes at least gets the radio working is a hard reset as below. It costs nothing; does not seem to harm anything and on occasion, solves a problem.

Hard Reset Instructions

In brief, to start the hard reset process, open the hood but close all doors and let your 3 go to sleep - no radio display etc and no key in the ignition. This will take a couple of minutes and do not open any doors until the reset is completed. (I find that it is often a good idea to have the drivers door window rolled down and the key in my pocket whenever fooling about the vehicle.) Also when I play with a car battery, I remove any rings I have from my fingers, also my watch.

Disconnect the ground battery terminal from the main starting battery.
Disconnect the positive battery terminal from the main starting battery.

The reason for this order is if a wrench or loose battery cable ends grounds to the body, no arcing or other bad things happen.

(I assume that you only have one battery in your 3. If not, disconnect the others as well and leave them disconnected until after all is done.)

Connect the negative cable to the positive cable. (NOT the battery.) You will need a short length, (a foot or so), of light gauge, (14 to 18 gauge AWG, insulated stranded copper), wire to span between the battery cable ends as there is not enough slack in the positive and negative battery cables for the ends to touch each other.

Hold all together for about a minute or more, (at least two minutes), as you are discharging memory modules within the engine computer and elsewhere. Then it is suggested you then just let all sit disconnected for say ten minutes, (minimum five minutes), prior to commencing to put the battery cable ends back on the battery posts per the following order.

Reattach positive terminal to the main starting battery positive post.
Reattach negative terminal to the main starting battery negative post.

Start engine and hopefully none or at least fewer warning lights.
Reset time on the radio - note that the station presets are still there as not everything is erased. Nothing much else needs resetting either.
You can also now connect up the other batteries if you have a multiple battery setup.

This is a link to a thread in disco3 re the hard reset procedure.

http://bit.ly/14WXXR1

This is a link to a thread on Disco3Club re the hard reset procedure.
http://www.disco3club.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=3374


I wonder if you tyres are wearing evenly and is the steering wheel on centre. If the 3 needs a wheel alignment, that can show up as a suspension concern. The link below discusses the steering wheel sensor and the anti skid sensors fighting each other causing the air system to go into safe mode.

http://bit.ly/1kTq7Vw

Overall, I do not think there is very much wrong. The up down switch will most likely work once the suspension lights go out.

Below are just some miscellaneous files that may be of interest.

http://bit.ly/1hrIQm5

One other thing, put the battery on a trickle charger for a week of nights. The battery is probably low on charge even though it starts the engine. A lower voltage electrical system plays havoc with the 5 volt computers and your suspension computers and wheel height sensors run on 5 volts.

The 3 likes to see near 14 volts in the electrical system when the engine is running and about 12.5 when turned off. The system will never get to 14 volts if the battery is down and hence the battery will never fully charge - chicken and egg it is - that is why I have the section on regulators, both new and old, in that miscellaneous link.

 

[PaulLR3]

Here is a very non-technical possibility - could one of your air springs be leaking? On my 2002 & 2004 Audi allroad, air spring leaks were very common by 50K miles. If you noticed one morning that the front or back was on the bump stops, it was time for a new air spring.

Audi air springs from the dealer were expensive and often the rubber was dried out from sitting in a warehouse for years. So most of us ordered replacement air springs from here:

https://www.arnottindustries.com

Quality products, with a warranty at reasonable prices. They carry LR3 air springs as well.

 

[johnsoax]

It used to leak, now it doesn't seem to...

I have no idea what is causing the problem. Sometimes the error shows up immediately, and sometimes I can drive for 20-30 minutes before the error shows up.

But I can't control the ride height. If I try, I get all sorts of errors.

 

[bbyer]

problem sounds electrical, not mechanical

I think you are making progress. To me, it sounds as if mechanically, all is well. By that I mean there are no leaks and the problem is something to do with the wiring, the height sensors, or perhaps the switch, but I doubt it.

Do you have a NAV display and if so, set it to the 4 x 4 display feature and watch how the four corners react or not. On normal paved roads, you should see almost no movement - there will be some but very little.

One wheel that appears frozen or is jumping about can tell alot.

Please let me know if you have the 4x4 display and if so, can you see anything unusual.

If you do have the display, to test it, find a curb about 6" high and mount it one wheel at a time. You should see significant wheel movement at each of the four wheels as you slowly go up and then back down for each. That proves the wheel sensors and wiring are probably working at each wheel.

 

[johnsoax]

I do not have the Nav display.
I do have a IIDTool though.

 

[bbyer]

IID Tool and air suspension?

The IID Tool should be able to interrogate the air suspension system. I do not know much about it however, hence someone else is going to have to assist you with what to look for and how to interpret what it says.

 

[johnsoax]

Took off driver side wheel to check on connector C2528 for water damage. No damage found, installed di-electric grease in connector to see if that helped. Found idea in TSB LA-204-001.

No change to issue. Still have Air suspension fault code C1A32.
I still have no clue what is going on. Sensors appear to be working correctly, air compressor is running just fine.

I really think it is something electrical. Not quite sure what to do next other than admit defeat and take it to the dealer.

 

[Houm_WA]

What else comes with the error? HDC fault? Do Special Programs work?

It sounds like you fixed the leaking issue, but now I'm wondering if you might also have a failed brake pedal switch. Also, you are clearing the faults with the IIDTool, right? ...and what does the tool say for the calibration values within your EAS?

 

[johnsoax]

I am clearing the faults...

I don't get any other fault, unless I try to move the suspension to Off-road or access, then I get a full suspension fault and special programs turn off.

Why would the brake pedal switch have ANYTHING to do with this. People are so scared of that....

I haven't changed the calibration values from what they were at. Everything sits level in "normal mode".