In August of 2016, I installed a new Dorman suspension compressor. I had thought about putting in an AMK, but being short on time and money, I decided to go with the convenience of working with something familiar. There would be no need to remove my sliders, deal with changes in plumbing, and no need to reflash the ecu with a new ccf.
My subjective observations about the Dorman compressor are that it seems to be louder, weaker, and needs to run longer than a Hitachi compressor. After running for a while, the Dorman begins to sound strained, as if it's gasping to get those last breaths of air pushed out.
One thing that I can say definitively is that the Dorman compressor doesn't do well in cold weather. If the LR3 was being started up for the first time that day and the outside temperature was less than 55 degrees, the compressor would run for a couple of seconds and then throw a suspension fault. If you search for the Dorman 949-900 on Amazon, you'll see other reviews that state the same.
Last week, the compressor died, less than 16 months after I installed it. On startup, the compressor would make a louder and lower pitched noise than usual, followed by a suspension fault. I removed the compressor, and reinstalled the old Hitachi that I had kept and rebuilt. Once the Dorman compressor was removed, I noticed a metallic rattling noise coming from inside of it. I opened up the compressor and saw that the bolt that attaches the electric motor to the piston had sheared.
If you need a new compressor, my recommendation is do not buy a Dorman.
My subjective observations about the Dorman compressor are that it seems to be louder, weaker, and needs to run longer than a Hitachi compressor. After running for a while, the Dorman begins to sound strained, as if it's gasping to get those last breaths of air pushed out.
One thing that I can say definitively is that the Dorman compressor doesn't do well in cold weather. If the LR3 was being started up for the first time that day and the outside temperature was less than 55 degrees, the compressor would run for a couple of seconds and then throw a suspension fault. If you search for the Dorman 949-900 on Amazon, you'll see other reviews that state the same.
Last week, the compressor died, less than 16 months after I installed it. On startup, the compressor would make a louder and lower pitched noise than usual, followed by a suspension fault. I removed the compressor, and reinstalled the old Hitachi that I had kept and rebuilt. Once the Dorman compressor was removed, I noticed a metallic rattling noise coming from inside of it. I opened up the compressor and saw that the bolt that attaches the electric motor to the piston had sheared.
If you need a new compressor, my recommendation is do not buy a Dorman.
When my compressor dies, I'll spring for the Hitachi (or OE).
