joey2
Member Since: 08 Jan 2021
Location: Preston
Posts: 2
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| Suspension fault - no active fault code |
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Hi
Bought my first Discovery3 a few months ago. I’ve had no problems with the car until the other day when I got a message in the instrument panel saying “suspension fault” and a yellow lamp. The car drives as normal, but I can’t raise or lower the suspension.
Each time I start the car there is no message or lamp lit, but after a minute or so the message appears.
I have read the fault codes using a generic OBD reader, but it’s not showing any fault codes that make sense (an EGR code and some that are just generic) and none of them seem to be active.
Has anyone had the same issue?
Best regards
Joe
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 8th Jan 2021 9:46 pm |
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Sea Raider
Member Since: 01 Nov 2016
Location: None
Posts: 4450
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Welcome
throw your generic OBD reader in the bin it won't work on the D3 you need specific diagnostics.
GAP IIDBT is the go to one
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| 8th Jan 2021 10:38 pm |
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danrjm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2018
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 70
  
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I have had exactly the same problem on my D3 - Start car, light is off and then, after a few minutes, light comes on and car is stuck in normal height. The air suspension systems is not all that complex and, by the sound of it, it's a fairly common problem with the compressor not filling the reservoir quick enough. On my IID it will actually list this as the error, but maybe your OBD cannot see this? Anyway, there are some basic things you can do to check:
1. To check if there's a leak in one of the suspension airbags: Park the car up, take out the suspension fuses from under the bonnet (it shows you where they are on the underside of the fuse box lid, there are two), measure the height of the wheel arc from the centre of the wheel and take note. Leave it for 24 hours or 48 if you can and measure again. If one side has dropped, then it's a leak in that part of the system. If just the front or back has dropped, then its a leak in the front or rear valve block. If nothing has dropped, then its a problem with the compressor and air tank.
2. Compressors are expensive, but they're usually faulty because the air drying is all clogged up. It sounds like your compressor is working as the warning light is off when you start, so could be the air dryer. Depending on what compressor you have - Hitachi or AMK - then you can buy new filters and desiccant for about £20. This was the problem with mine initially, and the replacements worked straight away. There are lots of guides here how to change these filters yourself.
3. If you still get the error after changing the filters, and the pump is still running (you can hear it when you switch the engine on) then it could be the tank is leaking. You can see the tank under the passenger side of the car bolted to the chassis. If it's a bit rusted, then it may be leaking and you can try and replace it. New tanks are about £100 and it's four bolts and an airline to switch it out, although the bolts can rust up. This is what is wrong with mine now I think, so waiting for a new tank.
Hope this helps!
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| 8th Jan 2021 10:46 pm |
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danrjm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2018
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 70
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I agreed that an OBD won't read all the D3 codes, you do need something a bit more specialist. GAP IID is the best, I think, but I bought an Autel IID for around £50 and it does most of what the GAP does, just maybe a bit cheaper. With Autel, you buy the plug-in then download the software for your car. For an extra fee, you can download software for other cars and so it can work well if you have another car in your household that you want to diagnose errors on.
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| 8th Jan 2021 10:51 pm |
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joey2
Member Since: 08 Jan 2021
Location: Preston
Posts: 2
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Thanks everyone for your quick responses.
I will investigate further over the weekend.
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| 8th Jan 2021 11:11 pm |
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CongoBoy
Member Since: 05 Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 525
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8 times out of ten this will probably be the silica dessicant bunged up in the air compressor.
There are a few threads on this in the forum and in the Wiki.
A relatively easy fix, if you're not too bad with the spanners!
I've currently got the same problem. I've just ordered a refurb kit online. 2008 D3 HSE Stornoway Grey (UK)
2008 D3 HSE Izmir Blue- South African Spec. (Zimbabwe)
2005 FFRR SC V8- Java Black
1995 D1 300 Tdi Blue - (Sourced from the UK, shipped to Namibia, driven by me to RD Congo, then Zambia, now retired in Zimbabwe)
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| 8th Jan 2021 11:29 pm |
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Gnomad
Member Since: 22 Jul 2018
Location: Harbor Springs
Posts: 22
  
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I've had an ongoing fight with the Arnott in my LR3 HSE, which I found to be the connector at the motor, the 12V+ side was visibly melted and the connection was intermittant. Arnott doesn't sell the connector so today I finally got fed up and soldered those connectors right to the motor leads. Hopefully the solder holds, as the connectors were toast when I pulled them from the plug. The compressor fired right up again afterwards and I did a couple raise and lower cycles.
It's another possibility. My system would hold about a weeks worth of air until it gasped it's last and settled onto the stops.
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| 24th Jan 2021 4:04 am |
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