Member Since: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Chandler's Ford
Posts: 3457
Help Diagnosing an EAS Fault Please
Just back from a week away on the Suffolk coast (Walberswick/Southwold area where many a D3/D4 was to be seen - no stickers though!).
All was well up until Thursday when I got the dreaded bong and "Suspension Fault Normal Height Only" message again. A quick read of the codes with my IIDTool revealed the old "C1A20-64 (AF) Pressure increases too slow when filling reservoir - Algorithm based failure - signal plausibility failure" fault had reared its head again.
I only replaced the dryer unit earlier this year so was surprised to see this again, so soon. I cleared the fault and thought not more of it until Friday, when the same thing happened again. Same fault; Cleared the fault and went on my way.
This morning, just as we were about to leave Suffolk for home, I started her up and was greeting by a more generic "Suspension Fault" message on the information centre. This time, my IIDTool informed me I had a "C1A27-14 (AF) Compressor circuit - General electrical failure - circuit short to ground or open". Not a sound from the compressor this time.
Just been out to check the fuses this evening and FL10 (60A) has quite clearly blown whilst F3 (5A) and F26 (20A) are both still fine. I've not checked relay R7 as I don't know how to (is it even possible to test a relay?).
Without jumping to conclusions, I think it might be fair to assume that my EAS compressor has left the building. It was clearly struggling to raise pressure on Thursday and Friday and, Saturday (today), simply didn't turn up for work. I drove the 200 miles back home with no air suspension compressor, relying solely on the pressure in the tank. Which was fine, actually.
Are there any other plausible reasons for this fault before I go ahead and put a new compressor on it? Is it worth checking the wiring at this point or do the fault codes alone provide a clear enough indication that the compressor is dead?
So, Hitachi or AMK? There's not much price difference between the two. I have the means to reprogram the RHM with the new AMK software, so no problem there.
Thanks,
Steve2021 BMW iX3 Premier Edition in Carbon Black ⚡️🔌
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1st Nov 2014 8:52 pm
DN D3 Decade
Member Since: 24 Jun 2006
Location: W.London.
Posts: 2294
Try swapping relay with one of same type before condemning the compressor. I had the C1A27 fault code, and suspension fault messages a few weeks ago, but my compressor was running on even when ign switched off and didn't stop until I removed relay . ( luckily I had a new one to replace it), and all has been fine with it since.
You need the AMK one and update the software when you fit it.
Flack
1st Nov 2014 9:11 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
As above, as the most probable cause is a seized or partially seized piston. The additional strain on the compressor motor eventually blows the big fuse.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Would love to support our site sponsors but the £100 I'll save will pay for a new battery.
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2nd Nov 2014 10:01 am
crwoody
Member Since: 09 Mar 2009
Location: Littleborough
Posts: 2109
I got the Matford kit a couple of weeks ago and fitted it, no problems at all, all the bits you'll need are in there including new bolts, unfortunately they don't provide the captive nuts that fix to the chassis rails, two of mine were OK, but the third fell apart.
I think I paid £440 for mine, odd how the price seems to vary from week to week still a very good price though Clive
2nd Nov 2014 11:21 am
Woolmeister
Member Since: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Chandler's Ford
Posts: 3457
Thanks, Clive
I think it's £429 if you phone them and pay by credit/debit card (presumably to avoid them having to pay eBay seller fees).
Steve2021 BMW iX3 Premier Edition in Carbon Black ⚡️🔌
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2nd Nov 2014 12:03 pm
Woolmeister
Member Since: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Chandler's Ford
Posts: 3457
So, before replacing my 7.5 year old Hitachi compressor, I thought I would check a couple of things first:
I started by replacing the blown fuse (FL10) with an identical 60A slow blow (J Type). As soon as I started the engine, the compressor burst back into life but continued running until it became very hot (my IIDTool was showing something like 130℃ before I turned the ignition off ). Pressure to the tank was restored and I was able to move the EAS up and down again with no trouble.
I then swapped the EAS compressor relay for the heated screen one, immediately next door (they are both identical power relays). This time, I noticed the the compressor switched off once the pressure in the tank reached a certain threshold.
From what I can tell, my old Hitachi compressor lives to fight another day again and all that will be required - for now, at least - is a new relay.
DN - thank you, sir, for prompting me to check this first.
Steve2021 BMW iX3 Premier Edition in Carbon Black ⚡️🔌
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4th Nov 2014 5:43 pm
Advanced Factors Site Sponsor
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Result then Steve!
Spoke to a chap yesterday who was suggesting fitting a dash LED connected to the power output on the relay or input to the compressor so you have a visual of all the time a compressor was running - thought this would be a good ideaPaul Redding
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4th Nov 2014 5:55 pm
Woolmeister
Member Since: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Chandler's Ford
Posts: 3457
I think it is a result, for now, Steve.
Thanks for getting my bits over to me so quickly today; I wouldn't have been able to come to this conclusion without those 60A fuses!
I agree that some kind of indication to see when the EAS compressor - and indeed the FBH - is running would be very useful. Those of us with an IIDTool already have this capability but a little LED somewhere might be nice. Flack has an LED to show when his FBH is running, I think. I can't remember which pins it needs to be connected to, though.
I plan to keep an eye on it over the next few days and make a decision whether or not to fit the new AMK compressor anyway. If I'm still getting "Pressure too slow to increase" faults, I will change it.
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4th Nov 2014 6:01 pm
DN D3 Decade
Member Since: 24 Jun 2006
Location: W.London.
Posts: 2294
Hi Steve, I hope it carries on working the fact that the 60A fuse had blown is a bit of a worry, and those relays certainly seem to be unreliable when a few years old.(my u/s relay and ok compressor are approaching 9 yrs old). I'm hoping I caught mine before the compressor ran on for a long period, I luckily noticed it on that occasion, but no idea if it had done it previously, but I think it would have blown the fuse or flattened the battery or worse, if it had. ..... been fine now for 3 weeks or so...( I have had a new compressor sitting in my garage for some time though, as no doubt it will fail one day ).Good Luck with it.
Last edited by DN on 4th Nov 2014 6:53 pm. Edited 4 times in total
4th Nov 2014 6:07 pm
John P
Member Since: 12 Aug 2011
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 1275
Flack wrote:
You need the AMK one and update the software when you fit it.
Flack
Flack, do you really need to update the software when installing the AMK? I put in a new AMK in a while back, and have covered a good few 1000 miles now, and I didn't update the software.
Am I doing any damage without the new software?
Thanks
John
4th Nov 2014 6:08 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Steve,
Glad it is running but you may not be out of the woods just yet. You had a C1A20-64 (AF) too so this is probably not just a relay problem. Whilst relays can fail on their own given the slow fill the relay could have failed on due to the excessive amp draw from a failing compressor.
If you have an amp clamp you could check what the motor is drawing. It may be ok but for the moment I would be minded to carry a spare fuse and relay, just in case.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Chandler's Ford
Posts: 3457
I suspect you're right, Rob.
Just back from taking the boy to Air Cadets with no bings, bongs, or anything else untoward happening.
I had some live data showing on the IIDTool during the journey there and I could see the Gallery Pressure dropping from approximately 1600 kPa down to 94 kPa where it settled for some time without the compressor coming on. This was over a journey of approximately 4 miles. Do you think this points to a rusty/leaky air tank?
Bizarrely, the Gallery Pressure remained fairly constant on the way back at around the 780 kPa point.
I'll be heading out to pick him up from Air Cadets later so will see how it behaves then.
I don't have an amp clamp to try and test this; only a DMM.
Will report back later...
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4th Nov 2014 8:46 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Around 1680kPa is normal for your MY and probable software load so 94kPa is shockingly low and the compressor should have run. If prevented from running it should have set a code. All a bit odd.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
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and didn't stop until I removed relay . ( luckily I had a new one to replace it), and all has been fine with it since.
still a very good price though 
).Good Luck with it. 
