Member Since: 01 Oct 2010
Location: North Wales
Posts: 1028
Update so far ........ still the same... it can go for 4-5 days or more ,then BONG!!!
Not had a chance yet to get underneath yet as Ill be doing it on the drive, and weather has been crap
Looking around the cheapest Dunlop/Hitachi straight swap new one I've found is £312 + relay from
https://www.britishparts.co.uk/products/13...-LR023964D
I take it the AMK is not a home fit as looks like the ecu needs reprogramming ? but are they worth the extra hassle and money, considering the Dunlop/Hitachi original has lasted 11 years??
Thanks again chaps
Mike
1st Dec 2015 12:17 pm
Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
Mike, it's odd you get a few days without issue then it returns. If the compressor was leaking via cracked top etc. this would happen all the time, usually about 2 mins after pulling away.
Are you getting loss of terrain response, HDC gone and lowered suspension, sometimes quite a distance into a drive?
If you are, it might be steering angle sensor rather than compressor.Mods:
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1st Dec 2015 12:33 pm
mike23118
Member Since: 01 Oct 2010
Location: North Wales
Posts: 1028
HI Narpy,
Ive started her up and drove 3 or 4 mile s with no bong then, sat and raised and lowered suspension
and it then bongs and says "normal height only" local landy garage plugged his dufer in and it says compressor output low or words to that effect
it had gone for 4 or 5 days with no bong but yesterday every time i set off it bonged,
the HDC & TR errors dont come up though.
so must be compressor i think , but until I can get under it to check for crack I wont be sure
1st Dec 2015 12:53 pm
stu1976
Member Since: 07 Apr 2012
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 8
Dropping suspension and normal height only symbol
Hi,
I have a similar problem my 56 reg D3. Firstly the car does drop on the front only when parked overnight, I had this before and local Indie advised to clean the front valve block which did work for a year, haven't tried again yet due to lack of time....
Recently I started getting the 'bong' and the yellow tippy vehicle light on and normal height only message. This used to clear itself with an ignition off and on, but recently started getting a lot more frequent and worse, being unable to clear it.
Took to the indie who plugged it in and said low air pressure and that the compressor needs replacing. he didn't give me a code, it did tell me the front inner parking sensor was causing my park distance issues too.
I am away now so cannot tinker, but on the way home it happened again, I pulled over switched off and on, immediately going in to off road height, no issues, drove off and the car lowered to normal height. I then had no issue for a couple of days.
In my opinion if the compressor is knackered it wouldn't lift the car to max?
I am wondering if the front valve block could be the issue? Or maybe the common relay issue.
I did notice I have a brake light bulb blown that i need to sort also.
Any opinions welcomed. I am going to invest in the GAP IID BT as we have a FL2 also and the D3 will only ever be replaced by a D4...
Overall the car has been kind to me. I had the timing belt done, tranny oil changed, and front wishbones changed by an indie. I have had to put a battery and an alternator on and that is it in the 4 years I have had it.
this is my first attempt at a post...
Thanks
8th Jan 2016 4:24 pm
MikeO
Member Since: 15 Jan 2014
Location: The Cotswolds
Posts: 1391
Is it the original Hitachi compressor that's still on the car? If so, you've done well to get 9yrs out of it, I got 5 out of mine...
Even with a dodgy compressor the car can still raise to offroad height - there's a buffer tank which is used to feed the valve blocks and thus the air springs. The compressor's job is to charge the buffer tank. There can be enough pressure in there to raise the car and it's usually when the compressor is called on too often or for too long (or can't properly exhaust excess pressure) that a fault is generated.
Worth changing the brake bulb, relay and checking for leaks (esp in the cap if it's a Hitachi). And get the codes read. But don't be surprised if it's the compressor. Some have repaired but at that age (if it is the original) I'd be tempted to replace with a new AMK unit. You can pick them up for around £450. In fact I can see some on eBay at the moment for just under £410 delivered including relay, bracket and pipework.2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
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8th Jan 2016 4:48 pm
stu1976
Member Since: 07 Apr 2012
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 8
Hi,
As far as I know it is the original, I am away working for a few weeks so just trawling the net to get my head clear on what I shall do when I am home. I will check when I get back.
Yes, I plan to change the bulb, check for leaks etc. I will clean the front valve again or maybe replace it this time.
I have noticed that I can hear the compressor running quite a lot which made me wonder about the relay sticking, but then it could be a leak or a weak piston ring in it also I guess.
The AMK requires a bit of software tinkering? I believe if I buy a GAP IID BT I can do that myself?
Cheers
8th Jan 2016 5:13 pm
MikeO
Member Since: 15 Jan 2014
Location: The Cotswolds
Posts: 1391
Quote:
The AMK requires a bit of software tinkering? I believe if I buy a GAP IID BT I can do that myself?
Yes it does and yes you can. 2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
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8th Jan 2016 5:19 pm
stu1976
Member Since: 07 Apr 2012
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 8
Thanks.
Do you know the benefits of an AMK over a Hitachi? Are they just a better built unit?
8th Jan 2016 5:42 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73129
Been getting the "NORMAL HEIGHT ONLY" warning and the wobbly car symbol but strangely no fault codes.
Suspect new compressor needed as mine (Hitachi) is shade under 10 years old and a tad noisy.
8th Jan 2016 9:14 pm
stu1976
Member Since: 07 Apr 2012
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 8
'Bong' fixed
Well,
Spent a few days on the Disco this week, Found a leak in the dryer cap on the Hitachi compressor. I ordered a full re-build kit and rebuilt it, piston rings, and dryer etc.... Put it all back, and all seems fine. Deffo buy the captive nuts before starting, I had a couple of the bolts shear in the Ally bracket but I drilled and tapped them out, also slotted the top mounting hole, that makes it much easier to assemble.
Compressor doesn't really seem any quieter, but runs a lot less and car raises very fast now. I have monitored it on the IID on a few drives and the compressor hardly ever runs and pressures/temps all stay stable. before the rebuild it was running every few mins to the point of thermal cut out at about 125 deg c. And you could see the pressure dropping rapidly.
I have the new relay to put in, not sure it needs it but seeing as I bought it I will do it.
The front still drops overnight despite cleaning valve block, I will replace that this week.
Front parking sensors, I changed 2 x inner ones, IID said only one was gone, but no clicking from the other inner. All sorted now anyway.
EGR's blanked and that was well worth doing!
Found a knackered inner tie rod when doing the MOT checks. Steering rack ball joint was gone so changed that.
Tinkered with the front ride height as it as 8-10mm below standard settings.
I did flash the suspension ECU, as I had read about the pressure being lower now.
The IID is a great tool and I still have to learn more about it.
Next is a new set of tyres and proper 4 wheel alignment now I have the IID I know the suspension will be right.
All in all happy to have saved over £1000 on getting the work done elsewhere.
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