Pregnant wife is driving my LR3. My EAS switch is broken, and it doesn't always raise when the switch is pressed. 90% of my miles are highway. I'm debating a coil conversion. Alternatively, I rarely need to lift the truck, so if it will last another 100k if I don't use the lift feature, that may be fine too. Mileage is 103k year is 06.

Thanks in advance. I'm really enjoying this forum. I hate to admit it, but I like my LR3 that's I grabbed for $5000 nearly as much as my 08 Audi A6 I bought for 40k (womp womp).

1. Could a malfunctioning EAS sideline us?

2. How is highway performance with coils?

 

1. It could be they don’t fail that bad usually

2. As someone that owns both an EAS truck and a Coil truck it depends on which coil kit you get. With the standard duty kit on the highway they are pretty equal. If you go with the HD lift kit the ride quality is more like a D2. Still comfortable but more of a truck like feel.

 

Could just go to wrecker and get the switch set or take them out and clean them especially if drink has been spilled.

 

Failed EAS will not prevent the vehicle form being drivable. Worst case it drops all the way to the stops but can still be driven.

 

So bad EAS only really impacts wheeling for folks that want to raise the vehicle. Essentially, if you're just running highway primarily, you could have bad EAS and be fine. I was just worried it would throw some odd error and breakdown

 

Corrent. And if maintained properly, like anything, its not problematic at all. For the system to drop to bumps it needs a pretty hard fault that usually indicated compressor failure. Because if the compressor can not run at all the vehicle can not manage heights properly. Therefore Rover decided that indeed of having a vehicle with its *** up, nose down, it would be safer to drop it all the way (the bags do actually have air in them though). But even a dying compressor, one that may not build pressure fast enough, will generate a softer fault and simply not allow one to raise or lower. It just does its best to maintain standard height and will say so on the dash.

There are only a few parts to the system.
EAS computer ($?)
Reservoir air tank ($100)
Compressor ($180 aftermarket to $600 OEM)
Front valve block ($100)
Center valve block ($100)
Rear valve block ($100)
The airbags. ($300ish each aftermarket)

Computer failure, never heard of one yet but I am sure it can happen. The air tanks can rust and leak. The compressor is the ONE thing that usually goes after 100k miles and should be considered a maintenance item. The block are pretty reliable if the compressor has not bene pushed well past its age and starts throwing a fine desiccant powder into the system from its dryer. This can prevent the valve blocks from sealing tight as the powder gets on the o-rings. And the airbags, they can last a very long time but they can crack - I suspect cracking is again from desiccant getting into them and dry rotting them out.

 

Drivable on the bumpstops I guess would be a debate. To get off the road safely sure. Continue your trip no.

 

You wont want to driving far on the bump stops, definitely not long term.