Hello Gentlepeople.

Long time admirer, new owner, first time poster.

As it happens I find myself a proud owner of a beautiful 2006 LR3 SE. Nothing is perfect in this world, however and as anticipated there are things I need to do to the truck. Which brings me to the question part.

Air suspension leaks. I have done the following: pulled fuse #26 in the engine compartment to disable the self leveling feature and left the truck to do its thing. After 24 hours found the front passenger side down 1.5", front driver - no change, back passenger down almost 3", back driver down 1.5". Before I start thinking about this too hard I just wanted to see what you guys think this indicates.

Aside from a dealer's favorite conclusion: airbags need replacing, is there a possibility of the valves (front, back) talking in a way that would result in such a pattern of deflation?

Truck comes up to the normal driving height upon starting it, no problem. No warnings on the dash.

Any thoughts?

 

Milage would help a little.

You can check for leaks with some soapy water in a spray bottle. Also note, the vehicle is a rigid rectangle. So leaks affect opposite corners. I would first check for leaks at the front and rear air blocks as you mentioned. A search will give you much info. These commonly leak and are easy to rebuild. New ones cost about $100 each. Front is easy to access. The rear requires more work. There is also a center valve block.

You will want to resolve this or the compressor will get over-worked at fail.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, Dakota

Mileage is 123k.

So, my understanding is the leaks can be at the points of entry of the airlines from/to the struts at the valve blocks themselves, correct? I have read all the treads that I could find on this, still a bit confused on the valve blocks leaking internally. If they do, the spray bottle will not be helpful, correct?

 

They can leak any which way. Lines, internal, external, etc. Does not change the fact that they should be looked at and probably rebuilt/replaced along with the compressor desiccant. You millage certainly puts em at that point. For bags leaking. They could also at that milage since age is also part of the issue with bags, but the bags are fairly robust.

Let me put it this way. You can ask 100 questions, but until you dig into it there is no answer really. Thats the problem with air suspension. They can be annoying when not working right. And they can have more than one issue at the same time. In your case, you have a system wide leak. It could be, for example, one leaking bag with bad valve blocks. Or it could be that the valve blocks are fine and indeed all the bags are leaking. Usually the best bet is to work your way up form the bottom. Spray bottle with soapy water is cheap. Next would be valve block rebuild ($35 for a kit that covers them all, or $200+ for all new blocks). Then last, replace the expensive bags. The good thing is that repairs are pretty straight forwards and there are lots of guide to help.

I just rebuilt my front block. Was quick and easy with no need to even remove the wheel. Solved my front end lowering. But I see now my bag drops just a little. I will rebuild the rear later. Before then, I am rebuilding the compressor before it fails.

 

also at 123k miles, not a bad idea to replace the air strut assembly.

How many miles do conventional shocks last?

 

That's my understanding as well.

Cool, thank you guys for your input. I'll dig into it this weekend. One more question, where might one find those $100 valve blocks? The best I could find was Lucky at $150 for front and the rear I think was $10 more.

 

So... how long does it take to sag if you didn't pull the fuse? First thing I'd do/did is get yourself a GAP IID Tool and calibrate the air suspension. If you plan on doing your own repairs it's invaluable.

 

For those who are curious. Rebuilt both valve blocks with the o-rings kits from (eBay) $35 plus shipping. Problem fixed. Rear block was fun! mirror and a flashlight, felt like a surgeon doing micro-surgery connecting those airlines back up, went in cross-threaded a couple of times, had to back them out and start over. Fun!

Now on to fluid changes and rear front control arm bushings.... Wooohooo

 

My rig is almost identical to yours and presented itself with similar issues. I went ahead and did all 4 air shocks for a few reasons. One was that It was dropping over night, another was that they did feel slightly worn. I did it myself for around 2 grand and it helped both issues. Around 100k is the lifespan of the air struts, just go ahead and replace them its a good investment. Theres nothing worse than having to deal with air suspension problems.

 

Hi Memphis. I will, just not yet. The bags are okay-ish... They are original and they do show the signs of wear, so it is inevitable that they get replaced at some point, but they do hold air very well after the valve block rebuild and so move down the list of priorities. I have quite a bit to do on this truck. Infamous bushings (hard) and the brake light switch (easy) are next, that will take care of the annoying immediate things. Inner tie rods are loose, I'll do those while I do the bushings. Rear brakes have about a month worth of material on them, so they get replaced as well as the rotors. Fluid changes all around, front, rear diffs, t-case and transmission. Then I am planning on cleaning the injectors and whatever else rears its ugly head.

I cut my mechanical teeth working on Fords for a few years, I have to say, these trucks are a bit more complicated, but doable for sure. Not to mention they drive like a dream, and I figured if I am going to wrench might as well wrench on something nice.

P.S. My girlfriend who drives a 2016 Explorer Sport Eco Boost (zoom, zoom) borrowed the LR3 to go to work the first week we owned it....... Long story short, we are getting a 2010 LR4 for her this weekend.

Looks like I am going to get to know these trucks very well in the coming years.