Dear all, I'm new to this forum, having bought a 2009 LR3 only yesterday.. However it is with great frustration that there is now a warning light on the dash that effectively says the "suspension is faulty" and that "normal height must be restricted" to. words to that effect.

The arming light came on whilst i was stationary for about 15 minutes with the engine running. It came on and stayed on until i restarted the engine; then disappeared. It feels like this is an electrical fault as the disco suspension does move up and down when i switch the selector whilst the warning is inactive. When active the selector switch blocks out the ability to move the suspension up or down.

I've read a few posts over at the Range Rover site and they mention the compressor drier may the faulty part.

Can anyone advise if they have suffered from this issue before and what might the possible consequences be?

would be very grateful..

Best Wishes

superkev

 

Could be a great many things; if your compressor is still functioning then it could be more electrical. What else is happening? Does it prohibit special programs? Is there also an HDC fault? If so, could be the brake switch.

 

Hi Houm_wa, i'm not really sure. The fact that it still goes up and down once the warning has been deactivated suggests the compressor still functions; a little at least. I'm not really sure of the special programs. what do you mean by this? I've never had it in HDC as it was in the garage on a flat road when i first discovered it. i'll read more and come back to you.

many thanks for your message

superkev

 

Many of us have experienced the faulty brake switch. Driving down the road, then suddenly "bing bong" and you get a suspension fault and an HDC fault (regardless of whether or not it was being used) and it will tell you something about terrain response not functioning and special functions unavailable (if you try to pick anything but "general" mode) Are you sure it had you stuck in "normal" height and not "access" height?

I believe the brake switch issue puts the LR3 in Access Height.

 

You know what houm_wa? i'm not sure. i was stationary when the warning came on and it deactivated the switch that allows you to change the suspension height. i kind of fumbled for a while until i thought about a "computer restart" and thus i switched the engine off and on again. It solved the issue but i'm thinking it's only temporary. I don't recall the dash saying it was an HDC fault though. Normal level was what it displayed on the dash not access level.

thanks

 

Okay...well try to make more observations, and details matter. It could be an issue with a height sensor, too. This probably isn't a show-stopper for you...just want to find the right area to try and fix. Lots of things, unfortunately, can cause a suspension fault.

 

agreed, thanks for the advice; ill be i'll be in touch

 

Superkev,

One of your first investments with this car should be some form of code reader. I can't tell you all the ones that are out there on the market right now, but I can say that the IID tool from GAP is a fantastic value for the money. Of course, when I first saw the price of all of these electronic tools, I almost had a heart attack, but I honestly believe that you get the most bang for your buck with the IID tool (and great customer service to boot).

Whatever you decide to go with, you will at least be able to read the fault codes and have a better idea of why your little warning lights are binging and bonging.

I will say that one seemingly very common problem with these cars that have never had the compressor or dryer replaced is that the desiccant in the dryer assembly get completely saturated and then breaks down over time. It basically turns into a dust/fine powder that will then clog the filter in the dryer assembly and if you're very unlucky, the air lines and valve blocks.

This will in turn cause the compressor to work extra hard and lead to the air reservoir and/or shocks themselves to fill with air too slowly, so the computer spits out a warning telling you that something is wrong.

Of course, it could be a million other things as well but at 5 years old now, it is a good time to replace the dryer anyway (IMHO). I believe the best price I saw online was $106 from LR Merriam parts (part #VUB504700). If you go this route, then I would also pick up one of the compressor refresh kits and replace your compressor seals and springs while you're at it.

So... just to clarify. You may be able to solve your problem by replacing the dryer, but there is no guarantee without first reading the codes to find out what set the warning light off. However, it is probably good preventative maintenance to do this anyway at this point in your car's life, so you may want to give it a shot.

 

.....x2

 

cmb6s,

Thanks for your post - very informative. I will have a look on line and see what i can find. Qatar is a bit of a bubble when it comes to spare parts. That is, they are all imported, very very very expensive and even more for labour.

I'll get to it and report back my findings. Just to be clear, the part ref you mention above; is this a reference the UK dealers will understand or just US?

best wishes