so was in Kwik Fit yesterday getting tyres changed.
have been to this car centre before, and previously when they have changed tyres, they put airsuspension in access mode and then into locked mode. this way when wheel is jacked up, the tyre comes off the ground quite easily.
however, on this occasion the wheel did not stay locked in the wheel arch.
they sorted the problem by using the MOT car lift.
once home i looked in the manual, and it says to leave the air suspension in normal mode - it makes no reference to putting the suspension into access mode, and locking it.
am a little worried i have a problem with my air suspension............

Just follow the manual. The suspension can't "pull" the wheels up, it is just an air spring and lowering it to access mode is done by letting air out until it reaches the correct height. Then the connection is closed and the air in the spring is of the same pressure as it would be in normal or off-road height as it still needs to support the car weight in exactly the same way.

Once you lift the car up, the air pressure reduces as the weight comes of the wheels and the wheels are pushed down till the bags stretch sofar that the pressure can't stretch them any further (equilibrium is reached).

Now the volume of air in the spring is less, theoretically that should reduce the maximum expansion of the bag, but since the weight of the car is directly proportional to the pressure and the bags aren't that strong, I'm pretty sure the amount of extension in any mode is more or less the same. That's without doing any calculations of course.

I don't think there is anything wrong here, so don't worry.

First indications of bag failure is the car sagging and coming up as soon as you have started the engine (note that the valves can leak the tiniest bit internally but usually not enough to let the car sag). The first check you could do then is to get it on the same MOT lift so the bags can extend and then look for the tell tale cracks and listen for hissing air.

The compressor can also be on its way out and that can be detected by letting the car rise from access to offroad height and not making it in time (it will give a message on compressor time out), although that could also be leaking bags (this is how I found out about my bags). MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Correct procedure is to put the RR into offroad height and then open door to lock in place. At this setting the wheels will not droop when jacked up.

Last edited by Gazellio @ Prestige Cars on 26th Aug 2013 2:37pm. Edited 1 time in total

Me thinks your talking about a P38 Gaz... Boot won't stop air suspension on the 322...

OK Craig I thought it did. Still best to be in offroad to avoid droop. Thanks

So.... Obvious question, what is the access mode lock actually for ? 2011 Stornaway Grey 5.0SC Autobiography

Car parks & height restricted areas I think.

manual says to leave setting in "normal". doesn't say anything about opening the tailgate......

Manual assumes your using supplied jack (not recmmended) so normal height as it wont reach in offroad but the wheel will droop. If at a tyre shop or personally using a trolley jack under the chassis/suspension then offroad works as there is little further room to droop.

For arguments sake, when you jack the car up, don't latch one of the doors fully and this will stop the car trying to adjust the EAS when jacking it up... Which could be dangerous...

^ I thought boot & doors did this so thanks again Craig

No worries Gary When your next in one, leave the boot open and the EAS will still work, daft really because the upper tailgate could be damaged... Hence the old P38 days

i've jacked up when its been in all three modes and it didnt make any difference....a couple a times its gone down to the bump stops when let off the jack but a start of the engine brought it back up to whatever mode i was in... ... - .- -.




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so to be clear.....

when in kwik fit......put to off road height. keep doors closed.#
when replacing wheel yourself, put in normal height, but leave a door unlatched?

A) With suspension fully extended in off-road height you only need to jack the car a few inches to be able to remove the wheel as when the body/chassis lifts the wheel will lift at the same time/rate.

B) With suspension in normal or access height then you will have to jack the car much higher until all the play in the suspension is taken up (droop).

A) is much quicker & much safer.


* Always leave a door unlatched when changing the wheel.