I'm trying to figure out if my air suspension is working properly. My wife says that she's seen the car lower when stationary and engine switched off. I haven't noticed this to be honest.

Now, when I hit the access button on the drivers door, it does drop. THe book says to do it whilst the car is in motion. When I drive away, I get a message saying "Access - max speed 25mph". After a short while, the light starts to flash on the centre console and the suspension is then back to normal.

Does the car drop when the engine is switched off? and how fast is it supposed to rise when access has been activated? And why does access have to be activated whilst the car is moving? 2010 MY Vogue SE TDV8 3.6 Stornoway Grey- fully loaded

Hi, not sure you fully grasp what access mode is?

It's the lowest mode, so that access in and out is easy. You press the button on the door when moving (when pulling onto your drive for example) but you can also press it when you have parked, but the engine must be on, or the ignition must be on.

When you are driving about normally, the suspension is at standard height. When you are parked, if it is not on 100% flat (notice I say flat, not level, a flat slope is ok) surface the car may still adjust so that the car is level with the ground. If you were parked on a slope, the car would not be level with gravity, but it would be parallel to the ground its parked on. With me?

Anyway, what your wife is probably noticing is either the front dipping to level out, or the rear lifting. This is perfectly normal. The car will also generally level when someone has got out the car (if the doors are closed) to adjust for the weight of the driver leaving etc.

The message "Access - max speed 25mph" is because the suspension has lowered (after you pressed the button) and is warning you that it will raise if you go faster, if you had lowered it to get into a multi storey car park, you obviously wouldnt want it lifting and pinning you to the ceiling!

You should probably read the whole section on the Air Suspension in your handbook, it is one of the most important/usefull features of the car.

Dan 

The engine does not need to be on nor does the ignition need to be on in order to drop into access height.

Quite often I have pulled into the garage, switched off and THEN dropped the suspension. As long as a door has not been opened the car wil drop, if you open a door during the drop it will stop.

This scenario I think only works if you have just been driving. I don't think it works that way if you go out to your car, get in, and then try it from cold.

if you are getting the message of Access Max height 25mph are you sure that it has not been locked in access mode using the button on the selector in the centre console? That's the only time I get that message. Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

Quote:

if you are getting the message of Access Max height 25mph are you sure that it has not been locked in access mode using the button on the selector in the centre console? That's the only time I get that message.

no, because it wasn't in Locked down mode...

From the manual:

"Access height may be selected up to 40 seconds after the ignition is turned off, providing that the driver's door has not been opened within this time" Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

RRUK wrote:

The engine does not need to be on nor does the ignition need to be on in order to drop into access height.

Is this the same for all years? I know on a 2002 I test drove and my 2003 the ign must be on or the engine running....

I'drive/terrain response systems will be different i'm sure. 

same suspension system, no difference. Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

mine will drop without ignition on....

So, you pull up, turn engine off, take key out and press the button and it still drops?

Mine doesnt, but is fine with ign or engine on. Must be broken, maybe there is a fuse that supplies power to it after ign off etc. 

dan_uk_1984 wrote:

So, you pull up, turn engine off, take key out and press the button and it still drops?

Mine doesnt, but is fine with ign or engine on. Must be broken, maybe there is a fuse that supplies power to it after ign off etc.

dan_uk_1984 wrote:

Hi, not sure you fully grasp what access mode is?

It's the lowest mode, so that access in and out is easy. You press the button on the door when moving (when pulling onto your drive for example) but you can also press it when you have parked, but the engine must be on, or the ignition must be on.

When you are driving about normally, the suspension is at standard height. When you are parked, if it is not on 100% flat (notice I say flat, not level, a flat slope is ok) surface the car may still adjust so that the car is level with the ground. If you were parked on a slope, the car would not be level with gravity, but it would be parallel to the ground its parked on. With me?

Anyway, what your wife is probably noticing is either the front dipping to level out, or the rear lifting. This is perfectly normal. The car will also generally level when someone has got out the car (if the doors are closed) to adjust for the weight of the driver leaving etc.

The message "Access - max speed 25mph" is because the suspension has lowered (after you pressed the button) and is warning you that it will raise if you go faster, if you had lowered it to get into a multi storey car park, you obviously wouldnt want it lifting and pinning you to the ceiling!

You should probably read the whole section on the Air Suspension in your handbook, it is one of the most important/usefull features of the car.

Dan

Hi Noddy,
Not sure how relevant this is to your situation:

I have a 2009 MY FFRR. It’s only done 1300 miles, and last week I had a series of problems one after another – all suspension related.

1. Vehicle would lift very slowly. I ignored this –as I just thought that my D3 was quicker and ‘slow motion’ was an FFRR thing.
2. In one journey l just got ‘Suspension Fault’ with no LED lights on the height selector buttons. Restarting the vehicle cleared the fault.
3. Then I got ‘Vehicle lifting slowly’ on a number of occasions.
4. One morning after a couple of short evening trips, I went to start the car, and the battery was completely flat.
5. Last Thursday I drove from London to home (3.5 hrs) and had the ‘Vehicle lifting slowly’ warning a few times, plus by the time I got close to home something was smelling hot. Just as I pulled in my driveway - I got ’Suspension will lift when system cooled’.

I parked it up – and on Friday called Land Rover Assistance.
They arrived within 40 minutes and diagnosed a leaking ‘gallery pressure’. After much hunting it was found the leaking air pressure was at the reservoir connection.
This constant leak led to the suspension being supported all the time by the compressor – and with a 30 Amp draw on the battery - meant the battery was being depleted almost all the time.
It also meant that with the compressor running all the time the car was, it got very hot, and this last message was the biggest clue.

20 minutes work by a very good guy from Southport and the reservoir was off the Range Rover – and ready to be worked on. Disassembly of the connector revealed that an O ring that is under the brass fitting on the end of the air reservoir had been trapped during assembly, and had failed.

Fortunately, being on a farm, we carry a wide range of decent spares for all our kit, and an O ring of the right size was quickly found. With both this and some PTFE thread tape in position, the reservoir was put back and connected up.

It was instantly apparent that this fixed leak had transformed the suspension performance, as the vehicle rose very quickly to normal height. Use of the LR diagnostics computer confirmed that there was now plenty of pressure, with no loss – and as a result the issue was solved.

I put the Vogue’s battery on our big 20 A conditioning charger yesterday and overnight, and now everything seems much livelier!

Just wondered if your FFRR's symptoms would point at a smaller but similar air leak?


Regards,

Muddy Range Rover Vogue SE SDV8 - L405 (now sadly sold)
BMW i3 (fantastic little runabout)
Kioti NX6010 Tractor
Yamaha Big Bear ATV
And a whole heap of other kit...

Is the button meant to be pressed in with light on? If not and the car is in access mode and i just drive off will it auto go up?

You can press the button with the light on or off.
The suspension height button only has two active bits - UP and DOWN
If in 'access' mode then (provided all the passenger doors are closed - else it won't move), pressing the UP button the vehicle will rise to normal operating height and the middle bar indicator will flash until that height is reached.
Pressing the UP button again puts the vehicle suspension to the 'high' setting for off road or obstacle clearance - great for big kerbs etc.
Lights flash to show the mode selected until the height you requested is reached.
Press the DOWN button to reverse the sequence.
In access mode you may hold the button DOWN to get a ping, and this will effectively lock the vehicle height in the lowest setting -
ldeal in car parks with only just enough clearance.

Driving above certain speeds (10mph?) in 'access' or 'high' will initiate a return to normal as if you have pushed the button.
If you had the height lock engaged - it pings you to warn you to slow down and puts a message in the dash to tell you. Range Rover Vogue SE SDV8 - L405 (now sadly sold)
BMW i3 (fantastic little runabout)
Kioti NX6010 Tractor
Yamaha Big Bear ATV
And a whole heap of other kit...

the button that you can move up and down also presses in... Does this do anything different than having the light off?