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LR3 - Replacing the suspension compressor

246K views 114 replies 47 participants last post by  Enaidabey 
#1 · (Edited)
How To: LR3 - Replacing the suspension compressor

Since I didn't find this information on the site, I decided to join and create a how to replace the suspension compressor thread. I hope this helps you all if needed in the future. I purchased my vehicle brand new on December 2005, when they first became available. I have not had any problems with it until now, off course, the warranty has expired :)

After a few days without a soft suspension on the LR3, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new compressor and install it myself. Total cost $530 (OEM compressor) and about 1.5 hours of my time.

Land Rover wanted $900 (retail) for the compressor and about 2 hours of labor @ $125 an hour + diagnostics, tax, shop supplies, etc..etc....... Bottom line, the job would have cost me about $1300 - $1400.

Tools needed:



Part # LR015303



Here is how it’s done.

The compressor is located in front of the rear drivers side tire next to the outer portion of the frame.



The first thing to do is to disconnect the battery, so that all electronic components don't kick in do to the auto leveling system.




Next, you will need to remove 3 screws that hold the compressor and remove the 3 air lines that are connected to the compressor. You will also need to remove two plugs that power up the compressor and transmit the signal to the computer.

*** The trick to removing the air lines is to hold the base plate flushed against the compressor while you pull on the air line.






Once that portion has been done, you will need to remove the 3 bolts that hold the compressor in place (2 on the bottom and one on top).







Now you can remove the old compressor and install the new one in the reversed order.

New compressor installed.



No errors on the dash....



Note the icon showing the suspension at full height



I hope this helps.....
 
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#72 ·
Rubber vibration absorbers?

I assume the three rubber like vibration absorbers were still with the bracket?


 
#73 ·
I tightened the bots and moved the rubber absorbers to the new bracket so I know that is not it... although good suggestions. As for the lines, are you referring to the air hoses? I checked all the lines going in and out, all seem to be just fine but I will check again. I'm pretty sure if I go to the dealer they will just want to replace it for who knows how much...

Thanks for the help.
 
#75 ·
I actually took the cover off and put it back on making sure all the "clips" were lined up and connected. I don't think that is it. I ran the pump while the cover was off but can't seem to trace the noise. The top part of the clam shell seems loose; does it mount to anything separately? Is it possible the pump is bad even though it's still listing the Rover? Thanks again!
 
#76 ·
I have a 2005 LR3. I had to replace the air compressor twice. Once under warranty and then again just after it had passed warranty. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had new tires put on the car and I noticed that afterwards the steering wheel was slightly off center. (When the car was going straight, the steering wheel looked like it was turned to the right a few degrees.) Anyway, I got the warning lights coming on for the suspension. I came on this site (and maybe one other) trying to find out what may have been the problem. After reading a bunch of your posts, I ran across one where the poster asked if the steering wheel was crooked as part of the problem solving. That immediately made me perk up because I knew that my steering wheel was crooked since I had the tires put on. So, I took the car back to the tire place and they straightened out the steering wheel. Whatever they did, it not only straightened out the steering wheel but the lights haven't come back on since.

so, I'd recommend that you check out the steering wheel and make sure it's square when the car is going straight. If not, that could be your problem, not the air compressor. Why this would make the lights go on, I have no idea…. but someone in here suggested it and it solved my problem. So, thanks to that guy for sharing that clue. :clap:

PS: I believe the 'crooked steering wheel' tip I read was on another site. But I hope it can help someone find a quick, inexpensive fix.

and while I'm at it, I wouldn't trust a Land Rover dealer. My experience is that they charge huge amounts more than you would pay a regular mechanic to fix the problem. I also wouldn't put it past them to charge for a major repair even if the problem was a simple fix.
 
#77 ·
light goes on because computer thinks 3 is skidding

I presume that the air suspension warning light would go on after driving what I will call a significant distance on a fairly straight road - a freeway rather than a city street.

What I am saying is that with stop and go city driving, the light for the most part remained off, but on the highway, the suspension warning light would eventually illuminate.

I theorize that on the freeway, the anti skid electronics see that the 3 is turning based on the steering wheel sensor output, however the yaw sensors tell the computers that your 3 is not turning.

As such, the computers default your 3 to safe mode as the inputs make no sense.

Then when you shut down, the computation is erased and after start up, the circuits start watching again.

In the city, because there is constant stop and go plus turning, the yaw circuitry never gets a chance to really "study" the apparent inconsistency and hence accepts the readings as city driving and that all is OK.
 
#78 ·
Thanks everyone for all of the helpful information in this thread.

A few quick questions

- Is the part number LR023964 for the latest AMK compressor? [the thread is a bit dated and wanted to be sure]
- Going rate is 650$ on ebay, Is this the expected price
- Can the repair be done without jacking up the vehicle?

thanks very much for the help and glad to join the board :)
 
#80 ·
Usually with LR if you request a part number they will show the superseded parted number.

If you are trying to get the original part best to get familiar with what it looks like if trying to get one on ebay to make sure you get the one you want.

changing it out is not to hard but yes as BByer said you dont really need to jack it up, just get it up in offroad height and get it supported so it does not adjust. then disconnect the battery to make sure everything is shut off.
 
#79 ·
You have to support your 3.

It is not so much a matter of jacking up your 3 as supporting it - and of course how many spare fingers you have.

With air suspension, even when not playing with it, the vehicle can always drop seemingly for no apparent reason. Replacement of the air compressor opens up many air lines but does not necessarily empty the air springs, hence at least 4 axle jacks, one under each corner of the frame is required.

The link / pdf below shows jacking points where all 3 tons of your 3 can be safely supported.

This link just under is to a number of albums. There are about 3 albums specifically related to the air system and within each, a number of files that may be of interest.

DISCO3.CO.UK Photo Gallery - Home > Member Galleries > bbyer

http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/15405/Axle_Stand_Frame_Jacking_Points.pdf
 
#81 ·
I changed mine today... I bought one one aliexpress brand new for $255.00 they shipped it dhl on the 7th from china and to my amazement it showed up today on the 8th I installed it in less than 45 minutes the top cover you just pull out... it will come out other than that this new one works great and should hopefully last longer than the oem ones
 
#83 ·
Thanks for posting this. I am certainly tempted. I have been running my LR3 2006 with the suspension fault about 6 months or so. I know i need to change it at one point. One question is the part you posted seems to be missing a couple pieces compared to the original one sold on ebay (Genuine DISCOVERY 3 & Range Rover Sport Air Suspension Compressor (LR045251) | eBay). is that right? or it is just the pictures.
 
#88 ·
Even though I have a 2006 RR Sport, I read most of this thread with great interest! Thanks to all that contributed!! :clap:
How much different is this job on the Sport? I've had my compressor changed twice in two years and based on my experience with this vehicle, I believe my charming third time is not far away! :eek:
 
#90 ·
Here is a good thread for how to replace the compressor:
DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - How To - Air Suspension Compressor replacement

And here is a repair thread (still plenty of good info):
DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - Suspension Compressor / Suspension error

Another repair thread:
DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - How to 'repair' air compressor and fit new air dyer

I don't know if these links will come through because I'm not quite sure what the rules on this forum are, but if they don't I will try a different method...
 
#94 ·
Does anyone have a 'how to' for replacing the compressor with this new kit? And is there any problems that will arise if I don't get the software update after the replacement is installed? I have a 2006 LR3 and currently its a low rider.
See my link in the post above yours!

You can run with the old software for the Hitachi for a while but I have heard that you can find the rear raised and the front lowered with the wrong software. If you like the dragster look I suppose that's fine but for ten minutes of update it's a shame. Your LR dealer can do it if you do the wrenching or find an independent LR shop.

Of course you may want to confirm it IS the compressor and not an air leak in a valve block or on the compressor/dryer assembly. Reading the fault codes should confirm.
 
#95 ·
Sorry to just jump on this thread but i have a problem with my discovery 3.the orange light came on (the picture of the car with arrows above ) and the message suspension fault come on the screen, obviosly i pulled the lower button which made the motor drop on its ass and its been there ever since and wont raise again.now the message normal hieght only has popped up...it turns out i have an AMK compressor and im lead to believe i have to replace this as it cant be serviced,but i was wondering if it is the compressor and if anyone could shead some light to help me

thank you

tony
 
#96 ·
Tony,

There are many many reasons you can get this error. Just search this forum and others and you will get some idea of what I'm talking about. I don't know what year your D3 is or how old the compressor is, but there are a number of things that can go wrong that do not require full compressor replacement.

Unfortunately, it's kind of a crapshoot unless you can read the fault codes and come back and tell us what the errors are. If you have already taken the D3 to a garage, they should be able to pull the codes and tell you exactly what they are. We might be able to help you better with those.

If you do not have a fault code reader or have not taken it to a garage, then there are things you can try on your own, but again, no guarantees than any of this will work. One common issue seems to be the relay going out. There is an updated relay that was supplied with the AMK compressor. I don't know how much it costs, but I have read a few posts where people have solved their problems by replacing this relay.

Another common issue if your compressor is 3 years old or older is that the desiccant tends to clump up and then begins to degrade. The makes it very difficult for the compressor to fill the reservoir tank as it must work much harder than it's supposed to. If the desiccant is in really bad shape, it may degrade to the point where it is more or less dust. This dust can permeate the air lines and gunk up the valve blocks among other things. You can remove the compressor and have a look at the state of the desiccant. If it's in really bad shape, consider replacing just the dryer assembly to the tune of $125 USD in parts... work you can do yourself.

Beyond this, there are compressor "refresh kits", though I'm not sure if they make them only for the Hitachi compressor or both the Hitachi and AMK compressors.

Hope this helps a little bit. Good luck!!
 
#97 ·
Thanks for that ,ive took the motor to a garage who are at the moment trying to fix it ,ive only had it 6 weeks and the garage i bought it off are saying i only got a 1 month warranty so i might have to foot the bill myself which seems unfair but there you go,and the garage told me it will take 7 hours to exchange the pump which i think is rubbish as ive changed engines in less,so they are going to phone today with the problem and ile let you know what they say (i was just starting to enjoy the disco too ,this has really kicked my confidence in)
 
#98 ·
No offense, but you need to find a new garage then. Changing the entire compressor probably takes about 30 mins. Maybe 60 mins if you've never done it before and are slow and taking your time. There are many how-to's on this board and others.

Forgot to tell you... one other common problem is that a hairline crack forms in the dryer between the two hose connections on the side opposite the compressor. This can also cause errors.

A less common, but still possible problem is an issue with one of the ride height sensors.
 
#99 ·
Yep, took me only a couple of hours at a snails pace to replace the Hitachi with the AMK on my '07. I was just being super cautious to read the instructions....so 7 hours must include their technicians breakfast, lunch and dinner...are they a LR franchise dealer ? They may not have the training and/or tools...or know how to read these news groups...
 
#100 ·
well the garage who do the work for the dealer i bought it off have said its the compressor and will take 7 hours to do but they cant put their finger on what exactly the problem is .so ive told them to take it to les potts for a second opinion.i called les yesterday who told me its not the compressor but there is a problem which they will fix today he also said there is a load of fault codes which have been turned off by the fore mentioned garage ,when i do get it back im goin to tell the dealer to watch the bloke doing work for him as hes robbing them blind
 
#103 ·
I'm going to be rebuilding the exhaust valve on my compressor this weekend. I have a question that I haven't seen answered yet- does the entire car need to be jacked up to reduce any pressure on the compressor? I have access to a car lift if I need to (friend's shop), or I can jack it up at my house but I have not seen that question addressed.
 
#104 ·
If you're asking if you need to support the suspension whilst the compressor is removed then the answer is no. The valve blocks front and back will maintain the airbag pressure (unless you have other problems!). You may be able to get the compressor out from under without jacking or lifting but when I did mine, a lift was a great help on the old bones ;-)
 
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