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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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#3 ·
There was no need to get the fault cleared.
Yes, I had a suspension fault error on my dash prior to this fix.

If you have any other questions peratining to this fix, please feel free to PM or post here. :beer:
 
#4 ·
thank you for sharing your knowledge. Now, a question that is compressor related.

Does anyone know if one can get a larger ompressor to serve the suspension system, but also is able to be used to inflate tires? I am curious because o\f the desire to drive on beaches, which requires deflating tires to improve traction, and don't want to drive on underinflated tires on highway to get to a gas station (which i did when I rented 4WD to hit the beach).

I assume asking the stock compressor to iflate tires is asking too much, correct?

Does anyone have any suggestions, aside from getting a cheap 12V compressor to carry in this situations on how to have built in capacity to inflate tires?

Thanks!
 
#5 ·
I would recommend purchasing a powertank and keeping it in your vehicle. I keep this in my buggy 24 / 7. I personally like it because there is no electricity needed and it’s portable.

 
#12 ·
I had the cover off the other day, but couldnt work out how they secure and remain air tight.
Cheers
It's sort of spring loaded and pressure sealed. Basically, when you pull on the line, the spring gets tighter and you wont be able to remove the line. The way to remove the line is to hold the retainer fitting flushed against the pump and pull the the line. ;)
 
#10 ·
Good job Pacifier!

I have some questions about the diagnostic of compressor fault.

1. How you concluded that it was actually the compressor and not a leak somewhere else or clogging of inlet filter or dryer or a valve?;

2. I know that the vast majority of issues is really the compressor fault (a fault in compressor internal valve in early models), but you followed a checklist of single thing before?;

3. The new compressor comes with the dryer?;

4. The symptoms suddenly appeared or not?

Thank you in advance. I have at this moment a amber light, a fault code C1A20 "pressure increases too slowly while filling reservoir". Exactly as described in LR Bulletim at http://www.rrsport.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10111/LS204-004Airsuspension.pdf

The symptom in my Disco appeared suddenly.

Regards.
 
#11 ·
Replaced the compressor last night. It was -15 outside but I was able to keep partially warm in the garage at a toasty 5 degrees C. The job went ok:

disconnect battery: easy
remove lower comp. cover: easy
disconnect air lines/e power: easy
remove three hex bolts (1 under and 2 above): not much tool room, swearing

I had trouble at this point removing the actual compressor. My upper shield seemed to be in the way. I couldn't seem to get the damn shield out of the way. The write up doesn't seem to deal with the shield issue. How to remove?

Again installing the hardest part was getting clearence due to the upper shield. Outside of this PIA the job went well. The slush and dried road salt didn't make for a pleasant environment.


The compressor was replaced because the odd intermittant fault had escalated to blowing 60amp compressor fuses. The compressor I replaced lookks to be either a used and/or rebuilt. This would suggest that at 125k kms my LR3 is now on it's third compressor....
 
#13 ·
I have some questions about the diagnostic of compressor fault.

1. How you concluded that it was actually the compressor and not a leak somewhere else or clogging of inlet filter or dryer or a valve?;

It actually started out as a leak and I just ignored the problem, thus resulting on a burned compressor from being over worked. :clap:

2. I know that the vast majority of issues is really the compressor fault (a fault in compressor internal valve in early models), but you followed a checklist of single thing before?;

I knew it was the compressor because I lost all the air on my air shocks and the compressor just stopped working completely.

3. The new compressor comes with the dryer?;

Everything that I needed was included with the compressor I ordered (OEM).

4. The symptoms suddenly appeared or not?

Yes! I got faulty errors a few times before and just restarted my vehicle. I did this for about two months before the compressor finally burned out.

I hope this answers your questions.
 
#18 ·
I have some questions about the diagnostic of compressor fault.

1. How you concluded that it was actually the compressor and not a leak somewhere else or clogging of inlet filter or dryer or a valve?;

It actually started out as a leak and I just ignored the problem, thus resulting on a burned compressor from being over worked. :clap:

Good job, it's nice and clear. But one question, where is the leak at the first place, if you just replace a new compressor without fixing the leaking area, will the new compressor over worked and burned out again, just like the old one did? Thank you.
 
#15 ·
Compressor replacement has solved my yellow light error messages. I also noticed that the vehicle farts more after shutdown. With brand new compressors available on Ebay for around $500 I wouldn't mess around trying to fix parts on the old one. The process is really not that hard. If I had to do it again (in another 60k kms?) it would likely only take 30 minutes.
 
#16 ·
Pacifier,
Great contribution, thank you. I am about to become a Discovery owner after giving up on BMW's rear traction here in Scotland, useless!!.
I keep hearing reliability issues on the Discoveries so what better way to get to know more from the experts:
- What should I watch for when looking at used Discos? I am looking at a 2008-2009 model, probably around 30,000 miles on the clock
- What is the FBH? All the units come with this device?
- Do all the Discoveries come with air suspension?, therefore the need to deal with air compressors, etc?

This is for now.

Thanks!!
 
#17 ·
Pacifier, great info. Mt '05 LR3 comp just starting to go out. dealer wants 1,100 U.S. :bawling: so I have 2 questions.

1) Dealer said after install suspension needs calibrating. Is this true?:dunno: If so, how did you do yours?



2)Where did you get your new OEM compressor from?


Thanks a ton. Can't wait to get started...
 
#19 ·
1) I didn't calibrate mine. It was fine afterwards. Me thinks that is a wallet draining scam.

2) Ebay. OEM compressor, new for about $500 US. Local dealer here in Alberta, Canada was selling refurbished units for $900. I replaced a refurbished unit so I don't trust them . My preference would be new.
 
#21 ·
wow, great listening to someone that obviously doesn't read land rover technical website. cause they are a great many bulletins that specify how to diagnose air suspension and parts are separate. you don't need a new compressor. you can get an air dryer and other stuff needed. the trick is to get the codes read and then by reading the bulletin you can find out what part you need.

oh and a vehicle dropping doesn't necessarily mean its a compressor or even a bag. it can be a valve as well. trick is to know how the system and to diagnose it correctly.

but I am sure the six hundred bucks spent on a used compressor off of ebay makes you feel better when you have even learned anything about your vehicle or got it diagnosed correctly.

oh and while the vehicle is under warrantee, we are not allowed to replace the compressor unless we go about and do about fifteen diagnostic steps and parts along with it.
 
#25 ·
when diagnoising the eas compressor fault, here are some hints, if the compressor is noisy or blowing the main fuse there is a good chance you need a compressor, if not i recommend getting the codes pulled because the compressor may just need a dryer and valve kit, also when replacing or repairing the compressor always replace the controling relay as this fails and keeps the compressor running, one more point, the eas software has a update which i recommend you get updated even before your compressor fails
David
Bear Valley Service
 
#30 ·
My buddy, a Land Rover tech, did the install for me over the weekend. I was going to do it on my own and found this DIY, but when a dealer trained tech offers to do it for you, you don't mind! ;)

But one thing I noted (I work on my other cars quite a bit) - instead of removing the compressor from its mounting bracket (by undoing the bolts with an allen key), remove the entire assembly from the car. There are three bolts that hold the bracket in place, two on the bottom, one up top that is hidden from view. The photo in the thread with the compressor removed shows the bolts I mean. If you use a 1/4" extension with a universal joint, you can get in there to undo the top one. Beats trying to get an allen key into position with the risk of rounding if the bolt is rusty.

Then you can just swap the compressors onto the bracket on the workbench. With the bracket removed, you can also see that the holes for the bottom two bolts are circular, but the upper one is elongated - aids in re-installation as then you don't have to be spot on with the top bolt. Suggestion is to loosely install the two bottom bolts, and then you should be able to get at the top one.

My buddy advised that the trick to doing this method is to leave the upper plastic cover in place, or to reinstall it first.

My symptoms, confirmed with the diagnostic computer my friend had, was that the compressor was quite noisy, and of course the suspension fault warning light came on with 'normal mode only' flashing on the screen.

With the new compressor in place, everything was good to go again.
 
#31 · (Edited)
More good info. Thanks. Just a survey question..Was your compressor still semi- functional (mostly at startup) or was it dead. And if it was still able to raise the vehicle before faulting, did your buddy have to decompress the system before disconnect. Thanks
 
#32 ·
I noticed in the LR service bulletin "When the new air compressor is installed the air suspension control
module software must be updated to the latest specification, using WDS disc 13 or later."I occasionally get the yellow alarm, and it seems to happen when I have a passenger
guess it is time for a replacement and was curious about the SB statement
Any thoughts ?
2005 LR 3 SE
 
#35 ·
dealers have them, you have to put a new compressor on them. seen it alot from tire shops. For a while we made good money off of people not paying attention. Most of not paid attention.

But its the dealer for the bracket, sorry. once the bracket is broken the seal on the compressor is damaged as well.
 
#37 ·
Not as easy as this makes out....

Just finished following these instructions to replace my air compressor. Note that this thread understates some of the difficulties, and I thought I would provide some additional detail to help the next person. First off, tools:
-You will need a 10 mm socket, I would recommend a 1/4 in drive based on space available, but you can probably make a 3/8 in work, and an extension (a wobble head will work better, 6 in)
-10 mm wrench, prefably with a ratchet box on one end
-4mm hex bit for a screw driver
-1/4 in wrench (used to turn the hex bit on the second hex bolt--space is tight but you can hold it in place with a finger and reach up and turn it with the 1/4 wrench)
-A interior panel pry bar (mine was just the right size to push on the bases of the air lines making their removal much easier)
-Medium (blue) thread lock for locking the bolts back on

If your installation is like my LR3 there is no way to get the top accoustic cover off without removing the air compressor first, and even with two universals and several extensions there is no way to take off the upper mounting frame bolt like one poster suggested. And getting the top hex bolt off contecting the compressor to the frame was just too difficult (for my hands at least) with the accoustic box top in place. But the hex bolts holding the compressor on are all through rubber bushings. So I took out the bottom two hex bolts, and that gave the flexibility to move the compressor and gain sufficient access to remove the upper compressor frame bolt (the frame bolts need the thread lock when you reinstall them). I could then remove the compressor frame, take off the last upper hex bolt and bolt on the new compressor with that same hex bolt. Then bolt the frame back on the LR, followed by the second hex bolt (it is slow using the 4mm hex screw driver bit and 1/4 wrench, but it works well then the bottom hex bolt. You can then install the air lines and electric connectors.

And as an editorial, I can say that LR design engineers are incompetent. That is the worst installation design for a part that not only needs to be replaceable, but based on the posts seems to be a consumable item. But I guess its British and to be expected...
 
#38 · (Edited)
Appreciate the instructions.

I appreciate your effort in providing those instructions. The "most English" bit about the compressor install/location is that the placement is such that most tyre repair shops will catch the edge of the plastic compressor case with their trolley jack or hoist.

The sharp cracking noise will not be the plastic breaking but the snapping of the aluminum compressor bracket hidden inside. At that point, your instructions become even more relevant.

The link below has a jpg showing a nice new bracket and a not so nice inside of my previous compressor.

DISCO3.CO.UK Photo Gallery - Broken Air Compressor RQG500060
 
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