air suspension won't rise

I think they run Microsoft Air Suspension. It's a GPF.

My 96 HSE runs OK for a while then goes into error mode and refuses to take orders. If I leave it like that sometimes it just drops to the bump stops. Last time it did that was in Rugby leaving me to trundle home to Brighton. That loosens your fillings.

Take it to the shop and they reset the fault code and it all works wonderfully. After a few goes at just rebooting the system for me like that (M$oft style) they changed the pump. It ran longer between faults. Changed the valve block. Best yet but it's gone again. Note to self: ring Caffyns.

I'm not impressed by LR on that one. At least Caffyns didn't charge me for the reboots. When it goes it's lovely. Tows a 6meter RIB with a huge pile of dive gear in the back. Beware of the liner slip problem. The V8s trash themselves. Love the beast but wouldn't recomend them.

Does anybody know anything about the protocols on the Testbook port? I have an adapter but it assured me it was 9600 baud and it isn't. My data-analyser really isn't portable and the HSE won't fit into the workshop. It doesn't do stairs.

nigelH

Get it spring converted for less than a new pump costs.

On or around Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:22:08 +0100, "David Bexhall" enlightened us thusly:

that's 'cos it is. I suspect, from what we hear of 'em, that the P38 is marvellous when working and needs either larger-than-average pockets or a lot of learning and equipment to fix.

Austin> that's 'cos it is. I suspect, from what we hear of 'em, Austin> that the P38 is Austin> marvellous when working and needs either Austin> larger-than-average pockets or a lot of learning and Austin> equipment to fix.

I'd have to agree with that. How many hours have I spent on

I don't even want to think about it.

Nigel> Does anybody know anything about the protocols on the Nigel> Testbook port? I have an adapter but it assured me it was Nigel> 9600 baud and it isn't. My data-analyser really isn't Nigel> portable and the HSE won't fit into the workshop. It Nigel> doesn't do stairs.

9600 baud it might be, RS-232 it ain't.

The physical layer protocol is similar to RS-232 and can be adapted pretty easily.

Then you have to deal with the OBD-II protocol which could only have been designed by a committee of lawyers (which, effectively, it was).

Finally you have to deal with the absolute crap data format of the EAS ECU. This includes such gems as having to send a certain code within a certain interval of powering on the ECU (not too soon, because it's not ready, not too late, because it's carried on in non-diagnostic mode), and tdealing with a data stream that appears to be the information you requested at a random location ni a string of FF bytes.

For that amount of effort, Rovacom Lite starts to look very good value! Drop me a mail off-list (replace spam with andy) if you want some more information.

The baud rate is much slower than 9600.

The physical layer is nothing like RS-232.

Again, wrong. The EAS is the same ECU as used on Classics, long before OBD-II was introduced.

Really? If this is Obd-II compliant (which it isn't) then that is a dubious comment.

This includes such gems as having to send a certain code within

Wrong.

and tdealing with a data stream that appears to be the

That is simply not true.

ADB> The baud rate is much slower than 9600. ADB> The physical layer is nothing like RS-232. ADB> Again, wrong.

What a constructive conversation this is becoming!

ADB> The EAS is the same ECU as used on Classics, ADB> long before OBD-II was introduced.

No, the ECUS aren't the same. Similar, but not the same. The classic ECUs date from the early nineties, around the time that OBD-II was being developed, so there's not reason why they shouldn't be compatible.

ADB> Wrong.

How about actually sharing some knowledge and helping everyone rather than just shouting that I'm wrong?

I admit that my knowledge is gleaned from others that know this stuff much better than I do, but I don't think I've been that badly misled.

Andy

I got that far. A friend who used to race cars gave me a box that apparently translates but he assured me that it and the cable were Range Rover compatible but he didn't have any other data. It's still sitting in a box. I plugged it into the laptop and something was there but it didn't seem to be 9600 coming out but it was cold and I developed a bad attack of "don't care". Data coms is part of my business so I don't really want to be doing that in my own time.

But not if all I'm trying to do is save myself a trip to the shop to get the system 'rebooted'. I looked at the website and the full kit for a P38A is virtually 1K. That's way more than I'd spend when, if I whinge enough, they'll fix it in the end.

Thanks though.

nigelH

Nigel> I got that far. A friend who used to race cars gave me a Nigel> box that apparently translates but he assured me that it Nigel> and the cable were Range Rover compatible but he didn't Nigel> have any other data.

For the engine, it might well be. But that's all the OBD-II specfication really covers. Incidentally, I'm assuming a P38A in this discussion, but if you have a classic most of it still applies. ODB-II is emissions related, which in practical terms comes to the gearbox and engine ECUs only.

For classics, each system has it's one connector and interface logic. For the P38A, there is a common diagnostic connector which actually connects three different things - I forget the exact grouping, but the EAS is on one pair of pins, some of the ECUs on a second pair, and the remainder on a third. There's a common ground, +12V accessory power, and a few odd pins like the power reset for the EAS.

Because the EAS connects to different pins on the connector from the engine management, an OBD-II diagnostic system probably won't be able to talk to it.

It's not as simple as "tell ECU 27 to reset faults", unfrotunately.

Nigel> But not if all I'm trying to do is save myself a trip to Nigel> the shop to get the system 'rebooted'.

Depends how near the dealer is and how long they'll keep doing free resets for you....

The thing in the passenger foot well. If it needs more than three pins it's probably the wrong thing anyway as that is all this has.

All they have to do is fix the fault, bill me and I'm happy. I keep taking it back hopefully but.....

Oh well. I'll forget that tack then.

nigelH

Do you know what the reoccurring fault is?

Nigel Hewitt wrote:

Nigel> Once they said there were both high pressure and low Nigel> pressure flags set. I assumed this meant limits exceeded Nigel> but I didn't ask.

These are not known error messages for the system.

has some information on the error messages which the system can produce, and what they might actually mean!

Once they said there were both high pressure and low pressure flags set. I assumed this meant limits exceeded but I didn't ask. The stupid system works but when it is in this mode it refuses commands from the switches so you bounce around at whatever height it currently decides on by feeling its seaweed. It's due a service soon anyway...

nigelH

Ask them for a print out of the fault memory. The EAS does not store a fault regarding high pressure and low pressure flags.

Nigel Hewitt wrote:

I hate it when garages do that.... Come to think of it my wife always used to say the same thing.

has some information on the error messages which the system can> produce, and what they might actually mean! Thanks. Interesting.

nigelH

Potentially, very. If it's a valve block it's around £1000 to fix. The pump is a couple of hundred, IIRC. You may be better finding one which has decent EAS to start with.