Sarasota European Auto Repair

Sarasota Land Rover and Range Rover Air Suspension Repair

You may be seeing a warning on your car that reads “Suspension Fault. Stop Engine. Stop Safely.”, “Suspension Fault Normal Height Only”, or some other suspension warning on your Land Rover or Range Rover. Worry not! Jesse’s Garage is Sarasota’s proud Land Rover specialist near you. We have diagnosed and successfully repaired hundreds of Land Rover and Range Rover air suspension systems, so there isn’t a problem we haven’t seen and fixed before. Rest assured, you will leave our shop with an air suspension system that performs as designed at the factory and you can be confident that your repairs come with Sarasota’s longest warranty.

What does “Suspension Fault. Stop Engine. Stop Safely.”, “Suspension Fault Normal Height Only”, or any other suspension warning mean?

A Land Rover or Range Rover air suspension warning typically is triggered by the vehicle sitting too low, failing air suspension compressor, or malfunctioning height control system. This failure can cause a wide variety of problems extending beyond just the air suspension system if driven, including body or frame damage from driving outside of the manufacturer-designed parameters.

What should I do when my Land Rover or Range Rover says  “Suspension Fault. Stop Engine. Stop Safely.”, “Suspension Fault Normal Height Only”, or any other suspension warning?

If you see any of these warnings, the car has detected a fault in the air suspension system and it may require repair. We recommend calling our qualified team at Jesse’s Garage European Auto Repair (941-914-2202) in order to provide proper advice on your specific circumstance. Driving on a failing air suspension can lead to further damage and make the repair more expensive than it originally needed to be.

In simple terms, how does the Land Rover air suspension system work?

Put simply, the air suspension system in these vehicles replaces the steel coil springs that you might see in your typical automobile. By using air bags filled with compressed air, these Land Rovers and Range Rovers can control and modulate various settings that a metal coil spring cannot. The vehicles are able to modulate spring rate, ride height, and rake on-the-fly while driving, allowing the car to adapt to cornering, terrain, braking, etc. The air suspension also allows the car to decrease the ride height to make ingress (entering the vehicle) and egress (exiting the vehicle) easier and more dignified.

In simple terms, what components are in the Land Rover air suspension system and how might they fail?

Air Compressor

• At the core of this system is the air suspension compressor itself. As the name explains, this is the pump that takes normal ambient air and pressurizes it to fill the rest of the system.
• If a leak develops in any part of the system, the compressor will naturally have to work overtime to compensate for the air being lost and pressure being bled out. Over time, working the compressor this hard will lead to a mechanical failure in the compressor. The air suspension compressor and relay would need to be replaced in this scenario, as well as replacing the leaking component.

Valve blocks

• There are (3x) valve blocks on most of these Land Rovers and Range Rovers - at the compressor, in the front, and in the rear. The valve blocks simply control the flow of air. The compressor valve block distributes air to the front and rear. The front and rear valve block each distribute air into the left and right air shocks on their respective axles.
• Leaks can develop internally and externally. This means that these valve blocks can leak pressure from the air bag into another part of the system (when it isn’t supposed to) or the valve block can leak pressurized air into the atmosphere. Both leaks will cause the suspension to sag and the compressor to over-compensate, potentially leading to a compressor failure on top of the leaking component (see above).

Air Shocks

• There is (1x) air spring/shock controlling each wheel, just like a normal shock and spring setup in any other car. When these air bags leak, the suspension may sag and, again, cause the air suspension compressor to work overtime, overheat, and damage the system.

What can I do to prevent air suspension failure?

No part, on any car, is made to (or will) last forever. With time and mileage, leaks may occur naturally. However, if you notice your Land Rover or Range Rover is sitting low in the morning, after being parked, or you’re getting any suspension warning, make sure to call Jesse’s Garage, your local Sarasota Land Rover and Range Rover air suspension experts, as soon as possible. Catching leaks earlier rather than later can sometimes save the compressor from having to be replaced.

Don’t hesitate to call your local Sarasota European auto specialist at Jesse’s Garage for the most accurate diagnosis, the area’s longest warranty, free loaner vehicles, free Uber to and from the shop, and Land Rover and Range Rover dealer-trained technicians working on your car! Give us a call for an appointment, often same-day or next-day!

Call us today at 941-914-2202 or send us a message after-hours HERE!