Spanish Fly
Member Since: 09 Jul 2007
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 217
  
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| Trick the suspension to stay up over 40km/h |
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I had a quick look on here but I couldn't find anything....
Just trying to remember the trick to keep the air suspension up over 40km/h by taking out the relay or door light switch so the car thinks the door is open and therefore doesn't lower the suspension.
A LR dealer told me once but I can't remember how it's done.
Anyone 
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 18th Mar 2009 10:29 pm |
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simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
  
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Maybe replacing the EGR valves with cotton wool based fly pants will do it...
Ain't possible, door light switches or not.
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| 18th Mar 2009 11:15 pm |
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Spanish Fly
Member Since: 09 Jul 2007
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 217
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Apparently it's been done by the owner of the Algeciras Land Rover dealership (Nº 2 in sales in Spain after Madrid). I'll give him a bell tomorrow and find out the secret. He was one of the first to do the shortened suspension sensor rod thing about 5 years ago....
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| 18th Mar 2009 11:24 pm |
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simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
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Be interesting to know the solution, especially if its as easy as just removing a rely to kid the system onto thinking the door is open while travelling at speed.
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| 18th Mar 2009 11:26 pm |
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AndrewS
Tarquin of the Desert
Member Since: 06 May 2005
Location: Y...... because I can
Posts: 10438
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Oh No BBS SPY has wasted all that time and development creating a magic box that alters the suspension height on the move and all they had to do was remove a door.  In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded.
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| 18th Mar 2009 11:32 pm |
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Spanish Fly
Member Since: 09 Jul 2007
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 217
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Thinking about it, it makes sense. Maybe one to try:
- Drive in a bit of waste ground or a big open space with suspension on HIGH setting.
- Open door slightly (not enough to fall out obviously!)
- Go over 40km/h or the mph equivalent
- The info screen on the dash should say something like 'close door for suspension to lower'
- Observe how the suspension should in theory stay 'up'
If this works then surely the relay/switch/sensor just needs removing or earthing etc.
Hey presto!!
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| 18th Mar 2009 11:38 pm |
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Jonty
Member Since: 13 Oct 2007
Location: On the beach
Posts: 417
 
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It's been tried, and didn't work. The D3 is too clever. At the moment, you would need the Matzker kit that allows this or use shortened rods to have a higher base setting.
Do a search for "Keeping the suspension up" or "keeping it up". 
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| 19th Mar 2009 8:10 am |
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Spanish Fly
Member Since: 09 Jul 2007
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 217
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Yeah I've done the shortened rods thing 2 years ago and all it did was overwork the compressor until it failed. This also happened on two other D3 in our group. Not much fun when it happened in the middle of the Cedar Forest track in Northern Morocco and again in the middle of the Erg Chebbi dunes. A 1000km drive home with the Disco on it's bump stops is not very enjoyable! Forget shortened rods or adjustable rods unless you want to carry a spare compressor, and a ROVACOMS to reset the  . 
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| 19th Mar 2009 8:53 am |
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Genis
Member Since: 05 Jul 2006
Location: Windhoek
Posts: 31
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By how much did you shorten the rods?
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| 19th Mar 2009 8:56 am |
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caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
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4x4au has used shortened rods for a long time and has not had any problems. There are a few on here with early d3s which have had compressors fail anyway.
I don't see how shortened rods would cause the system to loose air any faster than standard ones. 
Off road use alone will make it work harder.
Anyone use shortened rods on later models? “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
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| 19th Mar 2009 9:29 am |
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Spanish Fly
Member Since: 09 Jul 2007
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 217
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I cant remember the exact amount we shortnened them, but I think around 15mm or 20mm. I still have them somewhere.
My vehicle was a 2007 SE TDV6 AUTO, the other two were a '05 and a '06 both TDV6. One was a S MAN and the other a SE AUTO.
We were doing some tough pistes and lots of dunes and a lot in off-road height. It was October 2007 in Morocco with ambient temperatures around 20C-25C.
Incidentally I called my friend who owns the LR dealership in Algeciras and he was also in Morocco with a couple of clients with D3s. One of them had the same problem and he too had to drive 1000km home on the bump stops. Very embarassing for him as he had just sold him the vehicle
After that we al stopped using the damn shortened rods! 
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| 19th Mar 2009 9:37 am |
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caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
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15 to 20mm is a lot.  suprised it wasn't the CV joints that went. 
My prototype system has only a 10mm shortening ability. Also as it is able to be returned to normal at the press of a button normal off road height and settings can be used for the more arduous settings. When activated normal becomes off road, off road becomes extended and extended becomes super extended. If you do not go up again when youre suspension goes int extened mode you are still within normal LR limits.
The main use should be to allow a greater clearance at speeds over 40Kph.
At 20mm I would think you will be running at very high prerssures in the bags and close to extended height at normal speeds.
It will be interesting to see if there is a rash of compressor failures with the USA shortened rods and at what length. “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
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| 19th Mar 2009 10:06 am |
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Genis
Member Since: 05 Jul 2006
Location: Windhoek
Posts: 31
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CaverD3, how's your system holding up to abuse? Have you found a tester yet or are you testing it yourself?
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| 19th Mar 2009 10:18 am |
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PaulP
Member Since: 04 May 2007
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 4317
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me!! 15-20mm?
I know people running with the rods shortened between 5mm and 10mm and they have no issues - the only D3s that have ever killed their compressors around here were all 2005 (or early 2006) models anyway, and they seemed to fail just as easily with shortened or standard rods.
We've tried the door open trick and it doesn't work. The D3 will still lower eventually. 
A mate of mine had a magic switch fitted to keep the suspension up - I seem to remember him saying that it deactivated the compressor, but that doesn't make sense...
I'll give him a call this morning and let you know. The only thing for sure is that even the magic switch system didn't work very well and he just reverted to using -10mm rods after his compressor failed (again it was a 2005 D3 so maybe not caused by his tinkering)
I've got a set of -5mm rods in my glovebox to be fitted in the next week or so  2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham Blue
2007 Golf GT DSG
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| 19th Mar 2009 10:25 am |
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highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
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I've never had any trouble keeping it up over 40 On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
Official product sponsor for "Bloodhound SSC" 1000+ mph world land speed record
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| 19th Mar 2009 11:31 am |
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