The early air compressors were short-lived, many not even getting through the warranty period.This ties in with my own experience of a 2003 car bought when seven years old in 2010 and on just over 30k miles. By 35k, I needed a new compressor and one was fitted. This one was still on the car six years later and 115k miles when I part-exed it last year for a Sovereign.

 

Well I took the relay apart and unfortunately it looked pristine. I pried the contact open and looked it over with a magnifying glass and it looked like new. i guess my next step is to install the new piston seal. I won't be able to get to that until the weekend at the earliest. Thank you all for the help and advice.

 

You did not take it apart. You partly disassembled it but if you flick the ring holding the spring steel contact off the holder you can see the contacts without a magnifying glass.

Take the upper contact plate OUT and check the contacts.



It takes 5 seconds to remove the upper contact plate, you will not damage the relay.

That might not be your problem but the compressor puts a heavy load on the contacts and they get 'carboned up' easily.

bob

 

Now I see, my mistake. Thanks Bob. I'll do that tonight, as soon as I get home. I did notice that the relay was quite warm when I took it out. Even though the car hadn't been run in at least an hour. I'll take it apart and post another pic tonight and we'll see what I've got. Thanks again for your time.

 

Here are two proper pics of the contacts with the relay taken apart. I am not a electronics expert but they look ok, at least to my untrained eye. What do you think Bob? the contacts looked almost like they had a crosshatch pattern on the contact face, but that could have been my eyes too...

Thanks in advance for the assistance Bob and all the others.

 

NOT BURNT!!!!!

Relay looks good so on to other diagnostics!!!

I had a customer car a few months ago that was almost sitting on the ground because the compressor would not run. Turned out it was just a BURNT relay and I replaced it so the compressor would keep the suspension UP!!

Cheap fix and HAPPY customer!!

bob

 

Thanks Bob, I guess my next step is the piston seal since I have the part? Thanks Bob, your expertise is much appreciated.

 

Pretty easy job, took my time, & was done pretty quickly, one afternoon, after studying the manual's pictures, & directions. Patience helps a great deal, as with any job!

 

Did you remove the front wheel? I believe I've seen it both ways, my inclination is to have the extra room of the wheel off. It doesn't look too hard. I should be able to do it in two but it will take me four because there will be a bolt I can't get to or can't get off and that will kill an hour!

 

It will definitely be much easier with the wheel off.

 

Boy, were you right. I ended up having to use my ramps to get the car elevated and consequently had to leave the wheels on... What a pain in the butt that was. But I'm done, took it for a ride, no error messages yet (fingers crossed)!

 

Should be fine.

 

So far (two weeks) so good on the suspension fault. Before I started work on the compressor, I went to disconnect the negative battery terminal. I found that someone had just set the clamp over the post and never tightened it! It was just sitting there. I'm wondering if this loose connection was what was causing the suspension fault warnings in the first place... I'll probably never know as I replaced the worn piston ring and tightened the battery terminal at the same time. Since then no fault warnings of any kind.

 

Great news! From what little i know, & have read, the compressor wears out the ring. If not left go for too long, can be kept working like new for a long time.