Suspension Issue

[C4robot]

I'm sure this topic has been covered before but I have a issue with my Hydroactive 3+ Suspension, since owning the car it has been soft and comfortable soaking up most of the lumps and bumps on the roads but within the last week I have noticed a very destinct change in the ridge quality, the car raises and lowers whilst car is stationary with the controls and there is normal soft play in each corner when pushing the car down in each corner, bounces up and down as normal but once you get moving the car is really firm and feeling rather uncomfortable it feels as the car has gone into sport mode as if you switch to sport mode there is no difference in ride quality. Tyre pressures are all correct and I have placed the car on a flat surface put into the lowest setting and checked the fluid level in the suspension tank, the lds fluid is just touching the bottom of the basket which I believe to be correct, now I have no idea what is wrong and dread the idea of going to the main dealer but would be interested in anyone's thoughts on this problem? Oh also I have notice the car drops a couple of inches once car is unlocked which I hane not noticed before and I have also noticed a ticking and what sounds like pulses of air when you get out and lock the car.

Many Thanks

[GiveMeABreak]

My first thoughts are the height correctors, as normally when opening the car or unlocking from an overnight rest the BHI will engage the suspension pump motor to raise the car to the correct height, not lower it. So I'm thinking that one or both height correctors or the linkage around these may need a bit of lubrication, as although the height correctors are electronic, they still rely on the correct positioning data of the units to determine the height. So your car may be riding slightly higher than normal. Sport mode will be firmer, reducing the roll but won't necessarily mean a bumpier ride.

If you can safely support the car on a lift (don't get under it when only supported by raised suspension) and get some silicone spray around the dog bone linkages then lower and raise the car few times throughout the height ranges this may cure the problem. Also if raising the car off the ground where the wheels will be suspended hanging free, always raise the car to the highest suspension setting first then loosen the LDS cap before lifting. Re-tighten the cap once the car is lowered to the ground.

If this doesn't cure it, then a Lexia session will be able to show you the actual v the reference heights of the vehicle. If these are out of tolerance then this will indicate the heights are wrong and that one or more height correctors may need replacing. A height corrector isn't that expensive to replace, but the suspension height calculations will need to be programmed into the system with a Lexia using a specific formula. The dealer should easily be able to run a diagnostic and check the heights and lube the correctors if necessary well within an hour if you don't have the expertise in this area or access to a Lexia yourself. I would suggest that as a first step as this happened to me and cured the problem. I did later down the line need a new height corrector.

[C4robot]

Update. Well I lubricated the height correctors which did not have an effect so I decided to book the car in to the dealer for a diagnostic £90 and they kept it for two days? they said could not experience fault on test drive, Diagnostic says no fault with the suspension it's self however diagnostic says there is a fault U1213 ABS not communicating with ECU with data from speed sensors? And this would be the reason the suspension could be intermittently hard and acting as if in sport mode as it is not sending speed data to the ECU thus unable to calculate suspension settings get and the quote for to repair £1,700 as part comes as a complete unit oh the joys.

[GiveMeABreak]

Complete part? What part are they wanting to replace? If it's the ABS block (and these later ones unlike previous units seem to be a complete module now!) are horrendously expensive. There are used ones coming in at circa £600 here:
http://www.parts.loc8apart.co.uk/nav/ca ... S-Pump.php

- with the cheapest so far 290 Euros (+15 Euros shipping to UK) here:
http://www.abspump.eu/en/ABS-Pump-Modul ... en-C5.html

If the ABS block on the X7 is replaced, the steering angle sensor, Gyrometer / Accelerometer, Clutch Pedal Angle sensors will need to be calibrated.
In this case I might consider trying to get it repaired...

Also - on another note, is yours an automatic?

[C4robot]

Mine has a manual gearbox, the part they said needed replacing was the ABS pump and ECU control module and was told comes as complete part and was £1,300 just for that part, apparently there is nothing wrong with the pump it's self but would have to get the whole new unit. Also thanks for the great advice much appreciated .

[GiveMeABreak]

BBA Reman may be able to repair it:
https://www.bba-reman.com

[C4robot]

:/ I don't think i would know where to start changing this part if sourced myself ,though one question I do have is that they told me that the could not feel the fault in a test drive and that the car ride was quite nice if anything which I found weird as I explained there was such a sudden change in ride quality but I suppose they don't get to work on many? But I would say it is even worse since I have gotten it back from them as is crashing over bumps and pot holes more than before and since they sounded less than sure this fault code was causing any problems I think replacing the and pump/module is a large expense if this does not solve the problem, would this error with the ABS ecu really be causing the issue with the suspension since the dealer sounded like he did not have a clue does not fill me with confedence I also was thinking if there could be anything mechanical that may not have shown up on the diagnosic? I just feel I was was fobbed off at the dealer with vague answers, two days without my car and charged £90 for the privilave.