MajorCommonSuspension

Land Rover Discovery: ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement) pipe corrosion and valve block failure

ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement) pipe corrosion and valve block failure is a common suspension fault on the Land Rover Discovery on the 2000–2004 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 27 documented faults on the Land Rover Discovery.

Vehicle: Land Rover Discovery
Years: 2000–2004
System: Suspension

This page covers the Land Rover Discovery as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Land Rover Discovery faults27 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Discovery 2s optioned with ACE hydraulic anti-roll use pipes that run under the vehicle and rust through, plus a vulnerable valve block that hangs below the chassis and gets damaged off-road. Failures cause fluid loss, warning lights and heavy body roll. Genuine repairs are expensive enough that many owners delete the system with conventional anti-roll bars — fine, but you should know which state the car is in and price it accordingly.

What you would notice

ACE warning light on dash
Hydraulic fluid leaks under the middle of the vehicle
Excessive body roll in corners
Groaning ACE pump noise

How to check it

Where to look. Hydraulic pipes along the chassis, valve block under left chassis rail, pump on the engine

Look under the vehicle at the ACE pipes running along the chassis for rust and weeps, and at the valve block under the left chassis rail for damage.
Check the ACE fluid reservoir level.
Corner briskly on the test drive — an ACE car should stay notably flat.
Ask if the system has been deleted.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Is the ACE system working, repaired or removed?”
“Any ACE warning lights or fluid leaks?”

Now check the Land Rover Discovery you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

K Motors 'Common Problems & Fixes — Discovery 2'
4x4community.co.za: 'ACE failure' thread (341390)

Land Rover Discovery buyer questions

Is ace (active cornering enhancement) pipe corrosion and valve block failure serious on a Land Rover Discovery?

We rate it major and common on the Land Rover Discovery. Discovery 2s optioned with ACE hydraulic anti-roll use pipes that run under the vehicle and rust through, plus a vulnerable valve block that hangs below the chassis and gets damaged off-road. Failures cause fluid loss, warning lights and heavy body roll. Genuine repairs are expensive enough that many owners delete the system with conventional anti-roll bars — fine, but you should know which state the car is in and price it accordingly.

How much does it cost to fix on a Land Rover Discovery?

$800 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Land Rover Discovery years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2004 Land Rover Discovery. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Look under the vehicle at the ACE pipes running along the chassis for rust and weeps, and at the valve block under the left chassis rail for damage. Check the ACE fluid reservoir level. Corner briskly on the test drive — an ACE car should stay notably flat. Ask if the system has been deleted. Look here: Hydraulic pipes along the chassis, valve block under left chassis rail, pump on the engine