I performed a transmission service today (pan / sleave / fluid replacement - will post details in a different thread) and the car was on the 2 post lift pretty much the whole day. When I was all done, I lowed it and the front end was all the way down. I started the car and got the message "Vehicle too low" but nothing else. The vehicle did not rise despite letting run for a few minutes...

I have Arnott front end air shocks (previous owner had installed them).

Now, what is the bumper sticker version of things to check? I wonder if leaving it on the lift caused the problem (front shocks leaked out) but even so, wouldn't the car lift itself once it got started?

Thanx!

 

Ok, I had to get the jack to get the front two post lift legs off the body and then I moved the car out of the shop and after a few minutes it did rise. It would not when it was stationary and running but it did as soon as I started driving it. It is a bit odd for me.

I do have the CATS Fault message and will try to pull the codes with my AutoEnginuity setup.

 

For the situation you describe, I believe most folks will disconnect the battery prior to raising the car.

Once your work is complete and the car is on the ground, reconnect the battery and the car will not even know that it was raised.

I believe that when on the lift, with the height sensor fully extended, the car thinks it needs to lower itself to compensate, hence the 'on the ground' stance.

You are correct in that moving the car will result in it raising itself. I have had similar experience, now I am sure to remove battery prior to any lifting of car.

Thanks

 

I did hear that the "self levelling when jacked" feature lasts for about half an hour after the engine was last run.

 

I have jacked the car up often and worked on it without doing anything to the air system. It always resets itself after removing the jacks. After restarting, it takes a few seconds for the computer to air it back up again. If it is not doing it, there may be a problem. The car is designed to be jacked without losing the settings. There is no need to disconnect anything unless you are disconnecting the air shock electrical connectors themselves or the level sensors. Over the weekend, I replaced the rear brakes and rotors. when I let it off the jacks, the rear end was sitting up very high. I started the car and in a few seconds, it lowered and leveled.

 

HELP!!! I've run into this same problem when changing the front right shock and it's not fixing itself: (04 XJR)

I raised the car on a 2 post hoist (without disconnecting battery!) and after swapping out the front shock, and letting the car down, the rear end is waaaayy jacked up, and the front end is dropped to the ground. I get the "vehicle too low" message.

I've run the car for about 10 minutes and saw no change. the car has sat overnight and no change. I tried disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes and that did nothing either. I see people said you have to drive it, but I can't turn the front wheels because they will chew into the front fenders. Is it enough to "drive" 30 feet forward and back?

Please help - I REALLY wanted to drive my new Jag. Is there some sort of "reset" button/fuse/relay/procedure I'm missing??

Charlie

 

I was in the same pickle but it did correct itself only when I moved the car slightly forward and backward. It was so low I could not clear the lift legs from under the car. You will hear the air compressor kick in.

The second time it happened, that was not good enough. I jacked up the car to clear it from the two post lift and moved it about 100 yards and that fixed it.

 

I had the same issue before...one thing that always gets the compressor going is lifting the front end up manually a few times. Grab the underside of the fender and lift up and let it drop. Also check the height sensors in the front, sometimes they move.

 

Th car won't ever add air to the suspension unless the car is running, it will only bleed air to keep it level. Sometimes you have to drive the car above 3kph so it knows it's not in jack mode before it will rise.

 

Thanks for the responses... I'm still a bit perplexed why the rear end is staying so high while the front end is dropped.
I still need to figure out how to get the car out of the garage to try and drive straight back and forth a few times. (need to jog left/right to get out from hoist / out the door)

I will give it a try today and report back.... fingers crossed.

 

I was surprised to hear the wheels will hit the fenders. Are they standard wheels?

 

Hi Guys, There is a note about the nose on the ground restart from either JTIS or somewhere on this website...do not open the driver's door when you restart...leave the door closed and turn the ignition key...this pumped up the nose, leveled the rear and cleared both "Too Low" and "Air Suspension Fault" at least until the next night. My RF leaks when the temp is below @ 25F. Arnott rebuilt should be arriving shortly. I had no choice but to drive with the nose fully down. It is not that bad and the wheels do not hit anything (factory 20"s).

 

Happy to report that driving the car about 100 feet solved the problem.

My "winter wheels" are 18" Coventry. They absolutely rub when the suspension is deflated..... can't turn the steering wheel at all. I've never had the suspension problem with my factory 20" wheels, so I'm not sure if they rub. Sounds like they don't.

Thanks to all for your help. Happy Holidays!!

Charlie

 

Ok - So there are numerous posts about the suspension "challenges" of our Jaguars. I had the RF replaced with an Arnott rebuilt on my '05 XJR due to leakage - the typical nose on the ground "Suspension Fault" and "Too Low" lights etc. The improvement is very satisfying. Waiting for the first really cold day but so far the car feels firmer and seems to turn better although that may be the alignment.
Happy New Year - Hoping to meet some folks from the forum and pester BMW snobs on track days.