2008 XJ -
I first saw this warning in Jan, when the weather had turned really cold, overnight. The next time I drove the car, the warning did not reappear.

But now, about 6 weeks later, the weather changed this week from cold to warmer temperatures and the warning came on again today. I went ahead & drove home (about 15 miles) and when I parked, it said car is too low.

Question - is this totally weather related or do I need to take it to a mechanic?

What is the remedy for an air suspension issue, and should I have it towed?
Thank you!

 

Hi EllaKate,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums! It's great to have you with us.

The most common cause of the behavior you describe is a leak in the top seal of one of the air springs, usually one of the fronts. For some reason, these leaks worsen in cold weather. The problem is typically compounded by a worn piston ring/seal in the suspension air compressor, which prevents the compressor from pressurizing the system as quickly as the Air Suspension Control Module (ASM) expects, prompting it to trigger the Air Suspension Fault (ASF) warning.

Replacing the compressor piston ring is relatively easy for any competent do-it-yourselfer with the necessary tools. A kit with a new seal is available from one of our members at bagpipingandy.com

Currently, the only known cure for the cold-weather air leak is to replace the leaking air spring/shock absorber assembly.

For more information on the air suspension, see the post at the link below:

Air Suspension & ECATS System Summary: Components & Operation

In the meantime, please visit the New Member Area - Intro a MUST and post a required introduction so we can learn something about you and your Jaguar and give you proper welcome.

Cheers,

Don

 

Don, thank you so much for the helpful response! I'll see if my husband wants to attempt the repair and order the kit. Appreciate this forum!

 

My repair shop suggests towing it in & replacing the Air Suspension with a Coil system (front and rear) that eliminates Air Suspension.
"Walking out the door price is $1900, including tax etc)

How does this sound?

 

Do you know what brand of coilovers is included in the shop's quote? $1900 is a bit on the high side, but not ridiculous. The main thing to consider is whether or not you are willing to sacrifice the air suspension. There are lots of threads on this forum of people discussing the pros and cons of switching to coilovers.

 

Thank you; will check out the discussions!

 

Hi EllaKate,

For many owners who lack the ability or desire to repair and maintain the original air suspension system, modern coil conversion systems are a great answer. I have installed several of the Arnott conversion kits for friends and forum members and they have all been very happy with the results. The kit costs around $1,500 with shipping and tax, so if your local shop intends to use the Arnott kit, $1,900 is reasonable if it includes sales tax and the labor to remove the old air springs/shocks, and install the new ones and also the Electronic Bypass Module (EBM) that fools the Air Suspension Control Module so no air suspension faults or warnings will appear on the instrument cluster. If a less expensive kit is used, labor should not run more than $500 in most areas.

If your husband views the installation video at the Arnott Industries website, he may decide he can install the coil kit himself. If so, let me know and I'll give you some tips that aren't in the Arnott instructions or videos.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thank you! My husband is just not inclined to get involved with repairing a Jag, but I appreciate the advice very much!!

Another shop I spoke with today, encouraged me to keep the Air Suspension system. He said the car will be less stable if I go with spring coils.

So now, I'm torn!

 

If you or your husband enjoy driving the Jag hard, it will not corner as "flat" with coils as it does with the air springs and ECATS dynamic suspension control, the body will roll a little more. But if you are typical drivers who don't push the car hard, I don't think it would be at all fair to say the car will be less stable (implying it will be unstable). As I said, everyone I've installed the coils for has loved them.

I am a spirited driver and enjoy the flatter cornering at speed that the air suspension provides, and I love the fact that I can load the trunk with tools and heavy luggage and the air supsension levels the car so we can travel down the highway as level as we would with an empty trunk. So I'm nursing our air suspension as long as I can, but the day may come when the coil conversion makes sense even for me.

Cheers,

Don

 

So being a 2008, it may be wiser to just go ahead and replace both front and rear with spring coils -- as I surely don't want to keep running into trouble like this . . .

Love my Jag, but not more trips to the shop...

 

Your options are to replace the leaking air spring and the other one on the same axle (front or rear), plus replace the piston ring in the air compressor, OR, replace all four units with coil spring conversion units and install a module to fool the ASM so it won't illuminate any warnings on the instrument cluster.

Unfortunately, you can't convert only the front or rear to coils, because the ASM doesn't have the capability to properly operate only half the air suspension system without triggering faults and disabling the compressor.

Please keep us informed!

Cheers,

Don