Everything started out normal, I was driving today and had to corner hard to the Left (making a U turn) then about 15 minutes later the front right corner seemed to be dipped low. So i stopped and shut off the car. Started back up (compressor could be felt and heard) running vigorously. Then while going down the street the rear of the car jacked itself up about 1 foot higher than normal and the car began to bounce wildly over small bumbs in the road. as i drove very slowly home, the car seemed to level out to normal, however the ride became rough instead of bouncy or smooth. At this time the Air Supension Fault massege appeared.

a few months ago i had to replace the rear right air shock (it was low and riding rough).. so i am Guessing maybe this time the Front right shock popped and the computer tried to compensate by overpumping the system-raising the back up a foot- and once it realized what was going on leveled its self down and flashed the Fault... Any ideas or similar experiences?

 

Sounds more like you have a height detector problem. Fault codes need reading out.

 

i was wandering about that too, as the car looks level just sitting there... when the rear shock went out it sat low on that corner...also ive noticed when i walk up to the car after unlocking it i can hear fast Hiss from the front of the car like its blowing off pressure

 

When you unlock the car, the suspension goes into "Preliminary" mode. If necessary, the car tries to raise the suspension using residual air pressure in the reservoir, (or lowers with a release of air to atmosphere, unless spring pressure is lower than the reservoir, in which case no venting occurs). The compressor is not started as it only comes on if the engine is started.

If loading or unloading takes place, again, the system will try to level the car.

 

Ah good to know!. I drove this thing around for several hours today and the car ride normal and level and the Fault light went away.
The car has been doing false alarms lately.
The Gas gauge dropped to Empty 5 minutes after i filled it to the top. I shut off the car restarted it and the gauge returned to Normal.
The Transmission would only shift up once while driving one night (only using 2 gears) and the Gearbox Fault appeared. I shut the car off, restarted and the Fault went away and it has shifted normally ever since.
So i guess it appears to be fixed for now, im kind of concerned about it doing false alarms

 

Well, unfortunately, it isn't fixed, these faults will no doubt come back, as there is a cause indicated by the fault codes stored in the system. That cause has not gone away.

1. Suspension - first suspect is the compressor, a notorious short life component due to the piston seals wearing out. PM our member bagpipingandy for a seal kit if you are a good DIYer, otherwise budget for an exchange or even new compressor; plenty on the internet.

2. Transmission - probably needs a tranny software reflash, plus new fluid and filter if you're over 50k miles. I had to have one in 2011 and it was explained that this resets the box to cater for normal slight wear in the box as the miles build up.

Was the car looked after by the previous owner(s) ?

 

Well its been a couple quiet weeks. Untill now. The air Suspension thing is fine, totally normal. However the DSC Not Availible messege appeared as did the ABS light, amd Cruise Not Availible, shortly after that the Check Engine light came on. Autozone checked that and came back with a p1165 code. I googled it and it seems to be a wheel sensor or something?. on the way home from there the Tansmission thumped and the Gear Box Fault message appeared and began to hold a single gear intill i got home.... As far as i know I am the second owner, the first being a old lady who put 68k mi on it in 10 years. its like new aside from these Mini Strokes the computer keeps having. Its as if the car is mechanically sound , but the computer is telling it it is sick (with the transmission working perfectly until the light comes on). if the 1165 code is a wheel sensor i would guess it could be causing problems with Cruise Control, ABS, DSC and probably the transmission getting correct information.

 

Yes, I believe the wheel sensors are involved in all of those functions, including, transmission gear shift points. If you can get the code read by a shop equipped to read Jaguar-specific codes, I believe it will tell you which wheel sensor is acting up.

Cheers,

Don

 

All the symptoms you are describing are those of a classic low voltage condition. I'd check your battery first. It's amazing how sensitive these cars are to low voltage.

 

The battery is the place to start with these random faults and check for a clean ground (earth). You're in a comparatively mild climate, so a failing battery may not be as easy to detect. In the artic up here the test is, the engine won't turn over when it's sub zero F, so our weak battery testing comes every six months.

 

I checked the battery, it was showing 12volts after sitting over nite so i beleive it is ok. I figured if it is a wheel sensor it would be one of the Rear sensors since it is effecting the tansmission and speedometer. so i took each one out, cleaned all the dirt off them and hook it back up. The same lights and message still appear on the dash. i would drive it to a shop and have them try to figure out which one it is, but the tranmission wants to shift Wierd and i dont want to damage it by driving around. i guess i will have to bite bullet and buy the $200 replacement and do trial and error to see where the new one needs to go

 

If the battery was sitting overnight - this could be your problem. These cars are electrical gremlins. Your battery should be at least 12.35 - 12.50 V - I would strongly getting your battery load tested.

My battery was sitting at 12.72 V after charging and only pulling 420 CCA.... replaced battery and life is good again...

 

I couldnt bring myself to spend that kind of money on a little sensor. so i decided to pull that battery out and take a look at it. as you can see it looks like Hell. Idk where Jaguar thought this thing was gunna go but they sure did have it bolted down (you have to have a long socket extension to get the retainer clips loose.) Anyway it said it was 4 years old so i just went down and got a new one. I started it up and had the same warnings and Gear box fault - livid, i decided to just drive to the shop and drop it off. Well on the way there one by one the lights went off, the air suspension leveled out. so i pulled over, shut the car off and restarted it. gear box fault is Gone! ... everything is back to normal. Thanks for the advice everyone, i never would have guessed the battery but that apprerntly was it. It seems like the Battery Warning light would have came on, but i guess the engineers thought Unleashing a demonic poltergeist in the whole system would be more fun lol

 

So glad you had a fairly easy resolution. The battery was going to be my first call also having seen similar posts on the XK8 forum.

I used to live in the desert and the heat would cause the outer casing of the batteries to swell and buckle. Scary thought that one might actually burst! It was hard sometimes to come to terms with only getting 2 years out of an expensive battery but the good news was there was always a credit from the seller for a portion of it towards a replacement still under guarantee. They dont like heat any more than they like cold.

Guess you also proved that volts readings mean very little unless the reading is taken under load! I have had them read 12.5 v and still have a dead cell inside.
Alan

 

Just to let you all know that the editor of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Magazine here in the UK has a 2003 XJ8 (X350) now over 200k miles, and it's still on its original battery !!

 

Well maybe its not totally fixed after all.. All the lights went away for some time after i put in the new battery. the Speedo works now and the Gearbox is back to normal. However the CheckEngine and the ABS and DSC lights have come on again. Disgusted, i went to autozone to have the code read again. this time it read C1165. Prior to me cleaning the sensors and changing the battery it Read p1165. Does anyone know the difference between p1165 and C1165? Im hoping maybe it just needs to be cleared or reset. Everything feels normal except for these lights.

 

Obviously you had multiple issues. Battery voltage is an indicator of battery condition, but a battery load test is the best way to determine condition. The battery was needed based on the looks of your alone.

The 1165 Code indicates a Right Hand Side Rear Speed Sensor Fault. Check the speed sensor on the right rear wheel. Could be the plug or sensor is bad. It wouldn't seem the ring is bad but check that for damage. Since you had replaced the right rear strut, check the cable to the right rear wheel sensor for damage. You said you already removed the wheel sensor of cleaning. I would suspect it's junk or not plugged in correctly. I would suggest a installing a new sensor and clear the codes. The part is about $178 to $190. Keep us updated


Brake Sensor - ABS | 2004 Jaguar VDP 8 Cylinders 4.2L SFI DOHC | AutoZone.com

Abs Speed Sensor - Auto Parts Warehouse

 

I had an ABS message on a 2005 Chrysler 300C that I used to have, and it turned out to be a rear tone ring that had rusted out.

 

Got same problem with the DSC and ABS light on a XJR 8Cyl 2004.Before buying new sensor first check tire pressure. One of my tires was a little bit low and that was making the light to go on because the rotation wasn't the same in all tires.( i know its sound stupid but that works with mine).

Mine always has the check engine on because when it was time to fix the suspension the owner before me change it to a regular suspension.( the car moves great)
Does any of you know any trick so the computer do not check those sensors and make that check engine disappear ?

 

WEll i finally gave in and spent $200 on the little speed sensor on the right rear, i just plugged it in and drove a few miles. Everything seems to have gone back to normal. For now. ill keep my fingers crossed lol