On my 2006 Super Sport Portfolio I keep getting the dreaded 'Ride-to-low' and 'Air suspension Fault' readings when the weather gets very cold (usually under 20 degrees Fahrenheit). As a result the front of the car drops and I get a low rider. It will raise back up if I keep it in a my heated garage overnight but will drop again by the time I get to the office the next morning. As a result I am thinking of replacing the air suspension with this Arnot new coil spring conversion kit

https://www.arnottindustries.com/par...36_gid694.html

As this seems to be a common problem with '04 thru '08 XJ's , I am wondering if anyone else here has done this and what the pro's and con's are of doing so. All thoughts and comments are appreciated !

Thanks

 

Yes, I had mine done this summer, after having had three air spring failures. I'm very satisfied with the ride. If I try really hard (e.g., hard cornering) I can convince myself that I feel a bit of difference from the air suspension, but I'm not even sure it's true. And I feel a lot more secure.

Ray

 

This may help, do a search on this forum for: "Arnott coil spring conversion". A few members have completed the conversions and are happy, I am holding off since I want the adjustable suspension the air struts provide. If the ambient air temp is low enough to cause my suspension to drop, I will use another vehicle to drive and leave the Cat in the garage.

 

I just completed a conversion earlier this month. Went over to a friends house with a lift. We knocked it out in a little less than 2 hours. I had already pulled the back seat and trunk lining. That adds about another hour to the total job. I drove it to the lift and it was functioning fine ( just fails when it gets cold out) and then drove it off with Arnott coil overs. Drove about 20 miles to and from my friends and paid careful attention to ride. Seriously, you have to work hard to tell any serious difference. Maybe slightly stiffer in roll and maybe slightly harsher on expansion joints. Large bumps are smooth as the air suspension IMHO.


My wife can't tell the difference and that's all that really matters! Peace of mind w/respect to knowing she won't ever get stuck or accidently rip bottom out of the car is just bonus!

 

great job dweeks!

 

2 hours?? (3 including the trim stuff?) That's awesome! I'm fighting the CATS system failure again (2nd time in 7 months) and am wishing I'd gone the coil-overs route. Also having some serious issues with the mechanic this time. I'm very much considering the coil-over kit. As others have stated before, the unreliability & possibility of breaking down with no notice at all really takes a toll on me. Thanks very much for the post.

 

I had it done last summer following repeated "Air Suspension Failure" and "Low Ride" when the pump gave up completely.
The way I drive, canot tell the difference.

 

look at my thread above yours -----hope it helps

 

Have you had any problems with it since/as a result of the conversion?

How often did u get the 'low ride' and was a result of cold weather?

Thanks

 

Correction, it was done in January 2013, therefore it may have had something to do with cold but had not correleted at the time.
The car has gone through several cold seasons without one single alarm; once started, the alarm frequency increased steadily progressing from "air suspension fault" to "Low ride". The mechanic Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI Cooper Automotive Repair Specialists said the pump wear out. Cost considerations drove the decision to go with springs rather than replacing struts and pump.

I got the low ride twice.

Had no problem with suspension since.

 

Are you saying you got the 'low ride' twice AFTER you did the conversion?

 

I doubt it. As part of the coil over installation instructions, the CATS computer is disconnected.

https://www.arnottindustries.com/ftp...90_REV%202.pdf

 

The low ride was the indication that the pump was end-of-life, and lead to the spring conversion. After that no more fault alarms.

 

hey guys i have the same cold weather issue with one rf shock
i found the problem its the sensor mount thats leaking from the base is there a replacement kit for the sensor or as any ever broke a shock down to repair it
thanks Scott
seems it should be fixable

 

oops sorry typo
has anyone ever broke down a shock to repair it

 

I did the conversation about two years about two years ago now. Very satisfied, plus lifetime warranty. Can't go wrong.

 

Our 2005 XJ8L only has only 75000 miles but we started having problems with the air suspension. We regularly got the "air suspension fault" or when really cold outside, the dreaded "too low to drive" message. We took it to our local Jag dealer to find it needed both front shocks and a compressor. Our local Jag dealer wanted over $3600.00 for aftermarket parts, from Arnott, or almost 5 grand for OEM parts, both including installation. I kindly refused both as I Knew I could do better. I drove it home a few days later, a warmer day, and had no idiot light issues. The next morning however, "air suspension fault" reared its ugly head again. After researching the Arnott conversion kit I was mostly convinced but slightly hesitant. I decided to go with my gut and install the fail-safe method. This is my wife's daily driver and an air ride failure is one less thing to worry about. I ordered the C-2290 conversion kit and received in in 2 days! I haven't done any repairs on our vehicles in years but after seeing the installation link on Arnott's website I decided to do this myself, with a little apprehension from my wife. In a little over 2 hours I had the computer disconnected, the trunk liner removed, and the rear shocks installed. It went so well I decided to do the front the same evening. The front went equally as well but I didn't have a Torx60 needed to remove the lower control arm bolt. After a phone call or two, I borrowed one and resumed the project. Front end conversion total working time was about 2 hours as well. In the morning 2 minutes into a 10 minute test drive I knew I was going to like the outcome. The stance is really close to the original, in the parked position. The ride was so close to the air I was amazed. It seems slightly looser in the front and maybe slightly tighter in the rear, but I was trying to "feel" a difference. Don't get me wrong, nothing competes with air ride but the difference is really hardly noticeable. And the fact that the coil and shock methods failure chances are miniscule compared to All the components that can fail on the air system, it was an easy choice for me. Remember, as these cars get older the air ride becomes more of a maintenance issue. This system eliminates air fault problems in your car, the idiot lights in the message board, and gives you the piece of mind when driving, no matter how far from home you are. I recommend this kit
highly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Congrats.. it seem that your conversion went flawlessly!

 

Thank you for a well written piece. How long ago did u do this?

 

I just did the conversion last Friday. My wife and I are both completely satisfied with the results and I also enjoy the lifetime warranty. Don't be afraid of this job. I took my laptop to my garage and followed this You Tube video.