When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Ft drops, stays down in freezing temps in CT. Import mechanic tested the system - no leaks. Headed back south, when I hit Maryland border it came back up. Car parked for 2 weeks in above freezing for the summer and the ft stays up.
Jag dealer says there is no dryer on an OEM compressor. I found multiple aftermarket compressors w dryers on line which leads me to believe it might be the cure.
Any one have any experience with a dryer? Any other suggestions? Heading back to CT for the holidays and really want to cure the issue.
Thanks in advance for any help..
Last edited by GGG; 12-16-2018 at 05:52 AM.
Reason: Merge posts #1 and #2
There is a desiccant chamber on the OEM pump. I am not sure that that will resolve your issue. It sounds like the struts seals are hardening in cold weather and losing pressure. The problem created by that is the pump runs over time and causes it to wear faster and sometimes fail.
The full kit -piston ring, head bolts, o-rings, dessicant and felt washers is $35-40 on eBay and $32 on Amazon:
Ebay:
JAGUAR XJ SERIES WABCO AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR PISTON SEAL & DRYER FILTRATION X8R45/FILTER https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH7Q95T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_d78eCbN9JQY8V
One suggestion you might try is getting the piston ring kit and desiccant replacement. It will allow you to test your theory without spending money on a new pump. The pumps have gotten cheaper but I wouldn't put a non-oem pump in the car at all. You're going to get mixed results there and it may or may not work.The the hardest part of replacing the piston ring and desiccant is getting the darn pump back in. There are three nuts with rubber suspension parts and springs that hold it in it's cradle. With the front bumper cover off everything is exposed and easy to work on. But usually people just detach the inner fender and front splash Shield to get at it. I have replaced a piston ring with the BagPiping Andy kit on my previous car and had great results. He is the guy who diagnosed early pump failure/excessive noise and fabricated PTFE Replacement piston rings. I like to buy the kit from him to give credit where it's due but I don't think he sells the full kit with the desiccant included . I still ended up having cold weather issues with the front struts over time though. It is the #1 maintenance Achilles Heel for the X350. Unfortunately the best fix is simply replacing both front struts. Not super cheap but very easy to do from a labor perspective.
If I were dealing with this, I would probably:
a)rebuild the Wabco pump- it will give yhe system additional pump capacity and help overcome the pressure loss, but continue to work pump harder.
b)check all lines/connections for leaks ONLY when cold. You mentioned not finding leaks. Yhsts when it's in the garage and not failing. When its failing, its leaking SOMEWHERE. Theres a small chance of air leak at the o-ring line connections to the struts, and at the manifold under the spare tire. I wouldn't disconnect anything, but try soapy water or similar to check.
c)replace one or both front struts with Arnott or
OEM.
d) move south. As system degrades, continue southward migration. Once on the equator, order the darn struts, or wait for additional global warming.
IMHO, if you're planning on keeping the car for a while, don't rule out a coilover conversion. It's nice not having to worry about the next time the air suspension fails, and as sure as it gets cold in the winter, it will fail again.
When I first started having that problem, I bought a new pump. I still had the problem. I replaced the fronts with Arnot's a year ago and have not had a problem since.
There is a desiccant chamber on the OEM pump. I am not sure that that will resolve your issue. It sounds like the struts seals are hardening in cold weather and losing pressure. The problem created by that is the pump runs over time and causes it to wear faster and sometimes fail.
The full kit -piston ring, head bolts, o-rings, dessicant and felt washers is $35-40 on eBay and $32 on Amazon:
Ebay:
One suggestion you might try is getting the piston ring kit and desiccant replacement. It will allow you to test your theory without spending money on a new pump. The pumps have gotten cheaper but I wouldn't put a non-oem pump in the car at all. You're going to get mixed results there and it may or may not work.The the hardest part of replacing the piston ring and desiccant is getting the darn pump back in. There are three nuts with rubber suspension parts and springs that hold it in it's cradle. With the front bumper cover off everything is exposed and easy to work on. But usually people just detach the inner fender and front splash Shield to get at it. I have replaced a piston ring with the BagPiping Andy kit on my previous car and had great results. He is the guy who diagnosed early pump failure/excessive noise and fabricated PTFE Replacement piston rings. I like to buy the kit from him to give credit where it's due but I don't think he sells the full kit with the desiccant included . I still ended up having cold weather issues with the front struts over time though. It is the #1 maintenance Achilles Heel for the X350. Unfortunately the best fix is simply replacing both front struts. Not super cheap but very easy to do from a labor perspective.
If I were dealing with this, I would probably:
a)rebuild the Wabco pump- it will give yhe system additional pump capacity and help overcome the pressure loss, but continue to work pump harder.
b)check all lines/connections for leaks ONLY when cold. You mentioned not finding leaks. Yhsts when it's in the garage and not failing. When its failing, its leaking SOMEWHERE. Theres a small chance of air leak at the o-ring line connections to the struts, and at the manifold under the spare tire. I wouldn't disconnect anything, but try soapy water or similar to check.
c)replace one or both front struts with Arnott or
OEM.
d) move south. As system degrades, continue southward migration. Once on the equator, order the darn struts, or wait for additional global warming.
Good luck. Let us know how you're making out.
Am I correct that WABCO is the OEM compressor normally used?
Thanks for the info!
Yes, Wabco were the supplier, and I have it on good authority that some changes were made after the ones in the early cars failed within the warranty period ! On my X350 Sport, I had to have a compressor at 35k miles, (2nd owner, car 7 years old), but then the replacement was still going strong when I part-exed the car at 115k miles. Current 2007 X358 Sovereign was on 53k when I got it in late 2016, and now on 82k miles, and no compressor trouble, (so far !!!). Not trouble-free, of course, this is a Jaguar after all !!. Had to have a heater matrix last winter, and also needed driver seat heater. Only did the seat a fortnight ago as the matrix took all the budget.
THANK YOU to everyone !! So much excellent info. I don't want to rent a car for any longer than necessary so I ordered the compressor kit, and a pair of RMT reman struts. Hopefully it will pass the test on my trip to CT next week.
Just a note: During my info searching a couple of months ago I came across ads for compressors and then listing for compressors w dryers. I called a couple of dealers and asked it they had air pumps with dryers and was told no. When I came to this site I was surprised to find that the OEM unit did have a dryer on the pump assy and a rebuild kit available)
Again thanks for all the info....
Just read this thread. Sounded so familiar. I’m in the DC area. For the past two years front shocks have lost air at cold temps. First year it was under 30. This year it was about 45 and under. I was having brakes (pads, rotors, new calipers to replace a stuck one) and some other routine work. The tech who I have used for years called me to say the RF one was leaking loud enough to hear and the compressor was running almost full time. I bit the bullet and had him put on the Arnott replacements. I had been toying with just doing the coil spring replacement, but opted to keep the car original ... at least for now. If it craps out again, it’s getting converted. This ‘06 VDP only has 80k on it, FYI, two Armotts were about $1,200 and another $300 to install. The conversion would have been probably about $1,600, including $1,000 for the conversion kit.
12-13-2018, 03:59 PM
Front suspension down in below freezing weather.
