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Hi everyone…I’m the proud new owner of a 2003 XJ8 x350 - 4.2 V8!
it’s got air suspension issues…worked well after a reset for 48hours and has now got the air suspension light on again and twitchy rear end over potholes!
also seems to have a permanent parking sensor beep under 10 miles an hour and airbag dashboard light intermittently! Seems to be worse when it’s rained!
lastly, also a nasty thump on nsf wheel over potholes, but all bushes and suspension part’s checked as ok at the garage!
If anyone can point me to any info that might help it would be really appreciated!
love the car and looking forward to driving it when the problems are ironed out! Cheers!
If it were me, I would start off by having the air suspension converted over to Arnott coil/springs. I mean, that was exactly what I did after I purchased my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L back in 2014, and I never looked back. In fact, I found that the car rode much better with the coil/springs, and even handled better around curves. In addition, you won't get that "thump" in the rear while driving over a bump.
If it were me, I would start off by having the air suspension converted over to Arnott coil/springs. I mean, that was exactly what I did after I purchased my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L back in 2014, and I never looked back. In fact, I found that the car rode much better with the coil/springs, and even handled better around curves. In addition, you won't get that "thump" in the rear while driving over a bump.
Gee, Rickkk, why didn't you just pull the Jag engine and fit a 350 Chev, while you were at it? Only joking! Some of us value originality and think Jaguar got most things right with the X350. Funny that air suspension faults mostly seem to be a problem in USA, perhaps the concrete roads with multiple expansion joints are a factor.
To the OP, have the suspension looked at by a Jaguar-familiar mechanic, who may find issues that a general garage might miss. There should be no clonks or crashes from a suspension that has all bushes in good condition.
Get the car scanned for fault codes and we can take it from there.
The airbag light will illuminate when someone gets too near to the dashboard
and the continuous beep just a failing sensor. A scanner will tell you which one.
One of the common problems with the air suspension, at last where i am, is humidity. The "dryer" in the compressor is a fairly small container of desiccant and is easily overwhelmed in humid environments like Florida, which allows water to get into the system, which causes corrosion in every valve and fitting there is. There is no way to remove ingested water; it will collect in the reservoir, the strut bags, and even the valve body. The dryer is not a separate, easily replaceable component, it's part of the compressor, and while the desiccant can be replaced or refreshed if you're adventurous enough to remove and disassemble the compressor, it's not a scheduled maintenance.
When I started on trying to refresh my air system, I started with the compressor, and found that the "dryer" was actually a water tank, with the desiccant clumped up like used cat litter. I pretty much immediately gave up and ordered the Arnott coilovers, and could not be happier with the car.
Everyone will keep telling you, "Man, there's nothing like a good, working air suspension system!!! Keep it!"
Well, there's nothing like refreshing and then maintaining an air suspension system, either. Economically, with the value of the cars, how can it possibly make sense to spend 1/3 the value of the car just to fix the suspension? And how long will that last? (You'll be dong it all over in a few years...)
I bought my car with $8,000 I got from my prior car being totaled by rain flooding. I was able to buy the car for a good bit less than that, and after finding the air issues, I was able to get the coilovers, and still was inside the insurance money I had. I've been on the coilovers for more than 2 years and could not be happier with how the car rides, and the complete lack of issues keeping it going!
Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply and help…it’s very much appreciated. I bought an icarsoft diagnostic tablet and reset all the codes. Drove it some and the air suspension warning came straight back on with
Really interesting to hear about the coil over option and will explore that further. Thanks for the strut comment too and will explore options for that! Thank you and will let you know how it goes! Cheers!
By the way, I would strongly recommend the Arnott Coil Spring Conversion Kit C-2290, and I would also enlist a reputable auto service center to install them. Actually, I've seen far too many do it yourselfers on this forum attempt to convert their Jaguars over to coil/springs, and predictably followed by the usual complaints, dissatisfactions and problems. If the job is to be done right, you would want certified mechanics to install them, and remember, a front end alignment will have to be performed afterwards.
Yes, it will indeed be costly to get the coil/spring changeover done professionally, but after all, that premium luxury car deserves it.
Oh yes, I see that you have a 2003 Jaguar XJ8 so you might want to check beforehand to see if the Arnott Coil Spring Conversion Kit C-2290 will be compatible with your car. I do know that it is compatible with the 2004-2007 Jaguar XJ8s.
The plausibility error is the Air Suspension Module not seeing the pressure in the reservoir that it expects after the compressor runs a certain amount of time. Common causes are failing compressor and leaks in the system. Once a code is displayed, the system stops trying to operate until the next time the car is started, so until you shut the car off and restart it the compressor never runs again, and if leaks exist, it will sag as you drive.
The strut replacement is a DIY job for anyone with any knowledge of turning a wrench. If you can jack the car up and take a wheel off, you're halfway there. Arnott's video shows you all you need to know. I did mine in the driveway in 3 or 4 hours. You'll want to have an alignment done afterwards just to check it, although the struts themselves should have changed anything there, other than ride height.
Thats great thanks! I’m looking at a new compressor and trying to source a shock absorber! I’m time and skill short, and so will be getting a garage to do it…they’re a Jaguar specialist so fingers crossed! Will update on progress!
Quick update… car is sorted…almost! You guys are geniuses! Front strut shock replaced…no more knocking! New compressor…now riding as it should! Rear tracking was way out and now that’s all sorted, it’s like a different car!
Thanks again to everyone who put me on the right path… its a stunning car at 20 years old!
I just need to sort the random airbag light warning, random permanent parking sensor beep and engine ‘hunting’ up and down when trying to maintain a steady speed! Will dive into the forum for some answers. Thanks again! Nish
What a car…and still stunning at 20 years old and 151,000 miles ! This is a nice place to sit on my regular 100 mile drive to the office!
Engine hunting up and down is a known issue on the first year or two of the X350: it's the torque converter lockup cutting in and out. RPM goes up and down by 2 or 3 hundred RPM with steady speed in the car. I drove a 2004 at a lot and it did that, and on a quick Google one the issue I passed on that car. I really don't know what the fix is, but I've seen it discussed here.
Engine hunting up and down is a known issue on the first year or two of the X350: it's the torque converter lockup cutting in and out. RPM goes up and down by 2 or 3 hundred RPM with steady speed in the car. I drove a 2004 at a lot and it did that, and on a quick Google one the issue I passed on that car. I really don't know what the fix is, but I've seen it discussed here.
I can confirm this is an issue on early cars. I had a 2003 bought 2010, and a 2007 bought 2016. Only the 2003 suffered the hunting fault. However on mine, the hunting disappeared when the transmission fluid was warm. This took about 10 minutes of driving. I was told by an ex-Jaguar engineer working at a local Jaguar specialist, that the hunting was a fix to warm up the transmission fluid for emissions purposes, and the cure was to reprofile the lock-up clutch on the torque converter. So if you want to eliminate the hunting, replace the torque converter !
03-08-2023, 06:50 PM
New Jaguar XJ8 owner
