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.
From my own experience and looking up online it appears this lovely car (xj 2009 sovereign) is quiet an excellent car all around but has weak suspension system.
Now I have heard that there are better alternatives in terms of longevity and cost but I am kind of lost as it has been mentioned more than once the same model having multiple suspension options
My car was bought used the same year but I honestly have no clue I know it is air adaptive suspension (but no buttons for height change) and they sell Arnott that should replace "sport suspension" but why would a lesser trim XJ (not v8 supercharge) have sport.
(https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...uspension.html)
according to the amazing Piston heads' buyers guide:
"The air bags wear out and begin to leak, but Bilstein released original-spec modules in 2012 that are cheaper than Jaguar asks at its main dealers. However these units still come in at around £750 each. A more cost-effective route is a reconditioned complete unit from £349 available from Air Dominance in the UK.
The ECU's Body Processing Module can fail and affect the suspension. New ones are available for £500 or used ones that have been tested and working for £100."
Now this is the 2nd time this system fails and it costs too much at the dealer (I can always fetch it online, and even better from the OEM maker for even less) However if better options are out there then please let me know.
I live in Saudi Arabia so it is hot and dry summer. Rainy with pool water clearing systems in the winter [assuming this matters]
the car had really loud noisy clunking when going over speed bumps slowly or fast and one day i go out to all 4 tires flat.
priorities are simple: 1.Comfort, 2.Longevity and ease of installing/ and maintaining. 3.Price
Thank you! awaiting in agony for advice <3
If I understand what you have done already, find a second mechanic. The module should not fail.
For the speed bumps have someone inspect all the rubber bushings and boots in the front and rear suspension. When I purchased mine, 2015, the Texas heat had killed them all. Saudi should be much worse.
Can you tell us more about the car, please. Mileage ? Engine ? Service history etc. If you're based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I would expect you to have a major problem finding somebody independent of Jaguar that knows anything about the car. Me, I have a Jaguar specialist only a few miles away who work on Jaguars all day long for 50 odd weeks a year. This means they know all the common problems and how to sort them out. Jaguar main agents are generally reluctant to maintain these cars, but if they are willing will charge main agent labour rates and parts prices.
Anyway, I suspect the main problem you have with the suspension is wear of the bottom bushes in the front and rear air spring units and the lower wish bones trunnion bushes. In addition, the front and rear anti-roll bar bushes and links are probably worn out. Generally speaking, the air suspension system is reasonably reliable in its major components like the air spring units, they are German-made Bilsteins, after all ! The air compressor is again, German, being a Wabco used on other cars. You can find all the parts you need on the internet at reasonable prices; don't try to buy from the main agents, the cost is too much. The upper wishbones are reasonably long lived but cost a lot to replace. If it's just the boots on the ball joints you can buy these very cheaply, again in the internet.
If your air suspension compressor is worn out, they can be purchased for about £350 on the internet. You can also buy a piston seal kit from one of our members here (bagpipingandy) for about £35. This restores the ability of the compressor to compress air, but the dessicant granules that dry the air really need replacing also.
I ran two of these cars, a 2003 XJ6 Sport, and a 2007 XJ6 Sovereign. They are lovely and beguiling cars/, but do have this weakness of the short life of some of the suspension parts. It is a bad design, frankly, of Ford origin, also used in the Lincoln LS.
Here are some sample parts prices and suppliers. I assume you can freely import into Riyadh
Thanks a lot lads
the car is on 70k Km atm
v6 sovereign.
so do you recommend the aftermarket options for better longevity and equal level of comfort for suspension?
I see people going with coil overs conversion but seems more of dynamic driving and not for us geezers
cheers!!
70k kms is a small mileage for these cars, and if you have the V6 engine, you've got the most reliable one, (my two cars were both V6). 70k kms is only 43k miles, so for the suspension, it is probably the lower air spring bushes that are wearing and also, (probably), the anti-roll bar links ball joints. These are the shortest life bushes. There will probably be some wear in the lower wishbone trunnions, but not enough to make the car unroadworthy. This assumes the car has been maintained properly, and not driven stupidly.
one day i go out to all 4 tires flat
Well, not much to do with the car; punctures are a fact of life, although it could be the previous owner drove the car so recklessly he dented all the wheel rims thus causing a slow leak.
Why not get the car up in the air and have it examined ?
Thanks again. you have already been really helpful
Any knowledge on the following? (found info online but nothing certain)
1.reconditioned complete unit from £349 available from Air Dominance in the UK
2.fitting coilovers system (hopefully comfort focused and does not need hard work)
3.arnott air suspension
I have tried to list reputable suppliers. Most of the suspension arms and bushes will be OEM, probably parts used in Ford US cars like the LS.
1. I have no experience of Air Dominance, but the price seems about right. Remember the shock absorber is not rebuilt, it is sealed by Bilstein. what is replaced is the air spring part. incl making sure the top seal actually seals.
2. If the law allowed in Saudi Arabia, conversion to steel coils is a definite option, lots of American owners have done this. Against it is the loss of CATS, (not all that important in my view), and possible loss of ride quality. Of course you have to buy and fit the kit of four spring units. Steel coils can fail, but are much cheaper to replace than the air springs.
3. I have no experience of the Arnott air suspension, but it does not support CATS as the new spring units have no switching valve and solenoid inside.
Alright sir thank you kindly, [R the 4 suspension struts interchangeable? only fronts and rear are? or each one is unique [ebay is showing like 8 freakin OEM#)
The mechanic showed me the parts just now
I can confirm the noise from the front of the car before the car even broke down due to the suspension (he showed me the arm in 1st photo i took)
the 2nd point is that he said the right rear suspension failed. He advised replacing both the rears instead of only 1 or all 4
stating that he almost never saw that cause accelerated wear on other parts [do you suggest the same?]
what other websites do you suggest so i can look in them other than ebay so i can let u live in peace <3
The rear struts are not interchangeable with the fronts as they have different a fixing at the bottom, however rears are same left and right, as are the fronts, left to right.
I am really surprised the upper front wishbones are worn out, they should last a lot longer. I never had to replace top wishbones and both cars were over 100k miles (=160k kms), whereas I had to replace the trunnions on the front lower wishbone front arm (commonly called the "banana arm" due to its bendy form). What has failed on these, is it the trunnion bushes or the ball joint ?
I think it might be worth trying Berkshire Jag Components as they are exclusively Jaguar. Their prices seem very good and they also identify the parts made by Lemforder one of the OEM suppliers. Essentially the whole suspension system is a Ford design.
Unlike steel coil springs, which can settle, so are best replaced in pairs, the air springs are controlled by the air suspension module, so the height is computer controlled.
so i was shopping around and looking online in google and ebay/amazon
the issue i fell in again is parts have huge variation in part OEM # and car VIN#
the problem is my vin is not even close to any of the vins in the catalogs of any website
any insight here would help
from what I have got it
the bilstein suspension was improved in 2012 - probably now called B4 (the old one might be b3)
11-18-2019, 12:27 PM
New member need help with suspension
