I've read some threads about people with their car suspension stuck in the firm mode in ECATS. I've had this car about a month now and the ride is good but not great (34K miles, original suspension except compressor). I feel very small bumps through the wheel and seat. I've owned other (older) XJ's which had a softer ride. I know the older cars were designed for a softer ride but my current XJ doesn't soak up joints and minor bumps the way I think it should. I may just be being picky. Is there a way to check if I am stuck in the "firm" mode and if so how do I reset it? Will disconnecting the battery for a length of time do it or do I need the Jag software (dealership) to check? I have a Foxwell scanner but it is not the 510 and has no Jag specific software. The car needed a compressor piston sealing ring when I bought it and consequently produced the ASF warning frequently. The ring has been replaced and no more ASF warnings but I'm still wondering about the firmness setting. Any help is appreciated.

 

What wheels do you have? I have the Sepangs and I feel bumps because there is so little sidewall on the tires.

 

06-XJR, I have the factory 8 spoke 18" wheels with stock size tires.


I have determined from their literature, that the Foxwell NT510 is supposed to read and delete chassis and suspension codes. I need a decent code reader anyway, maybe this is the way to go. I'm sure a trip to the dealer to have the codes read/erased would cost that anyway.

 

Hi Muleears

There have been a number of posts where people have complained about a hard ride

when this Jag is noted for it's soft ride. In a number of these cases the ride is hard

because the valve at the top of the strut(s) is set to hard for no apparent reason.

Have you tried rebooting the car by disconnecting the battery and shorting the leads?

 

I have not tried a "reboot", it makes me kind of nervous. I don't want to trip any unintended consequences. Having said that, I will probably give it a try this weekend. There seem to be many people here who have done it without causing any unwanted results.


My theory is, because the car needed a new seal ring in the compressor when I got it, and was showing the ASF warning, this tripped the "firm" setting on the struts. I have since repaired the compressor and no longer have ASF warnings. But I'm afraid the struts are still in the "firm" setting.


I have ordered a Foxwell NT510 code reader which is supposed to be able to read and delete suspension trouble codes. Would I be better off waiting for the arrival of the Foxwell to delete these suspension codes or should I go ahead and give the "reboot" a try?


Thanks meirion1 for your insight, I will keep this thread up to date on any action I take and the results.

 

My 2006 XJR is softer riding than expected. Yours may need to have the codes cleared.

 

If the plug is removed from the top of the air spring the shock will go into firm mode
To put it another way the ASM powers the shock actuator which makes the damping soft.

So first thing to do is pull the pugs and go for a drive
Confirm you have no change or it gets firmer

If you have no change it was in firm mode and work on that
If you have a change it was in soft mode and you need to look at fitting higher profile tyres.

Cheers
34by151

 

I'm hoping the scanner I have on the way will do that for me. I'm still wary of the re-boot. I think I'll wait till the scanner gets here next week and give that a shot.

 

For what it is worth, I have done a reset/reboot on my 2006 X350 and my 1999 VDP many times without problem. In fact, the cars ran smoother and better afterwards.

Most interesting about being "stuck" in firm mode since I also think my 2006 with air suspension has a harsher ride than the old 1999.

Let us know what you find and if a "fix" was needed.

 

I'm assuming the "firm" mode by itself won't throw a code since it's a normal condition. When the scanner arrives, what code should I look for?

"If you have a change it was in soft mode and you need to look at fitting higher profile tyres.

Cheers
34by151"

I'm not so much looking to make it softer, although that would be nice, I wan't to know if I'm in the "firm" mode. I guess I can unplug them and see what I've got.

 

Should have done this first! I unplugged the struts and drove about 400 feet and could already tell it was much stiffer. So apparently I'm just picky when it comes to ride softness. I just put new continentals on so I won't be looking at different tires for a while.

Thanks for the advice 34by151, that gave me the answer I was looking for. But overall I'm very happy with the car, it's just stiffer than my old XJ6!

I guess I'm back to this!

 

Quickest way to find if 350 is stuck in 'firm' is to pull the relevant fuse, which will leave the dampers de-powered and therefore 'firm' all the time.

So, if it then seems no different when driving ... they were in 'firm'; if it then seems generally harder and harsher ... they were working okay.