I have an air suspension error and my car is now very low. Should I do a conversion kit or replace the parts with stock?

 

Welcome to the forum 106hampden, nice to have you with us.

I've moved your post from the S-Type section to the X350 section.

When you get a moment stop by our new members area and introduce yourself ==>> New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

My personal preference is for the air suspension, but others will have different opinions.

There are literally hundreds of threads here on the forum talking about the air suspension.

First thing you need to do is estabish what exactly is going on with yours; leaking shock or shocks? Worn compressor? Leaking airline? Have you read the codes?

 

Hi 106hampden,

As Cambo suggests, it is highly unlikely that you need to replace your entire system. Virtually all of the X350 owners on this forum have had various problems with the air suspension and we're learning how to deal with most of them.

The most common cause of the VEHICLE TOO LOW and AIR SUSPENSION FAULT (ASF) warnings seems to be a combination of an air leak somewhere in the system and a worn piston ring seal in the air compressor; a less common cause is failure of the Air Suspension Relay, which is R1 in the Front Power Distribution Fuse Box in the right front corner of the engine bay. These problems can usually be resolved inexpensively.

To test for air leaks, you need to pressurize the suspension, but if you have the ASF warning, the Air Suspension Control Module (ASM) may not trigger the air compressor to run. It would be best to have a shop with the necessary Jaguar diagnostics system to scan for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), make a note of all of them, then clear the codes. You may then be able to run the engine for a few minutes so the air compressor will run and hopefully pressurize the suspension enough to test for leaks.

To find leaks, you can start by spritzing a little soapy water onto the air hose fittings on the tops of the air spring/shock absorber units. The front ones are easy to access in the engine bay. The rear ones are concealed behind the trunk trim panels. You will also need to test the air hose fittings at the valve block and air reservoir tank, which are mounted under the spare tire in the trunk. Bubbles indicate a leak at the hose fitting. New brass compression rings or "olives" are available and inexpensive. Our member abonano has posted good specific information on these.

It is very likely that one of the DTCs you will find is C2303, which is defined as "Reservoir plausibility error." This is the typical indicator that the piston ring seal in your air compressor is worn and the compressor is no longer able to pressurize the system as efficiently as it did when new. This is easily resolved by replacing the piston ring with an affordable replacement from our forum member bagpipingandy (bagpipingandy.com). The job is not difficult, and I can provide photos showing how it is done on an X350.

To read the proprietary "C" or Chassis DTCs on your car, you will either need to visit a Jaguar dealer or a good independent equipped with a system capable of reading the Jaguar specific codes (Autologic, AutoEnginuity with Jaguar module, Jaguar Land Rover IDS/WDS/SDD, etc.).

And as Cambo also mentioned, this forum has dozens if not hundreds of threads about air suspension issues, so there's plenty of collective knowledge to hopefully save you a lot of time and money.

Please keep us informed.

Cheers,

Don

 

I've changed both my front shocks over to Arnott's rebuilt units (sport version, to match the original). The first one blew after driving through a medium sized pothole...no wheel damage, just a chunk of pavement missing. The second was a curb, head on...so that's understandable. If its just your front that's down, its more than likely a line/fitting leak, or like me, one of the shocks has an internal leak.

 

Do you hear hissing anywhere around the car? Here is an article I was just discussing on another thread about the front spings. jaghelp.com: How to change the front air springs (suspension struts) on your Jaguar XJ But you need to pinpoint what your problem is. Arnott has made it affordable to keep the air shocks so most people are staying with that set up.

 

To add If you find an air line leak that may require a replacement air line nut and olive - I have both sizes available for anyone needing them (usually takes 2 - 3 weeks for the various parts suppliers to get these in) I wound up getting double orders of both sizes and decided to keep them... Thanks