Hi everyone
Sooooo my issue I thought was just a non cleared code is now a full blown issue
I have had my 04 xjr for about 2 months now
I used to get a suspension fault error come on like every 4th time i had the car out
then it became every other time

In the driveway over night the car in front only drops way down.
The rear seems fine
When I would put key in and start the car would pump back up to normal
but today it did nothing in morning it stayed low. the light is on in red and says vehicle too low
I bought a rebuild kit for pump waiting on it now but it seems odd the front is down and not the rear as well
Anybody know anything about this issue?
Please help

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-fault-165644/

Look at the above thread just recently posted. Particularly look at the post by Don B.

 

One or more of your air shocks probably needs replacing. If you have replaced the rings in the compressor that wil help initially, but as the hole in one of the shocks gets bigger and bigger every time you drive the vehicle it will reach that saturation point where the hole is bigger than the air pressure trying to fill it and the vehicle fails to rise.

You will need to identify which shock is the culprit by sitting and listening for a slight hiss after turning the engine off (and the compressor runs), or by spraying soapy water on the top and around the base of the shock ( which means getting under the vehicle) and finally don't forget to check all connections making sure they are secured and tight.

If possible get your DTC codes read which may indicate where the issue maybe.

It really is a pain that the shocks go but it is something every XJ8 owner should realise at some point they are likely to have this issue. It is well documented and many people will probably chirp in and give their tuppence worth.

But, best of all, you are not alone, I also have another blown shock which needs replacing. I am still at the every morning waiting for it to rise period before I decide to scrap the car or buy a new shock.

 

Trosty how long did the shock with the leak last?

 

Hey thank U
I havent replaced compressor parts yet
I am waiting on the mail for the parts
i can hear the compressor sort of making a ruff noise then when i shut off car it hisses a little

 

I know you asked Trosty, but I myself had 1 last about 2 yrs. Ironically, the opposite side was the 1 that went completely out, so I just went ahead of course, & replaced both fronts...

 

Its probably been about a month maybe 6 weeks tops, or so now. Every pay day that passes that it still rises is another bonus. To be honest though I have ridden the motorbike a lot more so that will have cut down on the cars usage.

What was worrying though is that now the compressor comes on while I am driving and makes the most horrific rumbling sound that permeates through the whole car. Its probably time to replace the shock tbh.

 

The hissing is normal.

 

What I meant was how old is the shock with the leak?

 

It looks like the original. So far I have swapped out 3 shocks in 3 years. They were all original and this looks to be the last one.

Makes you wish you spent the extra $300 and went down the conversion route 3 years ago... Oh well.

 

Wow so it lasted a long time if its original.

 

Its another $299 from MotorcarsLtd.com in Houston I expect for used front shock. They are very helpful to be honest and previous shocks have been good quality OEMs. Its just a PITA to swap out front shocks over rear ones, because then I see all my burst and impoverished bushes and feel like I need to swap those out too.

 

Forget about the air suspension as it's junk. You'll be well ahead of the game if you convert the car over to the Arnott coil/spring suspension.

 

The CATS suspension is one of the best features on my car so I am going to keep CATS as long as I can.

Gives me a superb ride whether its powering thru curves on back lanes near here with virtually no roll or simply high speed cruising on the highway. Not to mention superb emergency braking capabilities in this car.

 

Given that similar Wabco air suspension systems are used by Audi, BMW, GM, Land Rover, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen, and Bilstein shocks are used by those esteemed makers and many others, to call the Jaguar system "junk" is probably unfair. If your system was past its prime or not well maintained, it was not performing optimally. That is not a sound basis for an educated assessment on the quality of the system as designed.

Most owners are getting 8 to 10 years out of their original air suspension components before any major out-of-warranty service is required. That's hardly an indicator that the original air suspension is "junk."

In our 2004 XJR at 12 years and 118Kmiles, the air suspension is all original except for the replaced air compressor piston ring and desiccant beads. The only issue I have is a slow leak in the front right air spring at temps of 40F and below, and I've learned how to live with that by charging the system twice on cold days. When the time comes, I'll replace that air spring with a good used OE unit or I'll replace both fronts with new OE type units.

I recently converted a friend's XJ8 to Arnott coil-overs and the ride was certainly comfortable and I could probably learn to live with it. However, it was not as well controlled around curves, and I would greatly miss the self-leveling feature when the trunk/boot is loaded with heavy luggage which we really appreciate on the several long road trips we take each year.

Hopefully it will be many years before I have to seriously consider a coil conversion.

Cheers,

Don