Good Day. I just subscribed to this forum, but have been lurking for years. I have gotten tons of info that helped me keep my 2004 Jag XKR coupe in good running order - for which I heartily thank you.
Now, I have one nagging issue. For the last 3 years I have gotten intermittent dashboard notices of Suspension Fault. It came and went so I did nothing about it and just endured the occasional default to Firm. The codes showed 3 open circuits and one grounded shock circuit. Now it is on solidly and is forcing me to take action. My decision, after lots of thought (and bank account examination :-) I have decided to replace all 4 adaptive shocks (that are not adapting) with the Bilstein standard shocks, that others on this forum have chosen to use.
My question concerns what happens to the Suspension Fault display when the control box is disconnected and there are no longer any adaptive shocks? Does it still display as an amber Fault in the display? Nagging at me and causing concern if and when I decide to sell the car? If the Fault display doesn't automatically disappear, how can I make it do so?
BTW, the car is wonderful in every other respect, and is in lovely condition at 61k miles.
I appreciate any words of wisdom forum members can supply.
...Reid

 

FWIW, we have had a number of posts recently about this system, and the culprit ended up being frayed wires at the top of the rear shocks. Somehow the wires twisted, and broke off. Likely near $0 to fix if you DIY. Might be worth a look before ditching a (likely) pricey option. To my superficial knowledge, this system is not too complicated, and seems pretty robust, with most problems being wiring to the shocks. Might be worth checking at the shock if the resistance somehow matches what the controller/codes are telling you. If they do and your shocks are toast, then I can see your path forward. If the shocks read fine, then it is wiring, and likely cheap to fix.

To your question, others have posted that simply disconnecting the controller disables the reporting of codes and amber light.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

Thanks FMerts (or is it Fred? :-) I have read those posts, too. There are several points that I did not disclose that are driving my decision to replace. One is that I am sort of disabled, having spine grafts and titanium ladders holding my body together resulting in spinal cord nerve trunk damage (and extreme pain) . I am incapable of crawling around a complicated car any longer. I have done so in the past, before my accident, with my Avanti and 1970 Datsun Z , but now that is right out. Secondly, all the independent mechanics around me have balked at performing any electrical research projects on a Jag. They describe themselves as "wrenches". And, going to a Jag dealer is very pricey (defeating the notion that an electrical fix would be inexpensive). Dealer mechanics/techs around here are very young and have never seen a 2004 XKR before (I think there is only one other x100 in CT), and I don't trust them. Thirdly, the car is, after all, nearly 16 years old, and I can expect problems with the shocks and bushings and mounts, etc. in the near future with probability 1.0. So, I have an indie tech who, has worked on my car before, that I trust implicitly with "wrench" jobs and can just do the replacement job with the total labor cost about $500 and the shocks and other parts about the same. I am more than happy to pay a grand to have the job done properly with no worries about the future.

I am pleased to hear that disconnecting everything will make the warning disappear. I saw your post with the control module being on the serial bus, but I wasn't sure how that would affect the computer's logic when it went missing. Thanks.

 

Hi Reid,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums! It's great to have you with us!

Please visit the New Member Area - Intro a MUST and post a required introduction so we can learn something about you and your Jaguar and give you a proper welcome.

Cheers,

Don

 

One more shot would be to go on jagrepair.com, locate the page with this system in the '03 electrical diagram, and pass it around to the local tech. This is not a terribly complex system. Basically, check resistance at the shocks, as well as at the control module harness in the trunk (right there).

Another last shot at home would be to check the top of the front shocks, reachable with the hood open, if it is compatible with your injuries. Undo the plug and check resistance on the shock side for confirmation (zero ohms or "infinity" is bad), and go from there.

Best of luck, keep us posted.