i had ordered in replacement front lower control arm bushings, and once they arrived I proceeded to tear down the front end. Unfortunately once I had the lower arm off I discovered that they had sent me the wrong ones - they look like the bushes for the X-type as they were significantly larger. PITA!






Nothing to do but put it all back together. As part of the job I had planned on replacing the front hub as the bearings were going, and the lower strut bushes, which were shot. I replaced the hub, but didn't bother with the strut as the whole shebang would have to come apart again at a later date anyway. I bolted everything back on, but forgot about the wire connector at the top of the strut that I had removed in anticipation of removing the strut. I could kick myself, because of course it set an error code in the system. I plugged it back in, which didn't help, and I've unplugged/replugged it many times making sure it was fitting correctly etc, and removed/shorted battery cables many times, but still have that bloody message and a rock hard suspension. Am I assuming correctly that for the 2001 S-type, there isn't any part on the front suspension, other than the strut, that is connected to the CATS system? I'm wondering if there could possibly something else I dismantled that's affecting it? It's a pretty simply arrangement, and everything is working properly other than the CATS system. I was even able to adjust the alignment back to what it was prior by setting the bush bolts in the exact place they were before tearing it all down. I've read a number of contradictory theories about how to clear the error, from fixing the problem should clear it to needing a dealer to clear it. Any final conclusions about this?

What's making this more confusing (and I add the following reluctantly because it might just confuse others) was that when I first got this car, it showed an CATS error because the previous owner had disconnected the front struts. After reconnecting them, I still had the error despite many attempts to erase the system by crossing the battery cables. I read about how the rear struts can also cause problems, so I disconnected them, reconnected them, crossed the cables again, and the error cleared. I don't know if the rear strut connections were at fault (I really didn't do anything other than reconnect them) or I had just done the magical number of hard resets or magical number of engine starts after the fault had been rectified up front, and the rear strut fiddling was just a coincidence.

So after all his, I still don't know how to clear that error, or if there is still something wrong I haven't thought of in that front suspension. I hope someone can give me a definitive answer.

 

Hi, You will need dealer level diagnostic software (not your generic OBD2 scanner) to access the ADCM (active dampening control module) and clear the code(s)

Since you have a CATS fault logged in the ADCM your struts will remain in hard mode until the code(s) are cleared.

Disconnecting the battery, crossing connections or battery posts, etc will not clear the code or reset the module.

Thanks

 

That's what I was thinking and yet I had that example of that previous error message clearing, which is what's got my head spinning...

 

I assume you also have the flashing DSC telltale in the instruments. If that is the case, you will need the ABS module reconfigured by the dealer diagnostic tool. Most times, if the hub bearings are disturbed/replaced the module senses it and requires configuring. I have never gotten a satisfactory explanation for why that occurs, but I have experienced if many, many times. Sometimes just separating a ball joint has caused this.

Good luck!

 

The only explanation I can offer is maybe, just maybe when the ADCM senses XX amount of drive cycles with no CATS related faults - the code is cleared from the ADCM memory.

Not 100% sure, but this would require as many as 50 drive cycles at least before the code would go away - if this is even the case...

Maybe one of the Tech's can chime in here...

For me, that would be a bit too much to endure with the rock hard suspension.

Anthony

 

Looks like I dodged that one, no indicator. Just CATS and a pointless SRS warning. Maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and pick up the aftermarket Jag scanning software available on ebay. The SRS is fixed and I can live with the icon, but not teeth rattling suspension.

 

Well waddya know - it does clear by itself. Probably 20 cycles or so and the error is gone and back to a more comfortable suspension. Funny how there's such confusion about this.