XJ ( X351 ) 2009 - 2019

Bumpy ride

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Old Mar 12, 2019 | 10:27 PM
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Default Bumpy ride

Hi all,

My ride quality is pretty bumpy at the moment. Trying to figure out the cause. I took it to a tire shop and had two of my rims restraightened and two tires replaced. Still bumpy.

I have some to-do items in my que including supercharger isolator spring service and addressing a brake booster/ vacuum pump issue, but I can’t see how that would be related to my ride quality. I think it may have started after I disconnected and reconnected the battery to reset my EPB. But not really sure.

My indie confirmed my air suspension is working fine. Thinking the adaptive suspension module may need resetting (if that is even a thing), but that is a wild guess. Any thoughts? Thanks.

BTW I only have a Blue Driver OBDII reader. Not sure which reader would list suspension issues.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2019 | 11:42 PM
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Nedoerr, what size rim are you running? In addition, what pressure are you running in your tires? The larger the rim you are running, the less the tire can flex to absorb the imperfections in the road and therefore results in more bumps inside the cabin. The same is true for running higher pressures in the tires. The higher the pressure, the less the tire can flex. Most people find that keeping the tires at say 38 psi front/35 psi rear is a pretty good spot to sit to keep the tire at a high enough pressure to get good tire wear but be soft enough for a nice ride.

I have noticed that sometimes I will get a suspension worning if I start the car when it is parked on an uneven surface. This will force the car into dynamic mode and stiffen up the suspension. Grnated, I normally get a light on the dash when this happens.
 
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Old Mar 13, 2019 | 12:29 AM
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Thanks for the reply. I have the 20” stock rims with the 380mm brakes in the front. I inflate to 32 PSI, as indicated on my door frame. I haven’t changed the rear tires yet, so that remains a possibility.

Not sure how much bumpiness is normal, but it feels more than I expect. Don’t remember it being this bumpy when I first bought it. No warning lights illuminate.

If tires and rims are the most likely, I could take them back in to make sure they were straightened properly the first time.


 
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Old Mar 13, 2019 | 09:47 AM
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Question, is your ride bumpy or bouncy?
 
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Old Mar 13, 2019 | 11:11 AM
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Does the current XJ still have CATS ? When there are any faults recorded that could affect handling or braking, CATS will default to 'Hard' thus giving a harder ride than normal.
 
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Old Mar 13, 2019 | 01:30 PM
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The ride is bumpy (firmer) not bouncy (softer).

I think it has the adaptive damping system as opposed to the CATS system. But maybe it also defaults to hard/dynamic mode if there is a fault. Is there any way to check what mode it’s in?

Thanks
 
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Old Mar 13, 2019 | 06:34 PM
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OK, so this may sound weird, but had the same issue once after a car wash. It fixed itself after I did the same maneuver that race car drivers do to heat up their tires by turning the steering wheel abruptly left and right and swerving the car, but in a tight line. This rocked the car and after that the suspension "softened up". Call me crazy but it worked for me.
 
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Old Mar 14, 2019 | 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by XJsss
OK, so this may sound weird, but had the same issue once after a car wash. It fixed itself after I did the same maneuver that race car drivers do to heat up their tires by turning the steering wheel abruptly left and right and swerving the car, but in a tight line. This rocked the car and after that the suspension "softened up". Call me crazy but it worked for me.
Thanks, worth a try. I will have to wait till it’s safe to do so (perhaps a late night drive on a toll road). I’ll report back either way. Thanks again.
 
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Old Mar 14, 2019 | 01:13 PM
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You do not need to be driving fast. I did it @35mph within my lane on a local street outside my neighborhood
 
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Old Mar 15, 2019 | 09:24 AM
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CATS is an adaptive suspension. Computer Active Technology Suspension.
Not sure if they still call it that on the current XJ or not?
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Old Mar 16, 2019 | 08:36 PM
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I read somewhere that the CATS name went away for our X351 model.
 
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Old Mar 24, 2019 | 11:26 AM
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Tried the race-car maneuver, but the bumpiness remains. So I think I'll take it back to the wheel repair shop to make sure the wheels are properly balanced and circular. Perhaps I will need to entertain the idea of downgrading my rim size if the bumpiness persists.
 
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Old Jun 25, 2019 | 04:06 AM
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This post is edited
I must have accidentally posted somehow.
This was the equivalent of a but dial only it was a post here.
 

Last edited by mcmism; Jun 26, 2019 at 03:32 AM.
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Old Jun 26, 2019 | 09:29 AM
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I would get the wheels balanced on a Roadforce balancer. This actually measures runout under a simulated load, so is much better for detecting and compensating for wheels and tires that are out of round.

What kind of tires do you have? My experience with Pirelli P Zero All Seasons was terrible. Chronic balance issues that could never be totally fixed, and terrible for flat spotting when parked. The Dunlops on my new XJL also will flat spot, typically takes 5-10 miles on the highway to totally settle down.
 

Last edited by Mark SF; Jun 26, 2019 at 09:31 AM.
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Old Jun 28, 2019 | 12:26 PM
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So it turns out I had another damaged rim (two cracks in the rear drivers side). Repaired it and now the car is much better. These rims are pretty pathetic IMHO.

Still would like to do a little more suspension work to get i”everything perfect. But I’m going to stay focused on the powertrain for now. Maybe next year I’ll revisit the suspension.

Thanks everyone.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2019 | 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Nedoerr
So it turns out I had another damaged rim (two cracks in the rear drivers side). Repaired it and now the car is much better. These rims are pretty pathetic IMHO.

Still would like to do a little more suspension work to get i”everything perfect. But I’m going to stay focused on the powertrain for now. Maybe next year I’ll revisit the suspension.

Thanks everyone.
Well I now have 4 Wheels sitting in storage for the same reason they’re bent. I got new aftermarket ones installed. Jaguar uses cheap metals and their wheels suck.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2019 | 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Supercharged Jag
Well I now have 4 Wheels sitting in storage for the same reason they’re bent. I got new aftermarket ones installed. Jaguar uses cheap metals and their wheels suck.
So far we might have established that Jaguar wheels can be damaged, what has not been established is that aftermarket ones cannot be damaged. So your statement might be a tad hasty.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2019 | 05:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Mark SF
So far we might have established that Jaguar wheels can be damaged, what has not been established is that aftermarket ones cannot be damaged. So your statement might be a tad hasty.
Sorry, i didn’t mean to intend my statement in that way. And of course, I’m pretty sure all wheels can be damaged, but what I meant was that Jaguar wheels can be bent/damaged much easier than others. The aftermarket wheels I got are flow formed so they are a bit more durable than OEM. On my 09 XF SC the wheels are bent on it as well, but not my Porsche Cayenne that has a 21 inch rim. I should’ve been clear sorry
 
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Old Jun 29, 2019 | 08:43 AM
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I think it depends on what wheels you have?
I have 20" forged alloys (Farallon) on my XJR and never had any bending or cracking despite hitting several pretty big pot holes and all the normal road hazards.
I don't think the other 20" rims are forged?
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Old Jun 29, 2019 | 10:46 AM
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Originally Posted by clubairth1
I think it depends on what wheels you have?
I have 20" forged alloys (Farallon) on my XJR and never had any bending or cracking despite hitting several pretty big pot holes and all the normal road hazards.
I don't think the other 20" rims are forged?
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Thanks for that info. Can you please post a picture of your rims? Thanks

I understand the 19” rims are also pretty resistant to bending. Maybe others with 19” rims can comment on this. Really all 20” rims should have been forged or something to prevent easy bending. It’s understandable to not do this on the 19” rims because they have more tire to absorb the road.
 
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