Since you live in pretty much the north end of Pompano I'd guess you've got bout 20 miles more or less to a Jag dealer if there's one in Ft. Liquordale Maybe as much as 30. Anyway you'll find that there's essentially nu suspension left in the front and that you will hear some tire noise when you make a hard 90 degree turn and the front end will react in a very weird way if the pavement starts to have ripples o uneven surfaces in it.

If you can keep the speed below about 45 mph you should be O.K. if you keep in mind the above. I drove ours about 13 miles under those conditions but that only got me home, not to a dealer since the nearest is about 120 miles away

 

Thank you, my local independent shop is only about 5 miles away.

 

hmm, I think your idea of checking air from the valve block to each front bag is a good start, see if you can fill the airbag from these airlines, it may be a valve issue especially if both bags were completely empty, a leak would hold "some" air but an open valve will drain it all out,

also a weak compressor should lift it even 1mm with a tape measure on the wheel arch i dont think you are getting even that, take your time and problem solve I wouldnt change the ring just yet unitil you check to see if you can inflate each front bag from the airlines at the valve block.
regards

Andy

 

For anyone wondering what a catastrophic blowout of the air pack looks like! Snapped it this morning before heading to the mechanic. Carless until tomorrow. He's going to install an Arnott replacement.

 

Wow that is a blowout!!!

 

Andy thanks for the input. As usual you're a step ahead of me I think. I think you're suggesting something I hadn't thought of in that if I swap out the air output lines from the solenoid so that I am now routing air from a known good bag to a suspect bag I should be able to ascertain where the problem perhaps lays. The bag that's acting up should inflate if there's no leak and if it doesn't then there's leak at the bag end. If it does pump up then the problem is at the input end of the system either in the solenoid itself or the compressor end.

Is my thinking correct or am I over looking something?

I'm sure you've seen the pictures of the blown gaiter on this thread but I'm confused by it to some extent. I thought that the gaiter was there simply to protect the lower portion of the strut from misc. road debris and weathering effects and not as a part of the actual air suspension. If I'm correct then the only way that portion could have come apart like that would be if the airbag catastrophically failed and dumped a snoot full of pressurized air into the gaiter from the top, probably under full compression of the strut, which led the gaiter exploding from the sudden pressure. Similar to a balloon that expands suddenly and pops.

If I'm wrong, and the gaiter is indeed part of the airbag then my specific problem is solved due to what I took to be a small weep hole in the lowest fold of the gaiter being evident on close inspection. The hole is too small to offset the effects of a sudden massive increase in internal pressure such as that required to do what we saw in the picture but it would be adequate to drain any excess moisture that might get in and damage the strut over time.

As an aside I was at the Jaguar dealer in Tampa yesterday while having my semi-annual personal lube, oil, and filter check at the major cancer center there (another story for another time) and the service adviser, not a tech, was insistent that I was wasting my time since I would need at least two new bags to fix my problem. I didn't mention that it was MY time I was wasting and given that I'm retired and can't play golf I can afford it. In any case as part of the conversation he allowed as how they used Arnott rebuilt airbags and struts whenever they did a job unless the customer specifically wanted new factory bags. Their price for this was $2600 for both sides including labor but not tax. That broke down as $1050 per bag plus $250 in labor per side. Anyone can but these same rebuilt bags direct from Arnott for $400 each minus 10% if they're a forum member and the replacement requires something on the order of removing four bolts at the top, disconnecting the air input line, and removing the electrical connections, and the additional removal of 4-5 bolts in the suspension assembly. A lift would make it super easy while a floor jack might not allow enough room to allow the lower A arm enough to free the shock. For this they want $250 per shock? Unless you've done something uncalled for to the ride height sensor there should be no need for any kind of sensor recalibration and even that looks to be a relatively minor adjustment to the plunger portion of the sensor. Talk about gigging the customer needlessly !! True, luxury cars do cost more to buy, but with a little bit of work and some common sense they shouldn't have to cost a small fortune to maintain.

The adventure continues<G><G>

 

The outer gaiter is just there for protection from road-borne muck and water, the actual air spring diaphragm is inside. Clearly if a diaphragm lets go, the air in the spring, at around 140 psi, can be fairly destructive when unrestrained !

 

As the posted picture so clearly showed !!

At least some of my thinking is correct and at my age that's a major accomplishment<G><G>

 

Curious about ride height measurements on my 2004 XJR. Measuring from the top of wheel well to center of hub I have 15.2 for both front wheels. The left rear is 15.2 and right rear 14.7. From what I understand there is only one sensor in the rear, so it cannot be adjusted? Is this a concern?

also when the car is jacket up, the car must be started to inflate the suspension prior to taking of the jack to prevent suspension bottoming. Is this typical? or?

RyeJag

 

I would suspect that the surface the car was parked on wasn't truely flat; if it were then if the fronts were equal the back ones would have to be too (unless you have very big tyre differences side-to-side, of course).

 

Its the other way around, fronts controlled together, rears separately. Early cars had two front height detectors installed, but the software didn't use one of the input, not sure which.

 

Partick the Cat:

Same size tires and the surface I believe is relatively flat, but slight slope in garage.

Fraser Mitchell:

Are the rear sensors adjustable? If so I should be able to adjust the rear left to 14.7 inches, or must that sensor be replaced?

thanks to all

RyeJag

 

Heights are adjusted using the computer connection - ODBII/IDS/SDD/Mongoose thingy.

 

As Partick says, the height sensors are adjusted using software. Essentially one combines a computer measuring the sensor output, with a tape measure to measure the actual height. It's a calibration exercise.

 

If problem (principaly if cold) with warning on the display, please look first at the front right heigh sensor moving it verticaly and adding a litle of W40. This happened several times to me. Then start engine and wait that the compressor run for 2mn. Close engine when compressor stop. Then re start engine and close several time up to the moment the car front go up. Second problem when cold, if a valve front front air suspension block in open position so the air go out of the suspension (you must heard the air noise) this is due to moisture in the air compressor. BUT.... the air spring is NOT broken! I just do like above several time to force the valve to close and puting a litle W40 into the air suspension via the top (removing the air flexible on top of the suspension. This worked fine for me.

 

I have a 2006 XJ8L.. The left front strut dropped, but the right front remained at proper height. I did replace them both. Now I get a "air ride malfunction" warning.. I think one of the height sensors took a dump when the struts were installed, I will to have my mechanic look at it may be a broken wire etc. to look. Good luck with your issue. Ask your Girl friend at which end of the care did she here the nose?? front or back you may have blown a line at the distribution valve on the air tank