Good evening everyone. I pray all is well on your end. Well, I'm still at it. New to the group but still working my way through the hick ups on my newly acquired 07 xjr. So I took it in to the shop to have front end work done and now the leveling system, ASU has gone haywire. When I crank the car, the air ride pumps the suspension up to full extension and it will not come back down. When I use my scan tool to deflate the suspension, the front doesn't deflate but the back will. I deflated the front manually by releasing the air from the reservoir solenoid block. I then used the calibrate option and when I do, the car lifts to it's proper height, starting at the back, then the front. The compressor cuts off, then cycles through again and again and again. It just doesn't stop cycling and trying to lift the car. So I exited the program and turned car off because I don't want to burn up the compressor. So I've read that I need to drive the car, to be sure it was not in jacking mode, I did that as well. I drove it slow around 30 mph for about 5 miles and then above 55 for that same 5 miles. No change in the positions of the car. The suspension is still at maximum height. The DIC says, vehicle to low and Suspension fault I believe that's right. So I scanned the ASU for codes and the following came back.

-C1800 Air Suspension Reservoir Solenoid- Circuit Failure. Pending
-C1993 Pressure Sensor- Circuit Failure. Pending
-C2302 Levelling Plausibility Error. Pending
-C2779 Shock Absorber And Spring Assembly Solenoid-Circuit Failure. Pending
-C2780- ECU In Manufacturer Sub-state. Pending

Also, there is the presence of the following codes:
-B2291 Occupant Position System Status, Front Passenger side. Pending(This has been the only DTC light on in the car sense I have had it)
-B2477 Control Module Configuration Failure. Pending.

I have read about the battery throwing several codes and causing all kinds of issues and crazy symptoms when it's not properly charged and maintains the correct volts and amps. Again I'm new to this but I'm thinking that there may be an issue with the battery now. Not sure and I would appreciate the assistance of the group. Help is much needed and wanted.

 

Believe 12.8 volts is the proper reading of the battery.
A voltage drop test will tell you the batterys condition.

 

Well, now you know why the 2007 Jaguar XJR was being sold, but take heart as I experienced a similar problem after I purchased a 2005 Jaguar XJ8L back in 2014. After shelling out a cool $1,000 on a new air compressor at the local Jaguar dealership (which didn't fix the problem), I quickly had the trouble prone air suspension system changed over to Arnott C-2290 coil/springs. You know, I never looked back after the coil/spring conversion as the ride and handling were actually much better.

Get a reputable service shop to install those Arnott C-2290 coil/springs as I had seen far too many do-it-yourselfers ending up with less than favorable results. That shop will also perform an alignment after the coil/spring conversion.

 

@Wingrider, so if the battery reads anything but 12.8 volts should I replace it?

 

@ Rickk, the XJR was not sold, it was given to me by my Uncle. (smiling) As for the conversion, I have already thought about it, if it comes down to replacing the air ride or just converting, I'll do a price caparison and then make the decision on which way to go. Thank you for your advice.

 

Arnott coilovers are an easy DIY for almost anyone that owns a set of wrenches. I had to buy a T60 bit to remove the front strut, and the Arnott struts came with a replacement bolt with an 18mm hex head. Also, the struts have absolutely nothing to do with the alignment; none of the arm joints except the curved arm from the front hub assembly must be temporarily detached from the upper ball joint, which is not an alignment adjustment. it may be that a change in static ride height makes an alignment a good idea, but none of the attachment points for the struts are alignment points. Sway-bar links need to be detached for clearance at both front and rear, but that's all at the rear. Arnott has a video of the installation procedure here:
I did this on my car and have never looked back! Excellent ride, no waiting for the car to lift, no crippling air suspension faults, no getting stranded with "Car too low." Keep in mind that the design life of the air suspension system is about 10 years, and that's if the system is maintained, which most aren't.

 

Installing the Arnott C-2290 coil/springs isn't that easy. Actually, it took the shop all day to install those coil/springs on my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L, and there were several mechanics working on it at times. Afterwards, the shop did perform an alignment, and then a road test.

 

Thank you for that reply and the video

 

For any future work, find another shop... With a jack and jackstands, no lift, it was just over 2 hours in my driveway, by myself.

 

Jag Dog
I suggest that you examine the air components under the spare wheel
for any wiring damage or flooding in the past.
Also examine the the level sensors with wiring attached to the front suspension.
The air suspension brain is located behind the back seat (the vertical part) and if
nothing found wrong as above repost for more info.

image
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/23529727...waAuNsEALw_wcB

 

Jag Dog.
Fully charge the battery before any testing is done.
Let it set overnite then check the reading.
Anything less than i believe 12.8 volts.
Indicates the battery is lgetting weak.
Cruse not available when first starting.
Is a heads up for the battery needing attention

 

If you can't DIY the air suspension and other repairs you will just have a money pit. Any idea why he gave you the car?
Good suggestions about the spring conversion and I have done one of these myself and was very satisfied with the results.
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Agree with this.

There is no reason it should have taken all day. Especially if it were on a lift. 2-3 hours you can change them as wfooshee said - in the driveway with a jack and jackstands. It's really not that hard.

 

Good morning Meirion, I hope all is well. So I have checked the things you asked me to check under the spare tire. All seems to be well there. No nicks or cracks in the wires and the connectors seem to be clean. As far as I know there was no water leak in the trunk. There was on in the driver side rear floorboard which has been fixed. I checked the front leveling sensor on the front left of the car. Likewise the wires and connectors seem to be fine. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I have not checked the ASU/brain behind the back seat. I have to find out how to remove the seat first then I will check that as well. I'll keep the blog updated as I do what everyone suggest.

 

Clubairth1
He gave me the car because it was his second car at his second home and it was just sitting there. My aunt was supposed to be driving it but she wasn't. We talked about it and he handed over the keys.

 

Wingrider
Thank you for that, I will be doing this and give further updates afterwards.

 

I suggest that you try a hard reset is remove battery leads and touch them together for 2/3 mins then replace on battery.
Scan vehicle again for DTC's
Accessing the brain is a bit of a pain but there has been a fault reported in the past where
there was a bad connection on one of the pins.
First I suggest that you remove the level sensor (easy).
Get it on the bench and feel it moving.
Does it move smoothly?
Not sure how many pins there are but you may be able to identify
two pins and watch the ohms change on a multimeter as you move the arm.
Others may help with this since I have never done this myself

 

No, only certified and preferably well seasoned mechanics should be performing the changeover to coil/springs, and those were exactly whom I hired to do the job on my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L. Incidentally, there were several other Jaguar owners standing in line behind me at that shop (a local Goodyear Auto Center), and waiting to get their Jaguars changed over to coil/springs. As I had mentioned before, I have seen far too many do-it-yourselfers attempt the changeover, and just like clockwork, they later complained of improper wheel height, poor alignment, mechanical noises, suspension issues, a mediocre ride, bad handling, etc. After the changeover, the car is going to require an alignment anyways so one might just as well get the job done right by taking it to a reputable auto service center. In that regard, I strongly recommend that the original poster do just that if he expects the ride and handling of a Jaguar.

 

Thanks Jagdog. We have seen fuel pumps seize up from sitting so I would expect to replace the fuel pump. Can you measure the fuel pressure? Because just having fuel in not enough.

I did the spring change in my shop? It's not hard compared to other Jaguar work. Plenty of threads on how to do it.
Don't get scared and you will save a TON of money. Nobody will do a better job than you will on your own car. It also a great time to combine repairs because other suspension parts will be worn out at this time.

If you do keep the air suspension it will require you to become an expert in all the parts and pieces of the air system. Not a bad thing but I just kept chasing problem after problem before I finally went to the springs. Later I learned from some of our more experienced members that the air system is improperly designed and has no way to keep moisture out of the lines and valves.

So with the age of these cars now the entire air system is saturated with moisture. Check the desiccant beads in the compressor if you don't believe me. They will be dripping wet.

I rarely let anyone touch the car. Commercial shops especially!
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None of what you say matches my experience, or that of anyone else I've seen talk about it. Other than ride height. There usually is a ride height difference after installing the coilovers, but is that difference being compared to properly functioning air suspension? After all, if it was properly functioning, why are the coilovers being installed? And Arnott themselves state that the coilovers will settle after a few miles. My car was quite high after I first let it down off the jacks, but 20 minutes of driving round the neighborhood settled it significantly.

There is absolutely nothing about installing these things that even remotely requires the services of a "certified" mechanic! Four nuts and one bolt on each strut. That's it! Sway-bat links and the upper ball joint connection at the front, none of which requires special tools, or affects alignment. You have to remove the back seat to get to the connector on the Air Suspension Module.

"...mediocre ride, bad handling..." Does the ride quality compare to working air suspension? I have no idea, but probably not. When the choice is 1500 bucks for coilovers or 4 or 5 THOUSAND to bring the air system up to snuff, there's not much of a decision there. The car's total value is not much more than that 4 or 5 thousand, so not replacing a failed air system with coilovers is just... dumb. My own ride was FAR superior to the failed air system, and the handling was much improved as well.

Coilover installation IS ABSOLUTELY a viable DIY project. You're not doing anything to the suspension itself. No alignment adjustments are touched. No suspension bushings are loosened or removed, or changed in any way. If you can jack up a car and put each end on jackstands, then operate a ratchet handle, a box-end wrench, and a hex key, you have every required qualification. Sorry, but insisting that it must be done by "certified" technicians simply shows a serious lack of understanding of what's being done.