I would be most obliged if anyone has any idea of what may be wrong with my vehicle. I love the car, am a true Jag lover but recently when the weather turned cold here I found my car had dropped at the front end (both sided)

I started the car up and when it warmed up it went back up and the "vehicle too low" and "air suspension fault" warning signs went away. The car then remained up for the rest of the day, even though it was not driven.

This has been going on now for around 2 weeks. I have had a good friend (fully qualified mechanic with experience in this type of vehicle) look at it and he too is puzzled. I then took it to a Jaguar garage and I nearly fell off my chair as they gave me a quote for almost $9,500 telling me I need front struts replaced and a compressor.

What is puzzling us is why does the car lift itself after we have started it up a couple of times and then remain up for the rest of the day, going down overnight.

My mechanic friend took the car to take a look at it overnight. This morning he started it up and the car rose around 9/10ths then dropped back down. He did this three times and on the third time it stayed up and remained up all day.

I am waiting to see what happens tomorrow morning, and expect it to be down again.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I am concerned that the Jaguar garage does not have an idea and is doing everything to cover themselves, costing a fortune .

I would be really grateful for any suggestions to help resolve this.


Thank you Susan

 

Susan,

Welcome to the forums.

Protocol is to post first in the new members section.

Feel free to read up here. You will learn lots from here regarding the dreaded X350 air suspension.

Based on reading your post...

A minor leak in one of your front struts. The suspension computer basically releases air from the other front strut to keep the front of the car level... Even when the car is off.

You could be suffering from air loss in struts in cold weather (below 40 degrees) again, rather commonly seen.

Yes, the dealership will cost huge $$$ - there are other options. Again, type air suspension in the search bar.

Welcome - Anthony

 

Thank you Anthony, sorry for misunderstanding how to do this posting. Do I just carry on now if anyone responds. I really appreciate your input.

Susan

 

hi, yes sounds like the front strut leaking, the compressor will be weak compensating everyday to lift the car and so it is slower to lift, cold air makes the air thinner and it find the small leaks more easily,

soapy water on the rubber airbellow and the hose connection to look for bubbles to show what is leaking,

the car sinks overnight as it is left for long periods with the ignition off (compressor off) but when you start the car it is lifting and seems level again as the compresssor runs every so often to re-correct the cars level,

start by looking for the leak, it may simply be the hose connection leaking, worst case the air strut itself. fix the leak will stop the car sinking and if the car is still slow to lift you can refurbish the compressor or replace it,

dont change parts without finding bubbles 1st

whatever corner sinks the lowest has the leak,

best regards

Andy

 

I purchased my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L on eBay last Februrary, and the former owner happened to be a Florida woman. I experienced the same problem that you encountered, and I ended up hiring a local Goodyear service center to convert the air suspension over to Arnott C-2290 coil/springs. I highly recommend that you do the same as it's not worth the money, time and aggravation of fiddling with the old air suspension. In many respects, you will find that the ride will be superior with the coil/spring suspension any way. I guarantee that you will never look back.

I do not know what the year or model of your Jag is so your vehicle might use a different Arnott coil/spring kit than mine.

 

Hi Andy,

This is very helpful, I will certainly let my friends know what you have said. I do appreciate you helping me.

Kind regards and Merry Xmas

 

Hello Rick

I have had some kind responses trying to help me and this is a good suggestion if all else fails. My daughter-in-law had a Lincoln Town Car which had a problem and a great guy at a garage suggested changing the suspension, it made a big difference. If we cannot sort it at a reasonable price, this is a good option to consider. Many thanks, Merry Xmas.


Susan

 

Hi Susan,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

I'm sorry you're having this difficulty with your Jag, but as Anthony mentioned, it's a very common issue with the X350.

As Andy mentions, spraying soapy water around the top of the front shocks, including the brass fittting where the air hose connects, may help you locate the source of your air leak. On the X350, the air spring bladder is covered by a corrugated plastic gaiter (inside the wheel well), so spraying soapy water on the gaiter may not be helpful in locating a leak in the air bladder itself.

It's a good idea to add the year, model and mileage of your car to your signature line using your User Control Panel so others will know which car you are inquiring about. Assuming your car has done 50,000 miles or more, the piston ring seal is probably worn and the compressor is charging the system more slowly than when new, which, combined with a slow leak in the system, can lead to the Air Suspension Fault warning, which indicates that the compressor has not been able to recharge the system within the time allotted by the Air Suspension Control Module (ASM or ASCM). Replacing the piston ring using Bagpipingandy's inexpensive replacement kit may improve the performance of your system and reduce the occurrences of the low front end.

For some reason, many of us (myself included) are experiencing worse air leaking when the ambient air temperatures fall to the low 40s F or colder. Our front right shock has a slow leak around the top rubber seal which worsens at about 43F or colder. If your leak is at the air hose fitting, you may be able to just replace the O-ring, and possibly the brass "olive" or compression fitting on the air hose itself. Worst case, you may need a new rebuilt air shock from Arnotts.

Converting the entire suspension to coils is a significant financial investment and most owners who have done so admit that the ride is not quite as good, and of course you lose the self-leveling and the adaptive damping during cornering, acceleration and braking.

We're a friendly bunch around here, so please do as Anthony suggested and visit the New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum and post an introduction so we can give you a proper welcome and learn something about you and your Jag.

Also, if you need any assistance adding the details of your car to your signature line, just let us know.

Cheers,

Don

 

Suspension issues occur on mine only when the ambient air temp is 30f and lower. Not such an issue in Texas, as its only 30f and below for about 10 mins a year.
However, it is a pain when it does happen. I am going down the bagpipeandy compressor kit replacement and then the front struts with soapy water checks. My problem is getting the 30f weather to put soapy bubbles on my struts to find the leak.
The conversion to coils would be my absolute last resort, the X350 air ride is such a nice feature to have on this car and a sorry state of affairs to have to lose it.

 

Trosty - take your time when replacing the piston ring (check three times) so you don't install the piston ring upside down like I did... Putting Andy's piston ring next to OEM - what a difference quality & performance.

Even after I flipped the piston ring over the correct way - big difference in air output from my compressor.. (Even though I can't use it cause the threads for the air output hose in the dryer are partially stripped)

Happy Holidays - Anthony

 

Susan, no worries - we're glad to have you on board. As Don pointed out if you could post a brief intro - that would be great.

Let us know what you find out...

Happy Holidays!

Anthony

 

Hi Don, I am baffled, thought I had put in an intro. Can you please check this and let me know if it is not showing up

 

Hi Susan - your intro is showing in the new members section. thanks..

 

Susan,

Before you spend a lot of money, or time, do the soap test but also check the air tube and compression fitting on the top of the strut. I haven't had any problems other than one line coming off completely, without explanation.

See posts 13 thru 15 in this thread (picture included):

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...%24%24-109952/

If the the tube on my Jaguar blew off, I wouldn't be surprised if the compression fitting isn't on tight enough and it leaks only when there is a change in temperature. The soap test might not reveal a leak if the conditions are right.

 

Zazzy: I took my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L to the dealer due to the front end lowering after I took possession of the car, and ouch! I was out $1100 for a new air compressor, and it didn't take care of the problem. Their mechanic spent an extra two days trying to locate leaks in the air suspension system, but could find none.

What the mechanic did find was that the front passenger air shock appeared to be new (OEM Jaguar) so it probably was recently replaced by a dealer hired by the former owner. I suspect that this occured around October of 2013 as this was the time that the Florida woman decided to trade it in (and I can fully appreciate why).

 

Allow the car to cool down and sit overnite, then the next morning open the driver door, and pull hood latch and raise the hood. Please have some soapy water on standby if needed, but most likely you will be able to hear it. The car should release air from the rear retention tank under the spare tire and begin to raise the car. Then go to each front shock tower and listen from the top where each sensor wire is connected. You should hear the air escaping. Just to take some workload from the pump I recommend sealing it with clear rtv silicone until your new shock arrives if you must drive the car. If you don't have to drive it I wouldn't until the shock is replaced.

 

It would be nice if the price of individual shocks came down. Even the ones available on Ebay are expensive. Ah well, the joys of owning a Jag.

 

Hi Susan I have an 2004 xjr and I got the low level warning as well. Andy suggested there was a leak when I inquired about his value priced compressor that he sells on ebay, and that I might check for leaks before replacing the compressor.

If I drive the car regularly it doesn't seem to show, so it must be a slow leak. I believe that Andy indicated that the compressor is located in the lower left front of the car and that you should be able to hear it pump. I think someone told me ( or I read here somewhere) to look at the car and see where it leans, and that is probably the location of the bad shock. They are often replaced in pairs, but it may just be a matter of spraying the soapy water, finding which one is leaking and replacing the compression piece around (what is being called the olive) the end of the air line connection. If you go to the plumbing store and ask to look at copper compression fittings you'll unscrew the part, and inside will be the part that compresses on the tubing and makes the seal. I you get the "olive" they have ones for different types of lines, so be sure to match the appropriate type.

Not sure if these lines are plastic, but suspect they are, and use a similar style fitting. Some mechanics use a stethoscope tool that you can put the end ( usually a straight metal rod which conducts sound well ) on the shock or area and that might alert you to a gentle or louder hiss if it is really small.

 

I changed the compressor rings last weekend ( using Bagpipeandy's kit) and we are having a bout of 30f weather at the moment. So far the car hasn't dropped and I am pleased.

Maybe my leak was at the point where the brass knuckle entered the compressor because that is the only nut I loosened to remove and refitted?

So that nut, maybe a culprit for leaks too? I have some pictures too that I may post if I can find them..

 

There is stuff called PTFE tape that plumbers use to seal joints, but I do remember using this when I was on a student summer job at a large paper mill near Newbury. The mill has long since gone, of course, but I worked as a "fitters mate" in the instrument section. Almost all the instrumentation in those days was pneumatic, and I remember using this tape to make sure of a good seal on the air lines. We connected up a load of plastic pipe carrying air under pressure, using compression joints as well.