If you are getting the dreaded suspension warning light or experiencing other problems with your Jaguar’s air suspension, you are not alone. A simple online search will yield many people facing a sagging, leaning or otherwise failing air suspension in their Jaguar XJ8.
Why the XJ8 Suspension Fails
Your Jaguar XJ8 came equipped with an air suspension system. When it was new, it was responsive and glided over bumps and dips in the road. They don’t always age well, however. The main problem with air suspensions is that they are complicated. They are made up of many components that need to all be functioning in unison in order for the system to work properly. In addition, they rely on small computers and electronic sensors to tell the system what to do. This means more things that can break and a more difficult time finding the problem.
Another major problem is that air suspensions are made of moving, rather than static parts. Moving parts are guaranteed to wear down over time as they slowly erode from use. Your Jaguar XJ8’s suspension failure isn’t your fault, it isn’t Jaguar’s fault, it’s just the nature of air suspensions.
What Can I Do?
The most important thing to do is to act now. Suspension problems will build up very quickly. This is because once one component goes bad, the entire system suffers as it tries to pick up the workload. Do not assume the problem will go away or get better on its own because it won’t. If you were to take your Jaguar into the dealership, they would suggest that you repair the current air suspension or replace some of the components. If you want to keep your air suspension, this is what you should do.
However, there are several things to consider before going down that road. Since we know that air suspension components do inevitably wear out, if one or more components are failing you can be sure that others will fail soon. For example, the airbags on your XJ8 all wear out at about the same rate. Once one has failed, it won’t be long before others spring a leak or rot out. If you choose to repair your air suspension, you are looking at the continued expense for the remainder of your car’s lifetime. You do, however, have another option: to get rid of that troublesome air suspension entirely and replace it with a brand new, time-tested Coilover suspension.
Why replace?
The number one reason to replace your air suspension with a coil suspension is the price. While a new air suspension might cost you upwards of $3,000, our Jaguar XJ8 conversion kit costs just under $1,000 and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. That means you spend money once and not again.
While an air suspension is certainly comfortable, you may be surprised at just how smooth Strutmasters’ patented Glide Ride Technology system feels. Some people even prefer the feel of coilovers to their original air suspension. The beauty of the Coilover system is its simplicity. Rather than a web of moving parts and electronics, the passive struts feature just a couple of sturdy, reliable components. In fact, the coil suspension is so simple, many of our customers choose to install it themselves at home. You probably already have the tools you need at home. Once you look at the numbers, it may start to make sense to just go ahead and ditch that air suspension.
When you’re ready, we’re here to help. Give one of our associates a call at (866) 684-6473 and end your Jaguar XJ8 air suspension problems for good!
