Handsome bastard, fighting me all the way...

[jonathan_dyane]

What battery is specified? I have a seconhand 019 which tests ok you can have if that's any help?

[Noel Tidybeard]

019 is the one tayna list for the eddy shaguar

[eddyramrod]

Because I had some leftover vouchers I could use, I dropped into Halfrauds this morning.  Their system listed two possible battery codes for this car: 013 and 027.  013: nothing in stock.  027: doesn't appear to offer any advance over the battery I have (which, incidentally, charged up last night fine).  So I bought a bigger, more powerful one, taking care to make sure it wasn't going to be too tall for the boot.

DD has now been round and we've had the afternoon on it, starting with fitting the lovely new battery (five year guarantee!  That'll come with it...).  He then investigated the valve block and air tank, which I never knew live in the boot under the spare wheel.

They seem to be OK.  However the system still loses air, he now suspects the compressor itself.

With that established, he turned his attention to the Restricted Performance message.  A bit of fiddling about under the bonnet including a good clean of the MAF sensor enabled the code to be cleared.  And time for a test drive, so we went for a bit of a cruise, in a variety of traffic conditions, using a range of throttle openings.  So far so good.

It's still throwing up the Air Suspension Fault message, but does pump up; we may have more to do.

As if I needed a sign about this car...

...Guess which of my coffee mugs broke this morning!

I'm going to try the car for my local running over the next week or two and see what it does.

 

[DirtyDaily]

I am hoping we are on the right track.
For the geeks among us I found the following:
Air filter housing wasn't fully clipped in meaning air getting in after the air filter.
Maf sensor was VERY dirty and could see no metal exposed. Black.
Maf cleaned, throttle blade cleaned as that was dirty too.
Was getting a too lean code on the ECU so checked for any vacuum leaks and pretty confident there is none.
As Eddy said we took it for a 30 min or so drive and all is good other than the air suspension light which I think took much longer to come on. The struts all seem to be holding air as they didn't sink on the drive after the light came on which with a leak it would normally do.
The tank holds no pressure after the pump stops but reaches 7/7.5 bar when it's on so the pump is kicking out enough pressure but as soon as it is off it goes to 0 within 10 seconds. I believe there is a shut off valve in the compressor which when the pump stops it closes to hold pressure. I don't think this valve is shutting causing the massive loss of pressure in the reservoir. My instinct is therefore a compressor unit failure. I am however not 100 % on this and have put the question to a forum I am on to see if anyone can weigh in on it. The only other thing I think it could be would an issue with the valve block but these rarely go wrong. Definitely want a second opinion though!

Pleasure to meet Eddy and glad I could help in some way. Always nice to meet up with fellow enthusiasts. I may be returning at some point with a new compressor but we shall see!

[DirtyDaily]

Oh and amusingly as I was leaving I couldn't get in to my Saab as my key wasn't working... Thankfully just a dying battery in the fob and Tesco round the corner from my hotel had some on hand so that's fixed as well!

[eddyramrod]

As I said last night, and will say again now, , thank you so much @DirtyDaily for all this help.  I would never have got this far without you.

[goosey]

4 hours ago, DirtyDaily said:

I am hoping we are on the right track.
For the geeks among us I found the following:
Air filter housing wasn't fully clipped in meaning air getting in after the air filter.
Maf sensor was VERY dirty and could see no metal exposed. Black.
Maf cleaned, throttle blade cleaned as that was dirty too.
Was getting a too lean code on the ECU so checked for any vacuum leaks and pretty confident there is none.
As Eddy said we took it for a 30 min or so drive and all is good other than the air suspension light which I think took much longer to come on. The struts all seem to be holding air as they didn't sink on the drive after the light came on which with a leak it would normally do.
The tank holds no pressure after the pump stops but reaches 7/7.5 bar when it's on so the pump is kicking out enough pressure but as soon as it is off it goes to 0 within 10 seconds. I believe there is a shut off valve in the compressor which when the pump stops it closes to hold pressure. I don't think this valve is shutting causing the massive loss of pressure in the reservoir. My instinct is therefore a compressor unit failure. I am however not 100 % on this and have put the question to a forum I am on to see if anyone can weigh in on it. The only other thing I think it could be would an issue with the valve block but these rarely go wrong. Definitely want a second opinion though!

Pleasure to meet Eddy and glad I could help in some way. Always nice to meet up with fellow enthusiasts. I may be returning at some point with a new compressor but we shall see!

I would have thought the shut off valve would be in the valve block not the compressor, I believe the compressors job is literally just to pump air and that’s it.

My money would be on a faulty valve block 

[DirtyDaily]

I would have thought the shut off valve would be in the valve block not the compressor, I believe the compressors job is literally just to pump air and that’s it.
My money would be on a faulty valve block 

I did have that thought hence why I wanted to double check this with someone else first. I do know that from past experiences the line that goes in to the compressor holds a bit of pressure and gives off quite the blast when you remove it hence thinking the pressure is held up to the compressor. Looking at the valve block it does go in to the valve block and then in to the reservoir but my thought was that it should hold the pressure anyway.

I wanted someone to confirm this on a forum I'm on but I've not had a response. The valve blocks rarely go wrong but I know thoughts like that can get you in trouble. The valve blocks are quite a bit cheaper than the compressor so may be worth thinking about throwing a new (good used) one at it. Normally they throw a code if a solenoid in the valve block is bad also though and I haven't seen such a code.

The more I think the more I am leaning towards the valve block though. Hmm.

[warren t claim]

Does it work well enough to make it to the nearest WBAC?

[eddyramrod]

I tried that.  Not again and certainly not with the same car!

[bangernomics]

Check the earth points behind the headlights too as that’s a prime one for the pump failing when it’s actually cutting in and out because of the earth.

You’ll also be replacing headlight bulbs often which is the first clue. The tabs dissolve.


Gzongenflatch

[eddyramrod]

Well... new valve block fitted.  I think we might have cured the air loss, but it's still giving us an error code.  Stand by for a bump on the sale thread.

[Asimo]

This was entertaining: Chinese restoration crew goes all-in. Certainly puts me off owning anything so complicated.

 

[robt100]

8 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Well... new valve block fitted.  I think we might have cured the air loss, but it's still giving us an error code.  Stand by for a bump on the sale thread.

Resoviour plausibility error sounds like it either cant hold pressure in the tank still, or there is a pressure reading error? Pretty sure I've read on the Jag forum somewhere that the pressure release valve is on the compressor and the rebuild kit is pennies. Just a lot of work to get it of and do😕
Also, hope that valve block wasn't off the XJR im hopefully picking up from DirtyDaily soon😅

[DirtyDaily]

Resoviour plausibility error sounds like it either cant hold pressure in the tank still, or there is a pressure reading error? Pretty sure I've read on the Jag forum somewhere that the pressure release valve is on the compressor and the rebuild kit is pennies. Just a lot of work to get it of and do
Also, hope that valve block wasn't off the XJR im hopefully picking up from DirtyDaily soon

Reservoir plausibility error is pretty much always caused by the compressor. Pressure sensor is reading okay and is on the valve block so effectively has been replaced. The compressor looks and sounds tired. Also looks like it's been fiddled with before so I would guess it needs a good used one or a new one altogether.
It didn't come off one of mine, got it from a breaker.

[eddyramrod]

On 26/04/2024 at 16:54, Asimo said:

Certainly puts me off owning anything so complicated.

I've been totally put off.

As I was saying yesterday to @DirtyDaily: it's entirely possible that I'll never own another car after this.  I'm definitely going Motability, there's no two ways about that.  But, I'm still on the forum so it's possible I'll fall in love with something in the future.  Especially something between 40 and 50 years old  and built in Detroit.  Possible, but unlikely.  There are very few such things I can afford; even fewer that would be viable for a man with declining skills and no driveway.

[robt100]

http://www.jagrepair.com/images/AutoRepairPhotos/jagxj2003.5.pdf

Page 42 of that PDF gives the suspension wiring diagram for the early x350s. Dodgy vent solenoid in the compressor perhaps?

Learning all this just in case mine starts playing up🤣

[DirtyDaily]

Dodgy vent solenoid in the compressor perhaps?

Almost certainly

[eddyramrod]

Is it something that's available, or do we need to replace the whole compressor?

[DirtyDaily]

Is it something that's available, or do we need to replace the whole compressor?

Whole compressor if I'm not mistaken

[Split_Pin]

On 27/04/2024 at 19:04, eddyramrod said:

I've been totally put off.

As I was saying yesterday to @DirtyDaily: it's entirely possible that I'll never own another car after this.  I'm definitely going Motability, there's no two ways about that.  But, I'm still on the forum so it's possible I'll fall in love with something in the future.  Especially something between 40 and 50 years old  and built in Detroit.  Possible, but unlikely.  There are very few such things I can afford; even fewer that would be viable for a man with declining skills and no driveway.

I've always wanted an Audi A8 but it turns out that the 1/18 scale model is more fun as it's no less driveable than the real one, doesn't need maintained,  fueled, taxed or Mot'd and takes up a lot less space. Shite in miniature is where its at for me as this way I can own anything I want!

[eddyramrod]

I've just re-read this entire thread this morning, because I wanted to steal a pic for a Facebook post.  It's quite alarming, the effect this car has had on me in two years.  Look at all the false highs, the dick-shortening expense, the lows that exceed anything an oil-driller can imagine.

Now... I want this car tomorrow, so today I've been out and about, getting some petrol and doing some little calls round town.  And it's behaved.  No lights, no error messages.  I had to open the fuel filler manually, which meant partially stripping the inside of the boot, but that could have been worse.  Let's see how it behaves tomorrow.

[danthecapriman]

🤞

Fingers and toes crossed for you Eddy. It’s good that it’s behaved today though!

[eddyramrod]

Today I've been out-of-town with it.

AIR SUSPENSION FAULT all the way there and back, and a dose of RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE on the way back, three hours later.  Oh well... I did get a lovely ride in a 1978 Lincoln Town Coupe.

[eddyramrod]

And it did the same yesterday, going to the Lakeland Motor Museum.  With a bit of luck the new pump will sort the suspension, at least.

I'm bumping this to record any progress, rather than cluttering my Sale thread.

[FakeConcern]

Fingers crossed!

[eddyramrod]

Booked in for Thursday.

[2flags]

Best of luck with it.