2006 Jaguar XJ X350 Air Suspension Dropped Completely

[ArthurDaley 0]

I have the chance to buy a 2006 Jaguar XJ X350 but it hasn't been on the road in months, the battery is flat and the air suspension has dropped as low as it can go - both sides are extremely low so it looks as though the top of the wheels are going up into the wheel arches. The seller tells me that the car should rise up with a new battery and that in the past the car would dip down a bit if not used and rise up to the correct level once driven a few miles.

Has anyone on here experience of the XJ X350? I've never had one before and can't say I'm a fan of air suspension - the compressors aren't that dear but new air shock absorbers are £1k so I'd have go for used ones. Even if not driven though, I'm sure the suspension should stay up at a reasonable height. I can't recall any dealers complaining of X350s dropping on their forecourts while in stock. 

Greatly appreciate any advice as to the likely cost of sorting out the bottomed out suspension? The seller wants more than CAP Clean for it - I think a fair offer would be CAP Clean minus the cost of sorting out the suspension so I'm trying to come up with a rough idea of the cost. If an X350 went through BCA or Manheim with a collapsed suspension I can't imagine it would make very much!

[It's me 615]

If the battery is flat flat be very wary ie do not jump start it but put a fully charged proper battery on it before you do anything or you might well cause modules to go corrupted

Basically unless you are nicking it I can't imagine buyers are queuing up behind you

First question why was it parked up? death in family or unable to afford the running costs etc

[trade vet 702]

That’s good advice.Just leave it.You can always check out Brightwells Classic sale in Sept. They will have some Jags.

[ArthurDaley 0]

Many thanks for the replies - yes I definitely won't jump start it. I was thinking of connecting a Ctek charger but it's likely that the battery is beyond recharging. The previous owner died a few months ago.

I'm beginning to think it would have to be very cheap to be worth the hassle. It is a shame because the car has been maintained without any regard to expenditure, the owner had it from new when it cost almost £60k. The trouble is, the seller doesn't seem to acknowledge that the suspension fault is a problem and it's likely to be a pain to diagnose and pretty dear to resolve. It would really need to be about half the asking price to be worth the hassle and there are loads of X350s for sale. If it was a very low mileage, I might chance it (some X350s with 30-40k are going for £10k+) but even when sorted this one's not going to be worth a fortune with over 100k.

[Halfpenny 114]

I've got experience of the X350, although not had one in the workshop for a few years now...

Keep in mind that this car was very much JLR 'experimenting with technology' - for example fibre optics to carry data and extensive use of aluminium. If the car is sat for many months it WILL drop. The various valves in the air suspension do not seal perfectly. There can be multiple problems with these cars quite apart from the air system - the suspension bushes themselves wear quickly. Lots of electrical problems. Unless its going to be kept as a cosseted 'collectors car' and you are prepared to throw money at it then I wouldn't bother.

[ArthurDaley 0]

Yes I agree Halfpenny - although it looked similar to the previous model, the X350 was packed with then new technology. I drove a 4.2 when a few months old and I was blown away with how well it drove and always fancied getting one. I've had my eye on the one with the suspension fault since it was new - I know it has been very well maintained over the years but it's over 17 years old now and even if I can get the air suspension working again, there's almost bound to be other problems.

I'm in the trade so was looking to buy it to re-sell eventually so it needs to be fully sorted and realistically, I'd need to get it for next to nothing to see any sort of margin as diagnosing and  repairing the air suspension isn't going to be cheap. If the suspension held it's height and everything else checked out ok I'd have gone for it. It's a shame, as the X350 is one of my favourite cars but you have to buy cars with your head, not your heart. In the past I've bought Jags mainly because I liked them and did reasonably well with them but at the time they were only 4 or 5 years old at the time and these were XJ40s, X300s and X308s before the days of air suspension.

I agree that if I was going to keep it for myself and bring it back to life money no object it would be a nice car but once you are in the trade, there's no way I could throw money at a car way beyond it's resale value. 

[trade vet 702]

If you are in the trade,have you not got enough headaches to keep you occupied.I know a guy who for 30 years traded heavy stuff doing swaps with franchised dealers.For several years ,he now only deals in classics and from what I understand,the trick is to try and not spend any money on them.

[ArthurDaley 0]

That is also a very good point - it's taken me a few weeks to sort out another old Jag, bought from BCA but I knew the previous owner who assured me it was "mint" after selling it to WBAC - his idea of mint is very different to mine - 2 very tricky but thankfully inexpensive jobs later, I'd say it's well above average but not mint! 

It's strange how people seem to big up their cars even when they've already sold it so they have nothing to gain by exaggerating its condition!

I quite fancying trying classics especially as these days they still seem quite modern, I remember all the 80s and 90s stuff when it was new.

One slight advantage I have now over the old days is that I only really see cars as a way to make money whereas decades ago I tended to buy what I liked and smoked around in, running up a big Auto Trader bill! I'm sure the most successful dealers have been totally money motivated from day one - I remember years ago a dealer telling me car enthusiasts make rubbish car dealers which can be true to a certain extent although it probably depends if selling niche or mainstream stuff.

It definitely seems as though not spending any money is the way to make money! Personally, I'd like to spend a bit to add more value to the car but the most successful dealers don't do a lot to their stock. I remember talking to one old school dealer at BCA many moons ago about how I'd repair the trim on an old W124 Merc and he said he'd never spend on it! I later saw him driving out the car park in it!

There's definitely a bigger margin with the classics but buying them unseen at auction is a gamble. I still find it frustrating that BCA will never reopen the halls.

Going back to that X350 I'll check it out but I know the seller will think I'm trying to rob them if I offer its true value in the condition its in and even if I did get it really cheap, do I really want to take on a headache - even if I get it sorted, I can imagine me checking the suspension level every few days expecting it to drop again! 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by ArthurDaley

[petrol head 46]

Unless you can nick then leave it, old jag been sitting….

[Halfpenny 114]

My experience after 40+ years in the motor trade is that very few people can make proper money fettling 'collectors' cars (i.e. old stuff that is too unreliable to use every day) if you cost your time at anything like a sensible rate. When I see an old JLR product (or even a fairly new one) I see a steaming heap of trouble and strife. A 17 year old 100k+ mile X350 that's been left sitting for months would be pretty much my worst nightmare.

I used to have a trader mate who specialised in sale and repair of older Jags. He had a yard which was usually home to about a dozen hulks in various stages of decay awaiting repair. It ended up costing him his marriage, his house and eventually his sanity. He escaped to Norfolk where he now runs a B&B.

I semi-retired in 2018 and the business (sales/service/MoT) ticks over under the watchful eye of my business partner with me helping out when I get bored. I have lost most of my interest in cars, especially 'classic' cars which, let's face it, are mostly pretty shite by modern standards. My philosophy is buy something from Toyota or Honda and get on with life. 

[Jas 1]

Hi there

If it's been sitting for a while get it sparked up and see if it holds its level. It will probably be fine.

Pumps are much more common than legs, I've got one to do this weekend on a xj6.

Be careful of values; A very nice 4.2 will pull in decent money on low mileage, but other engines aren't nearly as valuable.

Getting one forecourt ready might be a nightmare. Making sure EVERYTHING works on these was hard enough ten years ago, let alone know

Ultimately you're going to end up putting in more time, money and effort than turning a hatchback, I know I should stop messing with them, but I love Jaguars.

[ArthurDaley 0]

Hi Jas, I'm the same, I've always loved Jaguars. The trouble is the ones I like are pretty ancient now. I knew this X350 from brand new and its the exact spec I'd have specified myself (Sovereign 4.2)

Cutting a long story short, the suspension came up fine but soon started to go down again, the air con didn't work, the bonnet struts had rusted so badly they no longer held up and there was a faint burning smell on the test drive. Although I'm sure it was well maintained, the service history stops in 2015 and while I was promised a "folder full of receipts from the meticulous owner," this statement was a complete work of fiction! Such a shame as I'd have paid a good price if all was well.

On close inspection, it had a lot of paint and was a bit ripply.

In the end, the seller sold it to WBAC, I see it sold for £3k this morning at BCA. Typically, the Essential Check came up all clean apart from a mention of the cruise not working - not a sausage about the suspension, air con or bonnet struts!

Once everything is sorted it would probably retail at £7k but I didn't fancy all the work. The seller MOT'd it before selling it and that showed rust on the subframe which doesn't exactly help either!

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by ArthurDaley

[petrol head 46]

23 hours ago, ArthurDaley said:

Hi Jas, I'm the same, I've always loved Jaguars. The trouble is the ones I like are pretty ancient now. I knew this X350 from brand new and its the exact spec I'd have specified myself (Sovereign 4.2)

Cutting a long story short, the suspension came up fine but soon started to go down again, the air con didn't work, the bonnet struts had rusted so badly they no longer held up and there was a faint burning smell on the test drive. Although I'm sure it was well maintained, the service history stops in 2015 and while I was promised a "folder full of receipts from the meticulous owner," this statement was a complete work of fiction! Such a shame as I'd have paid a good price if all was well.

On close inspection, it had a lot of paint and was a bit ripply.

In the end, the seller sold it to WBAC, I see it sold for £3k this morning at BCA. Typically, the Essential Check came up all clean apart from a mention of the cruise not working - not a sausage about the suspension, air con or bonnet struts!

Once everything is sorted it would probably retail at £7k but I didn't fancy all the work. The seller MOT'd it before selling it and that showed rust on the subframe which doesn't exactly help either!

 

Why do we still do business with BCA, there are so many issues at play. 

[ArthurDaley 0]

Absolutely, I've been thinking the same! This is the first time I've been able to assess a car before it went through BCA so it was interesting to see all the faults and how none were declared.

I'm just glad I got involved and viewed the car first as if I didn't, I'd have seen the car at BCA and would have thought it was a good one, having known the car from new. I'd have probably bid up to £3500 & I'd have been bitterly disappointed when collecting the car.

The odd thing is the seller wouldn't budge a penny on their asking price yet they must have accepted less from WBAC as it sold for less than their minimum price that they wanted from me! The BCA reserve was £2800. Once I was aware of all the faults I offered £2500 but on reflection I'm glad I didn't get it as it would have been a fair bit of hassle getting it sorted. The aircon may just need a regas but at that age it could need a condenser which can end up costing £700 plus even before the air suspension issue is addressed.