What have you done to your car today?
- Thread starter mattyprice4004
- Start date
I can get the part for £350, it's finding someone who will fit my own part and has the correct kit to code it which is difficult. Very few mechanics over here are happy to fit parts you've sourced yourself, and those that are are normally little backstreet places which won't have the right software to code the strut.
£350!
I guess the change in pairs rule doesn't really apply to these?
£350 is fine, it's the labour cost that worries me. Apparently you can get away with changing one at a time as it's different to a traditional system.
Sorry, I'm used to buying a spring and a damper, which usually costs a grand total of a third of that. 
Is it the coding which would be expensive or the physical changing of the part? Is it much more involved than doing a normal suspension change on one corner?
Is it the coding which would be expensive or the physical changing of the part? Is it much more involved than doing a normal suspension change on one corner?
Sorry, I'm used to buying a spring and a damper, which usually costs a grand total of a third of that.
Is it the coding which would be expensive or the physical changing of the part? Is it much more involved than doing a normal suspension change on one corner?
Yes, I remember my dad bought two front shocks for his Jeep for the grand total of £110
The physical changing of the part isn't much more involved than a standard one, it's having the correct kit to code it. A Jaguar main dealer won't fit the part I buy, and I only know one other garage within 50 miles who has the correct kit, and it remains to be seen whether they'll fit my part or not.
What would a thinner oil do? I was under the impression they pretty much all turn to water when warm
Lol do you think the viscosity ratings are just made up or something?
£350 sounds like a bargain for a suspension strut Geekman, not sure what Acme is on about. Does it definitely need coding? Reason I ask is that Mercedes (airmatic and ABC) and Land Rover systems don't, you just swap the struts and the system self regulates? I had to get an ABC distribution valve block swapped recently and my little local garage was able to do it. I know your car won't be the same system but I am surprised it needs any coding?
Yeah, Jaguar want around £1000, but airdominance do a refurbished one with a 2 year warranty for £350, and other companies like Arnott aren't far off that price either. They all do shocks for BMW, Mercedes, LR - pretty much every car with air suspension.
I've just spent the last couple of hours researching it, and I suspect you may actually be right. I was told by several people in the past that they do need coding (something to do with height regulation), but the how to PDF on the Arnott website doesn't mention anything about that. Going to give airdominance a call tomorrow when they open up and see if I can get a definitive answer. It'll certainly be a huge relief if it's a standard swap.
Soldato
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When I changed an airmatic strut on my old S class I had to use Star to set the ride height correctly. You can probably get away without doing it and have no issues but I think if you want it done right it should be calibrated IMO.
I would assume the Jag system is similar but I really don't know.
Star intervention is only required if there is actually a problem with the levels, the level sensors (should) do their job and self regulate 
Only times I have actually required star to dial into the suspension is for diagnosis, my old S-Class saloon was sinking and I didn't know if there was a leak or whether it was a weak pump, and recently I didn't quite know where my SL ABC problem actually was, as all I had was the red "ABC Visit Workshop" display. Luckily Geekman can quite clearly see what is wrong with his
Only times I have actually required star to dial into the suspension is for diagnosis, my old S-Class saloon was sinking and I didn't know if there was a leak or whether it was a weak pump, and recently I didn't quite know where my SL ABC problem actually was, as all I had was the red "ABC Visit Workshop" display. Luckily Geekman can quite clearly see what is wrong with his
Soldato
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Star intervention is only required if there is actually a problem with the levels, the level sensors (should) do their job and self regulate
Ah fair enough, it is not really surprising I had to use it on my W220, that car really loved giving me headaches!
Caporegime
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For Acme, just to see how high i could get it. Filled up before the 22miles trip to my parents' then 22miles back through A-roads, a couple of small incline and decline, mostly 60mph NSL with a couple of villages with 30mph.
Boring as hell but road was fairly quiet today so didn't even get overtaken by anyone.
Boring as hell but road was fairly quiet today so didn't even get overtaken by anyone.
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Fitted a Spoon N1 style back box to my Civic, sounds good, but it has a cheap pattern part centre section which doesn't quite mate up perfectly and is most definitely not above 2" bore, it's so small! So I've ordered a matching centre section to the back box which is 2.4". Silenced so will not be any louder than it is now, but I feel like a kid again, it's great 
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For Acme, just to see how high i could get it. Filled up before the 22miles trip to my parents' then 22miles back through A-roads, a couple of small incline and decline, mostly 60mph NSL with a couple of villages with 30mph.
Boring as hell but road was fairly quiet today so didn't even get overtaken by anyone.
Petrol or Devil fuel?
Caporegime
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Volvo C30 T5 running V-power unleaded.