Skyhook on my 4200

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
Can I test if my Skyhook works as intended somehow?
I think that the car is equally bumpy in both normal and sport mode. No warning lamps on the dash.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,749
if broken it defaults to soft setting... and you should have an error warning...does the red car and arrow symbol light up on ignition.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
First of all check it is actually fitted. There should be wires that go to the centre of the damper rod on the top mounts. Also, if the dampers are yellow they are standard not skyhook.
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
Thank you for the answers!

Ok, it's hard to tell the colour of the dampers - but here's what I got so far.

There is a wire from the centre of the damper:
85360


These warning lights is lit on start key in step one:
85361


After two seconds they go out, leaving this:
85362

So my reading is that I indeed have Skyhook dampers on the car and that the system at least thinks that they are working.
Is that a correct assumption? :)

Bad picture of the dampers:
85363

85364
 

philgarner

Member
Messages
226
I had the same with my GS. No warnings at all but sport mode made no difference to the ride. Hard and crashy all the time. Bad news is the cost to resolve - I had KW v3 coilovers fitted and now it rides and handles great.
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
Yes, you have skyhook. And yes, it thinks it is working ok.
Thanks, Zep!
I wish there was a way to make sure that they works as intended too.
From what I've heard there should be a great difference between normal and activated mode. I think my damping is rock hard all the time.
 

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,445
Find a speed hump and go over it with it off and see how it feels after the bump. Then do it again with it switched on. You should feel one more damped than the other
Eb
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,749
Thank you for the answers!

Ok, it's hard to tell the colour of the dampers - but here's what I got so far.

There is a wire from the centre of the damper:
View attachment 85360


These warning lights is lit on start key in step one:
View attachment 85361


After two seconds they go out, leaving this:
View attachment 85362

So my reading is that I indeed have Skyhook dampers on the car and that the system at least thinks that they are working.
Is that a correct assumption? :)

Bad picture of the dampers:
View attachment 85363

View attachment 85364
Looks like its all there... are you wheels standard, and how old are the tyres?
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
I had the same with my GS. No warnings at all but sport mode made no difference to the ride. Hard and crashy all the time. Bad news is the cost to resolve - I had KW v3 coilovers fitted and now it rides and handles great.
Thanks Phil, I guess I will try to learn to live with it first. It's our first sports car so maybe we need to adopt. :)
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
Looks like its all there... are you wheels standard, and how old are the tyres?
The wheels are standard from what I can tell. But the tyres are way too old, we will change them next spring. Hopefully that takes some of the hardness away.
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
Find a speed hump and go over it with it off and see how it feels after the bump. Then do it again with it switched on. You should feel one more damped than the other
Eb
Tried that, can't really tell if it makes any difference. Maybe I'll try to do some more organised tests later. :)
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
When you press the SPORTS button does a light come on the dash that also says SPORTS?

I ask because when I purchased my car 5 years ago the SPORTS button did nothing.
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
When you press the SPORTS button does a light come on the dash that also says SPORTS?

I ask because when I purchased my car 5 years ago the SPORTS button did nothing.
It sure does, but you need to press it down for a while to achieve that. Two-three seconds perhaps.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Not much of a lag on mine either

Last person I suggested this to it actually fixed their skyhook problems so it's worth a shot... try unplugging your Skyhook ECU cleaning the connections with contact cleaner and reinstall it.

If you feel up to it go for a drive with the ECU unplugged to see if you can feel a difference... You will have a skyhook error light and the dampers will be rock hard. Also no skyhook brain so the car behaves differently (more oversteer).

The ECU is located on in the LHS of your trunk/boot above the CD changer

As with all of these things approach with caution and at your own risk
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,749
the MSP/ASR was always a press and hold... has anyone replaced your buttons?... maybe as a result of sticky button refresh?
 

TKoos

Junior Member
Messages
50
the MSP/ASR was always a press and hold... has anyone replaced your buttons?... maybe as a result of sticky button refresh?
Nah, the sports button lights up SPORT light on the dash so that seems ok.
Probably me that remembers wrong and confuses sport with MSP. :cool: