To bring it down to standard height, you DON'T add or subtract anything from the actual measurement. The car will adjust itself to make it 707/709 standard height. You only add/subtract from the 707/709 number when you want to fool the computer into lowering or raising the car from the standard point.
Take your lowest corner for example: if you want to bring that down to standard height, you would enter exactly 710mm to the appropriate corner when ask by DIS. The computer will adjust itself (lower in this case) to be 707 or 709 (front or rear).
Take another example: let say your lowest corner is 705mm. When you enter this exact amount into DIS, it will raise that corner to 707 or 709 automatically. You don't add or subtract anything from the actual measurement of 705mm (I know you're thinking about that 2mm or 4mm, don't you?) if you ONLY want to bring it to the correct standard height.

In other word, forget that you ever know 707/709 is the standard number. That has nothing to do with calibrating your ride height to standard. All you need is the actual measurement that you made on each corner. You only need that number when you decide it's time to fool the computer.

Thanks tmv, you have the most recent success with this and are most familiar so I will try your methods later on. What I want to do is get my car to sit at an even baseline, so I have the exact 707/709mm on each corner (or at least close within a few mm's), then set it to default, and then I can evaluate further lowering from there (by adding mm's to the calibration in the original DIY)


So I take my EXACT amount that I have now on each corner, plug that into the calibration when asked on each corner, and the suspension should "correct itself" to the 707 and 709 values?

So in theory, with your corner that was 1" higher than the rest, if you were just calibrating to even out that corner and have the default heights all around, you would put in a value of 709 + 25mm = 734mm when asked since that is what you measured, and the suspension would level down to a value of 709mm since it is correcting for it? Am I understanding correctly?

In my case with the higher corner (1"): If I ONLY want to bring it down to standard point, I would enter the exact measurement that I made with the tape measure, which is ~734mm. YES, you understand it correctly.

Last time I calibrated, it took 5 passes of calibration get it where it should be. Each pass got it a little closer. Who knows why it behaves like this. The dealership had the same problem so I know it's not me...

Side note: Wouldn't it be so much easier if we had tape measures that were mm/cm only? I measure and then I have to google the conversion lol!

OK tmv, I will do your method tonight and see what I come up with as far as the default height goes to after the calibration. At least I know how to even out the corners (drives my OCD crazy!).

So even though I set a different zero point last night the computer will still remember the default values when I go to to a ride height calibration and set it accordingly? I didn't mess anything up?

^You didn't set the zero point. That number is memorized in the computer for each wheel size. It can NOT be changed (but it can be fooled ;) )
What you enter last night is your computing measurement number (not even the actual measurement) That's why you're not at standard ride height now since it's NOT the actual measurement.
sockethead, I'm not sure about your situation. I remembered vaguely something in DIS stating that the calibration will be carried out after (or during) normal driving. Did you do back-to-back calibration without driving the X? In my case, the computer did lower right after the calibration procedure and I double check with the tape measure. I lowered it 1" all-around.

I see, so the million dollar question is whether my ride height will correct itself to default of 707/709 when I calibrate it later on, for some reason I'm not crossing my fingers it will go to the standard 4.8is height, the 20" 'non-sport' values are 722/724 so I am interested to see if it sets default for sport value or non-sport with 20" wheels.

I feel like even though I have sports suspension the standard height remembered for my 3.0 has to be different than a 4.8is, then again I can't really ever remember someone posting on here that has a 3.0 with air suspension like I do, let alone seeing what their ride height looks like. And also, even if the 3.0's that have posted with air suspension there are probably even less that have 20" wheels and have had the ride height calibration set for them.

Will report findings later, very interested to see how this turns out.

When you had it at the standard ride height, you will know what number the computer used. Then "modify" it to your liking. Let's not confuse yourself for now :D
I would say that it'll set to "sport" number since it can see that you have that equipped, regardless of wheel size.
Text/call me when it's done. I don't have time to go on the forum much in the evening, but I want to know how it turns out.
GL, J.

To achieve an alignment that is best when driving, the added weight makes sense, though 450lbs in most cases would include a couple with 2 good sized kids and a suitcase just under the big charge for checking a bag. That's unless they only eat at MacDonalds.

Loading it up to be sure it doesn't rub, unless it rubs when you lower it should not be necessary as the system should compensate for any added weight.

Any lowering will change the alignment specs to some degree. To be sure how far you are lowering the X, you should drive back and forth a couple of car lengths and stop abruptly in both directions to let the suspension adjust each time you make a change. When you get it set where you want it you should get the alignment checked

Which is precisely why I am calibrating the ride height before my alignment, I just finished up all new front suspension work and did my wheel bearings/cv axle boots in the front and wrapped that up this past weekend, so I'd like to get the ride height to where I want it before I get aligned. God knows I don't want to tweak anything else or align it again for at least a year! Lol