Martian999

Dave, These things do happen, (although the MOT issue is a concern), as any vehicle is a complex beast and, (even with the best will in the world), things will wear out and there comes a point in time when things will physically fail! I usually try to purchase privately and attempt to ascertain a reasonable idea of the condition of the vehicle by the usual methods, (good visual inspection followed by a thorough drive), but that is still not guaranteed to identify ALL of the areas of concern, (if they do exist), and the previous owner, (and surroundings), usually serves to reinforce my initial conclusions! I have also bought 'blind', (if the vehicle is something rather special and worth a 'gamble' - primarily motorcycles), and had a few 'interesting rides home, (with no brakes, speedo, lights, etc), but I will have made an appropriate offer that takes all of these possibilities into account! And I have been very fortunate apart from two specific occasions - one was when I bought a 'brand new' £20K motorcycle, (several weeks old with 50 miles on the clock), back in the early noughties from one of the most prestigious main dealers in the UK, (and they also ran a top notch race team), and the bike was gorgeous but it developed a misfire on my ride home. Cutting a very long story short I took it back FIVE times yet the fault was never resolved and they would not give me my money back, (although consumer protection existed - it didn't seem to carry much weight), and my pleas for assistance fell on deaf ears with all of the various consumer protection bodies! On my last visit to the dealership I was assured that the problem was finally 'fixed' but, (on my approach to the A444/A4600 roundabout), it cut out, (once again), and the car behind me had to swerve in order to miss hitting me!! Fortunately I resolved the problem, myself, (it was due to a very 'agricultural' problem), and enjoyed many years of pleasure from my Italian thoroughbred! So do not lose heart as sometimes, on occasion, a little pain is well worth enduring if the vehicle ticks the majority of your 'must have' boxes! Fingers remain crossed with my latest acquisition, (the XF), but one month on and she hasn't missed a beat and she is a really lovely car, (famous last words)! Take care and I hope it all works out but, (as Peter has pointed out), if you are not happy then let the dealer know as I believe that you are still within the timeframe for demanding your money back if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase.

Rich, Excellent news! The plugs do look rather 'tired' and the gaps look a tad large too, (but I am probably incorrect in my assumption)! From my last 'adventure', (checking plugs and packs on the S Type V8), I do recall that a couple of the plugs were very difficult to access! I have just ordered an upstream O2 Sensor for my X Type, (as I am getting the 1646 error), and I am sure that I will have fun and games accessing, (and removing), the suspect sensor, ('upstream' rear bank), so I have also ordered an offset removal socket for £5!! Will now be making a fuss of my knuckles as I suspect there won't be much left of them after this job!! I will start a new post in the X Type section for this particular task. Martin.

Rich, I am presuming that she was running fine before your little 'mishap'? Rightly, (or wrongly), I occasionally 'jet wash' my engines, (2.5 V6 X-Type, SLK and my trusty Volvo V40), but I always do it with the engine running as it is the only way to remove 'road grime'. I have experienced coil pack issues on an S-Type Jaguar, (several years ago), and, more recently, on one of my motorcycles. The S-Type issue was caused by rain water running through the wiper mechanism drain and the water then ran into a couple of the spark plug recesses, (which house the Coil packs), and upon removal the coli packs, (and the top of the plugs), showed signs of rust. Once cleaned and dried the engine ran perfectly once again and I added clear bathroom sealant to the top rubber seals. The motorcycle problem was a little more complex - but may be relevant. My bike developed a misfire and it became totally random as the bike would always start ok but would then lose a cylinder once on the move. Upon examination, (after about an hours labour removing the fairing and air ducts), I found a similar sight - rust evident on the Coil packs which indicated water ingress due to poor seals. But even after cleaning the misfire remained and I decided to replace all of the Coil packs as they were hollow, (somewhat silly design), allowing the water to enter the coils themselves and, presumably, corrode the wiring from within! If the engine was fine before you washed it and you have yet to remove/clean the Coil packs then I am reasonably confident this action will resolve your issue, (you could be very unlucky and have a very dirty plug - due to it getting contaminated with soot from a partially burned charge - in which case new plugs may be required - but they should be fine). Good luck with your investigation - these days it is the access that is more of a problem than the fix!! Martin.

Geoff, Very interesting indeed! I have more adjustment on my X Type!! I keep meaning to try the passenger seat just to check that both have the same range of movement. Well done with the spare wheel - I have yet to fully explore my boot as I need to put the petrol filler protection tool back in its proper place so I had better check my wheel, Jack, brace and any other tools that I may find!! I took her to work again, today, and I am still very pleased with her and it really does make the journey so much more pleasurable. Martin.

Hi Everybody, Not sure if I have a problem or not but my drivers seat back does not apear to reach the 'bolt upright' position, (never mind moving any further forward than the 12 o'clock position), and I wondered if this was normal or whether my seat back moment is a tad restricted? All of my other cars, (including my X-Type), allow the seat to move to the 12 o'clock position and beyond. I have yet to sit in the passenger seat and see what range of movement that seat back has! A relatively minor issue but I do like to have my entire back supported but I find myself leaning forward and there is about a 9 inch gap between my neck and the rear of the seat in its upper most position! Martin.

Welcome aboard David! I have only, (very recently), joined the XF Fold - and I am now the proud owner of a 2010 3.0 XF S Diesel. I believe Steve has already highlighted the fact that you have to be a little more cautious with regards to the diesels as there are a number of additional systems that are there to ensure the emissions are kept as low as is possible. My XF has extensive service history but, at the end of the day, it is a second hand vehicle and I have entered into my 'relationship' with my eyes wide open, (although I hope at I won't be donning my overalls too soon)!! I undertook quite a bit of research before I purchased my XF and I decided on the diesel because of the fuel economy and the road tax but the performance of the dual turbo V6 diesel, (271 bhp), is very impressive and once I had test driven one I was smitten! Do plenty of research and try and get the highest spec model that you can afford within your budget, (otherwise you may regret it later)! I would have loved to get one of the supercharged Jags but it would have need up being a Sunday toy, (just like some of my bikes), and I needed something practical! Just beware as, once you have bought one, you will be worrying every time you park it in a supermarket car park!!!! Take care out there. Martin.

Tony, Welcome aboard! That is quite a list - all of which, (at a first glance), are totally unrelated other than they share the same power source - your battery, (as already pointed out by Frank)! I note that most 'modern' vehicles, (both cars and bikes), can suffer a whole host of 'esoteric' electrical problems when the battery begins to fail but it is also worth re-tightening the battery terminals as the continuity, (betwixt the battery terminals and both the earth and positive leads), can decrease, (due to both corrosion and oxidation), and this will only start to show up as the current draw on the battery increases, (ie - when the vehicle is running and when high current devices are switched on - such as your heated windscreens). Just a thought! Martin.

Andy, With no intention of 'hijacking' your thread I am also considering a tow bar for my 04 MY 2.5 AWD X-Type and just wondered if ALL models have the mounting points pre-drilled and threaded? There are a multitude of tow bars out there for the X-Type ranging in price from around £89 upwards, (many with the electrical kit thrown in too), from the infamous online auction site! In addition to the above I also need to know whether the rear section of the exhaust system needs to be removed in order to gain access to the mounting points? Regards, Martin.

Hi Gary, Welcome aboard! Your new acquisition looks very nice - I haven't had mine very long either and have yet to reach for any tools, (just hope I am not tempting fate)! I also have a slightly older 2.5 V6 AWD X-Type, (which did me proud last week and never got stuck despite the bad weather), and she developed an intermittent offside mirror fold problem and I traced that to the fuse. The fuse was fine - it just needed to be re-seated in the fuse holder and everything was fine afterwards. Obviously there will be little similarity between the X-Type and the XF but it is still worth looking at the simple things first. I would presume that the next area of interest to focus on will be the central locking module which will control the mirrors, windows and sunroof for the 'total closure' functionality. But I am sure that other, (more learned), forum members will chip in with the benefit of their experience.

Welcome aboard Stuart! I have recently purchased a 2010 XF and have no regrets. Although she has been tucked up on the drive during the recent spell of bad weather whilst my trusty 2.5 AWD X-Type Estate has kept me moving in some very bad driving conditions, (during the past few days)! Take care out there. Martin.

She looks lovely - enjoy her!

Welcome aboard Jason, I have owned 2 S Types in the past - they are very nice cars. Despite being an experienced electronics engineer I have not done any retrofitting of 'earlier' kit - it is usually the other way round! Take care, Martin.

Hi Geoff, Firstly in response to your questions re the XF, (as I certainly do not want to appear to be using this invaluable forum as another 'social media' channel)!! 1/. Spare Wheel v Repair Kit? I have been fortunate to have a number of lease/company vehicles, previously, and the last one was supplied without a spare wheel and just the 'repair' kit! I will always remember picking up a puncture on the A1, (just outside Grantham), on a dark, cold and very wet winters evening and I managed to limp onto a side road and pull up in order to see what could be done. I had no spare - just the repair kit and the mini electrical compressor and a set of instructions, (which I had never read of course)! I followed the instructions but, despite being careful, managed to get some of the liquid rubber sealant onto my hands, the alloy wheel and the bodywork! I then connected the compressor to a 12v socket in the car and inflated the tyre and I was lucky that the puncture was sufficiently small to allow the sealant to do its job and I had to move off smartly in order to spin the fluid around the tyre before it fully set. I was very impressed with the mini compressor as it didn't take long to inflate the tyre! Therefore, (if the puncture is only slight), the repair option will suffice to get you home and negates the need for too much physical effort, (removing and replacing wheels by the roadside - and OUR wheels are rather large and heavy - despite being alloys)!!!! At the risk of turning this missive into a short story you would not believe the problems that I had with my X Type wheels when I started getting the, (previously mentioned), punctures on these fine Lincolnshire roads. I found myself stricken at the side of the road with a flat tyre, (and I had a wheel brace, jack and wheel brace), but I couldn't get the wheel off as two of the wheel nuts were seized and the, (brand new), official Jaguar wheel brace just twisted before my very eyes as I applied more and more pressure in an attempt to undo the nuts! Cutting a very long story short I had to drill and chisel at least 1/2 seized wheel nuts from each of the 4 wheels and that was a nightmare of a job - trying not to damage the wheels as there was only about 3mm clearance between the nuts and the wheel casting itself!!! 2/. Cam Chain Replacement? Although I have never neglected, (and suffered from consequences of), a cambelt failure I did have a 'mishap' with my Granada Cosworth Scorpio when the cam chain tensioner snapped! The result was 24 bent valves, (3 Litre V6 with a 24 Valve Cosworth Head), and that cost me a fortune to have the top end rebuilt! I would be more than happy to undertake the XF cam belt replacement myself but I would like to see the procedure first before I make the commitment, (I suspect that, like most modern cars, the task is further compounded by the need to remove numerous ancillary devices just to gain access to the belt)! The most important issues are that of locking the cams, (prior to removing the belt), and then ensuring that the cams do not move once the belt has been removed, (the slip of just one tooth will be enough to turn the Cat's purr into a stifled rasp - and reduce your bank balance considerably)! I would suspect that there are specific tools available that will lock the cams, (whilst the belt is removed), but that will, ultimately, add to the cost! I have also read, (elsewhere on this great site - many thanks to ALL of the other forum members), that it is good practice to also have other components replaced, (such as the water pump and the Serpentine Belt), replaced at the same time as this will save further expense, (and heartache), at a later date! I have heard figures of anything between £400 - £800 for the belt to be replaced, (by an 'independent' Jaguar specialist), so I would presume that we would need to ask our fellow Forum members as to who they can recommend in our respective locations. I will undertake a more 'in depth' search of the site regarding this very subject once I have a 'spare' 5 minutes!! With regards to the Lancasters - I had the privilege of being at East Kirkby for the '3 Lancs' event and was able to watch the UK and Canadian Lancasters perform a number of circuits overhead whilst 'Just Jane' was taxiing along the airfield so we were all treated to the aural melody of 12 Merlins roaring in the summer sunshine! It was shortly after this event that the Canadian Lancaster suffered an engine problem and was grounded for a while! It is whilst walking around the Heritage Centre, (home of two Bomber Command Squadrons), that you really do get a feel for the bravery of the crews that flew these aircraft, (in most weathers), across to hostile skies and many, of course, never returned - serious respect and gratitude to them all. Take care. Martin.

Welcome aboard Steve, She looks very nice and I have also taken the plunge late last week!! Take care.

Welcome aboard Gareth, I too had a V8 S Type and the engine and gearbox were both rock solid. I did have problems with mine although it was a little older than yours so they may have made improvements by the time that tours came off the production line! My first issue was with the windscreen wiper assembly - as it tends to seize due to water ingress into the brass sleeves, (that serve as bearings on the drivING shafts), but It is a simple fix to remove, clean and lubricate. There was a knock on effect, however, and that was the fact that the water would then drip over the top of the cam covers and run into the spark plug recesses and cause misfiring. Another simple fix however!