Old Peter

You are probably correct, Mike.

Welcome to the Club ,Terry. I don't know the XF boot system, but I think an XF owner might know the answer. The club is a friendly group of people who do try to help other out with their experiences. Regards, Peter.

I like a quiet car, Trevor, you can hear music better without turning the volume up very high. My S type is very quiet, but earlier diesels I have had sounded like Massey Fergusons in low gears. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Peter. I do get a mini lurch but only very occasionally.. I have found that other have the same problem but that it has been cured with a change of gearbox oil. I am a touch mystified. Hopefully there will be a solution --- Kenny has looked around and has found an answer, so it could well be a trip to a good Jaguar specialist. There is a topic on Jaguar owners lounge which could tell you the name of an independent specialist near you, Regards, Peter.

Good cars, but to get a good mpg you have to be a little light on the accelerator on long runs and you will get about 30 mpg. Peter.

Welcome to the club, Gidget. We are a friendly bunch of people who enjoy our Jaguars. Some are quite expert about jaguars, and some are mildly nuts! Regards, Peter.

A very wild guess --- 4800.

Hi Trevor and Kenny, and indeed anyone else interested. I came from a small village of two ups and two downs that was built in 1861 and completely demolished in 1978, although we left in 1952 for the luxuries of a council estate. My education was at a primary school which was quite brilliant in teaching me the basics of spelling, mathematics and a love of books. The war intervened a bit and the 11 plus was limited to 4 boys selected from the 15 or so who passed in alphabetical order. I was the fifth! While looking forward to leaving school at 14, the Government changed it to 15, but the Headmaster found me a place to continue my education and off `I went as a scholarship boy to a rather selective private school where my primary school education was a bit derided by some and praised by others when I won the annual Prize day prize persistently for General Proficiency. I also was the only one in my year that passed all subjects taken in both O and A levels. During that period I worked in Market Gardens and farms, before becoming a teacher, in which job I lasted two terms before resigning and going to work as a farm labourer, which I found rather rewarding. I have done jobs which the little lovies would have jibbed at, and with that attitude I have only had one day unemployed in all that time. I just wish that most of the little lovies had a bit of willingness to work as I know that they will find it more rewarding tha sitting around in the sun or even the rain. Regards, Peter. My village and my grandfather.

I think I will slide this very interesting discussion to the Lounge in which I think it will excite quite a few further comments. Peter.

I understand that, Trevor. When the old system of Tribunals [pre ATOS] existed not many, if any, malingerers got past the lay members. The worst scenarios were in the era of mine and steelworks closures where there were many with non transferable skills over the age of, say, 55, who were turned down time and time again for jobs they could have done. The then Government pushed both the British Steel Corporation and the National Coal board to pay pensions to those who qualified for one at the age of 50, usually without actuarial reduction in order to alleviate the benefits situation. We are straying away from the topic, though! Raps own knuckles! Regards, Peter,

Hi Lee, I got 53 mpg going to Sheffield a month ago, and on a 220 miles round trip to Leeds last Sunday I got 49.2 mpg out of my 2.7 litre diesel. You will get the same out of a 3 litre diesel which the put in the XF. Peter.

Trevor, I sat as a Member of Social Security Appeal Tribunals from 1985 until the Lay members were abolished in favour of an outside agency [ATOS] in 1999. We had been given 3 years notice in 1996 that our services [unpaid] that our services would be longer required. During that time I came across many, many appellants who were actively looking for work but by reason of their disability, which frequently was not apparent, failed to pass the ability to do some work of any kind test. This was a clinically applied test, and if medical, was overseen by a doctor sitting as an advisor on the panel. The test was very stringent and rigidly applied. My brother, who worked all his life - made redundant three times - had to stop work after a stroke and was unable to find a job at all. He wanted to work but was unable to do so because employers said that he couldn't do any jobs they and available. Contrary to that, there were those who borrowed a walking stick when appearing before the Panel, those who had bad backs, and those who played the system. I am left with the feeling that there are those who want to work but who can't because there is no-one willing to employ them for various legitimate reasons, as against those who can play the system, Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Kip and Jerry. When I bought my first Jaguar the salesman told me I would never drive another make. He was right. Both the cars you mention are beautiful cars, and as someone who picks us grandchildren from school once a week, and our daughter from Birmingham international station when she comes to visit I would choose the XF. The XF replaced the S type in 2008. However, the XK is a real head turner, and a very nice car in its style. But a couple of days ago I saw an XFR, a very quick car but still quite a bit rare and could be quite pricey. Basically, it becomes a personal choice, but please let us know how you go. Regards Peter.

Which Steelworks was that, Trevor --- there were quite a few round Newport. I worked in the Steel industry for almost 40 years, and I must have been in most of them at some time or other. I do think that those who make our laws should have worked for at least 10 years. They have a term in the Steel Industry - "He has never seen a piece of hot iron" , And as for 1984, Kenny, I have a proper miner's lamp engraved with my name and the word "Solidarity" on it. I will say no more. And finally, there are quite a few genuine benefit claimants who would prefer to work, but can't. Unfortunately there are just as many benefit claimants would could work but won't, but who know their way round the system better than those who run it. early morning mini rant over. Regards, Peter.

Glyn, In 1984 the then Prime Minister decided that the State Pension should be taxed. It has cost me about £1500 a year. It probably costs Trevor the same. But talking about politics is against my rules. Peter.

Tractors are great to drive. When I was gainfully employed as a farm labourer, I had to take a tractor from Fiddlers Ferry to Haydock, a journey of about 10 miles, with my bike tied on to the back so I could get back. Top speed about 8 mph. I had to go via Warrington and up a small road just wide enough where I was stopped by the police for having no exhaust. The exhaust on this venerable tractor did exist, but it was rather noisy, especially when I took it off. The policeman cleared the road and got me out of the traffic holdup very quickly, and he never even asked me for my licence, which was a good thing as I didn't have one. A tractor gives you the aura of power, which is not dissimilar to driving a Jaguar. Peter.

No Problems, Trevor, I got practice in. It will work on the X type as the earliest smaller on the S type was the same as the 2.5 V on the x type and the whole dashboard is the same. Regards, Peter.

Hi all S Type owners. I had the "service required" message on the Message centre and had some helpful suggestion of how to remove it ---- used successfully on other models. Unfortunately they did not work on the s type. I googled around and found a site in the USA [There are more S Types in the USA than the UK, I think] which worked. You need nimble fingers and two right hands to start with. And you have to be quick as 2 - 5 have to be done in 3 seconds. 1. Ignition key in the OFF position. 2. Press and hold down the CLEAR/RESET Button and turn the ignition switch to ON 3. Release the CLEAR/RESET button. 4.Pres and hold down the TRIP COMPUTER button on the left hand stalk multifunction switch. 5 Continue to hold and press down the TRIP COMPUTER button and press and press and hold down the CLEAR/RESET button. 6 Keep both TRIP COMPUTER Button and the CLEAR/RESET Button and RESETTING SERVICE MODE will display in the message centre. 7 After 10 seconds SERVICE MODE RESET will display in the message centre. 8. Release both buttons and switch off ignition. Job done. It took me 4 attempts before getting it right, but it worked.. Regards Peter.

Hi Lee and welcome to the club. I had a similar x type to yours, and sometimes could get 35 mpg on the run up home to Lancashire to watch Rugby League. Lovely car to drive! Regards Peter.

Hi John. Curiously, I have heard of rodents making a meal out of a Jaguar before. It was also from a JOC member, a young lady from the USA, who was refurbishing an X Type that had been sitting around inside an outbuilding for a couple of years. It appeared that mice had got in and found some stimulus from the electrical wiring. I think Jaguar ought to fit mouse traps in vulnerable areas Peter.

Hi Andrew [both]. It is not always quiet!! With regards to the "buzz" I have never come across that, although I have come across some gurgles from behind the dashboard. I had a Rover Sterling 825 for 11 years -- a great car but rather a passengers car than a drivers car, and there is a huge difference between Rover and Jaguars. I have only owned one estate car, although my wife also had one years ago, and for some reason they both had rattles from the luggage compartment. I sometimes wondered if there were rattles in saloons but you could not hear them in the cabin. With regards to the silicone cleaner applied -- the dealers just want it to look clean and tidy, - I would give it a wipe over with white spirit and then apply some leather care product, and see how it goes. Regards, Peter.

I looked around for a long time when my wife wanted to replace our venerable 1999 Rover Sterling with 125k on the clock and owned from only 8 months old for almost 12 years. I eventually came to the decision that it had to be either the Mercedes E Class or the Jaguar S type. I eventually finished up with a x type, as I could n't find the right E Class or S type. I agree with Kenny that the new A class seems to be a cracking can for a second car --- but, Trevor, the new Jaguar XE is coming out in a few months and if ordered now you will have it for Easter. Peter.

Hi David and welcome to the Club. I know the roads that drive on, as I used to work at the Steelworks in Shotton when it was a big works, and lived there too. Before emigrating to Derbyshire and then here in the Midlands. The Jaguar is a great car to drive, but I have not as yet ventured into the very sporty models, and being a very young 80 I am probably not likely too. Jaguars are very well made and surprisingly economical driven properly, not boy racer style. Maintenance costs are not high if you do as Trevor says and find a good independent garage that will not charge you about £125 an hour labour costs. Genuine Jaguar parts can also be obtained which are not too expensive. A lot depends on the car that you want to buy, and if you look around there are plenty on the market, and some at very good prices. The X Type is a very nice car - I had an All wheel drive SE 2.5 litre petrol, which was a gem that someone stole, and I went for the car that I drive now , an S Type 2.7 litre Diesel which is quite fast as well as quite economical, the engine being the result of a Ford and Peugeot partnership. The same engine went into the more modern XF, later uprated to the 3.0 litre Diesel which the XF now has, and does appear to be very popular. Tyres should not be a great problem, but it is important to stick to top brands, and properly aligned with the right pressures will last a pretty fair length of time --- my car runs on Pirellis which cost about £160 a corner if you shop around. A lot does depend, of course on the wheel size, as Jaguars of the same model and have wheels between 16" and 18" on the same car and you see a few with wheels up to 20". All you will need to convince you about Jaguars is a test drive. You don't need to be a rich man to drive one, and an old pensioner like me is not unique in the Club, so jump in, have a good look around and then enjoy the experience. Regards, Peter.

There is a good word to use sometimes. It is "no". Peter.

Hi Syed, and welcome to the Club. I would be inclined to check out a terraclean service. It can be very beneficial for diesels. Regards, Peter.