Old Peter

Hi Alex, That is a nice car --- the same colour as mine. I have dragged it into iPhoto, and will print it off and put it in my photo gallery, which is in the corridor between one half of the upstairs in my house. Your X Type could have sat in a dealers showroom/garage for a few months before being sold. A friend of mine always used to buy his cars prior to a facelift or new model in order to get a better price. That is why you could well have a chat with him. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Alex. The x type 2.2 estate is a very good car, and a 58 plate should be worth more than you have been offered. The x type had an update in March 2008 with the most noticeable being a bolder front bumper and a different radiator grill. From the photo's you have posted the front end looks a little bit like the pre March version. There were three differing grills, the earliest on being the classical Jaguar "waterfall", and the second being yours. But as you say, the car was registered in September 2008 and of that there can be no dispute. There might have been a Grill change, as some owners do things like that. I would be inclined to go back to the main dealer from whom you bought it for a friendly chat and ask a few questions without giving the impression that you think you have been misled somewhere, and if you could get a letter from him that the car is a post March 2008 model it could stand you in good stead when selling it. Cars can drop in value immensely. I Bought a July 1999 Rover Sterling with every conceivable extra in March 2000. Price new had been £27k. I paid £12.5k. Hope I have been able to help. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Wes. You will enjoy the S Type - good looking and a dream to drive. Jaguar do say that the gearbox is sealed for life but most Jaguar owners seem to indicate that a gearbox oil change at about 75,000 makes a difference. Gearbox oil is not cheap but doing it yourself will save you some money. I don't know the best places for parts in the U.S. but I have come across sites in the U.S. when I have been looking for parts dealers in the UK. Google is a handy tool! Regards, Peter.

Hi Bill, and welcome to the Club. I have had a look around and this job does not seem to easy from the experience of others. I don't get my hands oily any more, I'm afraid. However, some members will be able to advise and assist. I am guessing that you know bit about cars, and have used all the usual aids such as WD40 to get it free. Let us know how you get on. Regards, Peter. PS. My S type knows Halton quite well, as I lived in the Borough, north of the river, for over 30 years.

Good idea, Tom, although by looking at the number of JOC members in the Midlands and nearby, I thought that there would have been much more interest in a good day out before the winter starts. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Calvin. I am afraid I do not get oily hands any more, but there are quite a few members who know their way round the technical bits who will assist. There is also a topic on good independent garages across the country recommended by Club Members. Also I would advise that you google S Type Jaguar Dashboard removal and you will usually get a diagram on the HOW TO which seems a good place to go. Peter.

My Local Shell Station is 300 yards away and is as cheap as Tesco, although Tesco do have offers and are 3 miles away. I do get better fuel consumption with the best stuff, though. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Robert. I had a Rover Sterling 2.5 Auto which I had for 11 years and never had the gearbox oil changed in 122k miles. The oil was always nice and cleaner whenever I checked it. The S Type auto seems to benefit from a gearbox oil change at 75k miles of so, but the old saying that if it is not broke, don't fix it is not a bad one. I Enjoy you Jaguar and enjoy the Club. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Paul and Grahame. The Jaguar experience is unique and you will never drive another make of car. That is what I was told when I bought my first Jaguar, and X Type. And the man was right. And don't get kidded about the X Type -- it is a very good car and a real Jaguar. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Stephen, The XF is a very nice car, and your model is quite frugal, too. Just one tip from several mechanics -- never use supermarket fuel and give your car a treat every now and then with some of the best stuff. Regards, Peter.

Hi Alan, and welcome to the club. I have had a look round and find that Wikipedia gives the manufactures specification for the S Type engines. There is a company called RE - replacement engines, who might be able to help. I will keep on looking and see what I can find. Regards, Peter Lancastrian in Exile.

I am guessing you might have to do so, Keith. I have "Service required" or words to that effect coming up, in spite of the fact that the car has been serviced. It means that when the dealer last serviced the car when I bought it, 12 months have elapsed. Peter.

A pity about that, Martin. I was a hoping for quite a lot of local interest.

Hi Adam, It is a good price. I think I will get one if I can't get mine to work. Regards, Peter

Welcome to the club, Adam. I might have a look at that scanner, as mine has gone on strike. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Adrian. You have checked the obvious things, and I assume the wiper speed settings. Your conclusion seems accurate, as I can't think of anything else. Regards, Peter.

Hi Josh, It appears to be a job with which you have to take great care not to damage other close bits such as the Air Conditioning unit. You know more about engines than I, and I have just read about how tricky the job can be. Good luck, Peter.

Hi Craig, Try googling X Type Jaguar - rear brakes which I have just done and it comes up with a HOW TO . The bit I saw was both instructions and pictures of how to do it. If I still got my hands dirty, I would do what it says. Good Luck and let us know how you got on. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Roger. Reverse sensors should be standard on most models, but I think front sensors are optional extras. A quick check is a look at the front and rear bumpers. I am no expert on car electrics, but there are quite a few members who are most knowledgeable in these wonderful things that are available nowadays. Your Jaguar looks vert smart. Enjoy the experience. Regards, Peter.

Standard wheels on the x type are 16" and 17", although apparently 18" are an option. Personally, I would stick with the 16" wheels you have, as some say they give a better ride. For certain, the tyres are cheaper. Peter.

Hi Charlie, We had a bad day. Castleford dominated the midfield and were very quick in the tackle and their defence was good. Our half back were well marked, so I will not be in the stands at Wembley this year. My mechanic is checking with a friend of his who works at a main dealer and will ring back tomorrow. I check everything every week too! Peter

It is not often I pose a question. I check my oil every week, as well as my tyres and tyre pressure. I did the normal check this morning when the oil was cold, and found that this dipstick registered slightly more oil than when I last checked a week ago. The engine is a 2.7 litre Diesel, and I do not put additives in the oil. My mechanic is checking with a main dealer for whom he used to work. I am asking if any other members have experienced this issue? Regards, Peter.

Hi Simon and Trevor, I have just had a check on the front parking sensors on the XF D S Portfolio and while the rear sensors are standard, the from sensors seem to be an optional extra. "View Pack" Peter.

Good point, Trevor. A quick check is look at the front bumper. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Simon. I am glad you have found some of the comments helpful. That is what the club is about --- sharing experiences which help and assist. Prior to getting my S Type -- which is the predecessor of the XF -- I had an all wheel drive X Type, which was incredible in the snow and I had the same misgivings, but found the rear wheel drive with DSC extremely surefooted. I never had front sensors till I got the S type 14 months ago, and admit to finding them rather useful. Previous to that and with 30 years of company cars I found a technique to determine the distance of the wall from the font bumper -- I hung a table tennis ball from a string and when it touched the windscreen I knew I was 12 inches from the wall. Once you established that, the distance stuck in your memory. The JOC is a friendly club and all members do share the Jaguar experience, which is really the pride in driving an iconic make of car. Regards, Peter.