Jump to content


Bezza

Members
  • Posts

    56
  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Profiles

Forums

Events

Gallery

Store

Premium Membership Discounts

News

Videos

Posts posted by Bezza

  1. Hi Andrew,

     

    Retrofitting puddle lights has been done before but as far as I'm aware there's no threads here on this forum as to how to do it.

     

    I don't know if it's acceptable here on this forum to post links to other forums, but in anticipation of it being frowned upon I offer my apologies and post this link which should help you with the information that you need 

     

    http://www.jaguarforum.com/showthread.php?t=36020

  2. The best thing that you can do for these and in fact any engine is to change the Oil and filter regularly and by that I would say every 5-6,000 miles or every six months. Properly looked after the petrol V6's are bombproof and by doing these changes regularly you will be rewarded with even more longevity.

     

    I have regularly used for years now Triple QX semi-synthetic 5w30 which more than meets specifications. A full change including filter takes just under 6 litres. When you log into the site it will ask you for your registration to identify your vehicle; when you do this it will not show you semi-synthetic oils, only fully synthetic which are obviously dearer- believe me semi is just fine, they are just trying to get more money out of you.

     

    5 litres of semi will cost you £12.49 the product code is 521776021 and 1 litre will cost you £3.58 and the product code is 521776022. If you check out and enter the code SAVEME75 it will knock 7.5% off the bill for you so total for your Oil will be £14.86 and delivery is included.

     

    On the subject of the filter I know that you say it is ok but again it is a very important part of the process and the thing is that genuine Jaguar ones can be obtained from JLR dealers on eBay for about £8 delivered, so the whole caboodle can be done for less than £25 which is a substantial saving on main dealer prices or even independants, assuming that you are going to do the change yourself.

     

    I know that some replacement filters can be had for a couple of quid less but why scrimp and risk buying an inferior one when the genuine thing is not much more?

     

    Also check out Halfords website because now and again they have good deals on their Oil, you just need to check that it meets Ford specifications.

     

    Finally, yes you can go out and put mega-expensive Mobil One and similar in which will tell you that you can keep it in for long periods and yes it's good oil but I wouldn't want to leave any oil in my engine for some of the mileages that they are claiming, i.e 15-20,000, it's just not worth the risk.

  3. thats great i think the shelf has the grils in it, the loom sounds it may be a pain if i have to run it the length of the car, i take it that it will need to connect it to the back of the head unit, will have to think about it, is there a way to get to the back of the head unit without removing it. 

    thanks for the help

    Hi

     

    I'm not sure now that you have to take the loom all the way back to the head unit, it's been a while now since I broke my saloon and I can't remember to be honest. Taking the head unit out is actually quite easy, routing a loom from back to front is a bit more challenging. I'll have a dig round my wiring diagrams when I get chance and see what is involved and post a result over the weekend that may help you make your mind up either way.

  4. Hi

    The wiring will probably not be there, most models did not come with pre-wiring I'm afraid. You could contact Bertieboy9 and see if he has a loom available.

     

    The sub is the amp it's all built in together with the earlier models, later models were different requiring a seperate amp that is fitted in the boot and two speakers fitted in the rear parcel shelf. Don't forget that you will need a different rear shelf cover which has the speaker grilles built in if you want to keep it 'factory fit' looking. I have a sub-woofer amp and parcel shelf cover (in flint black/ dark grey), taken from my 2002 saloon that I broke last year, available if you are interested.

     

    It does make a difference sound-wise, particularly if like me you like your music loud and bassy. I have moved onto an estate which doesn't have premium sound, although I've fitted the extra door tweeters and Premium sound Alpine speakers- the estate sub-woofers are hard to get hold of and I've certainly noticed the difference to what I had with the saloon.

     

    Hope this helps.

  5. Hi Tim

     

    I do truly hope that I'm wrong here but I think that your gearbox problem may well be terminal.

     

    I had the same problem with my 3 litre sport last year and it proved to be curtains for my car. Of course it was repairable but given the age of my car (2002) the cost of a replacement box £250-£300 and the cost of labour because it was beyond my mechanical skills, then it had to be. When I googled the problem, the consensus was that the reverse gear going on the J gate box is a sure sign that it is FUBAR. I might say that just like yours I had no tell-tale signs that anything was wrong with the gearbox, it literally went from working perfectly to not driving backwards within an hour or so.

     

    Again I do hope that in your case I am wrong and your problem can be easily and cheaply solved, but be prepared for the worst just in case.

     

    Fingers crossed I'm wrong.

  6. Hi Mark,

     

    What colour is this car?

     

    I am looking for a bonnet for my 2006 X-Type and believe the colour is Midnight Black, code PEF.

     

    Please let me know if you have or are able to source one.

     

    Thanks

    Dean

    Hi Dean

     

    The car wasn't that colour but I spoke to Mark the other day on the phone and at the 11th hour he got a buyer for the car. I know that he got a saloon in the other day that he will be breaking but don't know the colour. You're best to PM him and he'll get back to you, he's been doing some night work recently so hasn't been around the forum for a couple of weeks.

     

    Hope you get sorted out.

  7. Ey up Mark,

     

    What a travesty, I just can't believe that you didn't get something near to what you were asking for it. The description on eBay was a really fair one and when you compare it to some of the other rubbish advertised on there for similar money, it's hard to understand why it's not sold. Such a shame because it's got loads of life left in it.

     

    I may well have use for the auto-dimming mirror as mine and the auto-lights have given up the ghost. I'll ring you mate.

  8. Hi

     

    I'm sorry to say that I had exactly the same as you last year with my 2002 3.0 litre and the reason is that the box has gone I'm afraid.

     

    There is no way of checking levels etc, as the J gate box is a 'sealed for life' unit and as such it doesn't form part of a normal 'service schedule'..

     

    With mine in April last year I had taken it to an auto gearbox specialist in Barnsley and supposedly the ATF was changed- 7 months later my gearbox did exactly the same as yours with no warning whatsoever. Possibly the work was not done as I was lead to believe it had, but I'd never be able to prove that. It still drove perfectly in forward gears but when I 'hit the net' I found that what had happened was a usual symptom of a failed box. The rest of the car, which had covered 124k, was amazing, so I was a bit pee'd off as you can imagine but the repair for me was beyond economical sense.

     

    Can I suggest that you contact member bertieboy9- he does have the expertise to change an autobox (he's doing one on his own car at the moment I believe) and as he breaks X types he may well have a replacement box available. He's in Leeds so if you have to travel it's not too far- as long as you don't need reverse!

    • Like 1
  9. Hello everyone, I'm pleased to join this site and even more pleased to (very shortly) get my first Jaguar. It's a 2009 2.0 diesel Sovereign Estate and I can't wait to take it out and about :-)

     

    As a newbie to Jaguars and this site, I welcome any hints/ tips/ advice/ warnings about how to get the most from the car, common faults and easy improvements. I know I want MP3 audio asap (assume it's easy to buy aftermarket units that work with the Premium Sound System? Or use an Audiovox RDS USB interface?)

     

    It's coming with optional Jaguar 18'' wheels but I assume the standard 17'' wheels will give a better ride? Looks like you can swap them without any changes to the speedo etc because the 17'' are higher profile? 

     

    It also has a sunroof that I think was optional - will than need any TLC or are they reliable?

     

    Thanks for any help you give me, happy motoring! 

    Hi there and welcome to the forum, sounds like you've got yourself a nice motor.

     

    Being a diesel you'll have the EGR valve and judging by the model year yours will have been fitted with a DPF, both which I know can be slightly problematic but there's tons of information out there with how to deal with them. I'm a petrol owner so can't offer much on that but some diesel owners will probably be along shortly to advise.

     

    Improvements, well there's loads that can be done but seeing as yours is Sovereign spec it doesn't really leave you much. With regards to MP3, you can get an ACM (audio connectivity module) fitted that is a genuine Jaguar part but (I hope that you're sat down now) new from Jag they're about £350 and being as rare as hen's teeth they regularly go (when they do become available on Ebay) for up to £200. I opted for a Pure DAB 3000 unit which gives me DAB radio and ipod connectivity plus one extra auxiliary if required. It's been a great modification for me and a lot cheaper than the ACM route.

     

    The sunroof is a rare optional extra on X types. The best maintenance advice for any sunroof is a couple of times a year is to open it fully, clean any rubbish such as tree seeds and the like out and make sure that drain apertures are clear, the mechanism you just have to spray with silicone (available at most motor factors) and if you're really keen some Castrol red rubber grease on the rubber seals does it the world of good. Castrol RRG is brilliant for all the door seals too, stops them cracking.

     

    17 inch rims are a little bit less harsh than the 18" ones, if you're interested in a set I've got a set of Bermudas to sell at the moment with tyres. PM me if interested. 16 inch rims are a lot more comfortable still but frankly I think that they look crappy, just too small.

     

    Anyway once again welcome and I'm sure that you'll be pleased with your purchase- I know I am with mine!  :D

  10. Hi Rowley

     

    You are of course correct about labour rates in the M25 area being significantly higher than they are here in Yorkshire. Sheffield Prestige for instance charge £60 plus VAT per hour where a main dealer will be twice that. The price quoted by the two Indys you mention, is to be honest approaching exorbitant, considering that their overheads will be nothing like a main dealers are.

     

    I did know a Jag owner who lived near to Cobham and he used to travel up to Jagfix at Armthorpe near Doncaster to get work done because the labour rate made it worthwhile and the proprietor Chris has got such a good name! Perhaps a tad extreme but if it was combined with a short holiday in the Yorkshire Dales it could work for you??.

     

    What about out towards Pompey down the A3 or Guldford area? I'm almost sure that there are a couple of Indys out that way and seem to remember someone on one of the other forums making a bit of a day of it down there, dropping the car and having lunch overlooking the Solent.

     

    Final thing is that Gordon Lamb at Chesterfield near me, on their website http://www.gordonlamb.co.uk/jaguar/ are advertising servicing from £129. You could perhaps contact them by email, get a firm quote and then try and use it to beat down some of the main dealers near to you- tell them that you are heading up that way for a holiday/ visit friends, if they try and argue about the fact that it's 180 miles away from you.

     

    All food for thought, hope you get sorted out.

  11. Well it does look nice to have a genuine Jaguar stamp in the book but at what cost?

     

    Your car is seven years old now or thereabouts, you are not adding to its value by having that stamp, possibly only its 'sellability' (if there is such a word) in the future.

     

    If I am going to look for a second hand car for sure I will be looking at the service history and expect it to be as complete as possible. I might pay a small premium for that but it won't equate to the extra that you would have paid by using a main dealer. (I'll quote you some figures shortly). If you are part exchanging your car in the future it will make absolutely no difference to the price you receive from a trader, he will only pay what the car is worth to him and will probably not even look at the service book. If he's selling it on himself, he'll certainly refer to it when he's showing it to prospective purchasers and it will be him making a profit from your main dealer services, not you! 

     

    In looking at the service history, I will be wanting to see invoices, not stamps, this way I will be sure of the work that has been carried out on your car in it's lifetime. Having worked in the trade previously I have seen where stamps can be falsified in a service book, I've even seen it done with main dealer stamps that have fallen into the wrong hands. With proper, fully invoiced paperwork, from a VAT registered garage then at least you have something a bit more tangible than a stamp.

     

    Going onto the subject of main dealers versus independents. Main dealers have very, very high overheads and one way or the other they have to cover their costs. Not surprisingly, one of those ways is servicing charges.

     

    I use Hatfields in Sheffield to buy most of my servicing parts, I do my own servicing but the following applies equally if you use an independent to actually do the job for you.

     

    An Oil filter bought by me through Hatfields eBay account costs £6.45, an air filter costs £7.75 (all inc VAT), I believe in using genuine Jaguar parts wherever possible and at those prices why wouldn't I? Buy the same items as part of a dealer service and you would be charged £14 & £19 plus VAT respectively, 6 litres of Oil would probably set you back about £72, again plus VAT. Put together with Hatfields service costs, then you will pay a total of £199 for what is basically an Oil and filter change. Added to that, you'll be sure that they will come back to you with some extras that they have found that 'require attention'- main dealers nearly always do because that is what they are instructed by management to do as part of their job.

     

    Contrast this with just down the road from me, not far from Hatfields, I have a JLR independent (Sheffield Prestige) the same service (all mechanics are JLR trained), using the same parts will cost you half that (£99 to be precise) and for a little bit less if you want to get the parts yourself from Hatfields he'll fit them for you. He's still making a tidy profit on that and they will only recommend extra work that really needs doing. Ok I won't get a courtesy car but then I don't need one.

     

    You've decided to go with a main dealer this time, ok I respect that decision but maybe before your next service ask around your area about good independents, they don't have to be Jag specialists for normal servicing but reputation is everything.

     

    When hopefully you've found one, then perhaps consider this. You mention having done 12,000 miles since acquiring the car and you are now having it serviced. I know that 10-12k is now the recommended service intervals but probably the most important item in a car's engine are the oil and filter- 6 litres of oil (well for my petrol not sure about yours) and a filter done by an independent means that the you can afford to have the oil changed every 6,000 miles. You will still have change from the main dealer price, your car will be better for it and in a few years when you possibly advertise it privately for sale, any prospective purchaser will see that you have taken real care of your car.

    • Like 1
  12. Mine has been working well for 50 years, and can understand my boy racer ambitions as well as advising me on speed cameras

    I know that there's a lot of drivers that have these and like yourself are quite happy with them Peter. But there's a lot of different models on the market and they're not all of the same standard. I was probably just unlucky in the one that I had but I couldn't live with it anymore and it just had to go.

     

    I've tried a few prototype replacements since but up to now I've not found one that I'm sure I'd be happy to have installed permanently. However, I'm going to keep testing models as they come available and you never know I might one day find one that I'm happy to keep!  :D

  13. Well last two days have been to see two cars and hav bought the 3.0 ltr one I have seen today pick up sat 11 th sending him my docs so the can change my reg onto new car,after driving these cannot believe how much better they drove and handled compared to my 2.1,think I might need to update my sat nav with speed camera locations

    Well done, you won't regret it I'm sure, you'll have to post up some piccies when you get it.

     

    The only downside is that you'll be getting to know the staff at your local petrol station a lot better- I've helped one at mine over the past few years fly back to India and go and see his old mum in Delhi!  :wacko:

  14. My auto gearbox failed on me the other night, Today I set about breaking my saloon for the donor gearbox, Started it at 9,15 am to move it into place in my unit, Started removing the bumper at 9,30 and by 12 the engine was out and on the bench, By 2pm the t box and gearbox were separated from the engine, Cats and ancillaries off, Just need to find time to transplant it in now, Upgraded tensioner pulley to do in the morning and then respray the wifes car tomorrow afty. Busy busy... :D

    Chuffing hell Mark, I thought that I'd been busy fitting heated screen washer jets today!  :unsure:  :lol:

  15. I've PM'd you both with details.

     

    HI Bezza

     

    Yes, please help me get in touch with him as I would much prefer to let someone who knows exactly what they are doing to help me,

     

    Cheers!

     

     

    Phil,

     

    Can you mention that I'd also be interested in getting the job done, obviously dependant on the cost!!  How do we contact him, or will you pass on our details?

     

    Cheers,

     

    Mac

  16. hi phlip 

              you may wish to ask your mate if he'd like to become a x type trader within the club if he can offer better prices than indy garages or main dealers he could make some members very happy indeed.

     

    ron 

    Hi Ron

     

    I'll certainly mention it to him. He's a well respected member of two other Jaguar forums and has built a great reputation for service and advice within both forums. He's not a trader as such but a bit more than an enthusiast, if that makes sense? He would certainly be an asset to members here.

  17. Hi am thinking of replacing my 2.1 classic with a larger engined version and was wondering if there are things I should look out for,am going for the auto version,have seen a few on autotrader and spotted a few targets and spoke to a couple of traders and hoping to go have a look at a couple on sat,thanks,seen a couple with tow bars which I don't need but do they cause any type of damage?

    Hi,

    If you are thinking of upgrading to the 2.5 or 3.0 providing you get a good one then I know that you will not regret it, both are equally good engines and well looked after they are bomb-proof. I currently have a 2.5 manual estate and my last car was a 3.0 auto saloon.

     

    Running costs ie fuel consumption the 3.0 is slightly thirstier, particularly round town but the extra performance over the 2.5 is nice to have. I had a bad experience with the auto box on my saloon in that it packed in without warning with 124k on the car. Due to the cost of getting a replacement and having it fitted made the repair beyond economic sense so I broke up the car and bought my current model. The 3.0 engine still lives on in a friend's estate, properly looked after you can expect over 200k from these engines. 

     

    If you are seriously looking for an auto then I would avoid any that have been used for towing unless it was for nothing more than a light trailer and trips to the local tip- you have to accept that autobox repairs are very expensive and a box failure will probably mean the death of your car so you need to minimise that risk.

     

    Obviously all 2.5's and 3.0's have the all wheel drive system and it has been known for some transfer boxes to fail. It's not as terminal as an auto box failing but still a pricey repair, so on your test drive be listening for any loud whines coming from the box.

     

    Like all X types check the sills, behind the plastic sill covers, for corrosion particularly if you're looking at an early one. If you can get the car on a ramp and get properly underneath it then all the better. If you find one that is rust free or virtually so and you buy it get some Waxoil or Bilt Hamber Dynax into the sills to keep the car that way.

     

    Finally, remember that there's loads of X types available out there so choice isn't a problem and be prepared to travel a bit to get the right car, rather than only looking in your immediate area. Also enthusiasts forums aren't a bad place to start because although some members can ask for more money than they are really worth, if they are realistic then they will adjust the price and you will have a car that has been molly-coddled by a fussy owner.

     

    Best of luck with your serach

  18. Hi all!

     

    I am really thinking about upgrading to HID's too, but I have read somewhere that they can trigger a warning light on the dash? Is this the case or does it not apply to Jaguars?

     

    Also, someone has mentioned about upgrading the adjusters on the headlights, where am I able to get hold of them and how much of a pain are they to fit?

     

    Cheers

    Hi

     

    Some vehicles operate a canbus system which if you fit a lower voltage Bulb such as LED it will trigger a warning light on the dash because it thinks that the Bulb has blown- thankfully the X type doesn't have this system so you can fit such as LED sidelights without a problem and definitely you can fit HID's.

     

    The original adjusters were I think made of cheese or certainly plastic of the poorest quality that will always eventually deteriorate and cause the adjusters to break- this leads to an MOT failure. Jaguar main dealers will not sell you new adjusters because they don't have them available, they can only sell you a new headlamp(s) at the cost of about £360 plus VAT, then if you have to pay them to fit them you can add hundreds more then to the bill because the front bumper definitely has to come off.

     

    Fortunately an enterprising bunch of Poles recognised the need for an economic fix so that what are otherwise perfectly good headlights are not consigned to the bin and they came up with a modified set of adjusters that have steel parts built in them and are pretty much unbreakable- the cost for the adjusters for two lamps is about £20. You can also replace the gear cogs if you want for a few pounds extra.

     

    All these are available on eBay just pop 'x type headlamp adjusters' or similar into the search box to find them. I've now done about half a dozen pairs, including my own and can vouch for the replacements. If you go on You tube and pop in a search for 'X type headlamps' then one of the polish lads has downloaded a video of how to strip down a headlight, take out and replace the old adjusters and put it all back together. It depends on your mechanical skills whether you want to do it yourself but if you're unfamiliar with taking off the bumper for instance, I would allow a weekend to do all the work and be prepared that you may have to angle grind off some of the undertray and splashshield bolts that have to be removed. It's also an idea to soak all bolts prior to starting work with Plusgas to hopefully free any seized ones.

     

    Finally a friend of mine who lives up in Leeds who is an X type nut, does offer a complete headlamp service and will fit at his workshop just off Junction 46 of the M1. On an exchange basis he will supply a set of refurbished lamps fitted with HID dipped beams. The lamps will have new uprated adjusters and the lenses will be machine polished so they look like new. If you wanted to go down that route then PM me and I will get him to make contact with you.

     

    Hope this helps.

  19. Hi Phil.

    Do you have a link to the lights you bought? Checking out the options on Amazon, there are so many companies and options available that a recommendation from a satisfied customer will help the final decision.

    When it comes to making my purchase, what should I be looking for (I am assuming H1, 55W, 5000K), and what is the expected life?

    Thanks for your help,

    Mac

    Hi again Mac, hope that you are well.

     

    I'll have to have a dig through paperwork and find where I bought them from. I know they were off a company on eBay because I had them delivered to my local Argos for collection, I remember that much.

     

    As far as longevity mine are over 2 years old now and still going strong, I know people that have had them fitted for twice that time and they are still working, other people may have had a Bulb or ballast fail in shorter time but they are not too expensive to replace as an individual item.

     

    Yes you need H1 fitting and as far as the colour temp I would stick at 4300 or 5000 but no more as they start to look 'chavvy', 55w definitely there's just no point having the lesser wattage.

  20. The light emitted from X type dip beam headlights is very poor and I upgraded my headlamps several years ago. It is possible to do the conversion with the lamps in situ but I decided to do mine by taking out the headlamps entirely and working on the bench. Obviously this involves taking the bumper off but once that is done the job is a whole lot easier because working in the engine bay is so cramped and fiddly. Also my lamps needed new adjusters fitting so the lamps needed taking apart and they also benefited from a machine polish to the outer lens covers which brought them up like new.

     

    I did both my dip and main beams and the kits IIRC cost £35 each and I made sure that they had fast start ballasts which means that the main beam gets to full power almost instantaneously. I opted for 55w lamps with 5k colour- this is just white anything over that starts to go bluish and by the time you hit 8k it is blue. The wiring is simple (well at least I thought so) and the only major modification is to drill into the back covers with a 22mm hole saw to accommodate the wiring.

     

    As far as blinding other road users, with the dip beam this is not an issue because the headlamp has a projector lens which prevents this- the main beam not so but you don't drive at people with those on anyway. The lamps have now gone through 3 MOT tests and passed every time. Obviously like any lamp they need to be properly adjusted and I would say to anyone it is best to replace the crap original adjusters with modified ones when doing this job, because they always fail and then you will have to take the lights out to replace them anyway.

     

    In use the difference is amazing, literally it's like night and day.

  21. Hi Chris

    I'm led to believe this Cable was used when the car left the Factory when the car was New, to keep the Electronics from shutting down

    completely during transportation from the Factory and is not needed now.

    Regards

    Tom

    I can confirm that you are correct there Trooper. What it does provide is a useful switched live and permanent live for any future modifications under the bonnet. You would have to use a voltage tester to determine which wire is which, I used the switch live to install DRL's on my X.

×
×
  • Create New...



Forums


News


Membership