Readers’ Motors
Richard Burridge buys his second Jaguar X-TYPE from a leading used car dealer online with full documented Jaguar dealer service history – the same dealer used throughout the car’s life with MOT and no advisories.
One of the last 2009 Diesel 2.2 autos with many features including electric sunroof, sat-nav, heated seats and Jaguar Valencia wheels (including the spare). Last serviced by Jaguar at 93,000 miles, the car was delivered at 96,000 miles with two keys and all the handbooks and documentation. No tow bar had been fitted – it had been very well looked after and always serviced by Jaguar on time by the previous owner.
The first job was to renew the pollen filter – so windscreen wiper puller to remove the wipers and the front fullwidth scuttle was detached to replace the filter in its push-fit box with a new one, fitted the correct way round. Some time was needed to clean out ten years of assorted rubbish and the pollen filter was not at its best either!
The next job was the non-working boot lamp – simple I thought, the bulb has blown. No, not that simple – after tracing out with a meter found no switched earth because the cable had broken inside the flexible rubber conduit to the boot lid due to the constant opening and closing that occurs here. Solder up and sleeve with heat shrink and all done – light now working.
The door mirror repeater lamps were not working on both sides. Remove mirrors carefully with plastic lever and replace the amber bulbs – thought this was checked on the MOT? Also, the mirrors were loose to the backing plates. As they are heated, I think this may weaken the adhesive over time.
Of the two keys supplied, one was working correctly in all modes but on the other key, two of the remote buttons were broken and not functioning. I tried replacing the switches bought from ebay but no joy, so I replaced the PCB from a complete blank cut key unit available on ebay for around £12 and reprogrammed in the car before renewing both batteries.
On collection of the X-TYPE (a 200-mile journey), the temperature of coolant stayed consistent, although the exhaust seemed to have slight boom. I thought this may be due to DPF regeneration and when cooled down seemed OK. I checked the oil level, and it was quite high on the dipstick full line, so next day using a motorised syphon unit sucked out via the dipstick tube 500ml of oil to restore the correct level. At least Shell Ultra Helix low-ash C1 oil for the DPF had always been used in the engine from the service records. I can confirm that the oil level has not risen since then so no need for concern with dilution of oil and fuel, etc.
The DPF and flexi front pipe were gas tight, but the area was quite rusty, and it looked as though the nuts had been tightened with an air tool as the nuts were rounded-off. As the threads were welded in the DPF, I decided to break the nuts with Draper bolt cutter and replace the nuts while renewing the gasket.
Extensive drive
Now to go on a drive to see our daughter and our two grandsons – a 62-mile drive each way. No problem for our new Jaguar, drove down in one hour twenty minutes and all was fine. Forty minutes into the drive back, came to an uphill incline in busy bank holiday traffic with the Jag was cruising along at 70mph when suddenly it slowed dramatically. This was limp-home mode. I quickly put
on the hazard lights and fortunately was able to get on to a hard shoulder area. The dashboard warning lights were all on, glow plug light red and message display saying gearbox fault! I turned the engine off and let my heartbeat slow down, waited a few minutes, turned the ignition back on and the engine fired into life – and drove OK after fighting to get back onto the busy road again!
When home, drove the X-TYPE into my garage and put the Autel 808BT into the diagnostic socket and had a nice list of codes to investigate!
After a long look at the DTC codes and time on the internet I came to the conclusion from many sources that the fuel filter was the prime suspect – it was last changed over five years ago at 56,000 miles (now 96,000), which seemed to me to be way too long in service.
The fuel temperature sensor which was on my list was traced-out to the ECU. The 5-volt supply line was found to be there and the ground was too. I did clean thoroughly all the earths in the engine bay and the ohm reading for the sensor was about right, but I could not be sure. So I tried in vain to order one and believe it or not I am still on the case. They seem to all be on back order from Delphi so I eventually ordered a complete fuel pump from a breakers with the sensor on it from ebay and this cured the problem by replacing it!
Onward to return to see our grandsons again the following week – first journey of 62 miles no problems but on the journey home the glow plug light came on, the turbo was not coming in at around 2000rpm as it should, so the car was limited to 60mph – and after stopping and restarting the engine so that the glow plug light could clear – it did get us home OK.
More DTCS
Plugged the Autel Diagnostic unit in and guess what – I found P132B Turbo Boost Control A performance. I was pleased as this was the only code so we were making progress!
Visited the excellent Essex Recons in Rainham and they rebuilt the turbo actuator unit which keeps the programming for this unit – replacing and uprating the motor and gears that drive the vanes on the turbo – which were sticking when the engine bay gets hot preventing the variable turbo vanes from moving correctly. The actuator, when the circlip was removed, and the link bar when moved by hand, was very smooth over the whole range indicating the vanes were free. Three bolts, one plug and the circlip and await next long journey.
I do admit now I moved on in big steps to overcome the annoying trends of the car – the glow plug light is as many of you are aware a multi-fault light indicator as well as a glow plug light from the Ford Mondeo era – and the gearbox fault is not always a gearbox fault. The computer throws up what it thinks is its problem! Anyhow fitted a new EGR valve which is known to cause all sorts of vague problems with these cars. Then replaced the two main turbo hoses which can split and the jubilee clips on all the usual suspects that rust both sides of the turbo intercooler. I include a picture (over page) of the existing EGR valve and suggest its service life at around 100,000 miles. It’s on a downhill slide so renew it was my option rather than clean it.
I did remove the inlet manifold to clean and then replaced the gaskets. It was, I am pleased to say, in not too bad condition – unlike the EGR valve.
To come back to the fuel pressure problem, the overview seems if its not the fuel filter reducing the fuel input to the direct-injection common-rail, then it could be that the fuel injectors are leaking fuel back to the tank via the leak-off pipes and that you need to do a leak-off test.
My answer at present is by all means do this test if you want to, but if the car starts fine and runs well do a live data test in graph form and if the lines are straight and not all over the place I would suggest that the problem may not be in this area.
To sum up when I purchased my Jaguar X-TYPE the dealer was very good and I have no problem here. I’m fully aware
of the issues of buying a second-hand Jaguar but having said that I did expect to spend some money on my new purchase. I was expecting to spend money on tyres, battery, etc., but the battery was brand new, the tyres were also almost new, discs and pads looked new, so the money was spent on bringing the car up to my electrical mechanical standards.
The Jag has completed ten 62-mile runs without any incidents now and is really a super drive. The torque from the 2.2-litre diesel engine is amazing.