S type 3.0 SE Air conditioning

[sportsman]

About 3 weeks ago I bought my S type off the internet without seeing it and had it shipped to Spain. A 2000  3.0 V6 SE auto with just 56,000 miles. Cost £1600 plus 650 for shipping

It arrived last night and at first glance looks everything I hoped for. Super clean inside and out and everything works except the A/C which is pretty important in Spain.

I have no idea when, if ever, it last worked but given that the car has only averaged 4000 miles a year over it's life it is unlikely to have done much.

I have a specialist looking at it this afternoon and hope it will just be a re-gass and solved but if it is something like a compressor it could end up costing as much as the car pretty nearly.

Anyone had any problems with this and has an idea what might go wrong?

Other than that, it drives beautifully and I am very pleased with it.

[Mr Lawrence]

I had a 1999 Stype with inoperable aircon a couple of years ago and found it to be a pipe that runs along the chassis rail in the left side of the engine bay.

 

the problem according to jaguar is that it runs very close to the manifold thus causing the problem. 

 

For the facelift jaguar altered the run of the pipe work so it goes over the top of the right of the engine. 

 

The only thing is that jaguar wanted £340+vat for the pipe alone, not good news.

 

i saw a few in breakers yards but they were just as bad and, with it being the weak link in the system, not really an option imho. 

You may be lucky and it just needs regassing..

 

good luck and keep us posted on your finds. 

[Russ68]

My 2001 had almost no aircon when I got it, after a £20 regas (Manager's Special), I now get something out of it, but I need to run it full chat on a warm day for the cabin to be bearable. I'm thinking of having a local specialist diagnose it and see where we're at, so interested in how you get on and what issues they have. 

I didn't respond to your previous post about buying the S sight unseen David, but given the description I didn't think you'd go wrong with her. Hope it all works out 

[sportsman]

The specialist came to see it (mobile service) and said that there was some gas in it and in his opinion it would just need a top up. Then spent 45 minutes trying to access the low side access point. Finally gave up and said it need to go to a garage with a ramp. Got that booked for Monday.

I have a Sat Nav with a Denso GB Cd in it. I think I would be very lucky to get a Europe disc for it now so I guess that will just become an ornament for the future.

Have also just discovered that the sunshine roof doesn't work. Will look at that next. Hope it is just a fuse or similar.

Onward and upward

[sportsman]

Well, took the car to someone who knows what he is doing and we discovered a rather large leak with fluid all over the compressor. Cut a long story short, new compressor required. The "good" news is that I can get a recon unit for 350 Euro exchange from Germany as it is a Ford part rather than Jaguar.

[sportsman]

It seems I also have an Auto Gear selector problem.

I parked on a hill this morning and when I tried to drive away it was stuck in park. After much faffing around and more force than I was comfortable with I managed to free it and drove away normally. It also sometimes seems to have a problem engaging drive. You put the selector into drive but there is no gear engaged. If you push it across to 4th you feels a gear engage, bring it back to D and it engages normally and drives normally after that. Has done it 3 times now.

Any suggestions or experiences welcome. I read that this is not an uncommon problem with early cars.

[actros]

I have been informed that the heater control valve (situated directly behind the radiator) is the main culprit. It gets corroded and the solenoids fail to operate.

Replacement cost around £125-150