List of checkpoints when buying a S-Type?

Suppedraken · August 13, 2017

I've browsed through about half the pages in the S-Type forum, but I can't seem to find a list of checkpoints or common issues. This could of course be because I didn't pay enough attention, in which case I humbly apologise. Anyhow, sills and arches, water leaks, low battery voltage, air condition, radiator leaks and glunking transmission appear to be the most common problems, but is there anything else I should be aware of?

I assume later models are better than early models, but are there specific models to avoid or try to find? And are there any issues, other than rust, that stand out as walk quitely and politely away?

And while we're at it, Haynes don't have anything for the S-Type as far as I can tell. Where do the ambitious S-Type owner of today go to get a repair manual?

Every little help is appreciated by the prospective owner.

Carole Simpson-Hadley · August 13, 2017

Just a quick response for the moment, time beckons, but we have a '07 S. Are you looking at petrol V6, V8 or diesel?

One point of note - there isn't a Haynes manual but elsewhere on the forum there is a link whereby you can download the complete Jaguar Workshop manual. Already supplied this to a fellow in Australia going under the pseudonym of Duchy....the link is on there. We'll have a good look when we have stopped being busy, although you should be able to find it.

For the moment, good luck and happy searching

Suppedraken · August 13, 2017

1 hour ago, Carole Simpson-Hadley said:

Just a quick response for the moment, time beckons, but we have a '07 S. Are you looking at petrol V6, V8 or diesel?

One point of note - there isn't a Haynes manual but elsewhere on the forum there is a link whereby you can download the complete Jaguar Workshop manual. Already supplied this to a fellow in Australia going under the pseudonym of Duchy....the link is on there. We'll have a good look when we have stopped being busy, although you should be able to find it.

For the moment, good luck and happy searching

Thanks.

Definitely not diesel or R, for various reasons, included, but not limited to, availability. V6 over her, please.

Suppedraken · August 13, 2017

Found the manual. 3316 pages, so printing is not an option.

Carole Simpson-Hadley · August 13, 2017

Just another quick thought, try the "Honest John" website - that has a good buyer's guide, as does the RAC website. Meanwhile, we'll see what we can find ref manual although Haynes definitely don't do one.

Watch this space

Lazlo Woodbine · August 13, 2017

Suspension work is awkward if you do it yourself and can be very expensive if you don't. They do seem to wear bushes out fairly quickly as well. My car's done 114k and I've replaced most of mine and the ones I haven't aren't the originals. Apart from maybe the rear ARB bushes, I'm not looking forward to them..

The cars changed significantly in 2002. New front suspension, new dashboard, electric handbrake, can-bus to name a few. You can easily tell the later cars as they have the badge built into the grille surround. There was then another major revision in 2005 when the very different rear end was introduced. Personally I'm glad I have the early model as I do all maintenance and repairs myself, not only easier to work on but also cheaper. I'm told the 2002.5 on cars handle significantly better and were better built but at the age of S-types now each car has to judged on its own merits.

JOE-DOT-COM · August 13, 2017

Hi

From what I can think off the top of my head

most important sills, sills can completely rot away, there hidden under a plastic cover, so cant be seen easily, but if the rear arches have bubbles, there most likely the sill are gone, as in completely gone, don't matter what year, there completely random

check for knocking and banging from the suspension, theirs loads of suspension bushes front and back, if driven hard these can fail, should be silky smooth drive

check all tires are worn even, uneven Tyre wear usually means worn bushes or rear tie rods

front and rear doors, check front and rear vertical seam on the inside of the door, they start to corrode first there, looks like spiders under the paint where the seam sealer is, front of front door is hidden under a plastic trim, this just pulls off and slides up out of the way

check every thing works all the electrics, check abs, engine management, air bag lights, light up on the dash and go out, seen lots of these led's removed or taped over

check fuse box and boot well for water, they leak in around the rear lights and can cause fuse box, rear reverse module and other modules to fail.

check all the keys supplied fit and work on the car, because its got a second key, dont assume it fits and works

ifs it got electronic parking brake, test it at least a dozen times, these also fail regular

also use a app like "VEHICLE SMART" which will give you its old mot history and advisories, lots of corrosion advisories is usually a bad sign, also you can check all its old mot mileage history on the same app

take it for a good run and let it idle for a good while, some are known to have overheating issues, with faulty thermostats, clogged radiators or even failed head gaskets

service history is always nice as well, looked after examples will all ways come with a pile of receipts

its also worth checking the headlights as well,if there normal halogen, then you can adjust the height of the beam on the dash, operate the switch and make sure they go up and down, the adjuster inside go brittle and break, you can buy replacement adjuster, but you have to remove the bumper, to remove the headlights, if its got HID lights, when you switch the ignition on, the lights go up and down and then self level, every time you switch the ignition on, adjusters in these also fail and if you unplug the headlights with the battery connected, you need jaguar software to reset them and they wont self level till they are reset

cheers

Joe

Old Peter · August 14, 2017

Hi Knut,

I cannot add anything to what Joe has said.

I have an S type Diesel SE which left the factory, just 6 miles from where I live, on the 13th March 2007, and I bought it on June 23rd 2013 with 48k miles on the clock and a new engines fitted my Jaguar at 28k miles.

I was looking for an S type with a lot of bells and whistles, and managed to find one that had been sitting in the garage of a main dealer quite locally for 3 months with about £12,000 of factory fitted optional extras.

I did all the checks, and was quite happy with the results. I also had it checked over by the mobile mechanic who has serviced my cars for 15 years, and no issues were found. I have now done 75k in the car with only 1 real issue -- a leaking water pump -- easily replaced and not expensive.

The "Parkbrake Malfunction" message has come up a few times, especially when cold, and which was solved by a new battery. They do start to fail when circa 5 years old. I also had the sticky EGR valves issue - cured with an occasional additive and a bit of a blast now and then.

The s type is a great car to drive and fulfils the statement of Sir William Lyons, [who co- founded the company and whose early concepts marked down the design shape of the S Type], who said when the Mark 2 was introduced "Grace, Pace and Space". It can be driven quickly and also sedately, and the car is still admired even though the latest models are now ten years old.

If you take care and are patient you will fin one on the European mainland -- quite a few were sold in the Netherlands and Germany!!!

Let us know how you get on,

Regards,

Peter.

Suppedraken · August 14, 2017

This is most helpful! Great many thanks to all of you.

One more question before I start; I have a generic OBD2 reader that I assume will suffice for field work.

But where is the connector located?

Lazlo Woodbine · August 14, 2017

On the underside of the dash next to the steering column on early cars. You don't need to take off any covers but it is tricky to find without getting down there with a torch. I don't know about later cars.

I have a generic reader and like virtually all of them it won't read the ABS system. I don't know what else they can't communicate with.

Suppedraken · August 15, 2017

15 hours ago, Lazlo Woodbine said:

On the underside of the dash next to the steering column on early cars. You don't need to take off any covers but it is tricky to find without getting down there with a torch. I don't know about later cars.

I have a generic reader and like virtually all of them it won't read the ABS system. I don't know what else they can't communicate with.

Thank you. I'm sure I'll find it. The reader I have did read the ABS on the Peugeot Partner I had, but it seems that there are various communication protocols out there. But we'll see what we'll see, if you know what I mean and I'm sure that you do.

Suppedraken · August 15, 2017

One final question: Is it possible to get the sill covers off and back on without special tools and replacing clips?

Old Peter · August 15, 2017

It is, Knut, but I have never done it myself --- too old to get on the floor and look underneath the car.

Peter.

JOE-DOT-COM · August 15, 2017

HI

Yes the bottom clips can be removed with out breaking them, and they go back easy as well

once the bottom is loose, you can just let them drop enough to see the bottom of the sills

cheers

Joe

clips are like this

Suppedraken · August 21, 2017

Errm...

When I checked the first S-Type today, my generic OBD2 reader didn't find any errors. It could of course be because there were no errors. Or, it could be that my generic OBD2 reader is too generic. Do any of you know whether there are any readers that are more Jaguar-specific than others?

TIA.

JOE-DOT-COM · August 21, 2017

1 hour ago, Suppedraken said:

Errm...

When I checked the first S-Type today, my generic OBD2 reader didn't find any errors. It could of course be because there were no errors. Or, it could be that my generic OBD2 reader is too generic. Do any of you know whether there are any readers that are more Jaguar-specific than others?

TIA.

Hi

your generic code reader will only engine fault codes and only basic codes at that

so any trans, heating, airbag, suspension, braking, cruise, abs, audio, door locking and many many more modules wont be read, on the s-type, after 2002 every thing is fly by wire, so every light Bulb, sensor, relay, motor or solenoid is control by either a module or control unit, wont be read

if you want the proper thing you want a mongoose lead which comes with software jaguar IDS/SDD , which can do every thing jaguar can

IDS is for pre 2005 cars and SDD is for post 2005 cars, Version 130 or 131 is best, it will do all cars, all S-types, later version are for later cars, later version dont have IDS so is not backwards compatible

mongoose lead and software can be bought for around £100 but need to be installed on windows XP pro, but some come with a emulator type software that will work with window 7 onwards, but its not as stable as the windows xp pro, version

I installed mine on a dedicated laptop, laptops for windows xp spec can be bought for around £50

cheers

Joe

Suppedraken · August 22, 2017

12 hours ago, JOE-DOT-COM said:

if you want the proper thing you want a mongoose lead which comes with software jaguar IDS/SDD , which can do every thing jaguar can

IDS is for pre 2005 cars and SDD is for post 2005 cars, Version 130 or 131 is best, it will do all cars, all S-types, later version are for later cars, later version dont have IDS so is not backwards compatible

mongoose lead and software can be bought for around £100 but need to be installed on windows XP pro, but some come with a emulator type software that will work with window 7 onwards, but its not as stable as the windows xp pro, version

Exactly what I needed. Thank you so very much!