Engine tapping noise

[Ash.w]

I’ve now owned my xf 2.2 200bhp r-sport for two weeks now and I absolutely love it apart from a niggling tapping noise coming from the engine bay. It happens when accelerating and sounds like tappets on a knackered old fiesta I used to own, it isn’t overly load, passengers may not even notice it, but load enough to be annoying on an otherwise very quite car. Is this a usual characteristic of this engine or could it be a problem?

any help would be great

Ash. 

[Guest]

Hi Ash and Welcome to the Club,

I have no first hand knowledge of the XF but........it's a Jag so there should be no niggling tapping noises. All you should be hearing is muffled road and wind noise and, if your window is open, the signature exhaust growl fed-back from anything behind you.

I do not want to alarm you but the cause of such noises could range from the potentially catastrophic to the downright ludicrous i.e. terminal engine failure at one end of the spectrum and down to some clown leaving a spanner or other loose bits of kit somewhere in the engine bay. Given that you've only had the car for a couple of weeks and hopefully bought it from a reputable dealer I would strongly suggest you take it back and get them to take a hard look at it.

If that's not an option, and again not wishing to appear rude; may I ask whether you know one end of a spanner from the other?

If your answer is No, get the car to a trusted mechanic to get it checked over asap.

If, on the other hand, you are comfortable handling the odd spanner/socket wrench and perhaps enjoy messing around with oily bits there are some checks you can perform yourself with a little help from a mate. 

Let me know if the latter and I'll share what I can and I'm sure that others on the forum will also chip in.

 

 

 

 

[Ash.w]

Hi cubist and thanks for the reply, I got the car from stratstone in Nottingham so comes with the 2 year jaguar warranty. I’m no mechanic but i do change things like pads & discs so don’t mind getting my hands dirty, but by the sounds of it it may be worth going to my local dealer and letting them have a listen to it. 

Cheers ash 

[Ash.w]

On 07/11/2017 at 6:22 PM, cubist said:

Hi Ash and Welcome to the Club,

I have no first hand knowledge of the XF but........it's a Jag so there should be no niggling tapping noises. All you should be hearing is muffled road and wind noise and, if your window is open, the signature exhaust growl fed-back from anything behind you.

I do not want to alarm you but the cause of such noises could range from the potentially catastrophic to the downright ludicrous i.e. terminal engine failure at one end of the spectrum and down to some clown leaving a spanner or other loose bits of kit somewhere in the engine bay. Given that you've only had the car for a couple of weeks and hopefully bought it from a reputable dealer I would strongly suggest you take it back and get them to take a hard look at it.

If that's not an option, and again not wishing to appear rude; may I ask whether you know one end of a spanner from the other?

If your answer is No, get the car to a trusted mechanic to get it checked over asap.

If, on the other hand, you are comfortable handling the odd spanner/socket wrench and perhaps enjoy messing around with oily bits there are some checks you can perform yourself with a little help from a mate. 

Let me know if the latter and I'll share what I can and I'm sure that others on the forum will also chip in.

 

 

 

 

Hi Steve, thought I would give you an update on the tapping noise. Just got back from Lancaster jaguar in Tamworth, chap took it out and had a listen and said there is nothing unusual about it, he did say what it was but for the life of can't remember what he said, its something that bolted to the bulk head on drivers side (which is where the noise is coming from) that has a plastic cover over it, something to do with a valve I think he said?

anyway he's reassured me the engine is sweet and nothing to worry about 👌🏼

[Guest]

Hi Ash,

Theres an awful lot of plastic under the bonnet of most modern cars and most of it is to make the engine bay look nice, and also to terrify the the novice spanner wielder, and it may well be that one of these is vibrating under acceleration. Sorry but I am not particularly trusting and despite your dealers re-assurances I would suggest that you get a mate to help as follows

1. With the car in park/neutral and the handbrake set - start the engine with the bonnet open.
2. Get your mate into the drivers seat and your head under the bonnet with hands away from any moving parts.
3. Get your mate to slowly press the accelerator from the idle position to say 3000 revs while you listen for the rattle and/or watch for any movements of bits that shouldn't.
4. If 3 above gets no results get your mate to step down on the accelerator to get to 3000 revs as quickly as possible and hold it there.
5. Repeat 3 and 4 a couple of times if you still cannot hear or see anything untoward.

A trick used by older mechanics when trying to trace odd noises from around or within an engine is to use a long screw-driver as a stethoscope.

Hopefully, you will find a loose plastic cover or the proverbial mislaid spanner / loose nuts or bolts. At the least you should be able to narrow down the physical location/source of the noise and get a feel for it's nature e.g. plastic parts flapping around, something clattering against the engine bay bulkheads/body panel, heat shields around the exhaust system, etc.. Worst case will be that you will trace the noise to the engine block itself - in which case get the car back to your dealer while you still have the warranty in place.

On balance I am fairly optimistic person but when it comes to my glass its always half empty.

[Iain S]

I've had the same problem. The Jaguar garage informed me that it was the injectors. They contacted Jaguar and they said that it was normal and a 'characteristic' of the car!

[Guest]

Hi Iain,

Your garage is talking a load of Bol%^%^k's.

All modern cars use fuel injection systems of one sort or another and mechanically there's precious little difference between those used for diesel or petrol. They are buried deep in the engine and have only a small number of very small moving components that you would be unlikely to hear operating without the aid of a stethoscope. If the noise you are hearing sounds anything like Ash' Fiesta tappets example and you cannot trace it to something flapping around under the bonnet take the car to a real engineer asap.

Cheers,

Steve

[Guest]

I have just upgraded from an X-Type with essentially the same engine. It has done 260k on the the original injectors and makes no such noises even at that mileage.  Sounds a bit crazy but could you please record the noise and post I think it would be helpful if we could hear it. The XF's are are heavier bigger car and the the 4 cylinder engine does sound a little harsh when really pushed but it still should not be making the noises you describe IMO.

[Ash.w]

On 07/12/2017 at 11:40 PM, Iain S said:

I've had the same problem. The Jaguar garage informed me that it was the injectors. They contacted Jaguar and they said that it was normal and a 'characteristic' of the car!

Hi, is your tapping noise coming from behind the steering wheel area? It usually isn't there to begin with only starts after 5 mins or so of driving, it isn't overly loud, radio on volume 8 is enough to disguise it but still slightly irritating when I can hear it.

[Mickpadgett]

Did anyone get to the bottom of the tapping/ticking noise.  I have whatbsounds like the same in my 2016 xfs. 

[Mickpadgett]

I found this video online which has the same noise as my car. Any help to understand what this noise is would be useful and wether or not it’s normalnor a fault  

 

 

 

[Mike_eng]

My advice, for what it's worth, take it to an independent Jaguar specialist for an assessment.

Yes it will cost you but at least you'll get an honest opinion.

Mike

[FKisby]

Hi All, 

First post here but felt compelled to do so after finding the forum through a search related to this problem, which until recently I also experienced. So I thought it might be worth mentioning what was identified and fixed in my case. 

I have a 2016 XF S 3.0 D, which began making exactly the same noise as that in the recording last month. I took a jaguar technician out for a test drive in it and typically the noise didn't occur once, despite having been there for 7 days in a row up until then! 

Credit to Jaguar however (Marshall's Peterborough in this case) as they didn't give up; I left the car with them for a couple of days so they could test and try and find it for themselves. When they did, despite being puzzled, they sent their own recording to Jaguar and received an immediate response that it was a known fault and a specific process of how to fix it. Whilst I don't know the exact detail, I am told it was an 'earth lead' and sure enough, a week after getting the car back the noise has gone and it's been fine ever since. 

Hope this possibly helps anyone in the future who encounters the same issue - seems Jaguar are very much in the know about it, even if all the actual dealerships aren't!

[Old Peter]

Welcome to the club, Francis,

That information is a very good start in the Club.

There are some very knowledgeable members in the club, and some like me whose knowledge of tools end with a lump hammer and adjustable spanner, which are generally not used in modern cars.

Regards,

Peter

[FKisby]

Thanks for the welcome Peter, much appreciated.

My knowledge level lies firmly alongside yours! Having had a good browse over the last few days, I can certainly see that there's a wealth of experience and expertise, so whilst I can only aspire to this, if there's anything at all I may be able to offer I will certainly do so and I look forward to being part of the club.

Best regards

Francis

[Mickpadgett]

On 11/13/2018 at 12:34 PM, FKisby said:

Hi All, 

First post here but felt compelled to do so after finding the forum through a search related to this problem, which until recently I also experienced. So I thought it might be worth mentioning what was identified and fixed in my case. 

I have a 2016 XF S 3.0 D, which began making exactly the same noise as that in the recording last month. I took a jaguar technician out for a test drive in it and typically the noise didn't occur once, despite having been there for 7 days in a row up until then! 

Credit to Jaguar however (Marshall's Peterborough in this case) as they didn't give up; I left the car with them for a couple of days so they could test and try and find it for themselves. When they did, despite being puzzled, they sent their own recording to Jaguar and received an immediate response that it was a known fault and a specific process of how to fix it. Whilst I don't know the exact detail, I am told it was an 'earth lead' and sure enough, a week after getting the car back the noise has gone and it's been fine ever since. 

Hope this possibly helps anyone in the future who encounters the same issue - seems Jaguar are very much in the know about it, even if all the actual dealerships aren't!

Hi. I’m having the same noise in my 2016 XFS, I’ve had it to the dealer 3 times here in Belfast and they always say they can’t find a problem. Is there any chance you have any further details that I can pass onto them regards the issue and the fix required or a name at Marshall’s that I can get in touch with. 

 

Regards

[FKisby]

Hi, 

Sorry for the late reply; just back from a long overseas business trip so not had much chance to check messages. 

I would suggest speaking to either Charlotte or Phillip at Marshall Jaguar in Peterborough. I've dealt with them both for over a year now and they've been brilliant. I'm sure if you give them my name (Francis Kisby) and mention we've been discussing this, that they should at least be able to look up the notes and give you some more detail. 

If for any reason they can't give you enough info, let me know and I can contact them on your behalf to find out more. 

[Mickpadgett]

20 hours ago, FKisby said:

Hi, 

Sorry for the late reply; just back from a long overseas business trip so not had much chance to check messages. 

I would suggest speaking to either Charlotte or Phillip at Marshall Jaguar in Peterborough. I've dealt with them both for over a year now and they've been brilliant. I'm sure if you give them my name (Francis Kisby) and mention we've been discussing this, that they should at least be able to look up the notes and give you some more detail. 

If for any reason they can't give you enough info, let me know and I can contact them on your behalf to find out more. 

Many thanks Francis. I will reach out to them this week and hopefully get something that will allow belfast jaguar to recognise and resolve this issue. 

Kind regards

[Mickpadgett]

On 5/29/2019 at 5:36 AM, Mickpadgett said:

Many thanks Francis. I will reach out to them this week and hopefully get something that will allow belfast jaguar to recognise and resolve this issue. 

Kind regards

 

On 5/28/2019 at 9:07 AM, FKisby said:

Hi, 

Sorry for the late reply; just back from a long overseas business trip so not had much chance to check messages. 

I would suggest speaking to either Charlotte or Phillip at Marshall Jaguar in Peterborough. I've dealt with them both for over a year now and they've been brilliant. I'm sure if you give them my name (Francis Kisby) and mention we've been discussing this, that they should at least be able to look up the notes and give you some more detail. 

If for any reason they can't give you enough info, let me know and I can contact them on your behalf to find out more. 

Hi all just wanted to share an update. 

Due to this response from FKisby and the further info provided as a result by the superb Marshall jaguar (service manager Phil) my issue has now been resolved. 

From a simple email to Marshall jaguar, they were able to match my symptoms and reg to a service bulletin JTB00483V6. 

This bulletin states the symptoms as a ticking noise transfer from the high pressure fuel pump via the earth strap to the cabin, due to a solid earth strap that has been used rather than a braided flexible strap. The fix is to replace the earth strap. 

I cant thank FKisby and Phil from Marshall jaguar enough. Thank you

[FKisby]

That's great to hear and I'm so pleased you managed to get it resolved. Glad Marshall Peterborough were as helpful with you as they have been for me too. 

That extra bit of information you managed to glean is great and will no doubt prove valuable to anyone else who experiences this issue in the future and searches for a fix. 

Good feelings all round 😊

 

[Carlson2702]

Good Morning All,

I have just recently purchased a 63 plate Jaguar XF s 2.2 200bhp, and am hearing this ticking noise at higher speeds, Is this now an active recall from Jaguar or is this something that I should have done at a local garage? Might try mu luck by taking it back to the garage I bought it from see if they will do it under warranty

[StephenF]

I've got the same issue with my recently bought 2013 3.0 Sportbrake Premium Luxury. Where is the earth strap ? I'd like to do it myself but no obvious visibility of it under the bonnet. Is it straightforward?

Many thanks  if anyone can help

[2012 xf]

Again as per the last comment can someone help with the location of the high pressure fuel pump earth strap I've had a quick look but not to sure what to look for.

 

Cheers

[Galexc]

I have just purchased a 2017 Jaguar XF R sport and have noticed this noise too, usually at lower speeds and it sounds like a tappit rattle that you used to hear on older cars. It's not unduly loud but it is there and a tad annoying. I am glad people have identified what this is as the car is under 2 year Jaguar warranty. Does it get worse if you do nothing about it or is it needing to be repaired?

Grant.

[ChrisS87]

Did anyone find the location of the strap?