Help!! Intermittent limp mode!

[Steph1982150]

Hi all. 

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, but I'm at my witts end 😭.. I have a 2.2 XF, owned for a year now and I love the car! 

Recently, during a drive it'll lack in power, mostly when moving off traffic lights or roundabout, it slowly creeps up to 30mph and revs at 3000/4000prm (foot can be flat in the floor!!) I describe it like I'm towing a house, the car feels heavy and its just super reluctant to move. Few days ago it stalled!! (automatic) 

No lights on dash and I've taken it to a few garages and no codes came up??! So I'm really hoping this forum has someone who knows 🤞🏻 

[king_o]

I also have had this problem and it is a scary experience if you have just pulled out from a junction into traffic......

It has happened to me quite a few times in a 2.2d 200hp 2013 XF (work car, 45k miles). I also have a XF S 3.0d 2009 and nothing like this has ever happened in it, in 90k miles.

[Steph1982150]

3 hours ago, king_o said:

I also have had this problem and it is a scary experience if you have just pulled out from a junction into traffic......

It has happened to me quite a few times in a 2.2d 200hp 2013 XF (work car, 45k miles). I also have a XF S 3.0d 2009 and nothing like this has ever happened in it, in 90k miles.

Did you ever find out what was causing it? 

[Steph1982150]

Anyone?? It's still happening.. I've been turning the ECO/Start/stop off (it's never worked anyway) thinking it's the battery, and it ran fab for a few days, now it's back to being restricted performance!! I've not bought some wynns turbo cleaner and an EGR cleaner.. 

[Big John]

Hi Steph.

If I were you I would bite the bullet and take it to a Jag dealer (I have done a quick google on Jag Indys near Newport but reviews are mixed) for a diagnostic. My local (Inchcape) charge about £120 for first hour but at least then you should know what you are dealing with. It seems odd to be in RP mode without any DTCs recorded and no warning lights. One possibility is that your garage did not have compatible diagnostic kit so were simply not picking up stored codes. When in RP is there any exhaust smoke?

The fact that your Stop/Start does not work does suggest your battery charge is low as this only works when the car knows there is enough charge to re-start the car. These cars do hate low battery levels because of the masses of sensitive computer modules but I would be surprised if there were no DTCs

Please let us know how you get on. Good luck.

John

[Steph1982150]

On 7/8/2021 at 4:19 PM, Big John said:

Hi Steph.

If I were you I would bite the bullet and take it to a Jag dealer (I have done a quick google on Jag Indys near Newport but reviews are mixed) for a diagnostic. My local (Inchcape) charge about £120 for first hour but at least then you should know what you are dealing with. It seems odd to be in RP mode without any DTCs recorded and no warning lights. One possibility is that your garage did not have compatible diagnostic kit so were simply not picking up stored codes. When in RP is there any exhaust smoke?

The fact that your Stop/Start does not work does suggest your battery charge is low as this only works when the car knows there is enough charge to re-start the car. These cars do hate low battery levels because of the masses of sensitive computer modules but I would be surprised if there were no DTCs

Please let us know how you get on. Good luck.

John

Thanks John, 

 

I've taken it to 3 garages and all used diagnostic computers and no codes came up! According to them, the car is perfect! The fault is intermittent, which is frustrating when it's driving fine to the garage! 

Could it be the fuel filter?? I might change it just incase 🤞🏻

[Big John]

Hi Steph

Fuel filter is certainly a possibility and cheap to do but it should have been changed at the last major service along with the air filter. My reasoning about a Jag diagnostic is that they will have SDD diagnostics rather than generic and from previous experience with Saabs there were sometimes issues that only the Saab Tech 2 system would report.

Have you checked the batteries? Non functioning S/S suggests that there is an issue there and I am pretty sure that even when the car detects a problem itdoes not always throw a DTC. As I said before low voltages can cause all sorts of random issues so maybe worth investing in a cheap voltmeter.

Regards

John

[Carpo]

I agree with Big John about the Jaguar dealer. They will have probably come across this issue and be able to carry out a fix.

As an alternative, I have a plug-in for the OBD port, it is a cheap one which works on bluetooth with my Android phone and when linked with the "Torque Pro" app it will show me the fault codes whenever I get limp mode. This has occurred once a while back, can't remember the exact codes, but it was linked to turbo boost pressure. It went away when I stopped and restarted and has not come back so far.

Please do keep us posted on the outcome, it is always useful to know. 

[Steph1982150]

Hi all... So 2 weeks ago we changed the fuel filter and it hasn't happened since!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻. . In fact, the car responds better than when I drove it off the forecourt 12 months ago! Lol 

 

 

[Steph1982150]

Thought I'd update.. It's been well over a month and still driving like a dream! Anyone experiencing this issue, try changing fuel filter before you spend money on expensive diagnostics 💰👍🏻