Lord Sladacre

Hi, The offside lower wheel arch bracket has corroded to nothing on my 2003 S - Type. This effectively leaves the bottom part of the wing / skirt free to vibrate with potential to crack the laquer finish. What I wonder were jag thinking about when they had the bright idea to provide a metal bracket to fix two plastic components together.............. Does any member know where i would be able to purchase both the n/ side and o / side brackets please? very many thanks Dominic

Good Afternoon, I have reviewed the membership Car Insurance service provided by Adrian Flux. The Company offer a total loss protection adding 25% onto the likely value of the car, assessed as trade value - in the event of a total loss event. What i am looking for is an "Agreed Value" insurance which Adrian Flux does seem to mention in the response to another enquirer. I would be very interested to hear from fellow members regarding insuring the actual value of their Jaguars. many thanks Dominic.

Hi Kris, Beware the remote "boot button" - why did jag put it on there? I locked my keys in the boot because I left the car doors locked and ONLY opened the boot in the rain and dark last September - placed a bottle of wine and flowers in, put my keys down - and closed the boot !!!!!!!!!!!!! Took the RAC 2 hours to open the car - could not open the boot at all !! Took 4 days - weekend included - to receive the spare keys from my wife, at home 300 miles away !! Forget you have a remote boot key ...................please !

Hi, I would be very grateful to hear from members that have taken the bold step of fitting a front and rear dash cam to their S - Type. (Mine is a December 2003 3.0 litre SE Plus with additions) I am very nervous about the whole procedure. I foolishly mentioned that the thought had passed my mind to our daughter, sensibly discounting it when I considered the implications regarding the potential horror of "wire concealment" in the headlining to entering the top of the centre armrest (to access the aux power socket) - hard wiring being totally out of the question given my lack of knowledge and the complex wiring of the S - Type. My daughter may have misread my comments (or was setting me a challenge?), bless her, as for my birthday last week presented me with the Nextbase 322gw front and rear dash cam set !! My dilemma is clear - I plan to fit tomorrow !! Members I await your wisdom.........................please..... Many thanks, Dominic.

Hi Nick, Thanks for your recommendation - I will certainly check out this tyre it is on my shortlist from my own research - so you have confirmed it ! Kind regards, Dominic.

My December 2003, S - Type 3.0 Ltr - SE + will shortly require new tyres. The car currently has a set of Avon 235 / 50 ZR 17 tyres which I like, they give a smooth run, excellent fuel economy and have a fit that is slightly proud of the rims of the alloy wheels, thereby affording some protection to the alloys from kerbing - not that this has occurred of course !! My garage suggests a change from Avon's - which surprised me as I understood early Jags were all made with Avon's pretty much as a standard fit. They suggest a variety of manufacturers from Goodyear, Pirelli, Bridgestone etc., - saying that a tyre must have "Jaguar Fit". I have concluded that the best way to unravel all of this is to ask you - S - Type owners, what you run your cars on. it is likely that you have considerably more experience than I. I would very much welcome and appreciate your recommendations please.

Hi Nick, Apparently valet button doesn't open the boot. Although i could (RAC assist) get into the car - couldn't get into the boot where the keys were !! Regards Dominic.

Hi Mark, Many thanks - sound advice, I have decided to follow the advice of the wise, whom appear to be many. Premium only from now on !!

My thanks to Old Peter and Jon for your excellent advice gentlemen. I'm sure that you are right and I will feel more comfortable in the sense that I'm doing the right thing for the car is always using premium grade fuel. As I have said I think for a 3 litre petrol engine (six speed auto box no doubt helps) the fuel economy is fantastic. I manage between 34 - 37 mph on a good run. It will be interesting to see what the car achieves from Dorset to Northumberland via Lincoln and York !!

Can members advise please? Should I run my 3.0 litre, 2003 S - Type auto on the premium or standard grade unleaded? My practise has been to give it a tank full every so often of the "good" stuff - as i have read it keeps injectors and other bits in more efficient and clean condition. The difference in Dorset is not fantastic in terms of cost approx 15p per litre - £9.00 on 60 litre tank full. As I am about to cover 1000 miles to Northumberland and seemingly all points in between I would like to be sure I'm doing the right thing. Currently, on a 200 mile run, with cruise control used when roads dictate, at 80 mph - average 55 mph, I manage an astounding 37 mpg !! - and that is on a mix of fuel ! Your thoughts would be much appreciated, thank you, Dominic

Hi Joe, Many thanks for clearing this point up - I actually feel better, now i know it wouldn't have helped in my situation !! Regards, Dominic

Hi, Having recently (Sept 2018 - experience still raw) locked my keys in the boot of my S- Type Dec 2003 SE - (in heavy rain and darkness) - unable to retrieve them despite best efforts of RAC, radio beams etc,. - eventually (over a w/e - 3 days later) received spare keys from my wife at home in Dorset - sent to Kent. However, I have become aware that some models (market) of the S - Type had what is known as a Valets access / button which will open the boot without the need of an ignition key, once of course the cabin is entered. Are members aware of this? Pity Jaguar didn't fit it to all market cars.

Good Evening, i have just replaced the standard blades which appear to be 24" (torn rubber) and 19" respectively with the newer flat design. It was recommended by Autobitz - having referred to the "wiper book" that a 22" and 19" - given the flat shape would actually be the recommended fit. Certainly I don't have a problem with the area cleared by both wipers - I suspect that the proof is in the pudding, so that is fine. Of course, I couldn't resist measuring the screen for the normally prescribed standard wiper once at home and found that it would be incredibly tight to fit a 24" (normally recommended) anyway, with a 19" - any comment from members would be appreciated. I'm still recovering from some years back mistakenly fitting "oversized" x 3 blades to my Mk1 1/2 1968 - E type Coupe. - hence my interest - or paranoia, as these are at least under sized !! Regards, Dominic.

I cannot believe the economy achieved by my S - Type (Dec 03) 3.0 Litre, petrol, 6 speed automatic, on a mainly motorway journey from Kent to Dorset yesterday a total of 146.8 miles. The trip indicator tells me that I managed an astounding 37.8 mpg at an average speed of 57 mph !! of course, I was doing 70 - 80 mph on the motorway, probably 80% of the journey, 20% were A and B roads. I didn't use the cruise control but was ultra steady with the right foot !! This was with the V - Power high(er) performance petrol (Shell). Figures with lower RON 95? going to Kent on Saturday were marginally less eg: 35.9 mpg and an average speed of 54 mph. - still mightily impressive i think. These are trip indicator readings - i would be interested to know if other members do in fact achieve similar performance figures, as it would help to validate the accuracy of mine. On another note my stay was unintentionally extended due to me locking the keys in the boot of the car - when the rest of the car was already locked. I couldn't believe it !! Why I used the "boot only" function to open the boot simply to put wine / flowers inside and didn't open the entire car, I know not. Teeming with rain, 5pm and the RAC quoting a 5hr response time !! In fact they appeared within the hour and stayed for two hours. Managed to get into the car - but not the boot. Solid bulk head behind the rear seats on the later 2003 model. Had to wait (until Monday) for my good lady to send up the spare key !! Does any member know of a trick to gain entry in the same situation? Unbelievably lucky as the Airshow tickets for Battle of Britain show at Duxford were in the car and not the boot - so gratefully visited show by my brothers X - Type, sadly not my glorious "S". Thank you for any thoughts in advance. Kind regards Dominic

Thanks for reply. I have managed to get into the car (RAC help) but the key is in the boot and that is still locked. Will wait till spare key arrives on Tues.

Having driven a few hours away from home I unfortunately closed the boot with keys inside. The car was already locked and therefore the boot locked automatically. Am at present stranded until spare key can be couriered to me on Tues earliest. Has anyone got any ideas? We have already tried sending the pulse from spare key over the mobile to the car...... didn't work. Cannot get into the boot from back of car (not this model). I'd appreciate any suggestions

Hi, I too find excuses to re visit the especially concreted parking area at our home to re view the S- Type !! I could not appreciate the lines of the car design on our conventional drive - which now only has my long suffering wife's RAV 4 on it. The new parking area (May 2018) cost me as much as I had paid for the Jag in Dec 2017 !! I can view the car from my office window and the master bedroom, are we all nuts? So much better though - I can lavish care, continual leathering, internal leather feed - overall polishing all in an area where I could now park two S - Types !! - Well you never know. Taking her to Duxford - The Battle of Britain Air Show on Sept 23rd - Gold Pass VIP adjacent parking - with the number plate of FLY 11 1T she will look great - Can't wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look after 'em - a rare marque and a rarer model ! Dominic

Hi Joe, Interesting - thank you. i shall remove the plastic inserts and have a look. Fortunately no sign of rust visible on arches externally. Also will check lip etc to see if trolley jack may have been used. All very irritating as it has been serviced by jaguar every 3k mls and covered only 60k. Still, doesn't mean to say he bought the tyres there !! Thanks again. Dominic

Hi Pete, Certainly battery. My S -Type is on its third battery (replaced Dec 17) and is an 03 registration. Battery longevity also depends on use - eg: short runs add small charges to the battery and increase wear - shortening the life. Some (S-Type) Jag battery's have been recommended to be upgraded so, if you journey's are going to be short - get the best upgrade you can. Hope this helps. Best wishes Dominic

Have other S - Type owners noticed that the jacking points appear flattened in profile when the car is viewed at a distance side on, for example in a car park? This seems to give the sills a a flattened effect just in front of the rear wheels and just behind the front wheels. I wondered if mine had been jacked up incorrectly and have thoroughly inspected the underside finding no evidence of this. I find I'm peering at others (rarely seen model though) - and often not at the right angle / distance when seen. Am I becoming paranoid - or are these areas slightly flat?

Hi Joe and Steve, Much appreciated, thank you. I shall take a look behind the glove box tomorrow -the photo should now be visible on site, thanks again to you both. Dominic

Hi, Following a final visit to the garage to fit a second hand climate control unit, I have discovered a black plastic cover (put in the centre consol - clearly doesn't belong there). The garage are awaiting the return of the electrician, whom they believe will be able to identify it. Members, please help !! Do you recognise the item by my description and numbers on the outside of the cover? Please advise what and where it belongs. The cover is 6" x 3" and on the inside is separated in half by a dividing strip of plastic. The outside of the cover has a date range month and year "dot" indicator, latest would be Sept 03. (the car is a Oct 03 registered Dec 03). Also the number: 2R83-FO46C26(A) is featured just below >SEBS< 1. Cover also features a leaper symbol and the word in caps JAGUAR. I would be grateful if this can be identified and I can then put it back - it must cover something. I have checked shape and size of the three fuse boxes on the car, doesn't fit / match these at all. Many thanks Dominic

Good Evening, A strange phenomenon occurred today........... I locked the car at the boatyard at 1000. Cruised to Brownsea island, (thereabouts) - anchor failed to deploy, so returned to marina for repair and luncheon. Leaving the marina at 1600 we found all four windows open by approx 2cm !! Now, I have through members terrific advice and no doubt at a better cost have resolved, this very week, the aircon issue - it is now fantastic !! - Absolutely ice ! Thank you. However it is difficult to attribute the windows opening to the inert power of the climate zone control system ..............the "feature" described is not in the manual. Why would they? We left nothing with a pulse (we assure you) that might otherwise have been humanely detected by the ingenious climate control system - so feature or fault, my friends, thoughts please. And any on electric windlass faults, welcome as well !! Kind Regards, Dominic

Hi Steve, Thank you. I think i will get the Jag specialist to check it out with the reader - excellent idea !! If light comes back up I will raise on here, after checking your ideas out. Regards, Dominic

Hi, Two minutes after engine start this morning the message centre on my S - Type 2003 - 64k mls read; (Amber light - secondary warning) "Gearbox Fault". Pulled over - car just been serviced, took a paracetamol - in case another bill was looming, and restarted. No messgae illumination - and have driven 30 mls since. Would welcome fellow members thoughts / experiences - is it a problem ?? Thank you.