StrayCat

Hi Peter, thanks for your message. I’m a bit ‘old school’ when it comes to fiddling with modern cars so I’ve not invested in a reader as you suggest. For me, I’m sure it would result in a little knowledge being a dangerous thing! Since posing the question, I’ve learnt of a Jaguar specialist not too far away from where we’re staying so I’ll visit them very soon. Thanks again.

Seven years on and I'm still in love with my S Type but recently she's been misbehaving. On longer journeys and, by coincidence always on motorways, the amber engine motif will display with the RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE message. At first there's no feeling that performance is restricted at all until an occasinal cough and splutter makes me pull over and switch off. On restarting, the performance seems restored for a while, despite the warning lights remaining on and I was always able to get home. Frustratingly, after an overnight rest, the warnings are absent and local driving returns to normal. It was too easy to put this all down to gremlins and fortunately, in France, motorways were always traffic light. However, we're back in the UK and it's happened again, this time in heavy rain and very congested motorway traffic around Manchester. I nursed the car off the motorways and chose a slow and uneventful cross country route to get home. This morning no warning lights are displayed! I'd appreciate it greatly if anyone has any similar experience or advice which could help me identify the cause of the problem. My local garage has said bring the car in with the warning lights still showing but that never seems to happen. With sincere thanks in anticipation.

Hello all, A Jag driver stopped me in a supermarket car park to tell me about a JDC meeting coming up in the East Midlands at the end of this month. Retford Market Square, DN22 6DR, 10am - 4pm Sunday 30th June. Retford is close to the A1 so could be convenient for anyone along the old north road.

Another point of view; I'm not an advocate for heated screens. A recent eye test revealed that my distance vision is close to perfect but I do use reading glasses. Whether this combination exacerbates the problem I experience with the heated screen on my car I don't know, but in various lighting circumstances I am very conscious of the fine wires in the screen and find it quite distracting. If my screen were to be damaged I'd probably ask for a non-heated replacement - if that could be done?

I'm not a fan of bumper stickers but this one does send a direct message don't ya think?

Some friends in France are planning to buy a new car. They're well heeled and looking at some expensive options, but didn't mention Jaguar. When I asked why the marque was not on their shortlist the lady responded "If they made a car like yours I would buy it but the new ones are just normal". The word 'normal' in France interprets as indistinct from anything else, run-of-the-mill. C'est la vie.

Thank you Joe The battery is not too old so I think a good long run is needed, I'm looking forward to it! All the best, Jim

Hello everyone My car has been off the road for a few months (no problems) but before then I had been unable to open the boot manually, pressing the button did nothing. I wasn't too concerned because the keyfob and dash buttons worked perfectly. Now they don't function either, can anyone offer a clue please? I look forward to hearing and thank you in advance.

It's like the thrill of that 'first kiss' - again and again and again.

Hello fellow owners, Before buying my S Type, my work meant high mileages annually in high(ish) performance cars, through all kinds of road and weather conditions with up to three complete tyre changes each year. I have had experience with several makes of tyre, none of which were low cost. About eighteen months ago, a front tyre puncture caused me to call into a small garage where the owner convinced me to buy two budget tyres which he rated very highly. In the time since then I’ve discovered characteristics which I’d never come across in any of the tyres I’d driven previously. The first thing I noticed was in the winter, I became aware that the tyres rode very hard until warmed up which took a few miles and up to thirty minutes before their road holding felt reasonably secure. There followed a worrying time on an autobahn with steering ‘wander’ at high speed, something I’d never been concerned about with the premium tyres with which the car was previously shod. Then, just last week, a large carbuncle appeared, fortunately on the outside edge of one of the tyres which I noticed straight away so I’m now replacing both of them. At this stage they have covered only about one third of the typical mileage I expect from tyres on this car. I won’t mention any particular brand because I’m not an expert although I’ve bought an awful lot of tyres in nearly two million miles of driving. My only words of caution are that there has to be a reason for the price differentials between tyres. Or, as they say “You get what you pay for”!

Hello Rees I’m sorry to hear about your gearbox problem and hope that my own recent experience might be helpful. On the first of two 1,500 mile drives my car (also a 4.2 V8) displayed vaguely similar symptoms to what you describe. As with your car, there was no warning in the dash panel until after about 1,000 miles then; ‘Gearbox Fault’. I called into an independent Jaguar garage where they cautioned that it could be the torque converter or, big worry, the gearbox itself. I did not have time for them to investigate properly and took a chance on continuing my journey. Eventually the car went into limp mode but I managed to get home and took it to a local Jaguar specialist. The gearbox oil and filter were changed and I was able to set off on a repeat of the previous journey. I mention this because 1,500 miles seems more than enough to determine the garage’s diagnosis was correct and I’ve enjoyed perfectly smooth gearchanges since. Good luck with yours.

Hello guys I think the history of this particular requirement goes back several years and, if I remember correctly, began with United States safety directives. Until glass became so creatively applied, most headlamps and auxiliary lights were positioned on the front and rear of vehicles. The US safety directives required that signals had to be visible on the sides of vehicles, for the benefit of other road users who might not actually be in a position to see the front/rear lights clearly. Very many designers achieved this effectively with wrap-around lighting which is currently ubiquitous except that the retro-characteristics of the S Type Jaguar feature circular lamps, placed very much in the style of earlier vehicles - at the front and not always visible from the sides. Hence the side indicators on the S Type fulfill both safety and legal requirements. I hope this is helpful.

Hi Slowprop I've owned an S Type for four years which has been my primary mode of transport. When I bought the car it was (relatively) the least expensive I'd owned for very many years but I've had no regrets. In fact, my affection for S Types has increased, so much so that I too find myself contemplating a second car and top of the list - another S Type! Go spoil yourself.

Found this pic of the car I'd seen.

Hi Gary I agree with you about two-tone cars, especially some of the older vehicles. At a recent vintage car show I saw an old Jaguar saloon in silver over 'anthracite', that's the best description I can bring and it did look beautiful, the darker colour appeared to underpin the lighter shade. Also, it had whitewall tyres, perfect for its age.

Hi Andy Isn't there a danger the new livery has simply transformed a Jaguar into a taxi?

Jaguar, an old man's car? An XK150 caught my eye when I was still at school then, in my teens, the gorgeous Jaguar E-Type became my fantasy motor. By sheer coincidence and much to my amazement, in my first ‘proper’ job my boss allowed me to drive his XK150 back from the Jaguar showroom when he collected his new E-Type. Some time after that I did get to drive the E Type and, much to my chagrin, discovered it would never be the ‘perfect’ car for me, my legs were a little too long for a comfortable drive over any distance. Still in my thirties, a business associate in California loaned me his V12 XJS for a long weekend when I drove the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego and back. That cemented me desire for a Jaguar. Although real life got in the way over the next few decades I finally bought my S Type (4.2 V8) a few years ago and have never regretted it. An old man’s car? Who knows, but if my experiences are anything to go by, I’ve been an old man all my life!

Hi Russ You’ve raised a good point, I might have left this too late, I suspect that, like you, many people will have already made their travel plans for this year. If there’s little interest this time I shall probably come back to the idea later in the year with a view to a rendezvous in 2017. Until then, have a great summer, Jim

Are any of you discerning Jaguar enthusiasts likely to be in the Bordeaux area of France later this summer or early autumn? What about a get-together of a special kind? The idea came to me after spending a very pleasant afternoon with Paddy O’Flynn, proprietor of The Wine Buff in the beautiful historic town of Saint Émilion. My wife and I, together with some friends, enjoyed sampling several exquisite wines and, importantly for me, most of them were affordable. My thought is that if some of us could meet up in Saint Émilion we could imbibe in some rare and special flavours. Paddy is an interesting, informative and entertaining host, extremely knowledgeable about fine wines and I’m sure that you and your other ‘halves’ would have great time. To get the ball rolling I’ll suggest the weekend of 10th / 11th September. Nothing has been arranged yet but if there’s enough interest I’ll follow up with more information. Simply follow up this post and I’ll keep in touch.

I do think several owners miss the point about S Type style. When the car was launched its retro reference points were perfectly articulated in the Shirley Bassey (Propellerheads) song which accompanied the TV advertisements - ‘History Repeating Itself’. I’m guessing that many owners bought their S Types because the design was so characteristic of a particular and interesting time in motoring history. My question is, what’s the point of trying to ... er ... ‘pimp’ a successful design? As part of my own enthusiasm for cars I visit many classic car rallies, veteran and vintage vehicle gatherings, and it’s clear to see that attention to ‘original’ detail is what distinguishes so many of the best examples. Somehow ‘Pimp my Jaguar’ seems completely incongruous.

Hello Gordy A couple of years ago I had this problem with my 2004 4.2 V8. By chance the first symptoms occurred when I was near a Jaguar main dealer and they diagnosed exactly what you described in your initial post. I then took the car to an independent Jaguar specialist who came up with the same diagnosis, water ingress via the radiator cooler. Sorry to hear that you suffered the same problem with your Land Cruiser, can lightning strike twice in the same place? Very best, Jim

Old man’s car? What about an old woman’s car? I remember several small cars that were favoured by women but so many seem to have become bulbous and ugly. The cars that is! Anyway, you’ll all have been aware (BBC News) that seventy is now regarded as the new fifty. Given that revelation I’m pleased to admit that I bought my first Jaguar three years before I turned ... er ... fifty! Steve, I bet Jaguar have precise details of their customers’ demographic, motor industry marketing departments probably know more about us than we do ourselves. Very best, Jim

Hello Steve Dare I suggest the most stylish and understated colour ... silver? Very best, Jim

Hello Richard You’ll know already that there’s a long drive ahead of you. This country (France) is big and the road system can make for a very pleasant trip, especially behind the wheel of your car. My only advice would be to allow plenty of time through France, (Switzerland?) and Italy, whichever route you choose we would take three or four days - at least. The toll routes are fast (very expensive) and so boring you can get fed up being in a car, whatever it is. Through France your own driving will come into its own using the D and even C roads where there's so much to see and do en-route that almost every minute can be fulfilling. I hope you and your wife have a great time. Jim

Hello everyone, I'm coming across from France for a very few days (End March / Early April 2016) to prepare my car for sale. Can anyone recommend a garage in Kent where I can have it properly serviced and MOT? I'll be staying near Canterbury. Many thanks for any help.