Old Peter

Hi Paul, I find that my engine takes about 12 miles to get to normal operating temperature in the morning. To assist the heating of the cabin there is an auxiliary heater on the S Type which lets the engine get on with the business of getting up to normal temperature. I find I get a better mpg using Shell Vitro than Supermarket fuel, but over the past there have been bee quite a few members who have used the bog standard fuel with a Millers additive, with good results. My nearest supermarket petrol station is 4 miles away and my Shell Garage is 450 yards, which does have a bearing on where I fill up. I also had my car Terracleaned which also made a difference to performance as well as mpg. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Mark. The club thrives on experiences, both good and bad. My S type has the 2.7 litre diesel, and I have never had a problem with the DPF, although, doing a lot of short runs the EGR valves have been a bit sticky on a few occasions, cured usually with a blast on the A38 with the Sport Mode Button pressed on. I have also used Wynns Diesel EGR cleaner which works and saves the messy job of taking out the EGR valves and cleaning them manually. There are also other similar products. If you do a long run about once a month at over about 50 mph for 20 minutes after the engine has warmed up you should never have a problem with the DPF. I also gave my car which has only 60k on the clock a Terraclean service which worked wonders with smoothness and mpg, as well as performance. Additionally, I never use supermarket fuel, but usually Shell Vitro which also helps with the mpg. Enjoy your XF! Regards, Peter.

Hi Clare, I do hope you get it sorted out to your satisfaction. As I have said before, I have the same year of car as you have, and it is a nice car. One of the things that you will have to do is to make sure you will not be overcharged for the work needed, as being without the car for a long time is not something you want to endure for too long. Best Wishes, Peter.

Clare has a serious problem, and some good and expert advice has been given. Certainly the biggest problem is that the car cannot be moved at the moment. Main dealers in general do not want to use the route of mending something but rather swopping the offending part without considering whether or not that offending part can be fixed. I hope members will continue to assist those needing advice without bickering with each as t which advice is better. And in answer to another question, there are 4 moderators in the club whose job is basically to read all the posts and to make sure that all matters are conducted in a friendly manner. I was the sole moderator and asked the Club Administration to increase that number to ensure the function [unpaid and without perks] operates properly. Regards Peter. P.S. "The old and decaying Brigade" could have been put better such as "The experienced and tolerant People"

Batteries normally come with two terminal covers and I fail to see why the battery on my S type did not have both. I do not like a disconnected lead being left in a situation where it could inadvertently connect and possibly cause something dangerous. The park brake only seems to stick when the temperature is freezing or close to it. I will end the discussion now, as I feel that a polite answer to a serious question has gone somewhat awry, remembering of course ,that I didn't suggest that the car should be covered in duct tape and plastic. Peter.

A small point, Colin, but a quite important one to me. The electronic handbrake has become stuck on a few times. To free it you have to disconnect the battery and putting the leads somewhere where they won't slip back and touch the terminal seems the best way to do it, being as you have to leave it disconnected for about 15 minutes. I am not an electrician but I do appreciate that electric terminals not being covered up can cause a problem. I thought about covering the whole car in plastic and duct tape but rejected that idea as it would stop me getting into the car, Peter.

Hi Paul, My Varta has a cover on the positive terminal, and the negative terminal was without a cover until I used a design from Mr Heath and Mr Robinson using Duct Tape and a suitably sized piece of plastic, which does the trick. Regards, Peter.

Hi Billyboy, There have been several members who have had problems with Grange of Exeter. I have used Taunton Jaguar for odd bits fro their online site and found them very obliging. Glad all is well with your car now. Regards, Peter.

Hi Sacha, Just to add to my earlier post. The Diesel engined Jaguar s type has a timing belt, on all years. The Petrol engined models have a timing chain. Regards, Peter.

Hi Clare, and welcome to the Club. I am a bit late in answering you post [fitting a new cooker hood in kitchen] , but several members have given some good advice. It does not surprise me that Jaguar, who like most motor manufacturers outsource practically everything other than body panels, are being dilatory in getting the part you need. I will remind my car - the same year as yours - not to get sick like that. Jim has suggested you give Chris Isles a call at the Jag Speciaiist in Doncaster, and if you were able to drive up to see him I am sure he would be able to help. You could have a day out in the Peak District, too. Most members have found that main dealers are more concerned with selling cars than fixing them, and if you could find a way to get the car up to Doncaster your problem could well be solved. I hope that you soon get your car back on the road. Regards, Peter.

I looked at the trip computer today and find that on my last tankful of Shell Vitro I have done 434 miles and have still got 117 miles left in the tank. That is not bad for a tankful! Peter.

Welcome to the club, Sacha. My S Type 2.7 D is an 07 plate with a belt, and as far as I know so has the 57 plate. It is recommended you change it at 105k miles. The s type is a great car - Grace, space and pace -- as Sir William Lyons said. If I am wrong about the belt/chain an s type owner with a 57 plate will correct me. Regards, Peter.

Hi Dave, You have been very busy. Brilliant! With the exhaust you can shop around, and a lot depends on how much mileage you are going to do before deciding on which system you are going to install. Stainless is for life and is the best option if it is within your budget. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Joseph. The s type is a very nice car and a pleasure to drive. My s type [2.7 Diesel] with 60k on the clock has never let me down. Just use the best petrol, rather than supermarket fuel and your car will like you! Regards, Peter.

Hi Victor, and welcome to the Club. I used to live just down the road from you when there was a Steelworks at Shotton in which I worked. Kenny has given you some very sound advice and I think you will find a good independent garage not too far away. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Johnny. The Jaguar experience is quite unique. I was 77 before I bought my first Jaguar, and also found that it was the best car I had ever driven. Enjoy! Peter.

Hi Alan, It is worth spending about £20 on a cheap scanner. I find mine quite useful, and it would save you going to Warrington. I was stopped in Chapel Street/Lane in 1960 for driving with a noisy exhaust -- it was a tractor, though -- but the policeman was quite happy by just telling me off, and not checking my driving licence. That bit was good because I didn't have one! Regards, Peter.

Hi Steve, Tracking is a very important little job that I am willing to spend £30 on every now and then, and certainly every time I get new tyres. Peter.

Hi Ron, I don't know whether this helps, but at 69 mph my rev counter sits at 1995 rpm --- 6th gear. The reason for the curious speed is that when I am on a long run I go for fuel economy and the second turbo cuts in at 2000rpm. Regards, Peter.

Good post, Jim. I do a lot of shorter runs, and although I do a longer run about every three weeks, I still find the oil level on the higher side. When I have my next service next month I will have the oil dealt with as you suggest. I never use supermarket fuel and also like to drive my s type with a bit of verve occasionally, Peter.

Get back on to Jaguar, Rod and tell them that it did not work. Have you the touch screen on your car, or the message centre? Does it ask you for the code? If it doesn't work when the radio is switched on, it is either the wrong code of some misconnection. Peter.

Hi Ray, and welcome to the club. I never thought Stourbridge was a small place -- it used to take me an hour to get through it when I was working. I do know that Stourbridge is very close to the centre of the universe, which I am reliably informed is halfway up Ocker Bonk in Tipton. I am also reliably told that if you see 4 people on one side of a zebra crossing and 5 on the other side that they will wait for a fifth to come so that the earth will not tip over when they cross the road. Great place to work and I have fond memories --- although I do suspect that some were taking the micky on a country boy from up north! Enjoy the club. Regards, Peter.

That's good, Julian. Old Lancashiremen like me are not mean but we do like the best price. Regards, Peter.

Hi Joe, All my life I worked in the Steel industry, and was involved in many of the bits that go into cars. The car manufacturers make very little of the bits that go into cars, as it is cheaper to outsource them. I have visited most of the car plants in the UK [except Jaguar and Honda] and it is wonderful what you can glean from management and the workforce. On buying things for the car I have a local auto accessory shop who will get me what I ask for and give best advice. Not always the cheapest, but it doesn't cost me anything to get there, whereas into the city can cost me a fiver. Regards, Peter.

Very frequently paint for cars is made by a paint manufacturer who will supply various marques of cars, as well as other outlets for the product. The same goes for lots of other parts for cars which can also be found on the shelves of other outlets. You may find that the paint sold by a Jaguar Main dealer has been supplied by a manufacturer and marked up by Jaguar. Buying from the manufacturer direct is usually cheaper. Peter.