Old Peter

Hi mj, As promised: Miles Mobile mechanic 07768 118 224 M&B Autos o7836 243 742. Peter.

Hi mj, I have been googling around but the good people of Leamington don't appear to have any good local service garages for Jaguars. There is a place I found in Southampton: Regal Autosport - 02380 987412 - SO17 987412 Belrave Road. I was wondering if there were any mobile mechanics in the area who could do the diagnostic test. If you have an OBD2 code reader you might find out the problem, but it might need a more sophisticated pice of kit to find the problem. I do recall an XK8 on Wheeler Dealers which had a similar problem -- limp home mode coming on when the car was warmed up - which was found to be a faulty sensor. I will look around for a mobile mechanic in the area and get back to you. Regards, Peter.

Could be, Frank. Of course, getting the feel of the car on a drive can tell a mechanic quite a lot, but us old drivers can only go by experience. Peter.

Hi Frank, All S types are rear wheel drive. I have had a whine but never a rumble from an RWD vehicle. Regards, Peter.

Hi Shaun, I am afraid I could not put my finger on that as I am not an engineer, but I have come across situations where vibration occurs at a certain rpm and goes away when the revs increase or decrease. It is usually something loose. Regards, Peter.

Hi Shaun, I can't think of anything without hearing/experiencing a the rumble, But the first thing that comes to mind is the exhaust is a touch loose. Maybe the rubber mounts holding it on? Regards,, Peter.

I still read the s type owner's manual, Gary. After leaving the car unused for three days, when I started the engine I found that the handbrake was stuck on, and the engine amber warning light came on. After fixing the handbrake I plugged in the OBD2 code reader and found P0402 -- EGR valve, which has yet to be done. Wynn's EGR cleaner will have to be brought into use! Always something even it is just giving the car a good valet. Peter.

Hi Amanda, You are quite right about mudflaps. I had a full set of genuine jaguar mudflats fitted [£50], but they showed their value when I went to the RAF Waddington Air Show and collected a bucketful of mud from the field in which we parked. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, John. The X type 2.5 V6 AWD is a very good car, and if the engine runs well it must have been serviced well, and probably not be a dealer but by someone who knew what they were doing. I used to have an x type with a similar engine, but with an manual gearbox in absolute pristine condition, but it was borrowed on non returnable unauthorised loan by two scroats for whose current accommodation for the next 8 years is being paid for by the honest people of England. Just check the air filter, se how new the oil filter looks, -- Trevor has mentioned the cam belts, and getting them done at work is always a good idea. When I worked in a big factory I used to do the same and a regular service used to cost 17/9 stopped out of my salary -- quite a while ago, Enjoy your Jaguar and enjoy the club. Regards, Peter.

Hi Stephen, Batteries are often the source of many small issues if they are not up to scratch. It could be that the battery is failing or is not the correct one. I would recommend that you check the battery out, as when it is on the way out smaller matters appear to switch themselves off to enable the car to function. Regards, Peter.

BP is OK, Stan.

Welcome to the club, David. A very interesting story, and I am looking forward to seeing the pics of that beautiful car. Regards, Peter.

Hi, Alan and welcome to the club. You have done a great job on your XJS, and I hope to get a Midlands meet arranged next year. I think there will be a lot of members wanting to see your XJS, Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Chris. Nothing wrong with the xt --- I had a Rover Sterling for 11 years --- but there is nothing quite like a Jaguar. We build good cars in Brummagem! Regards, Peter.

Does not the cost of the additive negate the cheap price of Tesco fuel?

I have found Breakeryard.com quite good too.

Hi Douglas, You can raise a query in more or less any of the forums covered by the club. A general query usually interest most club members. Regards, Peter.

Trevor has put the answer succinctly. Apparently Supermarket fuel has a higher amount of biodiesel content than forecourt fuel. People will tell you that tankers all fill up at the same depots as each other . Yes, they do. But has anyone noticed the taps on top the the tankers? There is your answer.

Include me in these felicitations, and may a good time be had by all. But every on should give thanks to those who have to work across the festive season. Peter.

Hi Peter, I have had a look around but some sites seem tho want to sell wheels in sets. I have found some 16" wheels and some 17" wheels, though on eBay. Some sites want you reg number before you can move further on to the site. However, there is a site that I have used before which might be of use: Breakeryard.com They will try to source your wheel from around the country. I used them for my 12 year old Rover Sterling, and thy got me the parts required locally. Good Luck. Peter.

Long runs at a steady speed will get you about 45 mpg, Gary. Around the city I get about 30mpg I had my car given a terraclean service [cost about £130] which is the equivalent of a decoke which was really beneficial and driving up to Sheffield a week or so later mostly at 50 mph due to motorway speed restrictions I got 53mpg. and the round trip gave me 49.8 mpg. Something I should add is that the 2.7 diesel has two turbochargers, with the second cutting in at 2000 rpm, around 70 mph, so if you are looking to save fuel stick to circa 68 mph. Another thing I should have said is that you should avoid supermarket fuel and stick to forecourt diesel, and now and then treat the car to some of the more expensive diesel. You will get better mpg. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Gary. The S type 2.7 diesel is a very good car, and the mileage is below average for the year. The engine was designed in a joint venture between Ford and Peugeot, and went into the XF and the Land Rover as well as the S Type. Personally I don't think the engine has any faults, although you have to give the car a long run -- about 30 minutes at over 50 mph after the engine has reached its normal operating temperature in order to regenerate/clean out the Diesel Particulate filter. [DPF]. Add to that, the diesel engine on all cars needs a bit of a burst of speed now and then. There can be a slight water ingress into the boot occasionally which is cured by a few tissues to mop up any water that gets near the battery. Your car has a full service history, which is good, but you should check out the battery itself as Jaguars have a lot of electronic wizardry and like a big battery, and when it starts to fail certain things [radio, demister etc] which are less important will switch themselves off, as it were, to save power, Also, I think the cam belts need changing at 105k miles, and I would ask the dealer if that job has already been done [a bit cheeky]. The automatic gearbox is allegedly filled for life, although some members have had the oil and filter changed at about 75k when they had had a judder or two, and that has improved the smoothness of operation. The car has an electric handbrake, and I have had a couple or so "Handbrake Malfunction" warnings which can be rectified by disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes, which lets the computer reset when connected. Make sure that you have your radio code. You will also have to reset other settings too. The engine has two EGR valves at either side of the V6 which recycle the exhaust gas which sometimes get a bit sticky and the engine warning light will come on. You can either give the car a good blast [East Lancs Road or the Rainford bypass when quiet are good] or invest in a can of Wynn's EGR cleaner for Diesels. All in all, the S Type is well equipped, handles well and has a great burst of speed. You will enjoy it! Regards, Peter. Lancastrian in exile.

Hi Ray and Pete, I will have a look at some sites I know of. Are you looking for 4 of them, or plus one extra for a spare? Peter.

I will send you a few lbs of dehydrated water from Birmingham. South Staffs is the cheapest in the country. All you need to do is put it in a barrel and add rainwater. Peter.

Very good price, Kenny. My mechanic paid £48 for 6 litres last oil change, which was great compared with the £68 for the same amount at Halfords. Peter.