Old Peter

Hi Malcolm and welcome to the Club. The XF model [within your budget] has two diesel engines, the 2.2 litre and the 3 litre. Both are good engines and both economical, but with the lineage you do I would be inclines to go with the 3 litre. There are plenty around with a reasonable mileage. Regards, Peter.

That is a minus point for the XF. When I say that, I remind myself that I have not had a puncture since 2001. But the spare wheel does give me peace of mind. Peter.

I have a full size matching alloy for my s type, and when I bought SWMBO a Toyota Yaris Hybrid it had a tyre inflator and a can of gunge. Ten minutes on eBay and a matching alloy wheel costing £80 was delivered next mooning. Dunlop tyre fitted for £100 fitted later that day. I already had a wheel brace, and a jack from eBay collected from the seller a few miles away the day after. All for £200. Job done. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Steve. I would start by checking Brake Fluid level. I had a similar issue with a Triumph Herald about 50 years ago and fund that the fluid had not been changed for a few years. But I would get the car into a garage ASAP. Regards, Peter.

I forgot about Denis, Paul.

Hi Gareth, Try just googling and you will find loads of 2012 discs for the S Type for under £30. That is the last one that Denso produced. Peter

Hi Brian, and welcome to the club. I have seen one on eBay for £499. You could try JaguarParts24/7 or Rimmer Bros - both second hand parts suppliers. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, David. Ralph has pointed out some possibilities which are well looking at. Good luck with the problem and hope that th bill is just a little one! Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, John. Do you get the vibration when the car is stationary --- on your drive when you raise the revs? If not it could be a tyre. If so there could be something loose. I am not a mechanical expert but the simple things are worth checking first. Regards, Peter.

Hi Dennis, I am no mechanical expert, but working on the principle of what goes in affects what comes out, I would guess that there is a few system issue. I have a 2.7 diesel and use premium fuel [Shell V power] so I would ask if you have been using the same for the petrol engine. It could also be worth using an additive that says it keeps the fuel system clean. Let us know how you get on. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Steve. Good luck with your work on the hearer. The temperature is zero in the usually mild Midlands so I do understand what it is like in the North. I think you will enjoy your Jaguar, though. Regards, Peter.

Hi Paul, I read this article this morning and it has been with me for several hours. Much thought! Regards, Peter.

Hi Bill, The s type Jaguar [amongst others] can have a drain on the battery while it is stationary with the ignition switched off such as the alarm and such like items. And wen you start the car it usually take about 7 miles to put back the battery usage when starting. Lat week I found that my battery wasn't charging properly and having a Auto Accessory shop not far away I asked the owner [whose custom I use] to check the battery, which he did and found it in top condition. He did notice however that the negative terminal did not look as tight as it should be. A new terminal was provided at a cost of £7.99 and now the battery is not losing power and charges fully. A battery should last about 5 years. Regards, Peter.

I sometimes get a quick flash of the odd message which is the sign to me to charge the battery. Peter.

Welcome to the club, Anthony. Make sure bluetooth is switched on and then follow the procedure in the handbook. My iPhone connected easily. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Tony. There are several club members in Port Talbot and you may see them around the town. The x type is a good car, and I think that you will be able to sort out the issues quite easily, although I would go back to the garage from which you bought the car and mention the absence the second key fob as advertised. And I would suggest that they can easily find the radio code for you, but if they can't or won't ring a Jaguar main dealer with the vin number handy and they will get it for you. Regards Peter P.S. I used to visit Port Talbot quite a lot before I retired -- steelworker for 40 years.

Hi Lewis, Comparing cars is a difficult job, unless you have driven them. I have been in both the XE and the XF, but not as the driver. The XF is the replacement for the S type, and like its predecessor is quite refined, although a lot does depend on what optional extras have been fitted. The XF has been in production for 10 years now, with a facelift during that period. The XE is relatively new and does benefit from the new engines built at Wolverhampton. The best bet when looking for a car is first to list all the items you need, and if you are buying from new, go to a reputable dealer with the list and see what he can do. If you are buying second hand, find a dealer with quite a few showrooms and see what he has available. I found an s type that suited my requirement in Dumfries and asked if they were willing to bring it down to their Birmingham Garage for me to look at. I got a 'phone call back to tell me that they had one that was not advertised on their website. They knocked £500 of the price and I have had over four years of trouble free driving. Good Luck and let us know how you get on Regards, Peter.

That is good, Dave. I was having EGR problems for a couple of years, and managed to keep them clean with a spray. But in the last 18 months I have been using a Millers additive which keeps the EGR valves [two on the s type] and injectors clean and I think it assists the DPF to keep clean also. Peter.

AA man not needed -- A fully charged battery fixed the problem! Peter.

Hi Dave, I have heard that some people have blanked them off, and some say it has made no difference and some say it has slightly improved performance. The EGR valve is supposed to reduce emissions and I would be inclined to keep it clean by use of an additive rather than take the chance that an emission test might cause an MOT fail. Peter.

I like to look after my cars,Jim, which is why it is now sitting on the drive after fitting a new battery terminal after park brake fault come up. It has now changed to "Cannot apply park Brake" while I was charging the batter. There might be an AA man coming to admire my AA Badge, inter alia. Peter

Hi Gareth, I have a 2007 S Type. The engine, a 2.7 diesel was designed in 2003/4 by Peugeot and Ford with input from a few other car manufacturers. You might see a few peugeot bits in it as well as Ford, Renault, citroen etc.. This is not uncommon with manufacturers. Alternators, water pumps, brake discs, callipers, and pads are open for common usage, in the same way as the sensors, windscreen wipers, batteries, switches, door locks are all made by parts suppliers. I worked for many years with much involvement with parts suppliers, who made the parts for umpteen different car manufacturers. About 20 years ago I was in a Drop Forge in Cradley Heath where they were making push rods for the Hillman Hunter which was still being made in Brazil. Without disparaging the skills of backyard mechanics, I would just enjoy your car. Regards, Peter.

Hi Chris, I have had quite a few "Parkbrake Fault" messages over 4 years. As Joe has said, it is mostly a battery issue It has usually happened on a cold day when the battery needs a charge. When I had a new battery last year, when my old one was about 5 years old which is the lifetime of a battery in the s type, it has never happened, A couple of weeks ago it happened again. My car sits outside and the temperature was 4 below, and the battery was low. I disconnected the battery and after I had reconnected and reset windows, sound etc I put the battery on charge. It has worked fine ever since, as I now charge the battery every Saturday when I have not done any longish runs. Flat Battery + cold weather = Parkbrake fault. Regards, Peter.

My S Type a Robin Hoods Bay near Scarborough last October.

Hi Gareth, I have owned both cars, an x type SE 2.5 AWD and my current car, an S Type 2.7 Diesel SE. Both were made during the Ford ownership era and show some elements of Ford Technology. Having said that both cars are Jaguars through and through. The floor pan on the X Type is a cut down Mondeo part, but very little else of note. Similar for the S Type with the floor pan from the Lincoln. Things like this are a common feature in automotive manufacturing. --- even Rolls Royce do it. Remember that the parts manufacturers supply all car manufacturers and many bits are common. Also, take note that the X Type has a wider range of engines, from the 2.0 litre diesel to the 3 litre petrol with all having different handling qualities. One other thing is other than the AWD, the x type is a front wheel drive car, while the S type is a rear wheel drive car. The s type is far more luxurious that the X type but has a smaller boot. Road holding on both cars, and even though the AWD x type is very nimble and holds the road very well, the s type is a great road holder, and in 4 and a half years I have never had a problem. The interior of the s type is more comfortable than the x type with the rear doors giving easier access as there is a little more leg room. I had the SE model in both instances and would recommend the S Type as a greater car to drive. Regards, Peter.