Old Peter

Welcome to the club, Rob. I have been considering a Jaguar since I saw a friend of mine who was a great mechanic and bodywork expert restoring a Mark1. That was in 1964. A long run of company cars, [Fords, Austins and Rovers] and a Rover Sterling which I kept for 11 years took me till 77 before I bought my first one, an X Type 2.5 AWD, and then to my S Type 2.7 D which is the Jaguar I wanted since 1964! Great Cars. Enjoy! Regards, Peter,

Hi Danny, The last time I was in the USA we spent two weeks in the wonderful state of Arizona and indeed saw an S Type Jaguar in Phoenix. We did't visit Tucson as we got in the wrong lane in road works and finished up in Tombstone. The powers that be won't let me hire a car in the USA any more, as I am now 83 and still enjoying my Jaguar. I attach some photographs I took which may be of interest

Hi John, I have just had a look at mine which is an 07 plate, just to check if there was something I had not noticed. I cam to the conclusion that someone had fitted the button for whatever reason. It happens sometimes that you will find a switch or button on a car that someone else had put on. Years ago a friend of mine bought an Austin Westminster [3.0 litre] which was then the flagship car of Austin, He used to go too Manchester City centre then and wondered why a policeman would always salute and find him a parking space. He found out a few days later when he flicked a fairly concealed switch and the Blues and Twos came on. He had bought a car that had belonged to the Chief Constable of Manchester Police who had forgotten to take of the switches and lights behind the Radiator Grill. Peter.

Hi John, I sometimes get the same warning messages. They do not stay on. It never happens when the battery is fully charged. I would not bother to look anywhere, as the S type, like other Jaguars does quite like a well charged battery, and when it isn't, certain small warnings pop up and then disappear when the alternator starts charging the battery. Regards, Peter.

Hi Joe, Interesting discussion. Millers Oils has a very similar product to the one you have illustrated, and since I started using it a year ago I have not had the EGR warning light come on. I might also have a look at the other product. Peter.

Hi Graham, Just to add something concerning the boot closure. At the moment, when charging the battery I reverse the car up to the garage door. My s type is too big to fit into the garage, as the door appears to have been designed for a narrower car. I pass the power connection under the garage door which will close without touching the lead, and then into the boot. Unfortunately, the boot will not close but I keep it loosely closed with two bungee cables. Heath Robinson would think it OK! There is an air vent in the s type boot and it looks possible to pass the charger connector though and connect with the "traffic light" unit which is connected to the battery with the eyelets. A lot depends on the length of the connecting lead on the CTEK. Mid January will see me in Halfords looking at CTEK chargers with my discount card at the ready. SWMBO's Hybrid car [which does fit into the garage] will start in Electric car mode, so I don't think the charger will need to be used there. Regards, Peter.

Hi Graham, I am still using the Ring charger but will probably go to Halfords in January to have a look at the CTEK chargers and get the most suitable one. I do like to see before I buy. Peter.

Joe has a point here. I noticed a very good change and quite a leap in the mpg, but after about 6 weeks it had dropped by about 2 mpg. I can still get a good mpg on a long run, even up to 5o mpg providing I am driving gently in cruise control

Hi Ron, Terraclean appears to be good on getting the emissions cleaned up a bit, but with the fuel system being a bit more complicated on diesels it does tend to benefit them more. Nowadays, there are many additives for both diesel and petrol engines to keep the fuel systems clean and come in much cheaper. I had problems with the EGR valves on my s type, and at first used a cleaning spray into the air intake, which was rather finicky, but I was advised that Miller Oils produced a product that did clean the EGR valves and injectors and after a year I have found that to does the job [Millers Eco Max]. They do a similar product for Petrol Engines. Regards, Peter.

I had my S type [2.7D] terra cleaned 3 years ago and found that it did improve mpg and the engine performance. It is more beneficial in cars with diesel engines than petrol. Peter.

David has explained this technical fact simply. This is a rare thing to happen and I only know of two reported instances, But checking your oil is something that should be done weekly. I have had a higher level of oil on a couple of occasions, and have removed as much oil as possible and replaced it. In spite of the fact that we are told that oil will last for up ro 20,000 miles I always have an oil change every year when my car is serviced. Peter.

Hi Graham, After staring the car it normally takes about 7 miles to put back the power you have just used, so short runs will take its toll. I do about 5,000/6,000 miles a year, and in the summer I don't have a problem, as being retired we can visit various National Trust and English Heritage properties. In the winter I change the car up once a week, using a Ring Charger suitable for a big battery and with a fast or slow charging rate, I will be doing it for this week in about ten minutes! CTEK is also a good option -- I have the connection in my boot which gives the battery status also. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Cash. When I got my first Jaguar, the salesman told me that I would never drive another make of car. My first experience was with a 2.5AWD X type with a manual gearbox, which I enjoyed, but I had always wanted an s type have seen a friend"s Mark 2 in 1964. Almost 50 years later I found the one I wanted and have enjoyed it for the last four and a half years. Just enjoy the experience. Regards Peter.

My battery is less than a year old. Last Saturday I had "Parkbrake Fault" come up on the message centre. It was very cold, and a quick check showed that the battery was needing a charge . Did the usual routine -- disconnecting the battery, and after connecting it following again the usual routine. Charged up the battery - every thing works. When it is very cold and the battery is low EPB will tell you it os stuck on. Peter.

Welcome to the club, Rich. I had a V6 x type AWD. Surefooted and reasonably economical.. A couple of scroats borrowed it and forgot to return it possibly because they got 8 years in one of HM's establishments. Having also read you other post, I think you can get both the Owner's Manual and the Engineering service manual on the internet. Regards, Peter.

Get a quote from Chips Away, Andrew. I had the whole of my side badly scraped and two doors needed a full respray. £416 in total. I think a wing could be less than £300. Peter.

Hi Tim, Sorry about that -- it was the simplest solution!! There is a list of independent Jaguars garages on the site, but being a northerner, originally from Lancashire, Sussex is a bit akin to a foreign country. You could find one on the list that is near enough to you. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Tim. The engine in your XJ is the same engine as my S Type, and a rather good engine it is. Jaguar have thought , and quite rightly so, that a Jaguar owner getting into their diesel powered car might get a little cold on a winter day and have installed an auxiliary heater which is powered by diesel and which warms up the cabin without waiting for the engine to warm up. I assume the fumes are only there for a minute or so and never when the engine is warm. If that is so, the heater is working properly. Regards, Peter.

I check my oil level once a week on my 2.7 Diesel just to make sure it is not too high, rather than too low. Engine runaway does not happen often, but I don't want it to happen to me!. Peter.

Welcome to the club, Andrew. I concur with Joe. I have had my s type for four and a half years and there has been no problem with my brake pads or discs. Don't get the cheap parts, but go to reputable suppliers. Regards, Peter.

The e type is the most beautiful car ever designed, but I placed my vote to its predecessor, the XK140, known as the D Type. As a young man in my twenties, to see [in the cinema] a Jaguar winning the Le Mans 24 hour race three times in succession was wonderful, with Ferraris and Mercedes limping behind. To see a Jaguar designed to do 14O mph doing 196 mph, after Malcolm Sayer's aerodynamics wizardry, down the Mulsanne Straight, was a joy. Nowadays that car, and there are a few left, sells at over £1 million. Members will make their own choice, but that was the reason for my choice,

Hi Andrew, and welcome to the club. The engine in your XF would help members to give you an idea of what the consumption should me. My s type with the 2.7 diesel engine will return about 28 mpg around town, and well over 45 mpg on a long run. Regards, Peter.

Hi Craig, and welcome to the club. I have an S Type with a leaper which suits the car, as its earlier model, the original s type, had one. The earlier x types had a growler badge on the bonnet, and if you google "Jaguar Bonnet Badges" you will find several sources including eBay. Regards, Peter.

Hi Jan, Three people our office had company cars and the requirement was to have them serviced by TCH, the nearest main dealer. I fell out with them when the referred to put a new windscreen on my escort when it was totally shattered, as it was 4.00 pm on a Friday. It would have to wait till Monday morning. I had to tell them "No Windscreen today, no new cars from TCH next August." They changed it. That was in May 1972. I also managed to fall out with them again when I moved to the West Midlands -- and anti roll bar was faulty and they said it was OK and I said it wasn't. I blocked the entrance with my car and went to reception to listen to complaints that no-one could get out, and the suggestion by a police officer that they had to do something about the traffic jam outside the dealership. They were suddenly aware that the anti roll bar was faulty! That dealership is now closed. Peter.

Hi Jan, I know the dealership you mean, but I had to take my company car [Ford Escort] to TC Harrisons