Old Peter

Welcome to the Club, David. Great car --- The club is one for sharing experiences and will look forward to hearing yours. Regards, Peter.

To add to my previous post, there seems to be an indication by Jaguar that the XKR does not make a suitable car for towing a caravan. It is also an interesting fact that a Black Cab, inspite of its power and weight, is limited for towing anything over 500 kg by its manufacturer. The XKR is limited to 0kg. Peter.

Hi Neil, and welcome to the Club. I don't know for certain about the XF cam belt change, but I do know that the S Type 2.7 diesel which preceded the XF is required to have a cam belt change at 105,000 miles OR 10 years whichever comes first. I would check with Jaguar. Regards Peter.

A small dose of red paint might well do the job. Peter.

I think that the XKR is not suited to tow caravans due to its weight. I was a caravanner for many years, & aware the the ratio of caravan weight to the kerb weight of the car should be 85%. The engine size is immaterial over circa 2 litres. Peter.

Hi Mike, I know the problem as I had it this week. A new battery solved it, i my car as the battery was nearly five years old. Paul has given you the full reset procedure, and there is a post on the electric handbrake thread from Joe about the s type battery which is also worth reading. Regards, Peter.

Hi Tristan, and welcome to the club. I don't think it is a strange choice for a 21 year old -- the XKR is a great car and a future classic. I wanted a Jaguar when I was 20 but had to settle for a bicycle!. I still wanted a Jaguar [a Mark l and then a Mark ll] when I was 30, but had to settle for a motor cycle. I finally got my Jaguar after a series of company cars, and giving it a good burst of power on the A38 is quite enjoyable and makes me feel as it I was still in my twenties! Let us know how you feel when you drive it home. Regards, Peter.

Hi Kevin and welcome to the club. You will find that the X type is a nice car and the estate is a great workhorse. I used to know Corby quite well, travelling there at least once a week for almost 20 years till I retired in 1999, and would guess that the town would now have quite a few traffic calming areas. I would suggest that you should take a gentle drive along one of the lanes, sat to Oundle or Market Harborough, as the noise could be the rear tailgate. My son has an X type estate [06 plate] and has found there could be a bit of creaking from that area. Let us know how you get on. Regards, Peter.

Hi Joe, Thanks for the assistance. I have thought about buying a multimeter, but Bob over the road has one, and he did the check for me. The alternator was doing its job quite well and pushing in between 14.9 and 15 amps --- I have a little widget that tells me. Knowing that 5 years is a good life for a battery I was guessing that mine would be on the way out soon. Being a nit picker [I trained as an accountant] I always do a check before leaving the car to the annoyance of SWMBO, who compares my checks to a pilot checking out Concord[e]. But all seems well know. Hope you have a good New Year. Regards, Peter.

Hi Jonathan, and welcome to the club. The XK is a great car and in my opinion a future classic. There are several I often see locally from older ones to the later ones. The issue about the seating in the rear is a problem but a lot depends on how far back the front seats are, and how big the rear seat passengers are. I would take the kids with you when you are looking for a car you might buy. Regards, Peter.

I had a "Parkbrake Fault" 3 weeks ago. I followed the usual procedure and all was well for a couple of weeks. Then on the 24th December I had it again and did the ECU reset again, plus I h=gave the car a full battery charge, which I do every week in the winter, On the 26th the Parkbrake fault message came up again - reset and gave the battery a charge again. The alternator was doing its job. On the 28th the same happened, and by this time I was keeping my tow spanners handy, which was just as well, as after two hours on the charger the battery was still not fully charged. On the 29th failure agains, and the usual procedure only worked the third time. Also I noticed that the temperature gauge when fully warm was a little bit over its normal position. Very close to where I live is an auto accessory shop who did a battery check and confirmed that the battery which is 4 years 11 months old was not accepting a full charge. He had the correct battery in stock and fitted it on the spot [ cheaper than Halfords even with the 15% discount]. No problems since, and the temp gauge now sits in its proper position! Peter.

Welcome to the club, Steve. The photographs of you cars --- they do make great wedding cars, too! And it is nice to see members from Australia enjoying the big cats! Regards, Peter. [My 2007 S Type 2.7 Diesel]

Hi, Liam, The gearbox on the later s type is allegedly sealed for life, but quite a few members have changed the fluid at around 70k miles on the ZF gearbox. Regards, Peter.

I have the same occasional problem especially when it is cold, Martyn. The is a way to avoid using it on an automatic which involves pressing several switches simultaneous;y ... I have never managed to do it. Peter.

I don't now the answer, Steve, but my son used to attack the lead on his lunatic cocker spaniel puppy to the seat belt on the rear seat. Regards, Peter,

Welcome to the club, Bill. Have 18' wheels on my S type 2.7 D, and have found that they have given me a very good and comfortable ride, and they do take on the potholes when I can't avoid them. I have Goodyear Eagle assimetrics on the front, and will replace the Pirellis on the real with similar Goodyears when the Pirellis are at their legal limit. Regards, Peter.

Welcome to the club, Saf. There is always a need for good and reliable garages, and there are a lot of Jaguars in the West Midlands. I have used the same mobile mechanic for the last 14 years, so I could not say where he best place is to start a business, but I am sure other might be able to assist. Good Luck Peter.

Hi Richard, My first Jaguar was a 2.5 AWD x type, though with a manual gearbox, - a very lively car and a great road holder. I am sure that with your skills you will sort out an niggles! Regards, Peter.

I got my updated disc via a google search just over 3 years ago for £29. Works fine. I was advised by a Jaguar Main dealer salesman to do a google search ad Jaguar would charge £160! Peter.

Hi Keith, Swiftcover gave me 15% when I fitted a Nextbase Dash Cam, but the following year their quote was too expensive and I went elsewhere. It is always worth trying for a discount. Peter.

My best wishes to everyone, and my hopes that 2017 will be a good and prosperous year. Peter.

Welcome to the Club, Carlos. It will be great to see another E Type back on the road in all its glory. I echo the thought of others and would enjoy the photographs of your progress in restoring your Dad's car to how it was when he first had it. Regards, Peter.

Hi Phil, Wise words from Joe as always. I have found that on some cold mornings I get the "Parkbrake Fault" notice appearing, which I cured by disconnecting the battery for a short time, and then resetting everything. I seem to have cured it by putting my battery on charge on a weekly basis as I don't do many long runs in the winter. I leave the battery connected while I charge it and did know about the vent tube ---- it is always useful to check it though. My charger switches off when the battery is fully charged. Regards, Peter.

Hi Jonathan, My son had a cracked turbo hose on his x type. The mobile mechanic I have used for 15 years spotted it immediately. With a new hose £30] and fitting [awkward job] for £50 the car was as good as new. Replacing the sensor for £140 +VAT does seem rather pricey as the sensor should only cost about £25 But then, it is a garage and you do live in Dorset --- that's South West prices for you! Regards, Peter.

Take strong advice concerning EGR Valves. It could well become part of the MOT requirements. They can be a nuisance, though!