Russ68

Is anyone a member of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club or are they the bitter enemies of the Jaguar Owners Club ;) I note it's a £47 annual sub but you get a monthly magazine. They have an event local to me at the weekend and I wonder whether I should be attending as a member etc. I finally got around to adding a picture of my S-Type, which is a 2001, 3.0 sport manual. The recent beneficiary of new (genuine) coil packs, spark plugs and filters, she's now going as she should and I'm pretty impressed :)

Thanks Ken, a good calculator that, I worked it out manually and this is much simpler! If the 18" rim is indeed an 8", then the 245 standard tyre would seem the maximum width, so I guess I'll be sticking with that ;)

Flat as a dodo and dead as a pancake, you're not having much luck Phil ;)

Hey Paul, It would be fantastic if you could help me with the cartridge, happy to pay so let me know what works for you and what info you need to ensure compatibility. Agreed that I'd rather not just blank off the original Jag unit, although I fitted a fantastic Phillips DAB unit in my MGF recently for c£120, so if costs got out of hand, I would consider going down this route. I can't seem to find much sensible info on an S-Type ACM, can you link me to anything that explains what it is, where I can find one and how much it's likely to cost, it would be appreciated. As a cheap fix I note one can still get the cassettes adapters with a 3.5mm headphone jack, which would preserve originality and only cost £5. But I imagine the sound quality isn't great and it's a bit of a bodge! Cheers, Russ

Thanks Peter, but it was a confirmation of wheel size not recommended tyres I was after ;)

I found this site re wheel sizes: http://www.wheel-size.com/size/jaguar/s-type/2001/ But as it's non official Jag, can someone confirm for me that the 18" wheel is indeed; 8Jx18 ET40 Thanks, Russ

I'm interested in this too, I'd like iPhone or USB connectivity and I have a tape deck in mine! Although I have the 6 CD boot changer, someone has taken the cassette, but I can hopefully find another somewhere. A brief Google only showed 2nd hand head units and nothing with modern connectivity, where the Ford Visteon radio is a non DIN size it appears you can buy a blanking plate http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/ct24fd02-facia-plate-for-ford-focus-mondeo-fiesta and harness adapter http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/ct20jg01-harness-adapter-for-jaguar-x-type so that a standard size head unit can be fitted. Not sure how good this would look though...

Thanks Andy, my insurance allows for mods, excluding nitrous and forced induction, providing I notify them in advance, but I think it was worth asking the question re tyre sizes. Many vehicles, including the MGF appear to be thrown together with bits from the parts bin and there is advantage in questioning and modifying / upgrading where possible. This may not be the case with the S-Type, but I'm new to the car so I thought I'd ask the experts ;)

Hi Paul, this is a valid concern, if my calculations are correct a 255/40 has an 4% higher profile than a 245/40, which only equates to 1.2% when the wheel is added in. This becomes c2.5% in terms of additional circumference and gearing, or nearly 5% with a 265, so is worth considering. I'll check mine against a GPS at some point to see how accurate it actually is as they often read over in my experience...

Thanks all, would the 18" rim be an 8J and is the general recommend to stick exactly to original size and profile? Mine are actually 245/40/18 not 45's I mentioned yesterday. I have an MG and a couple of Land Rovers and people freely use whatever will fit on the rims with these marques, going from 185 to 205 or 235 to 255 etc. I suspect a 255 or 265/40 will fill the arches better and potentially provide more grip, but I would not want to attempt these to the detriment of the car and it's handling. I suspect I'll be told to stick with original sizings, but I'm interested to know if there is an upgrade / option retaining the original rims, thanks!

Thanks Paul, this is a future modification I will definitely consider, it's not highest on the list for the moment though as I've only had the car a few weeks and I'm still getting the mechanics up to standard.

I only did a cursory web and forum search before starting this topic, so please just direct me to previous discussions if it's been done to death before. I have 245/45/18's on my Sport, but from 4 different manufacturers, which I hate!!! I only ever change per axle or ideally for a set of 4, and I'd like to rectify this ASAP. What is the current thinking on best sensibly priced S-Type tyres? Thanks, Russ

Hey Paul, I'd love to retro fit memory seats, I'm guessing one has to buy complete seats from eBay or elsewhere and fit these, rather than just upgrading existing electrics? What is likely to be possible / required on my 2001? Thanks, Russ

Sorry guys, I will try to engage brain / memory before responding in future ;) I already had the intake pipe off when I changed mine as I was doing plugs and coil packs, which meant it really was just an unclipping job. But it's really not too bad, an extra couple of minutes to disconnect the sensor connector and the big jubilee clip making perhaps 5 minutes and not 2 minutes all in. All nice and easy to access etc. Good luck with it...

Sorry about that Phil and Peter ;) Mine is a petrol 2001 3.0 v6 sport...

I have this same / a similar issue, exacerbated by a dodgy key fob (I've just bought the car and it's moving up the snagging list!). I have to reach over to the passenger door and either open it or press the door lock, which works some of the time. I'm changing the battery in the fob tonight which will hopefully help, and I understand the previous owner did some work on the locking mechanism inside the passenger door, which could've contributed to the issue. It would be great if someone has a definitive answer before I have to start taking things to pieces ;)

I don't think so Peter, I did my 2001 V6 at the weekend and one just unclips the 2 top plastic clips and it pivots open. My aftermarket filter wasn't a great fit and I had trouble closing it, but it's a 2 minute job as Phil mentioned ;)

I've been getting c27mpg, but I have a manual and have been playing a bit with the cruise control. I averaged 32mpg on a run, and this could've been c40mpg at a steady 80 if the instant fuel economy is accurate.

Hi Andy, Many thanks for the reply, I'll try the toothpaste trick on the headlights. Plus I'll order off the service kit. What's my best option re workshop manual, is there a download or similar I can access? Cheers, Russ

Hi all, I did have a separate post going about potential conversion of auto to manual gearbox, before coming to my senses and just buying a manual in the 1st place! Which I did on Saturday :) She's a 51 plate in blue with black leather and 128K on the clock, and while being a helluva car, she's not without some issues. The history peters out over the last couple of years so I'm starting from scratch more or less and I intend to do the bulk of any work myself and only use garages if specialist tools or diagnostics are required. If OK I'l list the info I need, and if anyone is decent enough to respond to any point, it would be appreciated ;) 1. Flat spot under load, the V6 generally runs smooth, rattle and smoke free, but under heavy load i.e. flooring it, power delivery is not linear to the point that it feels like there is a fuel or ignition issue or not all cylinders are working. I hope and expect this is a plug / coil pack issue, which I'll address shortly with a full service. Does this assessment sound right or could it be an issue with the VVT? 2. If 1 is plugs and coils, what is the recommended replacement, I can get a new coil pack set from a UK eBay seller with a 2 year guarantee for £43.50. Are these likely to be OK or should I look out for genuine parts only? Similarly, NGK platinum plugs are c£30 per set, but Denso and NGK also offer an Iridium variant for c50% more money, are they worth the extra? 3. If standard plugs are OK, berkshirejagcomponents have a service kit including the 4 filters, 6 plugs and a sump nut, for only £72.95, which seems a good bet. 4. I only have 1 set of keys and they're battered and the old 2 part type. Could I get the newer integrated flip out ones programmed and cut and where is it best to do this? 5. The headlights are covered with a milky / cloudy film, not sure if this is an S-Type only issue, but I've not seen it before. Any ideas how to clean or remove this, or am I looking at new lights? I don't want to tax your patience, so I'll leave my questions re central locking, types and suspension until later. Thanks in advance, Russ

Hi all, After careful consideration and taking some advice, I'm pleased to say I dumped the plan for converting the auto, and purchased a 51' 3.0 Sport manual at the weekend. I'll post separately about it as I have some questions for the forum ;) Cheers, Russ

Sounds great, I'm ideally going for a sport, but I'll keep an open mind if a good cheap 3.0 manual comes along, such a lot of car for the money! I'll consider induction, exhaust changes and other consumable upgrades as time goes by, and I'll definitely check the rear subframe when I view. I noticed the one on the 2002 2.5 I drove on Friday was getting scabby, but not completely gone. Your mileage is encouraging, yet another reason to go for the manual :)

There was a particular 3.0 sport auto I was bidding on for crazy money, but it ended up going for a little more than would've been worth the hassle of collecting and converting. So buying a manual is now the plan, there is a 2002, 2.5 sport manual locally, with the updated interior, but you can feel the lose of the 40 bhp, so I'll hold out for a 3.0. £3500 for the Y reg Mike found is a bit rich, and too far away, but this is the type of thing we're after. I much prefer the look of the sport, but hadn't considered buying a non sport and specing it up if this is what jezz6570 is suggesting. What did you have in mind Darren and where is recommended for S parts and upgrades? Cheers, Russ

Hi again, Thanks Andy, is that your MGF as well? I've had a BRG '96 for 12 years, cracking little car! I decided against the auto I was bidding on and I'm now focusing on finding a 3.0 manual. I've lusted after various jags over the years and briefly owned an '74 XJ6 some time ago, and I'm convinced the S Type 3.0 type sport manual is the car for me, a modern day Mark 2 with Grace, Space and Pace. I did strongly think about the 3.0 X Type, but it's only marginally lighter, has a transverse engine, less power and isn't the classic rear drive format (plus having every other smartarse telling me it was just a Modeo could become annoying! It'll be our 3rd car, so I'm in no huge rush, but I hope to secure one over the next months, after which I'm sure you'll hear from me again. Cheers, Russ

Hi all, Thanks for the earlier welcome Steve ;) Given the right parts from a donor car, is there any reason that I couldn't swap out the auto gearbox in a 3.0 S sport auto, for a 5 speed manual? I haven't been able to find a 3.0 manual at the right price / spec / condition, so I'm pretty close to closing a deal on a sport auto with a gearbox fault. I know I'd need clutch, linkages, the stick and internal trim, but are there compatibility issues or anything else I should be aware of? Has anyone else done this? I've put some feelers out to eBay breakers, as I'm not currently planning on purchasing a separate donor. But if the idea is a non starter, it would be good to know before I commit expense and further time to it. Thanks in advance for any advice and comments! Cheers, Russ :)