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Jaguar S-Type Transmission Problems

236 messages,  Last post on Apr 03, 2013 at 10:58 PM

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What is this discussion about? Jaguar S-Type, Jaguar S-Type R, Transmission, Sedan

Messages Page 16 of 24

#149 of 236 Vintage? by gr8cat

Sep 21, 2009 (6:26 am)

We're having a wonderful time with our 2003 STR - hardly any problems so far and lots of fun. Can anyone help me with the vintage of our car - the registration papers say 2003 but the sticker on the door says it was manufactured in 2002. So, are we driving a 2002 or 2003 Jaguar STR? When we order up parts (which I'm sure we will be doing sooner or later because this much fun must come at a price) which date would be the correct one to use? There seems to be a difference between the 2002 and the 2003 transmissions and this is what concerns me at the moment - what's ahead for my Cat - the 2002 problems or the 2003 problems?

#150 of 236 Re: Vintage? [gr8cat] by soberguyjaguar

Sep 21, 2009 (8:05 am)

Replying to: gr8cat (Sep 21, 2009 6:26 am)
07/2001 to 06/2002 should be '02. 07/2002 to 06/2003 should be 2003 in America. Where do you live? If in USA there will be a sticker which states" this vehicle conforms to all applicable emissions laws for the ---- model year. Also the 10th digit of the vin#
represents the year. 2=2002 model, 3=2003 model in american standardized vin number codes. soberguy.

#151 of 236 Re: Vintage? [soberguyjaguar] by gr8cat

Sep 22, 2009 (6:38 am)

Replying to: soberguyjaguar (Sep 21, 2009 8:05 am)
Great info, thank you, soberguy. We're in Ontario, Canada, the Cat has a 4.2 litre engine and the 10th digit of the vin # is 3. My conclusion - manufactured in 04/02 for model year 2003, hence the 2003 registration. What a relief - for a while there I was thinking we got royally ripped off by one full model year. I'm learning - next comes the coveralls and work boots, and a bit of vaseline to keep the grease from under my fingernails.

#152 of 236 Re: Vintage? [gr8cat] by soberguyjaguar

Sep 22, 2009 (8:01 pm)

Replying to: gr8cat (Sep 22, 2009 6:38 am)
Well, you Brits always get the good stuff before we do. Fortunately, the VIN # on most
Canadian cars are the same as American. If you have the 4.2 engine then you have the 6 speed ZF transmision. This is a Very, Very, high performance car. Forget the vaseline, (you're just turning me on) and have a good tech maintain it for you. Amatuers
can ruin an ownership experience. The most common problem with high output cars is fluid leaks. If you dont have a lift to allow you to see the undercarriage when you change the oil then you could miss things that you would like to know about before they become a problem. Just a suggestion, but that's a really high tech car. Working on it your self is like deciding to give birth at home. It might very well turn out OK, but, if it doesn't, well,
the results could be heartbreaking. Wishing you the best, Soberguy.

#153 of 236 Re: Vintage? [soberguyjaguar] by gr8cat

Sep 23, 2009 (7:14 am)

Replying to: soberguyjaguar (Sep 22, 2009 8:01 pm)
Thanks for the confirmation, Soberguy. Everything under the bonnet indicates the 4.2 engine as does the performance. Handling is incredible-jumps lanes rather than changing lanes, stuff like that. Because of the aftermarket warranty, we have to have a proper mechanic do the oil changes etc. so we'll have to make sure that he keeps an eye out for fluid leaks. We won't be taking this car to the Jaguar dealership as our experience with them has not been stellar.
We're using Christo's JITS download for a manual and that seems to be working out just fine. This cat has a lot going for it but just a few bugs still to be ironed out - headlights are all out of whack, the bonnet flew up on me the other day at l00 km's per hour scaring me half to death and putting a few dents in the bonnet. Seems the safety catch took it upon itself to malfunction and the front brakes have suddenly developed a very nice shutter - perhaps a warped disc, who knows. One thing at a time. So far, these are the only "repairs" we'll be taking on ourselves.
Replacing the headlight/ballast was a big eye-opener as to just how complicated this Cat is.
Brits get the good stuff? I have to question that - remember a Brit designed this Cat - I just wonder where he got his engineering degree? He surely did not have "simplicity" in mind. Thanks. gr8cat

#154 of 236 Re: Vintage? [gr8cat] by soberguyjaguar

Sep 23, 2009 (8:00 am)

Replying to: gr8cat (Sep 23, 2009 7:14 am)
Wow. Headlight problems and a malfunctioning safety catch, are you sure that this car hasn't been in a front end collision? Make sure that the primary latch and safety catch are both aligned properly to prevent a recurrence of the bonnet problem
New bonnets are expensive. Thanks for the tip about Christo's JITS and if you have the discs turned before the pads are ruined you might save a little. We have had terrible rains this month and are seeing a lot of warped discs. Soberguy.
P.S. The design engineer got his degree from the University of low and sexy hoodlines.

#155 of 236 Re: Vintage? [soberguyjaguar] by gr8cat

Sep 23, 2009 (12:01 pm)

Replying to: soberguyjaguar (Sep 23, 2009 8:00 am)
You takes your chances when you buy used - a fact of life. Seems the safety catch needed a bit of lubrication and so now whenever we close the bonnet we make sure the safety catch is engaged. Everything mostly seems so great on this car it's difficult to imagine that it was front-ended at sometime, but I guess anything is possible.
Good advice on the discs - sooner the better. Do we really believe that brake discs warp in wet/rainy weather? I've had Ford Contour discs go wonky because of over-torqued wheels but I don't think we've had enough rain here in Ontario to warp the Cat's discs. We will have them checked out.
ULSH sounds like the appropriate university. gr8cat

#156 of 236 Oh My Gosh!!!!!! by soberguyjaguar

Sep 27, 2009 (8:51 pm)

I took a pair of '05 mercedes E320's to the auction on Friday and I bought a Pair of '06
Jaguar S-type 4.2 V-8s while I was there. Niether one of the Jaguars made it home with-out throwing transmission faults and riding home in the "limp mode". It was a very long drive from Dallas to Oklahoma City in 3rd gear. I had to drive 75mph or less on both cars. When we got them home, we found that an overzealous detailer had washed the engine on the one with 39,000mi and filled 2 of the spark plug tubes with water. This has shorted out the coils on those 2 cylinders and caused a missfire which has thrown
the transmission into "failsafe" mode. We used a compressed air blower to clean the
water out of the spark plug holes and now the car drives with normal power. However, It
is unusual to get away without having to replace the shorted coils. I charge $190.00 plus labor to replace these coils for a customer and I don't expect them to last more than a week. If they do then I will offer the car for sale. Otherwise, I will have to replace the coils.
       The other car has 79,000mi on it and appears to be in perfect condition except for
its transmission problems. It is throwing codes for 3rd gear ratio, 4th gear ratio and Illogical ratios. This looks Bad!!!! It could be bad sensors or solenoids but these are
classic codes for a slipping transmission. If this transmission needs a rebuild then I dont even know how to do it. The 6 speed ZF is supposed to be bullit proof. None of the Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguars I have ever worked on with this transmission have ever needed work untill the transmission was completely worn out. (aprox. 250,000mi.).
     I hope I haven't caught a bad one in this case. Many of my friends have bought cars
that went through the hurricane and got screwed. The auction is supposed to screen these cars against the insurance list to make sure that we dont buy cars that have been under water. However, lots of cars drove through water and took their owners out of danger. If this car has gotten water in the transmission then I may become one of the few
mechanics in the southern U.S. who can rebuild a ZF 6 speed. I'm certainly not going to knuckle under and buy a new one at my own expense without at least looking inside to see what the big deal is.
      This is probably no help to people who have legitimately worn out transmissions. I'm
just keeping you up to date on what I'm up to. Soberguy.

#157 of 236 Re: Vintage? [gr8cat] by soberguyjaguar

Sep 27, 2009 (9:19 pm)

Replying to: gr8cat (Sep 23, 2009 12:01 pm)
Do brake discs really warp in rainy/wet weather? Well, yes they do and no they dont. The question is-"How hot are they?" The biggest problem with high performance brakes is that they have such a large surface area. The better your brakes are, the bigger their "pad swept area". that means the amount of steel that is constantly in contact with your enormous, high-performance, fail resistant, squeak-resistant, wear-resistant, fade-resistant brake pads. This is a constant compromise of performance over durability. If you drive at hiway speeds and then hit a mudpuddle with big brakes, then, you are more likely to get warped brake discs than someone with small brake discs. As cars increase in performance, we are seeing this constantly in all models and brands of cars. Bigger brakes mean more warpage. The korean cars are by far the worst.(even though they have the smallest brakes.) The resistance to warpage seems to have a lot to do with the quality of the steel and the size of the "Brake swept area". I
live in Oklahoma, USA. We are seeing so much trouble with Corvette brakes this year that you wouldn't believe it. The biggest and best brakes in the world are warping like HELL!! At least you have brake discs that can be turned. These other cars only have 12
1000ths between new and discard. We have to replace them. Dont even ask me about the cars with Ceramic brakes. Those owners just cry alot. Soberguy.

#158 of 236 Re: Oh My Gosh!!!!!! [soberguyjaguar] by chorn

Sep 28, 2009 (9:49 am)

Replying to: soberguyjaguar (Sep 27, 2009 8:51 pm)
I have a 2001 s-type 4.0 with just under 80,000 miles. I get frequent transmission faults at lower speed, but if I switch the ignition off and on, they disappear and the car runs normally. I haven't read the codes yet, and would like to reset the computer by disconnecting the battery but I don't know my key code. I'm thinking there's probably nothing too seriously wrong with my car which I love, but I'm not positive. HELP..

Messages Page 16 of 24

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