sleeping policemen!

[painter]

I can't see any comments concerning the ground clearance of the 2006 XK(R), and would have assumed from this that there is no problem in crossing road humps commonly found in villages, outside schools and wherever local councillors live. However having studied the gap between the ground and car, and recalling the average height of our local road humps, I don't think I want to risk it. Which is a shame as it restricts the car to main roads only. I notice the 2006 models seem to be lower than later years, so perhaps Jaguar were aware that they were selling an awful lot of underbody panels. I guess I could try, very slowly with my wife following on foot, but what if !!!!
Has anybody experienced problems with clearance - I can't believe my car is any different to others.

[JimMann]

I have never experienced a problem with the sleeping policemen, the access route to my house means I have to traverse a minimum of 3!

I did have a 2006 model XK and it was fine. The only time you need to be especially careful is when approaching 'ramps' such as those on a ferry as the long overhang at the nose of the XK (X-150 model), means that the ramp needs to be approached from an angle, allowing one wheel at a time to make contact, i.e. zig zag onto the ramp and it works fine.

Jim

[mike020150]

If it helps, I have an XKR Dynamic with a lower ride height than standard cars and have yet to experience a problem with speed humps. Mike.

[DOROTHY]

BEWARE!!!! You are right to be aware of the low ground clearance of the Xk. I had the very expensive gearbox oil and filter changed in 2019. Only 47.000 miles but thought it best after reading the advice on the JEC website. £500 is quite a lot. but I felt essential as we were going to Italy. A few months after the holiday, I was driving on a local very narrow back road near me at about 20mph, when I hit an unmarked sleeping policeman ramp that stretched tight across the road. No marks on the ground, but a small cross on top of a pole at the side of the road. The sudden crash from underneath, was horrible, but I thought the undertray had hit. However, a few days later I noticed oil on the garage floor.
The shock of hitting the sleeping policeman had split the PLASTIC gearbox sump. No choice but to have it changed again with the same cost. So be careful. These cars are LOW. By the way, my local council did not want to know as there was this very small cross on the top of a pole on the side of the road!!!!
Rob

[ng4xjs]

Sorry in advance responding to a much earlier posting. Since my purchase of an early X150 (4.2) I've been quite impressed by the ride height in comparison to my 1994 XJS (standard spec) which seemed to ground on almost all sleeping policeman, ramps etc. More than happy.

Nick

[ng4xjs]

Sorry for responding to a much earlier post but worth saying perhaps. My 2007 (X150) is so much higher in ride height than my 1994 XJS that sleeping policeman and other such hazards are almost none existent.

Nick

[mike020150]

Written with fingers crossed, I have to agree that 9 years of my X150 XKR ownership have not caused me any issues with sleeping policemen, even though my car is fitted with the lower than normal XKR-S suspension. I suspect the difference between X150s and XJSs is as much about the stiffer springing as the actual ground clearance. That said, XJSs have a better ride quality, proving you can't have everything in one car! Mike.

[JimMann]

Tip of the week. Did you know that there is a maximum prescribed / legal height for so called sleeping policemen? The official maximum is 100mm. Our road has early sleeping policemen that stretch right across the roadway and they are actually higher than 100mm and over 2m wide. Now talking with my local MSP (Scotland) to see what can be done about them.

These reverse potholes as I refer to them are a menace. Personally, I think we are the only folks who traverse them at sensible speed - most folks ignore them and the tops are covered in scrapes / gouges from the towing eye and / or sump plugs. Despite the roadway having a 20mph upper limit and a total of 4 sleeping policemen in a 500m stretch, observing even locals, taking them at launch speeds whilst out walking is entertaining, but not safe.

Even better, now one of these humps has developed actual potholes in their construction, so the pothole goes down through the sleeping policeman and the carriageway, but the Council's response is it is a Monitor, not a Repair - really!

Jim M

[painter]

it seems the problem is more geographical than general. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where sleeping policemen have been correctly installed (max. 100mm above road surface) and drive carefully acknowledging the associated speed restriction, you will not experience any problems (as Mike). However many of those installed in villages, certainly on the Lizard (Cornwall), are at least 125mm high, possibly more as evidenced by the numerous scrapes and gouges. Most likely they have been installed by subcontractors acting on behalf of local Parish Councils, with a suspiciously high % of local Councillors living in the affected area. Best bet is to borrow a steam roller at the next craft fair and flatten the offending items. (or legalize them one night with a heavy duty mattock)