Sad Day

[robmitch]

Just coming up to 12 months of ownership of my 2.7 XS. have spent fair bit of money on S type full main Dealer service last year (Jaguar Fixed price Servicing) Cam belt replaced on Jaguar Fixed Price. jobs that needed doing with 100000 mile on clock. also EGR value replaced. and have loved driving every minute in the car. November last year had some spare cash, so treated the car to a Gear box service at Tom Lenthall Ltd. so fair bit of money spent..
Car went into Jaguar today for interim service & MOT. ( Good price Fixed price jobs) I had reported to them over last couple of months Brake peddle didn't feel good and also brake light would come on over night 3 times so peddle must be dropping? so I'm thinking its going to be bad news today, so need a price for brake fix before carry out any other jobs, well got the call late this morning with the horrible news. diagnose..
Car needs new Servo & possible vacuum pump, also lower wishbones. total price for all jobs including Mot service £3000. said that makes the car a scrapper!!! very sad to say. on way back drive car into my local garage, they look after my van. guy said he with book car in next week and check it out and work price out. sounds like he hasn't worked on s type before, but I'm thinking this should still be basic stuff for them.

What advice can you guys give me, as I'm not sure what do do right now. cant afford to buy another one and so much has been done to this car, would be shame to strip and sell.

Rob
2017-11-13 13.04.51 by Robert Mitchell, on Flickr

[steve_m]

Don't panic!
That's main dealer servicing and repair costs so the labour charge will be phenomenal.
Wait to see what your guy says and also wait for some advice from other S Type owners; don't rush in to anything.
Keep calm at all costs!

[davidr]

As Steve said, that's why most of us don't take older cars to main dealers. Fine for fixed price servicing but their repair and parts costs will be horrendous.
I would advise you to find a local Jaguar specialist who can find you second hand parts and whose labour rate will be half that of a main dealer. I think that's the best compromise as you're not paying main dealer rates but you still have the level of knowledge (or better!). Your local garage may have a cheaper labour rate but if they've no Jaguar experience they will be wasting your money as they learn.
Main dealer bills can be truly heart stopping but don't worry - I think you'll find someone who can do the job for a fraction of the price and keep your car on the road.

[RichardSEL]

As you're in Kent can recommend one that I've had personal experience of:
Surrey Jaguar in Croydon. Ray and the boyz there know their stuff and will give
a keen quote.

I'm having a propshaft change (due to slight carrier bearing / quill shaft noise on an XJ8) at a less selubrious place in Penge (complete with mangy alsatian on a rope and corrugated iron lean to as workshops). Dunno how good they are until I collect. But they've been around for long time AFAICT what with the piles of partial restore's held there. Will revert if all's OK. Good price quoted though. For notes, know wot I mean guv'nor?

[robmitch]

Thanks Guys for advice. will give surrey Jag a call tomorrow. did call Collier Street Garage Jaguar Specialist Garage located near Marden in Kent.
seemed very helpful. don't know anyone that's used them before? did give me rough price £400 servo & £120 labor cost. but this is not set in concrete which I understand as don't know what they will find until start job.

[rosemary]

Good grief sounds like an exact clone of my 2.7 Tdi 2005 S-Type. I've had nearly the exact same things happen to my car the only difference being a new gearbox entirely at 85,000miles. I've had new front bearings, both sides. new rear suspension arms both upper and lower, EGR diaphragms, Heater solenoid valve and ECM, metal pipe between Auxiliary fired heater and Heater solenoid valve, rotted through, Rear parking Sensors, three new diesel injectors, the cam belt was changed at 85k when" they", the main dealer was investigating the "misfire" which turned out to be the gearbox only after JLR got involved when I told them to keep the car as I'm not paying the bill they were proposing, the cam belt was beginning to shred, Air Conditioning system, heat exchanger radiator, inter cooler and pipework all replaced, rotted through.
Currently the Brake Servo has failed and the engine bay cross member has rotted through. I have spent about twice the value of the car, whatever that is, as the time went by, about £5000.00 over about 6 years, each time convincing myself it was cheaper than buying a newer car. The car is now SORN. I have managed to get a Servo for £400 new and am slowly beginning to carry out a repair I just hope the Vacuum Pump is not defective as well. To say I have a "Love Hate" relationship with Jaguar is an understatement. I have a BMW Mini Cooper which in 10 years of ownership has never let me down and has required routine servicing only in 115,000 miles. That says a lot. I'm getting another one soon.
Dave Hart

[robmitch]

OMG Dave. this is scary stuff. i can see myself spending the money for fix's to my car, but means it will be off the road as not got that money laying around. but it will be the last time. ( i think/Hope) it is the car i always wanted apart from the repair bills. As with all cars, You have to stop somewhere)

[J44EAG]

I`ve owned S-types and my current X350R for something like 14 years now. I`ve learned bit along the way as regards what to expect from these cars. To all intents, S-type, X350 and XF are almost the same cars but in differing bodies. Many parts are inter-changable across the model range. Engines and suspensions are the most noticeable as regards similarity/identicality.

Essentially, I expect a standard rubber bushed suspension to need complete re-bushing by about 80k miles and front wheel bearings by 90k. Improvements in longevity of suspension bushings may be had by replacing rubber bushes with Powerflex polypropolene uprates with lifetime warrenty. Heater valves on S-type can be shot by 40k. Early 5 speed S-type transmissions (5R55N) are unreliable and weak and you may expect issues by 50k. Models with the later 6 speed models are more robust and reliable but MUST have transmission filters and oil changed at each and every 60k interval if they are expected to perform reliably. Steel body shells rot badly around sill and wheel arch locations. In my opinion, the X350 with alloy body shell is a vastly better option unless you are prepared to shell out for corrosion repairs on cars that are around 13 years old. Unless well preserved, rot is the thing that will kill steel bodied cars. The S-type and steel XF are very vulnerable....and that with galvanised body shells! Heater valves are rather un-reliable and brake pipes also need to be regularly reviewed.

Do Jaguar care about these issues? No, not at all. They just want to sell you a new car!

Mike K

[robmitch]

Last 3 weeks & bit weeks have be hell as I've had chest infection, lost time from work. then just as I'm just about fit again . I then had the disappointed with my S type. Feeling very positive now as time moves on, ( also weekend is here) MOT not due till 4 May 2018 so that gives me bit of breathing space. Still going to cost me money, so love the car. The work will be bit more planned out. as car is still safely driveable.

Mike K...Thank you, that info is very informative, maybe some Powerflex uprates (£££) as well coming to my car.

And again thank you guys for advice, will keep Forum informed of work, may help someone else along the way.

Rob

[robmitch]

UPDATE: on my Servo problem. Was found to contain oil and as must will know this is to do with the Brake Vacuum pump. I Was given the option of a second hand Vacuum pump, which I went for. And this fitted my budget. It feels great to have correctly working brake peddle now. As just didn’t want to drive the car before.

Also passed MOT, Great

Jobs for June.

Replace Lower Wishbone Arms or Bushes whatever works out to cost less. Did have a chat about the Powerflex bushes. And was asked do I like the ride/feel of the car with standard bushes, which I do. So will keep standard bushes.. Unless someone can give me advice why to change. Apart from lasting longer.
Front brake line corrosion. Replace in June
Was pointed out to me that they found corrosion of the sills, this job seems to be very costly one. So Not sure if to, or when to have the sills Repaired/replaced. Maybe need to look about for better price for this work.

Only one problem with garage that did work is I think they must have removed the wipers and shuttle. The Drivers wiper is just hitting the A-post also 3 screw hole covers for shuttle are missing.

Take it I can just re-position wiper arm, not sure if I can buy screw hole covers!

Over all it was great getting out today, covering 130 miles.

[brent]

If it is the little rectangular covers that you refer to then yes you can get them:

http://www.jagspares.co.uk/Manners/part ... no=XR82652

I've not been brave enough to look at the sills on my 2003MY! Especially whilst I'm pouring my available funds into my 1966MY...

[Montana5]

robmitch, you should go back to the Garage that did the work and explain to them that Wiper Arm is hitting the pillar, ask them if it would be possible for them to re - adjust the Arm, also ask them to have a look for the Scuttle Covers, in case they forgot to re fit them and to have a look in the workshop in case they are sitting on a bench somewhere.

Doug.

[robmitch]

Doug, I understand what you are saying. But its 190 miles round trip, also 3 hours of my time. if local I would be there today. I only noticed wiper when on motorway on way home, then when home washing car, I then could see 3 of the covers missing. very much lack of attention to detail.

[robmitch]

brent, Thank you for the link.