Essential Info for prospective 2003 S-Type buyers

[dave_3d]

www.theLurch.com

Hi Everyone,

I have created a website to highlight some of the faults that can occur with the 2003 Jaguar S-Type and the treatment that some have experienced from their Dealers and Jaguar with trying to get them rectified.

If you are thinking of buying a 2003 Jaguar S-Type this is essential reading first. Not every S-Type has these faults but it is best to be informed on the pitfalls that ARE out there.

Some of the topics covered - with Animations, Movies, JPEGs, TSBs and PDFs are:

S-Type - Lurching on the ZF Gearbox
S-Type - Burned out rear brakes pads (premature brake pad wear)
S-Type - Creaking / groaning front brakes / suspension
S-Type - Air con Lockout / Nav screen glitches
S-Type - Squeaking steering wheel
S-Type - Faulty Xenon Headlight adjuster
S-Type - List of relavent Jaguar TSBs

In addition I have included the independent Engineer's Reports from the respected motoring organisations of the AA (Automobile Association, United Kingdom since 1905) and the TCS (Travel Club Switzerland since 1896) on my Jaguar S-Type.

I have also included as many comments from other Jaguar S-Type owners (freely available on the internet) that also discuss these problems.

I welcome any feedback, crits or suggestions.

Thanks,

Dave
www.theLurch.com

[john millar]

Fantastic. Even looks like a Jaguar website
A great way to get their attention.

[triple7]

That is brilliant, I hope you've emailed a link to Jaguar PR?

I thought of you y'day, why not do like I saw in Toronto and go protest outside your crap dealer in Switzerland. Big banners and vivid colours. Should raise the profile and hopefully embarass them into getting off their arses.

Just a thought.

G

[simpo two]

Interesting to see your depreciation comments. Mine is a 2001 SE model with almost all the toys and 18" alloys. I bought it last Noveember with 101K miles (but in superb condition) for £8,370

[tuxman]

oooooooooooooo........... this post makes me very nnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeerrrrrrvous!!!! perhaps i will stick with my Audi.Simon

[simpo two]

tuxman said:

oooooooooooooo........... this post makes me very nnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeerrrrrrvous!!!! perhaps i will stick with my Audi.Simon

Yes, but any forum can draw up a list of problem areas like that. Don't worry about it!

[dave_3d]

Thanks for the feedback

As I say :

"Not every S-Type has these faults but it is best to be informed on the pitfalls that ARE out there."

It is better that you know what might go wrong than go blindly into it.

And now you know if a Dealer starts spinning yarns ...

I only state what I know. And what others have commented on. There are enough of us that it as at least a concern to any prospective buyer.

Dave

[dave_3d]

UPDATE !

I now have feedback from a Jaguar Test Driver from Arizona who CTEGORICALLY confirms that this Lurch existed on early test/production cars and that data flowed back to Jaguar.

It proves that Jaguar have prior knowledge of the lurch, and know perfectly well about it !!!

My wepage has been updated with his input :

www.theLurch.com

Dave

[simpo two]

Good idea. Someone tried to do that with TVR Griffiths but it somehow got smothered by 'thou shalt not upset the holy TVR applecart' types.

[dave_3d]

I've now been in touch with several XK8/XKR owners with the same ZF Gearbox Lurch Problem. And also a few owners from Germany with the same fault.

www.thelurch.com/owners_feedback.htm

We can't ALL be imagining things ....

Dave

[dave_3d]

I have been talking with German S-Type (and XK8) owners and just found out from an S-Type R owner that had the Lurch :

"Das Getriebeproblem hatte meiner auch, ist aber behoben.Das geht aber nicht durch ein Softwareupdate, sondern nur durch eine kompl. Neuprogrammierung des Getriebes durch Mitarbeiter von ZF. Das ist in meiner Werkstatt bei mehreren Fahrzeugen am selben Tag Gemacht worden. In dieser Sache war meine Werkstatt wirklich gut. Aber warum mein Auto zu wenig Leistung hat wurde bisher leider noch nicht gefunden. "

Which roughly translated means :

I had the same transmission problem, which is now gone. This was achieved not through a Software Upgrade, but rather through a complete re-programming of the transmission by a ZF mechanic. There were other cars at my Dealer that were re-programmed on the same day. But, I still haven't found out why my car is down
on power.

Full thread in German can be found on :

www.jaguar-forum.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=38519

We can't all be imagining things ..... A German Dealership organising a visit from a ZF engineer to re-program many cars.

Dave
www.theLurch.com - Full information about S-Type ownership | TSBs etc.

[dave_3d]

Hi All,

I have been in contact through my S-Type Website (www.theLurch.com) with MANY owners who have experienced similar problems with their 03 and up S-Types.

I have been in contact with Kevin who has owned a Diesel S-Type since the 2nd March 2005. He has been giving Jaguar in Coventry a chance to rectify the faults he has experienced with his rear brakes and is now going on the record after the "response" from Jaguar.

I have added his response to a growing list of owners' feedback on my website(www.thelurch.com/owners_feedback.htm) - over 75 owners comments.

Here is Kevin's experience in his own words :

--------------------------------------------------

My S-Type has just been looked at by technicians from the Jaguar factory who say the rear brake drag is normal on the S-Type and they will not do anything to cure it.

What this means is premature rear brake pad failure is normal, as no doubt is written off rear disks and associated poor fuel consumption due to the permanently dragging rear brakes. I wonder if mine will make its first service at 15,000 miles before the pads wear completely and metal to metal contact results.

Make of this what you will, but for an 11 week old car with 5000 miles on the clock I think it's a very poor situation. Guess I should have bought a Lexus / BMW / Mercedes after all!!!

Anybody have any suggestions as to where I go now to get this fixed?
Wonder if trading standards will be interested?

Kevin (S-Type Diesel SE)

-------------------------------------------

Intersting that Jaguar reckon "rear brake drag is normal" (As well as gearbox lurching).

Dave www.theLurch.com - Jaguar S-Type ownership Experience/Faults/TSBs

[dave_3d]

OK.

How much more evidence does my Dealer require before they finally admit that the LURCH actually exists ???? Look at the "Situation" below in the BMW TSB for the same ZF Gearbox as the S-Type, XK8 and XJ.

IDENTICAL to what I have been saying, absolutely IDENTICAL !!!
(What I have commented on for the last 2.5 years : www.thelurch.com/lurching_zf_transmission.htm)



BMW SIB240305 bulletin:

SUBJECT
Harsh 2-1 Downshift


MODEL
E60 (545i); E63/64 645(Ci/Cic) with 6HP26 up to 04/05


SITUATION
Customer may complain of the following:

An excessively harsh 2-1 downshift when decelerating to a stop, or

Transmission "bangs" into gear when accelerating from a full or a "rolling" stop
(vehicle did not come to a complete stop).

CAUSE
EGS software.

CORRECTION
On a customer complaint basis only, reprogram/recode complete vehicle using SSS
with CIP on-line update 17.01, or higher.

Important:

Transmission temperature must remain below 50 deg C and trans shifter must be
placed in P position prior to the start of CIP programming.


Dave