Hello everyone! I bought a 2005 XType 3.0 AWD with about 77k miles. Pics coming soon! I have been driving it for about a month now and I have a ton of questions. I read over a few threads and gathered a few answers, but nothing too specific.

1. my fog lights are completely inoperable! and one of the housings is busted and has an apparent hole. is this an easy diy fix? or does anyone know any local houston shops that can fix it for me?

2. my headlights were complete jokes when i first bought my car (yellowish looking), however, i went to a car wash and the guy buffed the glass clean for only $5!! the look is much better but the headlight bulbs are still not nearly as bright as i'd like. i assume my headlights are halogen with projectors. is HID an easy install or should i take it to a shop?

3. my car is so rough! i have never driven a car that rattles and sounds like it's going to fall apart on bumps. could this be a strut problem since the car is just about 80k? i haven't had the time to take it to a shop for them to check it out.

4. i only have one key and it's aftermarket. i looked a few places online and i found uncut key and fob for about $150 (or somewhere around there). is that reasonable and would i have to take it to dealer for programming?

5. my fuel door won't open! when i left the lever, nothing happens so i'm forced to pry it open with my finger tips. does this sound electrical or hardware related?

sorry for all the questions but all help is appreciated! sidenote, i did purchase a bumper-to-bumper extended warranty through my credit union but i cannot make any claims until 30 days after sign date (12/17/10) so i want to get some things done before that time. one more question, has anyone had service experience with landrover/jag of houston north? that would be the closest location to me and i'm curious to know what my experience will be like.

 

I hope you got a killer deal with all those nagging issues as issues like these would lead me to believe the previous owner wasn't a fan of maint. I'll start with the three common issues.

Fuel door- prop open the lever and pull it open. There is a tab which functions as the spring for the release. It is exposed and easily bent. Easy fix bending it back out or replacing it next time your at a ***********.

Key- I paid $250 for a local locksmith to cut me a spare key and fob. Looks just like the original. The bad is they cut it based on the key you have so if you don't have an original, you'll end up with a copy of a copy. Maybe not so precise.

Rattles- mine at 108k is rattle free inside. Rear has a clunk which is likely bushes. f it is external rattles focus on the strut mounts, shock mounts, swaybar bushes. Rear shocks are easy to do and cheap for bilstiens at under $200 for the pair. Mine were toasted at 98k when I bought mine.

Congrats on the car, check out the FAQ section. Look into transfer case oil changing as well.

 

Headlights - You can but a lens restorer kit from your local autoparts store if you'd like to buff the lenses more (or take it back to the carwash for another round :-). The bulbs are H1, and there are limited options for them. Aftermarket bulbs don't tend to last long, because the X-Type has an initial high current draw when the lights are turned on, that tends to shorten bulb life on aftermarket bulbs. HIDs are doable - Use the Search function on this site to find detailed How Tos including pictures

Keys - $150 seems cheap. $250 or so seems to be around what I've heard. Everything is relative though (e.g., a new key for my Porsche costs $500, so the X-Type keys are a relative bargain).

Rough ride - could be your shocks, mounts, bushings, etc., but could also be partially caused by overinflated tires. The X-Type's ride isn't normally cushy (one of the main reasons I bought it), so you'll have to temper your expectations with what's normal for these cars.

 

thank you both for the help! i suppose i'll just settle for some "hyper white" h1 bulbs that usually emit a bit more light than the stock ones. as far as the rattles, i think i'll just wait until my extended warranty kicks in because it is something that i can live with for now.

one more thing, when at highway speeds (70-80mph) the car tends to sway back and forth. is that normal? it seems as if it is floating from side to side and i feel like i could flip over at any moment. i've never driven an AWD so i am not sure if that's apart of the ride or not. i have an appointment with the dealership that i bought it from and they are going to replace one of the tires (which is just about bald), rotate, and alignment. could that perhaps provide the solution?

 

You should never replace one tire on an awd vehicle, in reality you should replace all 4 at the same time with the same make and style then you should ensure they are rotated regularly for similar wear. No the car should not sway at any speed. Was it wrecked?

 

mrmicr, as for the headlights, yes, you can swap in HIDs. You have 2 options (most people pick the same one though). You can install an aftermarket HID system. It connects right up to the factory wiring. Granted, I would recommend cutting off the factory light base (tends to be a problem) and then shrink wrap the connection you make. Option 2 is to find a set of HID light housings and they will plug right in. The aftermarket HIDs will run you $60 and up and then about 2 hours of your time to wire up. Replacement light housings (assuming used) will run you about $500 for a pair. New will run you about $800 a headlight as I recall.

As for the rear end noise, odds are it is your rear upper shock mount. THese tend to get oblonged and will clank/rattle like you describe. As for the wandering, that could be an alignment issue, but it can also be a problem with the inside joint of the rear end on the forward, lower control arm. You can prove the lower forward control arm by doing a low speed turn (about 20 mph) on a sweeping turn and then play with the gas some. If you can feel the back end wanting to jump around on you, you need to replace those arms. Also, take a look at the sway bar mounts. I have seen these break too. Unfortunately, those would need to be welded by a shop.

As for the foglights, replacing the housing is pretty straight forward. I would recommend replacing the housing when you do the headlights since both things will require you to remove the front bumper cover (20 minutes off, 20 minutes on). As for the lights not coming on, if you want to troubleshoot this, let me know and I will give you some points to check with a multimeter.

As for the key, sounds like a pretty fair price for a new key/fob. You can program the fob yourself. But, unfortunately, unless you have 2 keys, you can not program the new key. So, you will be stuck either finding a local locksmith that has the special computer to program the key or going to the dealer to have it done.

The fuel door, do as was mentioned above. That should fix that issue for you.

 

thanks everyone for the help!

my main focus is getting the tire situation together now and once my warranty kicks in, allow the *********** to deal with the other issues because they aren't impossible to live with for now. whatever they don't cover, i'll take care of myself. i could not for the life of me figure out the fuel door situation...perhaps because i waited until it was just about nightfall . i'll try again tomorrow.