RJ237: I think it is now clear (even to the mechanic) that the driver's seat problem is not due to the motor, as he originally asserted. I never thought it was the motor because the problem only happened when the seat back was reclined all the way back; it got stuck there. Once a mechanic returned the seat back to a driveable position (however he did that), the motor worked fine. I.e., I could recline it and unrecline it a bit, without problem. It was only when someone else reclined the seat all the way back again, that it got stuck again. After my research, I suspect that, as the electrical specialist said, the problem is in the module.

But why in the world the mechanic says there is anything wrong with the passenger seat module is a mystery to me. I will ask him about this again. His earlier answer was not convincing.

I think I have made a decision, though: Assuming the mechanic has no basis for saying the passenger seat module needs replacing, I will ask him to swap the 2 seat modules. If the driver's seat then works right, I'll try to have the malfunctioning module repaired. If not, I'll hope this mechanic can get the seat back in the usable position, as the other mechanic did, without replacing anything. Then, I'll drive the car to a Jag $peciali$t in San Diego (trying my best to ignore all the warning lights and malfunctions on the way), and I'll pay him to diagnose the problems. If the diagnosed problems require much labor to correct, and can be fixed in Mexico, then I'll ask the Mexican mechanic to do the repair work.

It's just beyond my capabilities to figure out what is wrong.

BobRoy: Your ideas sound promising, and your suggestions sound good. Unfortunately, my mechanic doesn't speak good English, I don't think he understands the problems - he is just telling me what the electrical specialist said, and that guy probably speaks no English at all. I myself don't speak great Spanish, and I know so little about all this stuff that I fear I would not be effective in trying to tell the mechanic what to do or evaluating the results.

I sure appreciate everyone's suggestions. There were enough theories that it helped me decide not to rush into buying all the recommended parts, so in that way, this was a big help. Otherwise, I guess what I learned is that I am just too limited in knowledge to make use of most of the advice. Sorry if I wasted people's time.

When I find out what is wrong (which could take quite a while), I will report back.

Nicole

 

Not to try and speak for him, but these modules are basically "the same", built with the same flaws, and have been operated in the same environment (same vibrations, same heat, etc.) so chances are that if one module is damaged, the other one is not far behind.

That being said, I think swapping out the modules is you best bet. You can then send the modules for repair, one at a time, so you can still drive the car.

FWIW, if you wanted to try this out yourself, the modules are under the seat cushion, very far forward. If you lean forward while sitting, you can touch them with your hand by reaching under the cushion. They are navy grey hard plastic, the size of a pencil box. It helps if the cushion is moved up, of course. From there, the modules are held by 2 10mm nuts. Once off, the back side of the modules have typical car connectors, that take some effort to remove, but are meant to be pulled out by hand while a locking tab is depressed. Again, no need to remove the seat, there is no glue involved or plastic fasteners to break. A mobile phone with a forward facing camera can help you locate everything easily before getting in too deep. Who knows, you might enjoy getting more involved with your car and join us on the dark side of car ownership.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

F Mertz if she is going to do that shouldn't she switch the passenger seat module to the driver side since they are the same. If the problem is solved then she would know it's the driver seat module. She would still have the driver seat operational while she sends the driver seat module to be repaired.
But if the same problems occur with the driver seat after switching modules then the problem is elsewhere.

 

Well, the swapping modules point is moot: The Mexican mechanic just kept insisting that his friend had tested the passenger seat module, and it did not work. (BS, I say.) I have spoken to a mechanic in San Diego, highly recommended on Yelp.com, and when I can arrange it, I'll have to drive the Jag up there (4+ hours), leave it there, take buses home, and do the reverse when the car has been diagnosed.

 

Dear readers/helpers:

I was asked to report back when I'd had my car checked by a Jag specialist in the US. I drove the car to San Diego a week ago and left it with a specialist that got good Yelp reviews, and there must have been 30 Jaguars at the shop being fixed. Here is my report:

Recall that the Mexican mechanic said I needed this:
1) Driver's seat module ($550). 2) Passenger seat module ($450). 3) Body Processor Module ($600)

So, the San Diego mechanic reprogrammed the driver's seat module and the body processor module, which he says eliminated most of the warning-light problems. He said I need to replace my ABS Controller, to eliminate the warning lights that say "ABS," "Low Brake Fluid" and "Brake." Installing a rebuilt one will cost $645 plus tax.

So, I did not need any of the new parts suggested by the Mexican mechanic and listed above.

Also, since I posted before, a new light has come on, saying "Failsafe Engine Mode." The mechanic says this is because I have a bad brake pedal switch. Replacing it will cost $245 + tax. (Odd, I thought, that this light only started coming on after the Mexican mechanic looked at the car. Did the brake pedal switch really just happen to break so recently???)

There were various other issues, and the total cost of repairs will rival what it would have cost to have it "fixed" in Mexico. But at least I have some confidence that the US repairs will really work.

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

xk8's eat power for breakfast ,lunch and dinner. they will run down a new battery in less than a week if the car isn't driven enough to provide the power back to recharge it.youll get transmission fault warnings the stabilitiy control fail warning mine the speedometer will atop working and the brake light comes on and the cruise control will not engage. as for the seat check the fuse on the top right on the drivers door side.