I've had my F-type for just over 18 months now. For over a year, I've driven with fuse 15 removed and all was fine. At some point however during my ownership, I noticed that I'd only get soot on one side of the exhaust tips (driver side) after taking it for a blast. I can't honestly remember if that was the case from the very beginning.

I decided to stick a borescope into the exhaust last week and realised that the flap on the passenger side was stuck closed while the other side was open as it should be. Upon inspecting the valve on the outside, I noticed that the actuator rod had come apart so it was no longer connected to the bit responsible for closing and opening the flap.

Long story short, I've had my indy to remove the back box and manipulate the flap and have it open. I'm now getting the full sound of the exhaust and gosh it's a lot louder! And I can now clean both exhaust tips not just one after a spirited drive! 😁

So if in doubt that your flaps are both fully open, a cheap cordless/WiFi borescope can confirm that's the case.

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So it was easily fixable? I keep hearing these things are basically done when they fail.

 

The passenger side valve is busted as the actuator valve broke up. I had two options. Keep the flap shut or reopen it manually which involves removing the backbox to access it. It's what my indy did in less than an hour. The driver side was stuck open but he manged to free it up with lubrication. I don't mind having the flaps open all the time so to me that was a fix. If I wanted the flaps opening and closing I'd either have to live with one permanently open (or closed) and the other working as intended, in this case. Having the driver side working but fuse 15 removed means that I could partially or completely shut it manually by getting under the car if the noise gets too much.

Make no mistake, the design is poor. Here in the UK, I'd have to pay £2,400 plus labour to have a new box from JLR fitted with the same valves that would fail just the same unless I'd get under the car every so often to lubricate them. There are plenty of options here for aftermarket exhausts with or without valves controlled electronically rather than through a vacuum for half the price but I really like the OEM sound so if I come to replace the box I might go JLR again.
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At one point I did watch a video of some company in the UK that had a service for cutting the old valves out and putting new ones in to avoid a complete back box replacement. No idea who it was though.

Also, if you did eventually replace the back box it would be best to probably go aftermarket. Will get a bump in sound likely, AND from what I understand the valves are usually more easily serviced on some of the aftermarket options? I believe so anyway…

 

Probably this video? I would probably do something like this, except the modification is pretty invasive. Not an issue if your valves are already broken, but since mine are still working, no reason to do it... yet...

 

Modstock is the UK company. I purchased a couple of replacement valves from them, but still have to cut out the old valves and weld the new ones in. Just not got around to it. ( one my valves is worn and sticking.)

 

Yeah, I think it was these guys I was talking about, but I did see the other video posted above as well.