2016 F-Type V6S RWD owner of about a year. I've never been wowed by the acceleration of this car, and I own a N/A 2007 XK with the 4.2 V8. That car has always felt like it pulled harder. Comparing the weight, horsepower, and torque figures, the F-Type S should be the faster car.

I just did a track event at VIR, which I have done with the XK before. I didn't come near the same top speeds of the (on paper) slower XK. The F-Type is far better handling/braking, etc., but the acceleration is disappointing. It feels like at 200-250hp car, which makes me thing something is wrong with it. However, there are no codes. It sounds strong, revs strong, and performed like a champ for 2 days on the track except for the slow accel. It was in the sport shifting mode, with Dynamic mode selected and the traction control off. One of my instructors drove the car and also agreed it doesn't accelerate anything like a 380hp car should, even considering the weight of the vehicle.

There must be something wrong here. Any advice or suggestions? Could the supercharger just not be working correctly? I've read quite a bit on these forums about supercharger coupling issues, etc.

My next plan is to take it to a dyno to see what it is actually putting out in terms of power. No "you should have bought a V8S or R":jokes, please. The car just isn't putting out anything close to the stock figures.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Peter
Winston-Salem, NC

 

Peter, hello from Chapel Hill.

As a quick starting point, what does your 0-60 look like? It should be 4.2-4.4 sec's and roughly the same as a XKR.
If it's much over that, something's not right - like your supercharger isn't engaged, but I'd expect that would throw a code.

 

Yep, something is wrong with it but hard to diagnose with no codes although it sounds to me like it is down on boost.
I suggest you take it to a good independent shop with Jag experience/knowledge (not a JLR dealership) for a health check.

 

Any strong smells?

Does it feel like its boosting? If not, could be the electronic bypass

 

Greetings, all. I will try to time and video a 0-60 run tomorrow. No smells at all. I haven't driven another F-Type for comparison, but this one is surely not putting out the power that it should. It still has all the theater (pops, bangs, and crackles!) but it isn't as fast as it sounds. I'm tempted to dyno it to see what it is putting out currently. Will keep this thread updated as I learn more and get it to a tech.

 

From what you've described, I think the 0-60 will confirm a problem without having to go through a dyno run. There's only so much that can compromise your power that much while letting the car run OK - which is why I leaned toward the supercharger. It's hard to find mechanics (around here, anyway) that will work on the newer models. But you might check with Foreign Accents in Greensboro. He, at least, is a JLR factory trained master mechanic.

 

Make sure it is not in snow mode......

 

Jaguny,

Thanks for your suggestion, but it is definitely in Dynamic Mode (not Snow/Rain). I also tried both with traction control off and Trac DSC settings, and the shifter is in sport. All settings set to maximize performance. I'm leaning toward a supercharger issue. Now to diagnose.

Thanks,
Peter

 

Call me crazy, but maybe there's a programming error and it actually is in a version of Ice/Snow even though it's not suppose to be. Is there any difference when it's not in Dynamic mode?

 

The biggest clue is the dials turn red in dynamic. (I assume this applies to all MYs?)

 

The most straightforward way would be to connect a readout to your OBD connector and see what MAP is under hard acceleration, and go from there.

 

kb58,

Will try this. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll report back here soon.

Thanks,
Peter

 

That assumes that we know what MAP is supposed to be under boost... I do not.

 

Dump question... is your air filter clean? Also check the intake tract for anything blocking it, or any signs of it having collapsed in any way.

 

kb58,
Just installed new engine air filters last week. No difference in performance. The engine seems to be breathing ok. Thanks for the thought, though.

Peter

 

eeeeek,

Yes, the throttle response is different between rain/snow mode and Dynamic mode. The car also confirms that dynamic mode is selected and the color of the lights turns to red. Thanks for asking. Still in search of the issue. Will update as I learn more.

Thanks,
Peter

 

Hey Peter, I would watch this video. Sal goes over a very similar problem with a slow boost on his 2015 V6S. I have the same car and I might honestly need to time my 0-60 to check mine as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a819...​​

 

Cwis,

This is really helpful. Mine isn't throwing a code, but this sounds like it matches the other symptoms. At the end of the video, when the supercharger puts out more boost on hard acceleration, you can really hear the supercharger whine. I don't hear this at all with my car.

Do you all normally hear the whine of the supercharger on hard acceleration? I'd heard it is quieter on the F-Type than on the XK, but I don't think I've ever heard it before. All signs are pointing to a supercharger system problem.

Thanks,
​​​​​​​Peter

 

Always heard the whine on mine. Stock and after VAP mods.

 

The stock V6S has very little SC whine, you can only just hear some when crawling along at low revs then as soon as the revs climb and/or you give it some throttle it is completely drowned out by the exhaust noise.
Two things boosted (terrible pun intended!) the SC whine on my V6S a lot, firstly the larger crank pulley with the associated tune (which alters how the SC bypass valve operates) and then the Mina Gallery lower intake system (which removes the baffles in the lower intakes).
I'm guessing the car in the vid has one or both of those things.