Hi im a fairly new Jag owner love my Stype which has only done 120,000 ks & is mechanically perfect. The previous owner spared no expense. Im very happy with the power but feel it must have much more available with ECU upgrade or remap. Is there a remap available & what gains & any issues would it cause. After having Landrovers I know every gain comes at a cost somewhere else.
Any exhaust or air way improvmennts available. Like to see what others have done .
Mike

 

Yes it is possible but if you want more power why did you not buy a v8 model. It would most probably cost a lot less in the end
https://bhp-uk.net/product/ecu-remap...r-s-type-30-v6

 

I would have prefered a V8 but could only find early models for sale with nikasil bores. They just dont come up for sale very often in Australia.

 

I would have thought that if a nikasil 4.0l v8 has lasted this long ,
It will last a lot longer , the fuel was the issue back then not the engine .
If the timing chain tentioners have been replaced and you don't use ethanol baced fuel then there would be no reason to avoid one (if the condition suets).
There are a few 4.2 v8s on trade me NZ , why not ship one over , they are cheep and so is shipping ,

As for mods for the 3L your still able to remap , high flow cats , open exhaust , and free flow the intake if you wish ,
but like mentioned above it will only get you to around the stock 4.0L or slightly better ! And with out the dreamy rumble !
Soo get yourself a v8 and report back .

 

Nikasil is indeed not likely a problem by now but you could measure compression to be sure.

The chain tensioners are NOT likely to have been changed but DO need to be on a 4.0

 

The v8's available that I saw were low k's as soon as I enquired about engine numbers they didnt get back to me. I will keep my eyes our for a later V8 with steel liners . For the time being the 6 will do theres not a lot of difference on paper & the v6 is much lighter giving better handling . Would like an ecu upgrade , k&n air filter & cat back exhaust .

 

How would the engine number help? What were you looking for in the number?

K&N is a risk and might add 1HP at best. To get more power you need to get a more powerful car. Far better than messing with exhaust etc.

BTW there are little devices you can buy that supposedly produce more power but what they really do is mess with fuelling thus causing damage. Avoid at all costs!

The market for tuning the 3.0 is roughly one person, which tells you something...

 

I personally find the 3 l more than enough. It can keep up with most cars the German automatons even when they have no speed limit (which is not so often now). It accelerates wonderfully when overtaking without dropping a gear.

It can drop the tailgaters whenever I need it to.

The major advantage is however in Germany is that because they are not so common and it is mainly driven by older people and not like BMW Mercedes and Porsches sect. It is relatively cheap to insure because we are low risk clients.

 

There is a cut off in August 2000 if i remember correctly when Jaguar stopped the nikasil bore engines & returned to steel liners . The nikasil was a dismal failure with many engines failing under warranty.
Jaguar's Nikasil-Lined V8 - Top Automotive Engineering Failures
Here is a link about it if you goigle it you can find the exact engine number that was the cut off .
The more I drive the 3 liter the more I like it the handling is superb . Im fortunate to live on the Gold Coast in Queensland with some great roads through the hinterland.
Mike



P

 

Im finding the same here now the auto has got used to my driving style its improved 100% . The previous owner was very old & putted around to shops etc. i gave the car a good run through the back roads with heavy acceleration passing on narrow roads at times reaching 180 kph . Aftef this the car feels like it wants to go hard . Even the exhaust note has improved. I also gave it a service myself using full synthetic oil & new genuine oil & air filter.
Mike

 

Any Nikasil engine is now fine.

The chain tensioners are not and apply to all 4.0s as I posted.

Forget looking at the engine numbers. Waste of time.

 

Really glad to hear that you are enjoying your car now.


It's worth seeing what the average speed is. My car was used only in Rome and its average speed was only 45km/h. It has taken me a half of year to get it to 58 and I. Am not driving it to slow on the motorways.

We gave it a good run of over a 1000 km when I bought it on mountain roads and the motorways to give it a good blast to clean everything out but it took a little while for her to settle down.

 

There is a lot of mis-information regarding the Nikasil treatment. I personally believe the Nikasil engines, if cared for, will outlast their counterparts fitted with steel liners.

+1 on determining if the primary and secondary timing chains, guides and tensioners have been replaced.

 

I have loved Jags since I was 14 and first saw a black E-Type in 1963.. Something that I can't explain but to me a Jag has 6cyl and V8s were an American muscle car thing. That said the 4.2 is only 1.2sec faster in the 1/4 mile and a whole 1.5sec faster 0-60. Just saying..

2003 S-type 3.0 0-60=7.9 1/4mi=16.10
2005 S-type 4.2 0-60=6.4 1/4mi=14.90

 

When i picked mine up the average speed was 38 kph & average fuel consumption was around 16 liters per 100 km. I drove 1000 kms back to the Gold Coast from Sydney that same day . By the time i got home the average speed was up to 87 kph & fuel down to 9.8 L per 100 ks. Both figures have gone up again with round town driving. Although on the freeway in cruise controll i have seen on instant fuel consumption as low as 5L per 100 k at 110 kph.
Lovely day here today after scorching tempretures & storms last few days might ho for a spin in the hills .

 

I think the fuel here in Australia was the cause its not the same quality as in Europe .

 

Interesting, Mike. In what way? Better, worse, or what? I think you will find that any Nikasil issue related to long gone problems with fuel Sulphur levels. Far more serious is the t/c tensioner issue pointed to by {JagV8] and others. Unless you have printed Dealer documentation of upgrade, assume you need to act asap. IMHO, do NOT trust verbals from PO.

People like Murray Scoble at Peninsular Jaguar will check and give you an honest report . . . and a fair deal if needed. Suggest you check with Clarke [o1xjr] for a range of local knowledge.

Best wishes,

Ken

 

Im no longer looking for a V8 happy enough with my 3 liter now . But i did do a lot of research on the Nikasil engines its probably the higher sulfur content in our fuel. I had similar priblems with GM diesels on fishing Trawlers in the late 70's in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The diesel coming in from Singapore had high sulphur content & under combustion created Sulpher dioxide which ate out the valves very quickly under 1000 hrs. We seemed to have more problems here in Australia than in Europe im not sure if our fuel has improved since 2000 one would hope. The strange thing is that some V8's failed while under warranty & some didnt have any problems at all. This leads me to belive there may have been some inconsistancy in the nikasil aplication . With only 1second diference over the 1/4 mile & much better fuel economy the 3 liter will do me for now but if a 2005 + type R was to come up I would be seriously tempted .
Mike

 

Mike; I suggest we clarify a few things as they relate to our Jaguars. First, the Nikasil treatment was only applied to relatively few Jaguar engines - only the 4.0L V8s and only petrol, not diesel powered. Second, there have been enormous improvements in the qualities of fuels everywhere in the past 16 years, not just in Australia. I have no specific expertise on comparing petrols available in different countries (hence my interest in your raising it), but would think that the combined elimination of lead content and simultaneous development of alternate anti-knock and octane raising strategies would suggest enormous improvements.

Third, and this is a subject I do have first hand knowledge about . . . most diesel fuel available here as recently as 10years ago was of the "truck and tractor" grade only. For this reason, Australia never saw the 2.7L TTD Jaguar S-Type until mid 2006. We simply didn't have access to premium diesel until then. North America never saw that engine at all. Now, almost all diesel sold at our service stations is of the vastly improved premium grade.

So . . . IMHO, and to summarize without being a PITA . . . if a Nikasil petrol fueled V8 is still alive and strong, it's no longer a relevant concern with modern petrols, and . . . the subject should not be confused by reference to Jaguar's diesels which, with modern premium diesel fuel, will certainly outlast me.

I congratulate you on resolving to live with, and enjoy, your 3.0L S-Type. The number of Aussie roads where thunderously more power can be applied legally has diminished markedly. For a wide open country well suited to German autobahns, this is a great pity . . . but your S-Type is well suited to touring in grand style and comfort . . . and turning heads to boot! Maybe, higher octane needs are best met with a late STR.

Cheers,

Ken

 

+1

Fuel before 2000 etc... that's ancient history now and fuel's not like that any more!