I have the 2005 Jaguar S type 4.2 and the odo just hit 57,000 miles... Im 17 and I would like to keep this car for the long run even if I end up getting a new car this is one I want to keep. From new the car was at our house in New Mexico and was not driven too much and we always kept it serviced. at 38,000 miles last year we brought it here to Vegas since I got my license.

Heres the bad part... Before we brought it here we did new brakes the 40k service and new tires. But, since then all I have had done is an oil change at 53,000 miles...

So basically the car has not been fully serviced since 38,000 miles... What have I missed during the 50k service and now the 60k service coming up? How much do they usually run?

We have had the car in for a coolant leak at 48k and the Jaguar dealer here checked everything and said it was fine along with the local Sears when I wanted to get the brakes checked (warped rotor). Have I done damage by not servicing it?

 

Very unlikely. If I read correctly, the oil was changed 4K miles ago, and I presume the filter was done at the same time. In looking at the factory mtce. check sheet, the car will be due for a B check at 60K miles which consists of an inspection but not much in the way of replacements.

Might want to look at the air filter element.

 

+1 don't stress too much the oil was the main thing to keep up on.
There are a few European specialists in Vegas and also the jag dealer so you are well covered.
Maybe some of the local guys can offer a recommendation?

 

I also believe that your S-Type is fine. The original owner of ours did just one oil & filter change during the 18,000 miles and three years that he kept it even though they were FREE at the dealership through the 40,000-mile service. While I used that negative service history as a bargaining chip when making my one-and-only offer to purchase it, I did not believe that any damage had been done. That being said, you want to keep up with your oil & filter changes going forward. The owners manual recommends every 10,000 miles, but most of us keep our cars on shorter schedules than that (ours gets fresh oil and a new filter every 6,000 miles, and conventional oil is just fine). But given the Las Vegas high desert climate, you should also keep a close eye on your cooling system....

 

Be sure to change air filter when needed, sand is bad for engines!

Don't panic, as others have said.

Do plan to have someone competent look over the car to head off any potential troubles (often cheaper to prevent than fix).

 

Thanks for all your input!
Definitely helped me relax a little bit, I was worried with the milage starting to get up there that things would start going wrong and the lack of servicing would just increase that... Ill keep a better eye on the scheduled maint. Does anyone know if $540 is a good quote for the 60K service? That is what the dealer here quoted me...

 

Again, if you look at the 60K mile inspection list, 95% of items can be done by the average DIY person.

 

Agreed. Do it yourself for less than fifty bucks....

 

If and when you approach about 70-80k miles, I strongly suggest changing the transmission fluid. Leaks can develop and you will likely not really see them.

I have 91k on my 2003 Jaguar 3.0S. From my experience, I have had problems in the following areas:

1. Cooling system - this is important. You can do this yourself. I got ripped by Firestone and an independent mechnanic when I was in Florida, so next time, I'm going to do it myself and save bundles of cash. Keep an eye on your cooling system bigtime. Things that you can do in an afternooon - replace upper and lower radiator hoses. Doing the water pump may take you more time, so have another car on hand.

2. Transmission Service - Try and do this around 75k miles - My car started leaking trans fluid through the electrical harness connection. I recommend NOT messing with this yourself if you are a first timer. I don't. I am sure that others will differ.

3. Suspension - My rear struts began leaking sometime when the car was in the middle 80,000 mile range. Due to the bounce, the boots on the rear stabalizer links and the tie rods (yes, it has rear tie rods) are shredded. I have not replaced any of these yet due to the fact that the car isn't making noise and I simply don't have the money to work on that right now. I had the front struts replaced as well. The strut job is not easily done with regular hand tools. You really need air tools as the bolts can be on pretty darned tight after 90,000 miles of driving. If you DIY on these, you need a second car on hand and alot of time on hand to complete the job.

5. Spark plugs - You can do these yourself. I haven't done mine yet due to my suspension issues, but you can plan on a full day doing these. You have to remove the intake (assuming you have a V6) and also the valve cover gaskets if the plugs have oil on the threads. I plan on doing that this summer when I get teh time.

The only easy service on this car is brakes. You can do those in 15 minutes. The Jaguar S-type uses DEW98 Ford brakes. I use ceramic pads to get rid of the annoying brake dust.

Have fun!

 

I agree with FloridaJag regarding the cooling system. I have a 2005 and a 2006 S-type and both of them around 60k-70k miles had a coolant leak from the upper radiator hose.

Since you are in Vegas, Gaudin Jaguar's online parts department have alot of good deals on parts. I live in Florida and ordered parts from them and it was alot cheaper than the local dealer (even with shipping included).

 

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice in this thread. I will be checking the upper and lower radiator hoses this weekend and will take a look at the brakes, too. I replaced my spark plugs a week or so ago and will be finding an independent mechanic who specializes in Jaguars to look at my transmission fluid and the suspension - basically I want someone who knows what they're doing to replace my bushings and check the alignment.

 

Good idea. You will want to get an overall look at your suspension about every 10,000 miles. At 60k-70k, I would change my struts. Bilsteins are gotten pretty reasonably at tirerack.com. Don't wait until 90k like I did. With bad damping, you will have a lot more things go wrong. At least that's my theory.

Trans fluid change is best done between 60 and 75k. Don't go longer than that. You have a little while before you have to start shelling out the bucks, so enjoy the ride.

 

[stupid question] How do I know if the struts need to be replaced and not just the bushings and ball joints?

 

Not at all - the rear struts were actually leaking. The front struts weren't leaking, still had some life, but were on the way out. The car was diving slightly during braking and there was a bounce at the termination of braking.

Ball joints and bushings might give the same symptoms, but ball joints would have the car wandering a little more over bumps.

 

Thanks for that information. My car does dive a little on braking (modernly hard braking) and bounces a bit more than I think it should after coming to a complete stop. Might be time to check out the struts! Still looking for a good Jaguar mechanic in my area.

 

I noticed you're in Florida. Where exactly are you? There is a pretty good shop I like to go to near North Miami. His rates are reasonable and he does a pretty good job.

 

Thanks Sal, but I'm way up here north of West Palm Beach - N. Miami would be quite a drive for me. I think I should be able to find someone a little closer to home.

 

No worries bud. I used to live in West Palm. Miss that place alot

 

No offense, but I used to live in Miami and I don't miss that place a lot! LOL My son lives there and loves it, though!