Sorry for not breaking my thread down into paragraphs. Hopefully this thread is easier to read.

I need to change the breaks on my jaguar. They feel worn out and they squeek really loud the whole time i am braking until i come to a complete stop.I have a friend who has replaced breaks on japanese and american cars but never on a european cars but he says that there shouldn't be that much of a difference.These are my questions:


Is this true?

How difficult will it be for him to change the brakes if he has never done it on a jaguat but he HAS done it on japanese and american cars?

Can the brakes come out worse than they already are?

What are some key things he should know about my 2003 S-Type so that the job is done right?

What are all the necessary parts i need to buy?

How much cash should i bring with me to be safe?

If i choose to go to a certified mechanic that specializes in european cars, how much will it cost to repair the brakes?

How much is too much? In other words how do i know if i am getting ripped off?


One other thing. I also tried to add transmission oil but i could not find the transmission. I took it to a place that does oil changes and they too could not find it. Thats when they told me i had a sealed transmission. I never knew this was possible until now. My quesgions are these:

How much will it cost me to take my car to a mechanic so he can get in the transmission and add oil?

What price is too much?


Is this simple enough to be done at home?


Please help me. Thanks a lot!

 

Ok, we are getting there Chris. You need to give us the model and engine information, yes it does make a difference! Really easy to do. Goto the upper left corner of any site page, locate "UserCP", scroll down to "Edit Signature" click, enter vehicle information and click save.


Now assuming you have a 3.0 or 4.2 non STR. The big box auto parts stores will carry all parts needed for a brake job ie... Pep Boys, Auto Zone etc.....


If you purchase the pads make sure you spend a couple extra dollars and get ceramics. Ceramic brake pads wear longer but also create far less brake dust keeping your wheels much more clean!


If your friend can handle an American or Japanese brake job the Jag is no different. If you are going to replace rear pads there is a procedure that is found in the "How To's" or your handbook on how to release the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB).


The cost for brake parts depends on what material, brand etc on the pads. If the rotors can be machined (turned) that is far less costly than purchasing new rotors.


Good thing you did not find the transmission dipstick because there isn't one! Again read in the "How To" section here about the ZF transmission that you have in your vehicle. I would HIGHLY recommend that you find a mechanic that is familiar with the ZF gearboxes!

 

Yes, much easier.

The brakes on these cars are very similar to any other modern car and any experienced mechanic should be able to do them.

For cost, you need to find out what the specific problem is. If it's just one set of pads and nothing else, maybe $50. If it's both sets AND rotors AND calipers AND, AND, AND, probably more than the car is worth.

Next step is to find out what's wrong.

For the transmission- why do you believe it needs fluid?

 

well we did change the rear brake pads. however i did not follow the procedure the release the electronic brake.


there seems to be no problem resulting from not following the procedure. however the rear brake is still slightly squeeling. way less than before but you canstill kind of hear it. any idea why? my friend told me that it takes a little bit of time for the squeel to go away completely. is this true?


as for the transmission fluid, i just thought every car requires transmission fluid to be added every so often to run smoothly? i havent added any fluid these past three months of me owning the car.



is it not time to add transmission fluid? how will i know when it is time?


thank you again!

 

False.

If your car has 90-100K miles or more, the fluid is due for complete change-now .