Hey folks!

I've been anguishing about pulling the trigger on an S-Type (specifically a 2005 with 73k miles) for quite a while and was wondering what kind of advice you guys have to offer. What are the things I should be looking for when I test drive? What about on the Carfax?

I know these cars have to be treated well, and I'm prepared to maintain it, but not necessarily to deal with a negligent owner's gremlins. Any bit of information will help. Cheers!

 

The things to check for before you buy are more important than the things to check over after you have bought. 73k miles is about the point for emissions, electrical and coolant-related problems to start showing, abuse or no abuse. Apart from a visual, I would want to know:

How many owners?
How long did the last owner have the car, and for how many miles?
Service records for the last 2-3 years at least.
Details of any accidents.
Battery been changed recently?
What grade of fuel used? (not everyone agrees, but for me a sign of owner-care)
Tranny fluid/sleeve/pan changed recently?
Fuel filters changed recently (another sign of owner-care)
Suspension checks out OK? (there's a video about this)
Condition of brakes, including the electrical parking brake.
What is currently known to be not in working condition?

Of course, the above might not be all that important if the price was about $3000, but I don't imagine that's the case!

 

Thanks for your reply! What do you mean by coolant and electrical issues and how common are these?

I'm looking at around 7000 minus tax, tag, etc. From the pictures the dealer posted, it seems to be in decent cosmetic shape (a few nicks here and there), but I will be sure to get a Carfax to look at service records and do a mechanical inspection.

 

Coolant problems caused by old hoses bursting in the middle of nowhere. You get no warning from the temperature gauge which only ever shows "normal", soon to be followed by the message "coolant low" which, if you don't take immediate action means big trouble. After a narrow escape at 53k miles I replaced all (18) coolant hoses in my '05 STR and now have peace of mind.

Electrical problems are mostly triggered by an old and/or weak battery. The OEM battery last for quite a while in the back of the car away from the heat of the engine, but good voltage sometimes masks poor health, and triggers all sorts of dire warning messages about parking brakes, dynamic stability and the like. If the battery is more than 5-6 years old, consider replacing it with a good quality battery from Optima or Interstate.

 

Which engine? If 3.0 then its plugs were due at 70K so were they done?

 

Along with maintaining a strong battery due to the massive amount of electrical power these cars demand in order to run properly with no spurious codes being thrown, you must learn the care and feeding requirements for the ZF six-speed transmission and you must watch the under-the-hood plastics in these cars (particularly the coolant reservoir tank). A plastic component failure in the cooling system that goes unchecked can destroy your engine. But once you have your weekly routine checks memorized and you know what to look for, the S-Type can still be one of the best bang-for-the-buck rear-wheel-drive luxury sedans on the road. Properly maintained, the gas mileage can be superb (along with the ride)....

Spend some time reading the FAQ stickies at the top of this section of the forum to educate yourself on the pros and cons. That's the best place to quickly gather much of the information you'll need to decide on whether to pursue the car you're considering....

Good luck to you....

 

Thanks so much for the information. I'll be sure to look through the FAQ's for more specifics. Here's what I've gleaned so far pertaining to what to look for (most importantly):

1. Check battery.
2. Look for cracked coolant hoses/reservoir.
3. See if plugs were replaced.
4. Suspension checks out.

Will these errors, specifically coolant and electrical, manifest themselves while test-driving for about 15 minutes? I can feel out the suspension and transmission.

 

Also check if either/both headlights points to the ground (con't really tell during daylight; gotta check at night unless you can get under the hood and wiggle the lights from behind). It's usually an inexpensive fix but would be a negotiating point if you find one of the lights is drooping.

Isn't there already a list posted somewhere on this forum with most of the issues these cars are likely to have. Do a search and read up as much as possible. Be a well-informed buyer. Good luck!

 

Check here for the video on S-type suspension:

 

Oh, and another thing...

If the DCCV has never been changed, you would be wise to do so while working on coolant hoses. A faulty DCCV will not only produce unexpected and undesirable effects on climate control, but can eventually damage the CCM. Big bucks. See - JaguarClimateControl.com for full details.