After two years I finally found a hood pad. Today I went to put it one and I'm only missing one retainer but ... as I drop the hood from about 5-6" it bounces and doesn't latch.

The hood is aluminum so I'm a bit concerned about dropping it from much higher or forcing it.
It's the correct part number for my car.

Any suggestions?

 

Perhaps if I soaked it with water it could conform but I would also then expect that it would rip out of it's moorings like the old one did when it shrank.
This one looks to be of no better quality than the last one. It needs reinforcing around the holes IMHO.

 

I assume you did not accidently bump or move the latch assembly on the hood while you were fitting the new hood pad. I would check the latch alignment as a first step....

 

Oh that would be funny and very welcomed at this point but no.
It's raining all day here today but when I get a chance I'll take it back off just to be certain.
It has many preformed shapes in it that the old one either never had or had lost over the years.
Fortunately rescued the old one from the trash just in time for a temporary fix.
Looks like it the self stick aluminum stuff for me next.

It does show as being the correct part number but it looks like this one has to go back. That should fun. I think I'm going to have trouble with the vendor on this
I had quite an adventure just getting here too.

 

So the monsoon abated for a while, returns this afternoon ...

I took the new hood under pad off and now the hood works perfectly again.
Pretty hard to get this installed wrong and all of the screw/clips were tight.
As I said before this is much more of a formed panel so I suspect that something is a bit too formed. Finding that ... no thanks.
So it goes back. I hope I can get the old one to stay in place until I can tackle putting something like 1/8" Dynaliner in there.
I don't dare try anything thicker as getting this stuff off of an aluminum skinned hood would be a nightmare.

Has anyone successfully tried an alternative such as this?

Bob S.

 

Now that I can compare the old pad to the new one I have a few observations.

Wow these pads shrink, 3" across!

The basic shap is similar with the newer one having musch more pronounced formed sections, maybe because it's new?

But where the old pads is soft and pliable the new one is really stiff and I think that's problem. The hood is coming down and bouncing off the car because of those more pronounced formed areas and the additional stiffness. But bounding where????

I don't know if a hair drier on high or heat gun on low might be able to flatten it out where's it's needed or just soften up the stiffness long enough so that it doesn't bounce. But the big question still is where and ... once I futz with it I definitely own it.

Perhaps putting it on, letting the car run for an hour to get real warm and then trying the drop. Again, I'd own it after that unless it still looks perfect. My engine is spotless so that's a +

Has any Jag tech dealt with this? I'm not sure an actual dealer would even talk to me?

 

I would lay the new pad out to bake in the hot sun all day long and then attempt to install it again in the late afternoon / early evening. It may be pliable enough at that point to conform to the confines of the components pressing up on it....

 

That's been a tough thing to do here for the last month + Even yesterday after I managed to take it off the monsoon struck heavily once again. I'm getting reall damage on my apt building from all of this now.

It's been a crappy year weather wise.

 

Well thanks for that suggestion Jon. It was a very easy and harmless method for finding out if heating the hood pad would help. After sitting in the bright sunlight on a hot day for an hour and a half it doesn't soften up at all. It's got a stiffener of probably fiberglass in it where the other did not and that's it's downfall. It's has the wrong shape for my car so back it goes.

Bob S.

 

Sorry it did not work out for you. Forum member "Gonzo" made some world-class custom hood pads before he passed away a few years ago. Perhaps you can find another private source who can make one for you....

 

I have looked. With this new one as a pattern perhaps I can make a very soft template from it and then use another soft material instead, cut & punched to the template.
It's not like this is some specially nice replacement piece. It has no edge binding and is quite delicate. It the hood very nicely ... but not the rest of the car, sigh ...

What a PITA.

 

Staatsof

i bought a new hood insulator for my 06 str last year and it fits great and is softer than yours as you describe it. Hood closes great also. I will do some digging and see where i bought it and let you know details. Around 150.00 dollars delivered i remember. The new retainers made a big difference also
update. Found it. Got it from west palm beach jaguar. They have a website with a phone number. I remember calling before ordering and the parts guy said the insulators were better than the originals. At least this might be an option

 

I don't see any new style retainers? The cover comes with none. Now I have to get this one returned and I'll be trying something home made. Jaguar parts dependability is just the craps.

Thanks for the suggestion though. I just don't know what I'd get? If it's soft then It sounds like you got an old style one?

 

you are welcome. As far as the retainers go...i will clarify...sorry....i bought a universal retainer kit in a plastic box off of ebay....it had better suited retainers for the pad....they had a wider head and a better snap fit....the kit has about 10 different types of push pins in it....for 20 bucks i took a chance....and i seem to use it alot ....the pad is held nice and tight to the hood....and my old one was about 3 inches shrunk also....i thought the new one was the wrong one at first....i would think shrinkage takes heat and wetness...strange how they shrink so much...maybe condensation buildup in winter underhood....anyway good luck...if you make a suitable replacement you will really notice the difference in noise suppresion...i did

 

The STR sound deadening pad is different to the non-STR S-types and the later aluminum hood (bonnet) has a different pad to the older STR's with the steel hood.

So you need to make sure you have the correct size part.

 

The parts catalog and the vendor listed the same part number for my MY and VIn # but she no fit.

 

Without knowing the relevant sections of your VIN number (see example in my signature below) I think 05 MY cars start at vin N14071 (Jan 04 production, known as 2004.75MY) and finish at N52048.Assuming your car is in this vin range the part number you need is: XR858049.This is not the same as the part for older cars built with the steel bonnet. So if the vendor is stating it will fit older S-types as well as your one it is probably the wrong part or perhaps it has the wrong label?

By the way XR858049 is still available from Jaguar, in the UK at least, for £66.72. (The clips C2Z3567 are 43p each, but you can get them for less not from Jaguar, but quality can vary.)

 

I do appreciate the attempts at helping but ...

That's the one I have. The label is on the plastic bag it came in. I do have an aluminum hood. It doesn't fit. Jaguar is ****ed up on this part. It really is that simple. Not going back to that bad well again.

 

If this was in the UK I would contact Jaguar Classic Parts, that is provided it was a genuine part.
You will find that they are very helpful.

The other option you have, even if it is a genuine part, is to return the part to the seller as not fit for use, but you would end up without one and probably have the postage costs as well!

 

We'll see how the vendor does with this next week. I unfortunately threw out the specially and hastily constructed over sized box and just have the OEM inner box. It needs the better box for shipment back.
Fun and games ...