Hi all. 2001 type S I bought for almost nothing as a project. Very pretty car, lots of neglected maintenance I have to catch up on. I have a lot of questions but the first starts at the most simple: these things have a CEL, right? I'm sure they do. Now every other car I've owned of this vintage runs a lamp check when first starting, with the CEL briefly illuminating, but this one does not for the CEL light. Does the CEL light only come on when there's a fault? I have no CEL light and I couldn't pull a code, but it runs rough. Intermittently so. Random things will suddenly make it drop 200 rpm, like the one time the instant I adjusted the power tilt, the fault kicked in. I've never had a car run like this without a CEL. Ive cleaned the MAF, and I'm about to repair a vacuum leak in the pcv valve line, replace plugs and valve cover gaskets, oil and filter. My money is on a coil(s), but the lack of CEL is bugging me.

Another thing that's got me waking the fleas under my hat is the sound system. I can't find an exact manual online, but it has a small button labeled menu, and when you press it and turn the volume control, the screen displays "driver's seat" then "passenger seat" then "rear seats". This is not a fader or balance control so what is it? I can't tell.

Thanks for the help. subsequent questions will involve the knocking and banging under the front end.

 

They do have a MIL ("CEL" if you like) and yes it should self-test. If it's not doing then someone's messed with it which I think means taking the cluster out.

Use an OBD II tool to get the codes.

Get one with "live data" then you can watch things like fuel trims.

Most likely you have one or more air leaks and they're VERY common on that era car - Search will get you a huge number of threads on a tiny number of causes. Often it's a hose way deep under the manifold and you want to be thinking of all the parts to change while it's off (such as coils & plugs) unless you love taking things apart more than once.

 

Welcome to the forum rattlenbang.


Yep, I couldn't agree more with JagV8 above. Look in the "How To" section here in the S Type directory, there is a wealth of knowledge to get her up and running correctly. There are even real time pictures to help guide you along.


With poor maintenance, you will be looking in a few hundred (US) dollars to get it going. You did not mention the fuel filter in the list above .

 

Also, check the battery, if it's more than 3 years old, just replace it. That can eliminate a lot of "problems" right away...good luck..

 

Mate my CEL (MIL) is also difficult to see on the startup check, lighing only for a fraction of a second... Mine, however does work fine and will illuminate properly when there is a genuine fault!! (You shouldnt have to wait too long!!)

 

Turn the key on but don't crank the engine. Is the MIL on now?

Yes people remove the bulb because they won't fix the problem causing the light. Every car I have dealt with that had this done was screwed up beyond belief!

If they removed that bulb you can bet they did a whole bunch of crap repairs.

You may want to get out of the car before too much money is spent.

Also we need the engine because if you have the V-8 you have a massive job ahead with the timing tensioners and chains.

Finally get the factory repair books. The JTIS and the JEPC both free on this forum.
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I find it unbelievable that they even use "bulbs" anymore, especially for something as important as that. Fortunately they are no codes showing on my reader. I wonder if the red bar beside the odometer lights up as well when there's a check engine code? And battery is new.

 

Well, it was designed about 20 years ago. Even so the bulbs seem to last about 15 years since hardly anyone is having to change them.

If it's the 4.0 either do the tensioners or dump it now.

 

Okay, but I also drive a VW westy from the mid 80's and even back then the warning lights were LEDs. Are we sure these are bulbs and not LEDs?

 

>If it's the 4.0 either do the tensioners or dump it now.

Yes, I agree, if the motor starts and runs and seems to have correct timing do this a soon as possible. Otherwise the engine could grenade at any point. You haven't given us too many details about the car (mileage, etc.) but it could have been done already. I'd say that one of your first tasks should be to remove a cam-cover and inspect the tensioners. There are threads on this list as to what to look for. I don't remember but it might be as simple as checking the color of them (i.e., orange - bad, white - good, perhaps).

Good luck and keep us informed about what you find.
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Jaguar: Grace, Pace, and Space - Sir William Lyons

 

> You haven't given us too many details about the car (mileage, etc.)

Opps, sorry, didn't see the sig on your last posting. Cam tensioners are not an issue with the 3.0. In fact I can't really think of any specific technical issue with that motor.

If it runs, doesn't burn oil, and the oil is clean you should be good to go!
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Jaguar - it's not an automobile, it's a Motorcar

 

You have much bigger problems than worring about if it's a bulb or LED?

What difference does it make?
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Because LEDs don't burn out nor are they removable.

 

You've bought an old car so if this bothers you so much either fix it or dump it...

Your tyres are a far bigger issue.

 

Nope, tyres not an issue, just wanting to get insights from people who have experience with the vehicle. And old? I also drive a '91 Delica, an 87 vw westy syncro, and just finished a 6,000 km road trip in a '73 motorhome. To my mind 2001 is very current
But having experience with vehicles across generations, it's surprising what advances and what retains dated technology.

 

Tyres DO look to be an issue, firstly because you're unhappy at the ride but mainly because they look too small.

 

I guess there's issues and there's issues. a bad tranny to my mind is a real "issue". On this I have lots of choice and just wanting info/feedback to help guide me. Even if I don't change these tires it's still an awesome car and I'm having fun resurrecting it. I just don't want to go back to the tire shop and go through the hassle of flipping tires to no avail, because the real issue is running on 18" rims. A case in point: I get an intermittent CATS fault on startup, which sounds like a bad connection to me. But I honestly can't really tell the difference between when the system works and it doesn't, so there's not much point in spending much time chasing this gremlin. When I consider the enormous headaches I've had restoring vehicles in the past, this stuff is minor.

 

CATS fault causes a hard ride, too.

You need bigger tyres no matter what. If you like a softer ride then you need smaller rims AND bigger tyres.