I have a 2003 S-type that appears to be very sensitive to moisture and water. I live 1/2 block from the ocean and while driving up the 101 on the weekend, the engine light came on. The last time the engine light came on was after I visited a DIY car wash. A very nice Jaguar forum senior member suggested I let the car "dry out" and sure enough, after a couple of days, there was no more engine light. However, now when I start the car, there is some "vibration" that I haven't felt before; but after about 30 seconds, the idle smooths out and the car drives well. The car is in underground parking all day and starts well at the end of the day before the drive home - it is only when it has been out all night and I start it in the morning that I feel the vibration. The engine light is still on at this point. Any thoughts, suggestions ? Thank you.

 

Read the OBDII codes and post them.

 

Have the vehicle scanned to see what code(s) are stored and go from there. Water could affect almost anything under the hood from a coil to the throttle body. Post the code(s) and we'll try to help.

 

+1 Gus - you read my mind...

 

Could be bad plug wires. If its happening when it's "moist' out, they could be arcing and causing misfires. Start your car, pop the hood(bonnet :-)) and using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the spark plug wires. If you can, cover the area so it's dark and you will see the arcing if your wires are bad.

 

No it can't. There are NO plug wires on these cars.

Izabelle - Don't try the above. Just get the codes.

 

In addition, the S-Type has a weak spot when it comes to moisture ingress. If you search the forum you can probably find it. Or, a more experienced S-Type owner might step in and link the thread for you.

The fix is relatively simple, involving waterproofing the affected area. No electronics involved at all.

 

I think this is it https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ode-fix-61201/

 

Dear Plums and Norri - thanks so much for your reply - this is precisely the problem - even a small amount of water seeping in through the cowl engages the engine light. Then, after about 48 hrs. or so, the engine light disappears. This is a huge concern for me as San Diego has about 3 months of heavy rains from approximately January thru March/April of every year and I want to get this issue resolved as soon as possible, as it appears it doesn't take much moisture to affect how the car operates. When you speak of "waterproofing" what does that entail? Are there products available to take care of this, or ??

 

Izabelle did you CLICK on this link: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ode-fix-61201/ ?

 

It's a diy fix, if you look at the pictures that EDS123 posted he created a barrier for any water getting under the cowl with silicone and diverted it off to the drainage channels at the sides.

 

You beat me this time Rick!

 

Dear JagV8 - thanks so much for your reply. The codes are P0300, P0301, P0305, P1316 and P1582. Last month (after the engine light came on initially) I had the car scanned, an estimate was given me for the repairs (ignition coils and intake manifold gaskets) and I made an appointment to have the repairs done. This all happened around the 4th of July holiday, so the garage scheduled me to come in the following Monday. However, on the weekend before the appointment, I discovered the engine light was off. I called the garage and they suggested I hold off for now, and call them when the light came back on. This first engine light drama occurred after I had visited a DIY car wash (big mistake)! The second engine light drama occurred after washing my windows (apparently water dripped into the cowl) and driving along the coast. The engine light came on and approximately 48 hrs. later, the light went off. I'm no expert, but it's pretty obvious to me the engine light and moisture/water issues are related, in my case. Forum members Plums and Norri posted their thoughts on the problem and I believe at this point that "waterproofing" the affected area is sound advice. I feel very fortunate to be a member of this forum in order to have access to the "wisdom" and knowledge of owners who have driven these cars for decades. I welcome any advice and suggestions, and I truly appreciate your willingness to help out a novice ! Thank you.

 

Dear Norri - thanks so much for your help. Please see my e-mail to Plums (and you) with details. Thanks again.

 

Dear Norri - I have downloaded the "How to . . ." article - thanks very much for your help with this.

 

Dear Plums - approximately how long do you think it would take (if you know) to remove the hood, waterproof the area around the cowl and replace the hood (following the instructions posted by EDS123) ? I'm asking as I will need to ask a professional to do this and I want to make sure the time estimate is accurate. Thank you.

 

Someone who actually owns a S-Type would be better able to give you a reasonable answer.

 

Looking at the instructions the hood does not need to be removed. The problem you may run into is the removal of the wiper blades arms they can at times get stuck to the armature. Other than that it appears to be a relatively simple job.

 

I'd guess an easy couple of hours, with a coffee break in the middle waiting for the silicone to dry.
As Gus says, no need to take the bonnet (hood) off.

 

Izabelle, I agree with the others that some extra sealing sounds to be needed. (It's supposed to be sealed but sometimes it fails, whether heat age or what I don't know.)

You can look the details of the codes up in the codes PDF from the FAQs (get the one for your car era). (Briefly, P0300, P0301 & P0305 are misfires, P1316 is another misfire-related and P1582 indicates specially stored data you can normally ignore.)

You should be able to use a car wash (though I wouldn't LOL) but they do tend to be rather aggressive and find any weaknesses as well as being rough on paint etc.