Hello and good evening (or good morning) everyone.
I am new to the forum so please go slow on me.

I am a new proud owner of a 2000 Jag S-Type 4.0 V8.
Had the car for about a week now and I just love it.
Got a few problems with it and need some advice.
I have got a seized caliper slide on the driver side (UK), how hard would this be to fix? Is it an easy fix or should I just get a new one on eBay? Also would changing the seized caliper slide sort out the DSC System Failure light that currently is constantly on?

The second and more serious matter is the white smoke coming from the engine.
Have been on a semi long trip last weekend and covered just over 300 miles, with no problems what so ever. I then took the car out for a spin with a friend of mine to show him what the V8 was all about... ;o7 after coming back from a 15 min ride I got a lot of white/grey smoke coming out from under the hood.
We opened the hood and it smells like burnt rubber/plastic. The engine cooled down and it stop smoking. Next day I drive another 154 miles and nothing... I then took it for a spin 3 days ago and gave it all I could, and as clockwork the white smoke was back. It seems like it only smoke when I really push it hard.
I have checked under the hood and I have found some fresh oil on the rear of the head on the driver side.
The coolant level is the same and the oil is NOT milky etc, it just seems to leek oil when its under very high pressure.

On the most recent service invoice it states "Slight engine oil leak noted round rear main oil seal and rocker covers, this may foul the spark plugs and coils units, leading to ignition faults (this might be the reason why the car is a bit slow started)" Did I jump the gum buy buying new head gaskets on eBay (got 2 brand new Payen gaskets for £42.00)?
If it is the head gaskets? How easy of a fix is this as a DIY job and would I need and "Special" tools? Would I really need to take of the timing chain etc???

Would it be a more simple solution to this problem. (Please do not tell me to try Steel seal or blue devil etc. This might be a good thing to do on a Corolla or a Fiesta but not on my £££££ 305bhp Jaguar 4.0 V8...)
Is there a gasket above the head gasket? Like a valve/ cylinder gasket that could be leaking?

Please let me know of your thoughts asap.

I'll film the change and take some pictures if this is something I might be able to do my self. :O)

Thanks for reading.

 

The leak is from the valve covers (the black plastic ones) that are on top of the head. I had to replace my 2001 4.0 valve cover gaskets because they were leaking. On each cover there is the main gasket around it, four for spark plugs, two center seals and a VVT seal.

Whilst at it, replace the plastic secondary chain tensioners (unless already replaced), they are known to break.

I did this all as DIY. Not too difficult, just a bit tedious because of the limited access to some of the bolts. And that was the first time ever I did anything to a car engine.

 

If you know how, or read up on the net how, then yes I'd work on the caliper. Just be sure you know what you're doing as - to state the obvious! - it's a vital part of the safety systems.

 

@ tot, I will try to refund the head gaskets and swap them for a "rocker" gasket kit or what ever it might be called :O)
I am quite hand and technical so it should not be that much of a problem. (touch wood) The timing chain was changed in Feb 2010, surely as a authorized Jaguar garage the would have changed the "old crap" plastic secondary chain tensioners when they changed the chain? But the big question is, would I have to remove the timing chain to change the head gaskets? If so is there a simple way to do this without having to re-time it etc. Like mark the chain and the tension wheel where it is when I start the work. It shouldn't be able to move that much during the change?

@ jagv8, to state the obvious! - as I a said in my first post, the caliper slide is "seized" i.e. not working. So at the moment I am only braking with 3 brakes. I don't think anything I would do would make it worse? It most be as simple as try to free the "slider pegs" and clean them up and to apply some "Loctite C5-A ANTI-SEIZE COPPER" and then put them back. Will be changing both the rotors and the pads as soon as I saved up a bit of dough.

 

I don't have your calipers so can't say for sure but usually stripping down is obvious if you're as competent as you say.

I would not assume anything was done by a garage without evidence / a reason........

 

You would think that they would have been changed but who knows?
You're going to have the covers off anyway so it's easy to see what is there, there are three flavours of tensioner, you want to have the third generation.

 

Off topic, sry.

Congrats jagv8, I just noticed the Moderator stamp. lol

 

Thank you. Not used to it yet lol