This is the insane Cary dealership from whom I purchased our S-Type in December 2008. As I've stated many times before on this forum, the dealership in Greensboro (Bob Dunn Jaguar) charges about half of what this Cary dealership does for parts and service. It is easily worth the drive to Greensboro, and that's where I go if I need dealership-only parts....

I will also vouch for Rick. We've exchanged many PMs here and talked multiple times on the phone about various maintenance and repair issues. He's an extremely competent shade-tree mechanic and will bend over backwards to assist you. He's done the spark plugs, upper intake manifold gaskets, IMT O-rings, oil pan gasket, and a complete ZF pan/filter/sleeve/fluid change on his S-Type, all of which may be in your future if you keep your car....

A local independent shop with a good reputation is Flying Circus English Cars in Durham (right off the Durham Freeway). You may want to give them a call and discuss your situation if you cannot arrange a trip to Rick's house....

 

MAF codes will get thrown the moment there is unmetered air (the car cant really detect a vaccum leak well, but it CAN determine due to pre and post cat o2's what the mixture looks like, if the amount of air metered doesn't match the amount of air present, the ecu likes to blame the MAF). People tend to forget that a vaccum leak (especially at the intake manifold) is allowing the car to suck in unmetered air.

The mixture is leaning out, and the car is not dumping enough fuel. Missfires are due to detonation. That's why the car is restricting performance. Cause it's afraid you're going to hurt the motor if you rev the **** out of it. So it keeps the engine in a range where it can retard timing, and add extra fuel to compensate for the extra air.

And YES, the emissions will be in excess of what they are supposed to be. Therefore that code will get thrown.

As long as the car physically finds all the gears the J-Gate can bus fault isnt that big a deal.

This whole post started out as where can I find a used transmission. It's not the trans that's causing you issues, it may be low on fluid cause of the leaks, but take it easy and it will be fine.

You have a vacuum leak and a bunch of fluid leaks. Basic stuff. Just with a lot of fancy electronics to scare you. In the old days the car would just run like crap, and people would say it's time for a tune up. That's all you're doing here too.

Despite the dealers and some repair shops trying to scare people, "check engine" means just that.. CHECK it... It doesn't mean do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars, if you use your car it's going to self destruct.

Personally I'd do all the plugs and the coils on the side under the manifold. Plugs don't like getting run lean.

If anyone wont rip you off, take care of your car and tell it to you straight it's going to be Rick.

Take care,

George

 

ok...I'm willing to risk driving it to Charlotte, but I'm just waiting on Rick to give me a price

 

Joel you have 2 PMs (personal messages).

 

Rick's gonna charge me $750 for labor and I'm gonna spend aroun $800 on parts. What do y'all think?

 

Knowing what's involved time-wise and hassle-wise in the multiple repairs you're about to embark on, I'd have to say that you are getting a hell of a deal from Rick....

Do the math - your final cost will be about one-third of what the local dealership quoted you. And I guarantee you that Rick's work will be far more thorough and meticulous than what you would get at that dealership (I know it well - I purchased our S-Type there)....

Be sure to get under the car with Rick as much as he will allow. You'll learn a vast array of skills that will serve you well as you maintain your vehicle going forward....

 

I think you know what we think.... Again, consider yourself very lucky to be within access to Rick...

So.... over 4 grand vs 1550, hmmm...I don't think a mechanic anywhere in the country will touch that...

 

Here's what you should do here:

Step 1: Um.. Run don't walk to your nearest ATM, Withdraw, $850.

Step 2: Put the $750 in your pocket for Rick.

Step 3: Find the nearest liquor store, purchase 2 cases of bud light or other equivalent cheap beer. $40. Buy a foam cooler and a couple bags of ice to chill said beer on the way down. $10.

Step 4: Find a tobacco shop, go in and ask for Macanudo Hampton Courts. $6-7 each. Buy 3 or 4 (more if you enjoy cigars as well).

Step 5: Tell Rick the Macanudos were my recommendation.

Step 6: Consider yourself Damn Lucky.

Oh and tell Rick that I want a damn oil pan gasket DIY this time!!!!!

Seriously that's a no brainer.

EDIT: Also buy a six pack of Samuel Adams Octoberfest, or Boston Lager. Give them to Rick and tell him I said this is what beer is supposed to taste like

Take care,

George

 

One other thing - Rick likes to work on cars in his bathrobe, so you may want to bring yours along. And pay no attention to the gnomes....


(I'm just yanking your chain, Joel. Rick will explain....)

 

LOL I was going to add another step to my list of bring sunglasses to avoid looking at Rick in his bathrobe but I figured it was too inside a joke!!

Take care,

George

 

JC, in comparison...I can't leave my independent jag shop for less than $300 on any given occassion. $300 for a shock replacement, $400 for an oil line replacement, $350 for a power steering line replacement, $1600 for both rear wheel bearings... I think for the list of items you have there, you are getting a heck of a deal, and the knowledge you'll gain in the teardown and reinstall by assisting Rick in the repairs is not something you can even put a price on. You'll gain a ton of confidence in your ability to do future maintenance, like plugs, coolant flushes, transmission flush (which I STILL don't know how to do, nor will attempt unless someone shows me first), diagnosing the vacuum/air system, etc.

I think you'll get more value than you realize from this short trip to Ricks <- good guy BTW, never a single complaint or unprofessional behavior reported to us or witnessed by the moderator team. You're in good hands.

 

Awww shucks guys! I would quote you all but, I will thank you instead!

 

After a few conversations with Joel (pleasant young man), it seems that he and his father have decided to trade the vehicle in. They are afraid that with having 90+ miles on it that its going to turn into a money pit.

The break down on that sevenfiddy ($750.00 labor) if anyone cares :
$500.00 engine work:
plugs
coils
new vacuum lines
oil pan gasket
air cleaner filter
cabin filter
IMTs

$250.00 transmission work:
Fast Eddies lift rental $100.00
sleeve
pan/filter
drain & fill

I thought it was a good deal for both parties as I believe it could all be done in 1 1/2 days. Joel even has a brother living very close to us where he was going to spend a night or two.

Oh well.......

 

Someone's going to get a car with fairly cheap work needing doing considering what nice cars they are

Wonder how much the trade in value is/was.

 

I couldn't agree more jagv8! I had explained that to them, that it is far less money to replace all the above, (plus I would have gone through the vehicle top to bottom and front to back). I did not want to convince them to keep it, but I did stress how reliable the Duratec motor and ZF transmission is. Ultimately it is their decision.

TBH, I am thinking of finding out what the trade in is going to be and maybe offer a bit more. Perform the work needed and make a couple of bucks!

 

Exactly Rick!

I saw that one coming... I'm actually going to paste part of a PM that I sent to Jon Yesterday regarding the dealership and it's antics...

"Bills like this for these things are the reason these cars get traded in, Guy takes a car in, gets a 4k bill for a car worth maybe 8-9k. (EDIT: At the time I didn't know it had 90k+) Goes to autozone, gets the codes cleared, (or doesn't even bother) and trades it in.

Walks away with a new different car, and a terrible taste in his mouth for Jaguars.

Then someone like me, you or Rick buys it, and gives it the love it needed."

Rick if it goes in check engine / restricted performance My call - 3800-4200 trade in.

Take care,

George

 

Kelleys:

Trade In:
Good- $6,525.00
Fair- $5,150.00

Private Party:
Good- $7,550.00
Fair- $6,620.00

I have emailed Joel this morning to let me know what the dealer will be offering them and then give me a call.

 

No dealer who plans to stay in business for more than a week will buy @ kbb.

You need galves, black book, or mmr (manheim market report).
Galves and black book are averages of what the cars did at auction last week, used to be paper but most are smartphone apps now. Manheim market report is manheim (who runs 90% of the usa's wholesale auto auctions) site which lets you see actual sales by area.

The other thing is how much they are going to bang him for the known flaws. If he's honest about the list the car needs, they are gonna offer him 2500 for it. I'll get you an MMR price via PM Rick.

Take care,

George

 

Thanks George! I am not new to what you have mentioned above. I agree NO dealer will go near the kbb reference prices.

Joel had posted some pics of the vehicle awhile back, it appears to be cosmetically "good condition". Time will tell on their response as well as Joyces and myself.

 

Alright, first of all, I still have my car and I haven't traded it in yet. Me and my dad are searching for cars and haven't found any results yet. With this car being my first car, I don't know what my second car should even be. I've asked my friends and they all suggest me stuff like Hondas or Toyotas, which are not my taste at all. I'm trying to figure out what's the wise thing to do here. I could possibly be changing my mind and wanting it to be fixed, I just don't know right now. I just wanna do what's wise. Rick's price is one heck of a deal to repair it, but I never know what would likely happen in the future with keeping this car. It's just so hard to decide, and even hard to decide what kind of car to get instead. If over $1,000 was spent on repair for it just from May of last year til now, than this whole thing showed up, I don't know what to do anymore. I'm pretty sure even if I took it to Rick to get it fixed, he might find more issues as well. Every couple months there's a new surprise of some sort of damage within my Jaguar. One thing gets fixed and something else gets ruined.