My year 2000 3.2 litre V6 S Type was running sweet and then the other day on the way to work suddenly started running really rough over 2200 rpm. Also the engine shaped warning light would flash amber too. If I lowered the revs back to 2200 the engine ran smooth again and the light went out. I was away for 2 days (trucker and stay out sometimes) and when I got back I checked the levels and all was ok plus I had a look at the multitude of breathers and other pipes and they all seemed ok. Anyone else had this phenomenon? When I looked in my handbook it helpfully (NOT) said that this warning light is a malfunction indication lamp and I quote "This will only illuminate during the initial lamp check when the ignition is switched on." Sod all help there then. Any ideas?
John

 

It's a sign of ... wait for it ... a malfunction. The car makers hope you'll take your car to them. So why would they put more in the handbook...

Flashing MIL = misfires so bad they're causing cat conv damage.

Yes many have had it and Search would have shown you. Now you can have a look - the threads tell you what to do.

 

Welcome to the forum John,

You will find the following additional information in the Owner's Handbook:



Not essential to use a Jaguar Dealer but necessary to use a code reader or scantool to determine the cause of the MIL.

Please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some information about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see. In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.

Graham

 

Don't be too rough on whoever wrote the handbook. As a former tech writer myself, the marketing department probably had the greatest degree of input.

Handbook shortcomings aside, the light is actually a very useful indicator. If illuminated steadily, it means you've got an issue that needs attention soon, but isn't crisis level yet.

If the light is flashing, that means you've got a critical fault causing overheat damage to the catalytic converters, as previously mentioned. Stop as soon as you safely can. If the light stops flashing at lower speeds, you're generally safe to slowly drive home, but don't ignore the flashing light.

You will need an OBD II code reader, or preferably a scanner, to read the fault codes that have been stored. While an OBD II diagnostic device is pretty much required for working on any newer car (plenty of low cost options, just ask if you'd like more details), many auto parts stores will read them for free. Make sure you get the actual code (P0301, for example) instead of the generic description. Report back with your fault codes and I'm sure we can walk you through a good fix.

 

Almost any parts store (USA) will check engine codes for free. Code readers are $30 up.
Your symptoms look like half dead fuel pump or regulator.