Howdy all,

I've never owned a Jag, but have always been intrigued by them. I'm currently in the market for an X-Type as a "first Jaguar". I live in MD and the all wheel drive is important to me. We are getting blasted by snow right now as I type this. Plus I've seen a few great deals on lower mileage vehicles.

I've been reading a bit and I think I want a 2004+ 3.0. The 2004+ have the thicker transfer-case housing?

I've test driven 2 X-Types already, a 2002 2.5 and a 2005 3.0. Both vehicles rode nice, but had other, cosmetic issues (chipped wheels, smoker's ash/smell, missing plastic parts, power seats didn't work.) The 3.0 made a rumbling nose that could be felt slightly in the steering wheel at about 50mph. Wheel bearings perhaps?

Regardless, my hunt continues.

I have a lead on a red 2002 xtype 2.5 creampuff. Little old lady drove it only 2000 miles a year. Garage kept, never saw rain, snow, food, pets or smoke. Pristine condition, but I'm concerned about the t-case issues of the earlier models. Anyone have experience with the t-case leaking and then locking up?

Thanks all.

- Ryan

 

The old style transfer case is just fine as long as you take care of it. Drag racing, drifting, etc. are not recommended. The new style isn't a thicker housing per se it is a complete design change that relies on the braking system to transfer(or limit) power.


I wouldn't pass up the cream puff just because of the T-case. I ride mine hard without problem.

 

I've had mine for around six months. It's a '02 2.5. I don't drive it hard because I'm paranoid the transfer case will explode. But it's been a good car overall. Nice on the freeway at 70 mph all day. The seats can be a little uncomfortable if your 'ahem' a little portly! They are bucket seats and the sides can't be adjusted. It drives a little hard. With all the 4WD stuff and the low profile tires, don't expect an XJ8 ride. An S-Type has a far better ride in my view. And you can pick one of those up for just a few k more.

I've had problems with the brakes. My ABS light was on the day I bought it and it's still on today. I replaced the rotors, pads, fluid. Both front speed sensors are ok. Shame I cant just remove the bulb!
Also you have to run 93 octane. Mine went into limp mode the first time I filled it up with 87.

The plastic parts are all very fragile. The rear shelf has a lot of parts that just crack as soon as you touch them. Also I had to replace the front demister vents which were cracked.

The sound system has weak points also. The antenna is the rear heated element in the window. If you don't have a super strong signal and turn on the rear demister you may lose what you are listening to. Also it's a fibre-optic system. Meaning you can't just splice anything into it. So after market amps, ipod players, and such are out of the question. I have the Jag kit to listen to my iPhone. Thats over $400, if you can still find one.

It's not a performance car. It's a Ford sedan. It looks classy. Most people think I have an expensive luxury car. And thats ok! But you can't beat much off the line. My wife's V6 Ford Escape has a better 0-60 time.

But that all being said, it's a nice looking, nice to drive sedan, that'll get positive looks and comments wherever you go. Listen to noises comming from underneath. Also if you can find a manual (stick) go for one of those. I've read that the automatic transmission was recalled back in the early 00s.

Oh, and I have to have my oil pan gasket changed. It's a $700 + job. Nothing's cheap when you get a Jag!

Discuss?

 

Ahoy people, it's 20% Ford and 80% Jaguar. An S-Type shares 40% of its parts with the "luxury Ford" Lincoln LS, so the X-Type is "more Jaguar" than the S-Type ;P

I might vote for the little old lady, as people who keep their cars in great condition typically have cars that are in great condition. The gentleman I bought mine from had even kept the tires filled with nitrogen rather than air.

From a Jaguar service training guide on MY2004 changes;
"The only change to the AWD system is the deletion of the viscous coupling. Any difference in traction between the front and rear wheels is now handled by the DSC system."
The same guide does however mention that the driveshaft is different (but backwards compatible), now being crash-collapsible and having a "notable change to the center bearing".

To my knowledge the VC-equipped cars are way superior to the later models when the going gets tough. Mine is a tank in the winter; I point it in a direction and it just goes there. I drove off the road once to avoid a collision (couldn't brake in time due to slushy icy road), ended up a few meters deep into a pile of slush and just reversed out as if on dry tarmac.

The only transfer case issue I've had was a leak in the rear output shaft seal, which the local independent Jaguar shop fixed with a Jag-certified sealant kit. The leak looked pretty bad, but they said it was because it's in the shaft seal so it squirts a tiny amount of oil all around the underbelly. Despite the dramatic appearance, in reality just a spoonful or two were missing. They also told me that they haven't heard of any re-sealed transfer case developing a leak in the seal.

 

You are just getting fringe snow. Out here in the Shenandoah Valley we are in snow central. I have only had TJ a month or so and have been waiting for this.

I just returned from a run to my local country store. I live at the top of a steep long grade. TJ came up it with 6+ inches of snow like it was dry pavement. This reaffirmed my decision to go with a manual transmission. An automatic probably would have done it but I felt so much more in control, comforting.

Within a week of purchasing the vehicle, I drained and filled the transmission, transfer case, and differential. Got to have a well lubed drive train. They were all as they should be except the transfer case. What drained out was nowhere near what it should have been. Not real dirty, just not as much as there should be. I did the jack one side of the car up 20 inches for the refill trick. It seemed to use just about the right amount out of the bottle.

 

By nowhere near what it should have been, I assume you took into consideration that it can't be completely drained?
"Draining the TC by drain plug removal can leave up to 200 ml of dirty oil behind." - Thread here

 

I got rid of most of it by jacking the passenger side up 20 inches with the drain plug open. I had read that thread so took remedial action. I wanted to end up with really fresh fluids.

 

Alright ^^

I had the fluid changed right after I bought to car. The previous owner was a more "spirited driver" than I am (he had an Audi R8 too), but the shop said the drain plug magnet had almost no metal chips on it at all, apparently indicating good health.

They won't really explode if you sometimes drive a bit hard, I'd say. My idea of a "hard" acceleration is shifting up at 3500rpm instead of 2000rpm, so my transfer case might just outlive me...

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I still have to go see the 3.0 with 37k miles. It has the nav system, which I like.

I don't think an S-Type would cut it for me. I want the AWD. Plus, I'm partial to the styling of the X-Type.

I test drove a 3.0 VDP model with 51k on it the other day. That's the one that that was making a rumbling noise at 50+ mph. I also noticed that there appeared to be water damage around the interior windshield frame. The fabric was wrinkled and discolored. The plastic defrost vents on the dash under the windshield were missing the plastic buttons to hold them in place. They rattled like hell over any bump. Definitely not the car for me, but I'm getting a better understanding of what to look for as I hunt.

This will be my daily driver. My commute to work is 0.9 miles, so, with other trips added in, I'll be driving about 1000 miles a month. I also have a motorcycle for fair weather riding. My fiance has a 2012 Elantra Limited, which is beautiful. That will be our long-trip vehicle. I just hope my taste for Jags doesn't bite me in the end by putting me in an unreliable car.

 

EDIT: This second 3.0 (with nav) is different than the first, which had the water damage and rumbling noise. I am passing on the first.

Anyone know if the nav-equipped vehicle also came with bluetooth, or are those two options independent of each other?

Thanks again.

 

They are independent, just as phone and bluetooth are from each other. Mine has satnav but no bluetooth or phone. I like the satnav mostly because it's an about 7" touch display which freshens up the interior quite a bit, but the satnav functionality itself is easily beaten by any cheap TomTom or such.

The plastic defroster vents do quite commonly pop out when temperature changes. I glued mine down with silicone after buying it and haven't had issues with them since. If you glue them down, use silicone instead of glues because that way they are still easy/possible to take off in one piece should it become necessary.

 

The small plugs for the vents are easily obtained. Less that $2 easy, and pop in easily and securely.
Bluetooth is available but you have to install it yourself. Probably with the ACM (iPod) kit. You are looking at upwards of $500-$600 for the complete system.

 

Great feedback guys. Do Jag owners change out to an aftermarket nav/head-unit? Or is it too much tear-down to install?

I know I can get a Pioneer, Kenwood, etc, that already has Bluetooth built in. If that were the case, I wouldn't have to search for a vehicle that already had nav as a factory option.

Still learning my options. Thanks,

 

My version of a nav system is a TomTom Ease in the glove box. It is there when I need it but out of the way when I don't.

 

Prior to purchasing my Jag X-Type 2.5 ('03) I test drove many. I was going for solid car with little to no loose trim pieces, clean engine, clean interior and value. In my opinion if you purchase one, say as old as '03, '04, '05 and you don't know the service history, take care of the basics: spark plugs, transmission fluid/service, filters, getting the bettery checked for starting/cranking AMPs, having the radiator fluid checked. I gave myself a budget (so much for the car and so much for repairs and was prepared mentally to sell the car and be thankful for the ownership experience). Another quirky part of the Jag X-Type are the fluid caps in the engine bay. Some I drove had cracked or missing caps. Please note that the coolant reservior cap DOES NOT SCREW OFF. You need to pry it off. Also, when looking, check the level of the fluid. Some vehicles has very little fluid in the reservior tank. Also, make sure that you purchase extra lug nuts and the special wrench/socket for the lug nuts. Very important! Good luck with your hunt. Bill

 

Thanks Bill. Great advice! Few questions:

1. Are the chrome corner caps on the bumpers hard to replace? Seems most of them are cracked or flaking.

2. One 3.0 I'm about to look at has a gold pin stripe down each side. I personally can not stand pin stripes. Will they come off easy?

3. Do the rear headrests come out? The 2002 I looked at seemed like they were adjustable, but not release-able. I will be carrying band gear (guitars, amps, cabinets) in the car and will have the rear seats down a lot.

Thanks,

 

1. You need to remove the bumpers (the plastic covers, not the real bumpers inside) to remove them. Download the workshop pdf for (a lot) more information.

2. Pin stripe? Sounds like a sticker?

3. I've never tried to remove mine, but my seats fold down without removing the headrests. If you keep the front seats all the way back, it might not work. BTW, fold-down rear seats were an option and they can't be retro-fitted afterwards. Make sure the car you like has them.

 

Looking at the pix of the open trunk, I can see the 60/40 split, where the champagne leather wraps around to the rear. I also think I can see the two release knobs in the trunk. I'm confident that this car has the folding seats.

Yes, the pin stripes are vinyl stickers. I'm wondering if the paint will not match where the sticker was covering it, protecting it from the sun. It's British Racing Green.

Thanks.

 

Two other smaller items to be aware off.

Lug nuts. If just one on each wheel is domed then these are security devices. There should be a key to fit them stored just insde the trunk on the passenger ( USA) side. It has a special plastic moulding to hold it.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...storage-85436/

Keys. Certainly in the UK there should be a minimum of two fully working keys. If not then it may cost Big $$$ for such a small item.

 

I don't know about any chrome corner caps. My '03 does not have them. The head rests should release by pressing on the button at the base. Pin stripes? Not sure. None on my vehicle. Thanks!