Bad Front Transfer Case
 

Feb 2009 I bought a 2007 X-Type. The car was a loaner by the Jaguar dealership so I figured it would be well maintained. Figured they wouldn't want a loaner breaking down.
September 2009 I took the car in for a oil leak. They discovered the right front axle was pulling out of the transfer case. They had the car almost a month waiting on the new parts.
That's the history. The last few weeks I noticed a howling sound which I thought was coming from the right front of the car. I took it in and sure enough, the Transfer Case that's only 12 months old is bad.
So now I have to wait again for another new Transfer Case.
The only good part of this is this time they gave me a 2006 JX8-L as a loaner. What a drive! Love the car!
I'm not very mechanical. Do all cars have a front Transfer Case? Or it just AWD cars that do?

Sorry to hear, at least its under warranty. Some of us arent so lucky! The word is the transfer case in these cars are the weakest link. Yours should not have went so soon. And no ALL cars do not have transfer cases, just AWD (4X4).

Good luck :)

The loaner the Mercedes dealer used to give us when servicing our C-class always got beat to hell. these loaners are one notch above a rental imo.

in fact i imagine your not "taking it easy" on the 2006 JX8-L :)

Devon, a few things can lead to what you are experiencing. The transfer case (there is not a front and rear transfer case, just a single transfer case in the front of the car to split the power between the front wheels and the rear driveshaft) is a known weak link in these cars. Through normal driving, they can fail. But, if you like to drive the Jag as a sports car, you are only going to quicken the death of the transfer case. That is just the facts of the case. You drive sensibly, you will be fine. You romp on the gas and plan on more repairs like this in the future.

You also don't necessarily live in the best place for a transfer case like this either. Waaga Way (HWY 303) hill can be hard on the transfer case not to mention the other big hills in the area. I know that area all too well. I was just back there in July for my new grandkid and lived for 12 years up near Rolling Hills Golf Course.

I take it you are using the dealership down in Tacoma. How are they treating you? I've heard mixed reviews of them.

Ekrainey
 

You're partly right. The day I got the loaner I was in the fast lane and did do a couple of 70 to 90 mph bursts. But the traffic was to thick for any hard driving.
Other than that day I've been staying at the speed limit.

Thermo,
Thanks for the info on the Transfer Case. I thought it was something like that but wasn't sure.
Jaguar of Tacoma I like. The work they do is good but it appears the parts they get is suspect. They schedule you fast for service work. The worst thing is getting there is crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge. The bridge has the only toll in Washington state and I hate it. In fact except for going to the airport the only time I cross the bridge is getting the Jag worked on.
You're completely correct about the Bremerton area. It's all hills. Every Wednesday I go the back way to the golf course area, up that big hill, to my weekly poker game. I didn't realize the going up and down the hills affected the Transfer Case. I thought it was only high speed or bad weather conditions.
We're going to the coast soon. I was looking forward to drive my Jag to and from but driving the JX8-L should be a lot fun to.
Thanks again for the info.

Devon, it isn't fast speeds or bad weather conditions, it is applying lots of power (face it, the Illahee hill is pretty steep). So, putting your foot into the gas to make it go up at a fairly slow speed can be hard on the transfer case.

As for the bridge, yeah, you are right, paying the toll does suck, but I remember sitting in traffic too waiting to get over the bridge. So, 6 of one, half a dozen of another. Can't win either way.

Going to the coast, where? I loved the time down in Ocean Shores. Used to drive my truck out on the beach and sit there listening to the waves hit the beach. I could sit there for hours. Granted, also saw a lot of cars get caught in the waves because they drove out near the water at low tide and then the tide came back in. After that, I loved running up to Port Angeles and occassionally over to Victoria, BC. I love the small town atmosphere of those places.

Just to let you know, it is looking like next summer I am going to be out that way for my son's wedding. We will have to meet up. He lives right behind the Total Video store there on Kitsap Way.

Thermo,
I understand now about the Transfer Case. There's really I can do except do my speeding on flat ground.
We've rented a house in Pacific Beach. It's about 20 minutes north of Ocean Shores. If the weather is bad we'll go down to Ocean Shores. There's a pizza place we love and the wife likes the casino.
I'd like to meet up with you next summer. Sounds like fun.

Hey Thermo, if you're in the Seattle area, please let me know. I'd like to meet you too!

I think Thermo is on the east coast.