Hi Jaguar enthusiasts!

I have come across these lovely forums a couple days after I bought a used (really used) 2009 Jaguar X-Type 2.2d with an automatic transmission. It has definitely seen better days - broke down second day I took it home - but that was to be expected according to the price paid for the vehicle and its mileage. It has almost 200,000 miles (320 km) on it!

I need it as a daily (it is my only car at the moment). Please don't tell me the components are out of resources at this stage and it won't live a few more years. Hope that's not the case.

It drove when I tried it out but wasn't worth taking it to a mechanic for a look - just a cheap gamble. As I mentioned above, as soon as I got it registered, it broke down - I get a flashing glow plug light and the engine cuts off. Won't start back immediately (sometimes it might once or twice), but after waiting a few minutes does 50-100 meters then cuts off again. Later it just refuses to start back up until I let the engine cool off. It happened to break close to an auto shop so I had them diagnose it, but they couldn't.

I found a lot of threads here on this forum saying this might be a turbo actuator issue and could be fixed with a bit of Mr. Muscle sprayed in a drilled hole. I'll try that, just waiting for my Mr. Muscle to arrive. They don't have it here in shops (I didn't want to look for alternatives, just go textbook). I told the shop about this but they're not turbo/engine professionals so they couldn't do much. The only thing they did was connect it to a diagnostic tool (which wasn't even Jag certified) and told me something's been done to the ECU, most likely to cover some faults. That terrified me a bit at first, but then after going through these forums for fun, I found that people blank their EGR and do code the ECU not to throw up codes, so hopefully it is that. Plus I think I found a plug next to the EGR disconnected. I believe you can tell that this is my first diesel and I am a bit clueless.

Even if Mr. Muscle fixes the engine cutting out issue - there's more. The idle is very rough and the taking off (from standstill or on roundabouts e.g. slow speed) is jerky. It goes away noticably when warm, but I haven't been able to keep the engine warm as I've noticed the cutting out happens mostly when warm, not when cold. I've also found members indicating to a faulty DMF, but hopefully it is also not that. Won't be able to spend that much on a fix. Maybe it has something to do with carbon buildup? Pardon me, if my guesses are terrible - again, not much of a mechanic and my first ever diesel, too.

Sometimes it feels like it's stuttering at low RPMs while driving, too - before the turbo kicks in around 1800-2000 RPM when it really picks up. I've never pushed the throttle even halfway but still noticeable. Sometimes it feels like it's got a misfire.

And finally, the suspension does feel loose - the steering wheel has play in the middle (very annoying) and there is a squeak coming from the rear right side of the vehicle. I've noticed it's squeaking less when someone's sitting there (maybe weight affecting it).

Thank you for making it this far into my terribly-organized and formulated post. My further questions, besides the four issues raised above would be the following:

• What are the quick and easy fixes/preventative measures I can take? I intend to drive the car as much as possible. I am a perfectionist, but not financially backed. Cheap but good quality work is my goal.
• What parts of the vehicle can be 'cleaned up' easily? Like sensors (MAF)? Can someone help me identify all sensors that I could clean up which would prove to be beneficial?
• Should I use fuel additives with diesel in the tank?
• Would an engine flush be wise to use once I do an oil change (the previous owner did say to change the oil ASAP. I think they've really, really neglected the vehicle when they had it)?
• Last sticker says 5W-30 oil was used, but considering the high mileage and cold weather (currently in Estonia), what oil would you suggest using?
• The top part of the steering wheel airbag cover is tilted up (I believe it's common) and it's driving me mad. Is there a way to bring it down a bit? Maybe anyone had any luck?
• Small patches of the headliner in the back are sagging. Is using a spray aerosol the best way to deal with that?

I would appreciate if anyone could help with any of the above-raised questions. I believe I have asked too much already, so I'll wait on your comments and think of any other issues I might need this great community's assistance with. Thank you all in advance and looking forward to hearing from you!

 

labas, I feel you in the diesel department. I do not get to play with the diesels at all (none were imported to the US). So, pardon me for not talking a lot about the engine. Part of what I am thinking is you need to do a few long, hard pulls to get the exhaust up to temp (say 1000-1100F). you need this to help burn the carbon out of the DPF. The easiest way to do this is to find a long up hill and start at the base as slow as you can go and then floor it and head up the hill for as long and fast as possible. This is going to put some heat into the exhaust. just do this safely and not getting tickets. Getting the exhaust hot will cause the black carbon to burn again and turn into CO2 and free up the exhaust.

As for an oil flush with a detergent, oh boy, that can be a really good thing or it can open up a big can of worms. I would say to remove the oil cap and look down in there. If you can still see the metal of the valve cover and you don't see a lot of build up, then go for it. See a considerable amount of build up, pass on the cleaning. If you are going to do the cleaning, now is the time to do it. Get the engine warm, pour in some of the detergent, drive the car for 10-20 KM and then immediately do an oil change (keep all that you can suspended in the oil). Along these lines, if you are looking at fuel additives, know what fuel the previous owner used. When you go to look at fuel additives, DO NOT!!!!! get the additives from the brand fuel they used. You want something different. If you can find a product like BG44, that would be best (good reviews, not the same as what the fuel suppliers use). It would not hurt to use.

As for the suspension, a good look is going to be your friend. From experience with these cars, you are most likely going to find either the upper control rods are worn and allowing the rear to move or the front/lower arm is loose. Either can be proven by putting your hands on the wheel and checking for play. The other hint will be to have the car unloaded and look at the rear tires. If the tops are leaning in, odds are, your uppers are shot (may also notice some increased wear on the inside edge of the rear tires). For the front/lower arms, take a long sweeping turn and step on the fuel pedal like you were going to pass someone on the curve (do so in the controlled manner). As you step on the gas, did the rear end feel like it was starting to come around on you? If yes, then your arms need replaced. You can also look at the tires and it will appear like the rear tires are pointing towards the center of the front bumper. If these are your problems, lots of write ups on these. The uppers I found a replacement that is much cheaper. Look up "thermo'ed arms".

Hope this gives you something to get the car atleast back on the road in working order.

 

Thermo, thank you for the response, much appreciated. I'll try dealing with the carbon buildup as soon as I can get the car running when warm (once I fix the flashing glow plug issue hopefully with Mr. Muscle spray). Do I understand correctly that you said - if there's visible gunk visible from the oil cap that I should go for the clean, but if I don't see drastic build up, I should let it be?

For the fuel additives, I looked up BG44 and found on their website that BG244 or BG245 is suitable for diesel engines. I believe the BG245 is just a newer version of the cleaner so I'll try to see if I can find that around me and have the Jag drink it up.

As for the suspension, thanks a lot for your suggestion! I did in fact look up your posts from a decade ago and am just amazed at how long you've been active for this community. Kudos for that. Besides the obvious suspension problems I listed in my OP, I did now notice that the top of the rear tyres are indeed pointing towards the center of the front bumper. Once I manage to start working on the suspension, I'll definitely order the Volvo upper arms. Do you think there is a file somewhere where I'd find a list of all components of the suspension, and maybe the part numbers? I would ideally want to overhaul the whole suspension, unless too expensive. Once again, many thanks!

 

labas, yes, you are understanding me correctly. A little build up/discoloration, use the cleaner. But, anything significant (or if in doubt), I would let the oil work it out. Just get the motor hot, pour in the detergent, drive the car for a short drive (10 minutes), make sure to get a few high rev shots in there to help push the gunk out and then do an oil change. You do not want to go too long after the heavy detergent as you are possibly pushing a bunch of sludge into the filter and it will bypass automatically. This will let bad stuff float around inside the engine. hence why I say do a short drive then change.

Asf or the rear suspension, keep looking around, you will find all sorts of part numbers and places to buy the parts from. I have had good luck getting all my parts off of e-bay. But, I have bought some through dealerships that offered discounts for this group (look up the advertisers here). The upper arms will probably cost you $100 for the pair. The forward/lowers will be another $100 for the pair. Where it is going to get costly is getting the large back arms that have the spring perches in them. Those are going to run like $200 a side, but I never had any issues. Worst case, do some looking and see if you can get just the bushings. That will save you a lot of money Then definitely pay to have an alignment done on your car afterwards. But, the write ups that you will find here will give you all sorts of tips and tricks to get things close to where they need to be. This may even take care of a wobble in the front end if you have one.