Check Engine Light
 

Check Engine Light; 2003 X-Type. One Dealer says it needs catalytic converters, but crank is clean and smooth and there is no smoke from exhaust. Could this be a O2 sensor issue? Please help.

I agree due to O2 sensors being a service item that gets forgotton.

The makers, down here, suggest at about the 160K KMS mark, but fuels used etc can shorten that significantly.

I did my Black "S", and it made a huge difference, NO lights, NO codes, NOTHING, just "off song" running, and it had just touched 110K kms.

I also suggest a repost in the X Type tech section, where more model specific answers will flow.

This gives me great hope! Thanks! I just ordered one so hopefully the light goes off. Also, thanks for the specific forum to post. I'm new to this.

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to X-Type forum. This is the place to post technical questions about your model.

The first step in troubleshooting a CEL is to have the codes read. This will tell you what triggered it.

Graham

+1 on Grahams advice. There are 4 O2 sensors and without the codes you wouldn't know which is bad (if any). Also, the light will not go away it must be turned off using the code reader.
So lets step back and start at the beginning and get the codes read and posted and then we can be of help.

Will do. I will get new codes and post them in "X-Type Forum. Thanks to you both for help! ��

Hi Missy

Definitely try to get any DTC codes if you can. The X-Type has been prone to have O2 sensors to fail, occasionally the cat converters. I would be checking the O2 sensors first, if any codes come up for them. If the dealer checks it for you, they should be able to give you a print out of them with the description. As stated before, find out what the codes are first and go from there.

Yes, that is the next step. I just have to see if someone makes house calls to check codes. I can't drive the car because I can't get emissions in order to get tag. I've sod the taxes but I can't go to emissions with check engine light on.

Missy, like the others, start with the O2 sensors. They are fairly cheap and your local mechanic can do them in no time flat. I would say that you really only need to do the upstream ones as those are the ones that seem to give the most problems. Granted, if you have it at the mechanic already, doing all 4 is going to be just a little more. May save you a lot of money in the end.

This is very useful info. I will update the forum after getting new diagnostic and receive codes. I'll have it done at a European shop up the street. They've done impeccable work on the XJ8, so I trust them.

Hi MissyBeeS,
I had a CEL on mine bought it that way, but was told one of the upstream sensors was bad, so used it for about a month, then went to the dealers and scanned it, turned out that 2 of the sensors were bad, so bought the 2 sensors and went back a month later and another code read the 3rd sensor was reading open circuit possibly due to joining wires. From my experience if you gonna change sensors, change in pairs. (Bank 1 (sensor 1 & 2), Bank 2 (sensor 1 & 2)) in my case Bank 1 sensor 2 and Bank 2 sensor 1 was bad, then a month down the line Bank 2 sensor 2 is now reading as opencircuit, so gonna change all 4 sensors next month. Also avoid cutting any wires to fit the sensor plugs, buy direct fit sensors by Denso. Good luck.

This is good advice! From the responses I've been getting I was thinking of replacing all four. I think it would be a better decision also.

Thanks for your help!

A wonky gas cap on my '03 turned on my "Check Engine" several times before I replaced it with a new (Jag) one. It could be just that simple, but a Code Reader will tell the tale. Good luck!

Robert,

Lol! I'm so taken aback by your quotes. They really made a rough day okay now��.
My mom told me that the gas cap "thing" happened to her car, so you may be right about that. I can hardly wait to get these codes. I hope it is something as simple as a gas cap or O2 sensors. We've spent about 8K on the XJ during the past 3 years. I would love to spend less than $100 on fixing the X-Type.

Thanks for your advice.