Hello all,

I recently just purchased (facilitated the purchase of) a 2003, 2.5l auto X-type with 73,000 miles from a dealer auction in upstate New York.

As such I was not given an opportunity to really drive the car before I purchased it. I understand that these cars do not have the greatest reputation, however the price was right and the girlfriend (who's car and money it is) loved it. And man, does she look sexy in black...(the car)

After receiving and driving the X, I have two concerns I was really really hoping someone could possibly shed some light on to help me sleep better. Coming from an Audi background, I have no previous experience with any Jags or the ford mill that's in it. I am certainly no mechanic, however I am fairly handy and have access to a garage and just about any non jag-specific tools, which is good, since I am the one who's doing any wrenching when the thing needs work.

1. The transmission. When driving with the gear indicator set to "D", the car accelerates normally until around 60 mph when the transmission shifts into 5th gear. At this point the car cruises nicely, however it will not shift down in order to accelerate or pass no matter what position you put the throttle in. This can't be normal right? Banging the gear selector over to "4" at this point provides a clean smooth downshift to 4th that allows for some acceleration, but the car wont seem to downshift on its own until its ready to stall out.

2. The Sport Button (of Doom). I read in the manual that pressing the sport button changes the shift points in the transmission. Great. Hoping to solve problem number 1, when we were at a red light and I had my foot on the brake with the car in "D" I pressed the "sport button" in the center console.

At this point between between (approximately) 900-1000 warning lights flashed throughout the car. It was like an EMP bomb went off. I mean everything from the ABS light to the transmission and check engine lights to the stability control (DSC), airbag, battery and low washer fluid lights (making that last one up) started flashing. The car immediately went into "limp home mode" (BTW I really cannot believe that the owners manual actually calls it that) and I was able to pull through the intersection and into a parking lot.

I shut the car down and then tried to start it up again, which took about ten tries. Once it started up again and I had told my passenger "Don't push that button" everything seemed normal except that it told me the cruise control was unavailable (unavailable; wtf? broken? Absent from the car? Away on vacation?). After driving for 20 minutes and turning off the car and then back on again the cruise works fine. What gives? Anyone else had problems like this before?

Please if anyone has experience with these things, let me know. While it isn't my car, it is my knuckles and it is my car driving her bottom to work while my knuckles are bleeding. We purchased the car for two thousand dollars below the KBB. Are these problems normal and correctable or costly to repair and perhaps I should run away (from the car).

Thank you very much in advance.

- Kyle

 

Oh also.... In general the steering has a very heavy, while still smooth feel to it, compared to my A6... and just about any other car I've driven. I wouldn't say difficult or problematic, just seems heavy, I have never driven one of these before, would anyone describe the steering this way?

Thanks again,

Kyle

 

steering on these cars is heavier than most. they feel similar to volvo fwd cars 1994 and newer. I bet you need to replace the battery. I had all kinds of oddities which went away after replacing the battery. some of the codes I got were not even documented. this is a guess because the car is new to you and auctioneers just put a quick charge on stuff to move it.

 

Jeremy has a good suggestion. That and actually seeing what codes were stored when the CEl light up. Might just be coincidence...

 

Thanks guys you're all right, I will definitely get a new battery (92 I believe) and have her plugged. Also anyone have this issue with the transmission? I really feels like it is not acting properly, although when it does shift it is smooth.

 

As was stated get yourself a battery and get that alternator checked. Auto auctions are murder on cars. I know I spend a couple of years at the original Manheim AA. Read up on transfer case fluid changing here, come up with a method and get at that, also plugs are probably close to shot. Congrats on the car! They're the cream of the bargin used car market imo.

 

How do you know if you have a sport model? The car is equipped with very nice 17" jag wheels that look way better than the 10 spoke ones that I see on most early x-types.

What else was different besides the wheels? The car has the sport button but I think they all do, also in the interior the wheel has the wood trim on it and the out side of the seats are covered in alcantara

 

Easiest way to tell is does your car have chrome on the outside bumpers? if not then it is a sport i believe.

 

Yes, the quickest way to tell if it is a Sport model is having the bumper guards the same color as the car and not chrome and also having a black grill as opposed to a chrome one. You mention alcantara on the OUTSIDES of the seats. In 2005 one of the interior trim options was leather on the outsides of the seats with alcantara in the center portions of the seats and backrest as well as the door inserts. Yours might have been done by the previous owner as an aftermarket add on as it did not come standard that way. Plus, that was not even an option when your car was new. You state yours is a 2.5. I'm not sure if the Sport package was available for the 2.5 version in 2003. I'm sure someone could chime in about that. Might be just the previous owner was doing a few things to personalize it to his tastes.

 

Yeah, I guess I am not sure, it has body color (black) inserts in the front and back bumpers, a black lower grill(s) and a chrome upper grill, it has the 17" wheels and alcantara on just the insides of the front seats (like where they would touch the center console. The seats are definitely not something after market, although I suppose they could have come from a different model year car, the car only had two owners and the last one was a woman in her fifties.

 

Ok so just got it plugged at a trusted euro car mech.

Car spit out 17 codes (while no check engine light on). Awesome.

Most nearly all related to CAM bus issues.

Mech told me he thinks my TCU is on its way out. (He also said when the different control modules go on these cars they tent to interfere with each other even if the other ones are not malfunctioning independently, causing all sorts of codes to come out).

This makes perfect sense to me since the car wasn't shifting correctly at highway speeds (issue 1) and the car freaked out when I pressed the sport button (issue 2).

He reset all the codes and none came back when he restarted the car. He said mechanically the car was in great shape and other than a stuck open evap valve (impeding the emissions inspection) and the TCU everything looked good.

Has anyone here replaced a transmission control module? Any ideas how much they cost? Is there a better place to get one than a DDDDDDealership?

Please let me know, I know with Audis you can get an improved TCU for half the price of what a dealer wants for an OEM one...

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

OK so I used the forum and my brain and it seems that a new TCM is $850+tax and you must take your car to the dealership to have it programmed. Lame.

So what I have not been able to find out for sure is if you must buy a new one. Can I find a used TCM from and auto box 2003 2.5 X-type and install that one? Does the year matter?

 

Try contacting some of our Vendors who also happen to be DEALERS .....or at least some of them are!

They have helped many members with parts usually at very reasonable prices........its only a phone call!!

Good luck

 

Banned? Really? My apologies.... technically I'm a "dealer" too, but we all knew what I was really referring too...

 

Did you put in the new battery yet? I swear I had about 6 codes magically resolve themselves with the battery replacement.

 

Sound like the throttle body to me.

 

The black upper grill was standard on the Sport models, but it's not uncommon to change that out for a mesh grill.

As for the seats, you mean they are leather in the center section (where your butt goes) and on the side bolsters on the outside of the seats closest to the doors, yet the side bolsters closest to the center console are only alcantara? If so, that had to be something one of the previous owners did to personalize the car. The stock leather/alcantara was alcantara center with leather on the outsides of the seats. You have nay pictures as my curiousity is now piqued.

 

Yes, this is exactly what I mean. I will take pics as soon as I am home from the new years. The entire seat is is black leather except for the inside part that touches the center console, that is dark grey/charcoal like alcantara. The stiching on it is absolutely perfect, like you'd except out of the factory, that's why I didn't think it was aftermarket, but seems now like it probably is. Seems like and odd customization to me. Will post pics mOnday. Also just got a obd 2 for Christmas so will get a new battery and plug the car asap

Thanks

Kyle