I initially posted this in the wrong place as being a newbie it takes a little time to find my way around. My apologies.

I have a 2.1 litre petrol X-type that has developed a gearbox error message and is now stuck in limp mode.

Our local Jaguar garage has checked the wiring and says it is a error in the gearbox.. A nearby gearbox specialist says that it is not, and will be an electrical problem, leaving me very confused. I have been told that the problem may be the TCM, but nobody other than Jaguar themselves seems to have a matching TCM. Mine is 2x43-72401-JA but the only 2nd hand TCM I can locate has -JC instead of -JA. Is the difference significant? A new TCM seems to be £800+, and the car is only worth twice that, and I cannot be sure that it will solve the problem.
If I fitted the -JC would that matter or would it create problems?
I suppose the only way out is to buy the -JC TCM and try it, and if that does not work return it for a refund.

Any help more than welcomed as nobody in this area seems able to help

 

I know that many here on the forum despise AI answers on any kind of problem.
I, however, check, what AI has to say about it, and decide then by myself, if it makes sense or not.

In this case the AI answer is pretty much, what I would have written as well, thus it saves me the typing:

>>>>>>>>
For Jaguar vehicles, the P1643 diagnostic trouble code indicates a CAN ECM / TCM Network Malfunction, representing a communication fault between the Engine Control Module (ECM) and the Transmission Control Module (TCM). This issue is commonly associated with Jaguar X-Type, S-Type, XJ, and XK models.

Common symptoms include the Check Engine Light and Gearbox Fault Light illuminating, hesitation during acceleration, shifting issues, and restricted performance (such as limited throttle opening or being stuck in a specific gear). In severe cases, the vehicle may experience engine stalling or a no-start condition.

The most frequent causes are:

• Damaged wiring harnesses or corroded connectors between the ECM and TCM.
  
• A faulty Transmission Control Module (TCM), sometimes due to internal water damage.
  
• Low system voltage or a weak battery causing network instability.
  
• CAN bus circuit shorts or open circuits.
  

Repair typically involves inspecting and repairing the wiring harness, cleaning connectors, or replacing the TCM. Professional diagnostic equipment is often required to accurately troubleshoot the network communication failure.
>>>>>>>

THUS: If you go ahead and buy a new TCM (not sure where to get one), you are simply throwing money at the Jag without knowing, what's wrong.
As you can see above, in can be many things, and this includes many different expensive modules.
Note: Any swap of modules comes potentially with issues of non-compatibility - i.e. bigger problems.

I'd definitely start looking at those issues, which are cheap to fix, like:
> Damaged wiring harnesses or corroded connectors between the ECM and TCM.
i.e.: Check cables, check connectors, and don't forget to check ground connections! Check ground connections for corrosion.

And how's your battery doing?
> Low system voltage or a weak battery causing network instability.

It's hard to give an exact voltage, but if you measure anything below 12.7V with engine off on the battery, this might be cause to start wondering, if a low battery could be the root of all evil...
Also: Use at lease 2 different multi-meters to measure the voltage, as a multimeter, with its internal battery being low, could give you also wrong measurements of all kind...

And:
> A faulty Transmission Control Module (TCM), sometimes due to internal water damage.

Can you see any indication of water damage? Water coming thru the windshield?

 

Many thanks. Battery voltage is 12.3 V so that looks like a starter. I just need to find someone with a new battery to try. Now I find that my headlights do not work unless I pull back on the light stalk. I must admit that I am beginning to despair and want to replace the car, which would e a shame.

 

If you don't find a new battery, try a charger. I use CTEK chargers.

> Now I find that my headlights do not work unless I pull back on the light stalk.
Pulling on stalk should be high-beam!?
Sounds like your low beam does not work, just high beam?
Blown bulbs? Or fuses? Or defective relais?

 

Thank you again.
When I try to switch on my headlights only my sidelights work. When I pull the stalk the main beam comes, so it is not the bulb. The fuses look OK but having never tried to change or test them…..

 

I just had a gear box fault and a CAN bus fault code. Knock on wood, it appears it was corrosion in the TCM connector itself. Some mice made a cozy home under my cowl blocking the drainage of water that normally goes down the windshield and through some hollow spots in the front fender/frame out to the ground. Somehow I'm guessing this caused water levels to rise and flow down or wick down to the wiring harness inside the car to the TCM. I did not find the path of the water, I'm basing my theory on the 500 other posts here in the forum of people who had water damage to their TCMs.

My TCM connector is in the pic attached. I had fault code P0720, output speed sensor issue. The upper right circled pins go to the trans out put speed sensor so that made sense. I got in there with a dental pick, tooth pick, and cotton swabs and cleaned up what I could then sprayed it with electrical contact cleaner, sanded the pins very gently with 400 grit sand paper, then electrical contact cleaner again. Electrical contact cleaner on the body side connector as well.

The bottom left circled pins were nearly as corroded but you can't see it well in this picture. Corrosion on these pins was shorting the CAN bus giving me P1606, a similar error to yours.

All told the fix cost me a couple of hours and $0.

 

It still could be the bulbs. I assume you know that even though the light for high AND low beam are originating from the same bulbs, the light for high and low comes from different filaments inside of those bulbs...
Also: Check the relays.

 

Overflowing drains under the front window scuttle can send water down into heater air intake, that inconveniently ends up landing on the wiring harness that is upstream of the TCM module mounted on the left A pillar footwell.
That creates corrosion of the TCM connector which can also in some cases track inside the TCM itself. So it is best to remove TCM, clean connector (both the harness plug and TCM receiver pins) and also open the TCM to check if you have any corrosion that has developed inside on the back end of the pins and can find its way down onto the PC board. That corrosion (between the plug pins and or down onto the PC board) is likely somewhat conductive, causing various faults depending on which pins are affected.

Clean up corrosion with IPA or Meths and a small stiff brush (stiff bristle artist brush or toothbrush) to remove corrosion and if it goes down onto the PC board, check that no surface mounted components have been affected or copper track eaten through. The copper tracks are protected usually by a coloured 'varnish like coating' called solder mask during PCB production, so liquid first has to eat through that to get to the underlying copper tracks, but components and their solder joints are not protected by that unless there was a final clear sealant used to protect the completed assembly.

 

Thank you again. My son-in-law as located the correct TCM from his local scrap merchant and is coming up to try that soon. We shall have a closer look then, although the local dealer found that the wiring seemed clean and good. I am not sure about the 'module in the gearbox' they keep talking about
There is evidence that the drain holes by the windscreen may have been blocked. As the previous owner (my son-in-law's father) lived in Blackpool I did suspect corrosion from sea-water in the air during stormy weather.

It is clear that the full headlamp filaments are OK as when you pull the stalk they come on. It is just that otherwise, when you just switch on the headlights, neither work.

At least I am not without transport as my wife has a Toyota WAV which I call 'the Van'!

Once again, your advice is greatly appreciated.

 

The X-Type transmissions have no 'brains' embedded in their transmissions - unlike the S-Type that had the TCM located inside the transmission.
X-Type TCM is external, mounted on the A pillar in the left footwell, hence it can have overflow water from heater assy wick along the harness and find its way to the TCM.

Pull your TCM, open it up and check for any corrosion growth on backside of connector that can bridge between pins, also any corrosion that made its way down to the PCB.

5 minute job to pull the TCM, and only a few minutes to take the lid off to see if it has corrosion. You can then decide if you can deal with that yourself or take it to a electronics technician for decontamination and repair.

Likely far cheaper and easier to do that than to buy and assimilate a new TCM (which may not be compatible if earlier or later revision), especially if the corrosion is very localised.

 

Yesterday we pulled the TCM, and it was absolutely immaculate looking as if it had just left the factory. We opened it up and everything was absolutely clean. as were all the connections.We did find a blown fuse in the fusebox behind the glove box, and when replaced everything returned to normal (no gear box error, headlights worked) for about a minute before the fuse blew again ( I cannot say which fuse at the moment as my son-in-law is sending me the full details) so it appears that we have a short somewhere. So we have four electrical faults on the vehicle, and on Tuesday I am contacting a Jaguar specialist in Peterborough which I can limp to fairly easily who seem to specialise in these types of problem.
The four faults as I see it are 1) gearbox error caused by ? 2) headlight problems possibly related 3) offside brake light intermittent (was found to be a loose fit but back to off again and 4) offside rear door does not unlock when remotely unlocking the car, but can be opened from inside.
My son-in-law also found the possibility of the backup battery in the alarm system having failed and upsetting the whole electrical system.
A day of high hopes leaves us back to square one, but we have learnt a great deal in the process!

 

relays checked.- no result, but thanks for your help

 

The car is now booked in to Nene Valley Jaguar - in a month's time. Hopefully they will be able to sort it