Hi Guys,

A couple of weeks ago my X-Type went into limp mode, and would not go above 3000rpm. Thankfully she is a manual so I could still safely make reasonable speed to get her home.

I had not changed the plugs at the last service, so went straight to the front bank, and changed the three there - I looked at the back three and concluded lots of pipes and connnections to break so rather than risk anything needing the car daily currently so have left them for the moment..

The front plugs came out dark rust coloured with huge gaps of 2 or 3mm so am pretty sure it was misfiring and threw the code as a result.

Whilst I do still need to sort the back plugs when I get up the gumption to go in there, she is now running fine, but the engine management light is still up and refusing to go away even a couple of weeks after the event..

Is there (available in UK - ideally ebay :-)) a code reader that will read all Jaguar codes I am likely to need that you guys would recommend at a good price? As then I can read this code off and clear it - assuming now that she is running smoothly again the code will remain gone..

Many thanks

 

Steve, have an android based cell phone? If so, look up on e-bay something called an "ELM 327 bluetooth device". This will plug into your OBD port and it will sink with your phone via bluetooth. You download a free app called "Torque" and it will talk with the car and let you see real time data, codes, and a bunch of other stuff. The app is free and for your year car, you should be able to get the ELM unit for under $20 (USD). Just make sure to get one specific to your year car. There are 2 different styles out there and I am not sure if the newer style will work on your car (these normally run about $40 USD and are good on cars from 2005 and newer from my experience).

 

Hi Thermo, Many thanks for that.. I have been looking around e-bay and most seem to either not list Jaguar or talk about newer models .. I have found this one... Mini ELM327 V1.5 Bluetooth ODB2 Car Scanner Torque Android Auto Scan Tool TYPE C | eBay which looks like a contender...
Is this likely to be correct for my 02 X-Type?

 

Steve, yes, the V1.5 and V1.6 will work for your car.

 

Hi Steve,
I recently got one from UK e-bay,'TORQUE ANDROID Super Mini ELM327 V2.1 OBD2 OBDII Bluetooth Adapter Auto Scanner' it claims to be SAE J1850 PWM compatible but wouldn't connect to my 2001 2.5 x-type.
For under a fiver I'll just pass it to someone with a more modern car, but if you find one that works I would appreciate the link.

 

Thermo,
Will this read fuel pressure as well?

 

jarrod, yes, it will read the fuel pressure that the computer is seeing. So, as long as your fuel pressure sensor is working, it will read it.

 

Awesome thanks

 

Just to let you know I ordered this : & I will let you know when it arrives and how I get on with it....

Currently the MIL light is on permanently, unlike previous occasions where it has gone out after a few days.. I'm still sure changing half my plugs has fixed it as she is running fine again otherwise.. but I will know more one I have accessed the codes.

And before you comment - yes I am just pricing up the cost of my service parts and will be taking my life in my hands when I do the service, and accessing the rear bank of plugs that have got to be in the same state as the ones I pulled out of the front.. :-)

 

OK guys,
The dongle as I call it has arrived and I have my android s/w on my phone.. my only remaining query is where is the port on a UK right hand drive X-Type?
Many many thanks in advance

 

Maybe at the same location as the LHD ones but on the other side? If so then look in the drivers foot area, right behind the dash and next to the kick panel,

 

That's correct.

 

Hi Guys,
Well the good news is it arrived today - then after 3 days waiting for the post I spent quite some time with every android app I could find, all connecting to the device, but not seeing any codes.. I finally loaded ODB AutoDoctor on my works laptop and it tld me I had a v2.1 device NOT the v1.5 device I ordered - hence no go.. sigh... so tonight I'll raise it with Amazon as an issue and I'll let you know how I go... the engine management light is starting to get to me now :-)

 

Hi Steve,
Sorry to hear that your experience is the same as mine.. I gather that there are a lot of 'copied' ELM devices around.
I'm no expert, but I am sure that in some threads on the forum it has been suggested that if you disconnect the battery for a while it will clear the 'legacy' codes (which had occurred but are not currently a problem)?
If the problem appears to have been cured (as your 1st post suggests ) but the code is still present maybe that might clear it? I'm sure someone with more knowledge than myself will be able to advise if it will work.
Mind you, you will need to re-enter the Radio code and to re-calibrate the windows if you try it.

 

And ECU forgets all the corrections for sensors.
If you have fixed the cause then it should clear itself, if it hasn't cleared it's a good idea to read the codes just to make sure there isn't anything else wrong.

 

Well, it's about 3 weeks now since the management light first came on... previously has only ever stayed on for 3 or 4 days - so yes I am curious and have so far only changed the front plugs so suspect the back plugs are giving an issue still maybe - but shes not entering limp mode so I am OK...
Meanwhile I contacted Amazon, and have now ordered this one: Should be with me Wednesday - I'll let you know if this one works :-)

 

Hi 3lvis,
I have only had my x-type for about 4 months, when I got it it had a new battery fitted, I thought this was a good thing given the importance of a good battery on the majority of forum posts, although I had to to re-enter the radio code and re-learn the windows.
Is there something else I should do about the sensors?

 

ECU will re-learn all the sensors over time again when you are driving under different conditions but it takes some time.

 

OK slightly off topic but also sort of there... this weekend after I reordered my code reader I thought I would get on with some other jobs on my X-Type, and whilst doing that disconnect the battery and see what happens.

Anyways the back seat had had a dog vomit quite extensively on it, so took that out and soaked it in VAX claning fluid and then wet/dry hoovered as much back out as I could - fantastic, still damp, but drying and no smell - now I know that the mounting clips are one use only so need to order them..

The speakers on the car are old, and the magnets have a tendancy to drop off if the door is slammed often enough, and I have an eight year old son.. so I stripped the panel off his door, took the speaker out and glued it back together (yes it is a trick I have used before that works well and saves £10-20 for a new speaker :-)) but the spring that hold the window winder on vanished so now I need to locate a replacement spring..

Now, all this started when my car went into limp mode and I knew the plugs were not changed last service, and I managed to replace the front three all OK and out of limp mode but the engine management light refused to go out..

I got almost to the back plugs but was way out of my comfort zone with a number of pipes and connectors removed and still with all the bolts off I had resistance to the air intake assy moving.. so bolted it all back together and will leave it for someone more knowledgeable than me to look at...

So not a particularily productive weekend - in fact counter productive really lol... so anyway to get back to the starting point..

After all this I put the battery back online, turned the ignition to the position before starting and the engine management light did not go out when the airbag one di, so whatever the error is it is either hard coded lol, or it is something far more concrete and basic than necessarily the plugs - but the car drives perfectly and is not in limp mode..

I am now very curious as to what codes have been thrown and will hopefully know on Wednesday when the new code reader arrives..

And as an aside - I always claim I hate doing mechanics - I was never destined to be a mechanic it would seem lol .. and the outcome of this weekend is the perfect example of why lol

I will let you know how I get on with the new code reader

 

OK the new code reader arrived yesterday.. plugged it in, paired it with my laptop which read it as a v1.5 so paired it with my phone, with Torque running, and it works really well.. I read off two codes regarding front and rear banks running lean, which ties in with my spark plug theory (still need to change the back set and soon), cleared the errors and no more management light on. Torque is easy to use, and this particular code reader works really well.. actually its easier to pair with than the previous one... and it was only about £12 or so.. I recommend this one to anyone with a pre 2005 X-Type.. I will bring it along to the Brighton meet if I remember, in case anyone needs their codes read off....