All,

Been reading through posts to this forum to see if anyone else is experiencing the same issue. 2010 XF premium has intermittent shimmy and steering wheel oscillations. Been to the dealer twice, still same issue. Vehicle has been alligned a couple of times, wheels and tires balanced (including a road force wheel balancing this last go around.) Mainly experiencing problem on the highway. Grooved pavement seems to be the worst with continual oscillation. Hit a bump on smooth pavement, steering wheel continues to oscillate. Seems like there's some harmonics going on with the vehicle, with the inability to dampen.

Anyone with suggestions?

Thanks for your time.

 

dont keep throwing money at the dealer if they cant tell u whats wrong and solve the problem, they have no problem with letting people keep throwing money when it has nothing to do with it.

my guess other then balancing is a slightly bent wheel but they should have noticed already if thats the case.

it could also be the tires themselves.

sorry i cant be more helpful!

 

These cars seem to do this. On my car this shimmy is intermittent and hardly noticeable. My tires are road force balanced so I know it isn't that. Balance and alignment defects would produce a constant symptom varying only with speed.

My X Type also did this. Apparently, Jaguar steering is very sensitive to any out of round wheel/tire combo. All tires have some run out. Jaguar has suggested that the X Type wheels should be mounted with the "high side" at the bottom of the wheel and then the car is dropped onto the wheels before the lug nuts are fully torqued up , as usual. This utilizes the tiny amount of play in the hub center to counter the high spot on the tire. You need to know where the high spot is first though.

 

Car is back in the shop (3rd time). Went for road test with service manager. Tech took car for extensive road test as well. Waiting to hear if they've found the problem. Next step is to bring in the Jaguar rep if problem isn't found.

 

Tires, wheels, inflation and suspension in any order you care to come at it.
I had a road force tech who didn't know his job. Why not cut to the chase and have the dealer switch out the wheels/tires just to eliminate that area?

 

At what speeds does the shimmy appear? Around 50mph and above is usually a balance problem, although bent and poorly mounted wheels (trapped dirt) can cause it.

At lower speeds (30-ish) it's more likely to be a bent wheel or a slightly warped tyre. I had this on an X-Type, instantly noticed after fitting two new tyres. Balancing wouldn't cure it (several attempts at different garages) and I decided that one or both tyres were running slightly out of true. It should have been visible when the wheel was rotating during balancing, but the machines all had large safety covers when in operation.

Anyway, I cured it by swapping the front wheels onto the back (same side) and made a mental note not to buy Pirellis again.

 

Wheel out of round for sure can create symptoms like this. I've had both front wheels go out of round due to potholes. You not only get a shimmy but the steering in general feels fuzzy and not particularly sharp and front end grip deteriorates.

The second is a tire out of round. The only way to solve this is spend time being very methodical. You have an identical car and you switch tires from one to the other until you find the tire that's out, and then you replace it. It requires a helpful dealer that wants to do the right thing. I hope yours is that kind of dealer.

 

Been to the dealer now three times to eliminate the problem, no luck. This time replaced another tire due to flat spot and road-forced balanced again. Dealer kept the car on the lift overnight, I went for test drive next day with tech, car felt great. Tech tells me tires are prone to flat spotting. Following day, shimmy is back after day of normal work commute use. Guess I need a lift in my garage and at work? 4000 miles on the odometer...such a joy to own, not. I have lodged a complaint to Jag Corp HQ. Supposed to hear from the Jag West Coast Rep. who wants to take it for another test drive. I'm sure that will solve it? Really disappointed with this car and the post sales support, probably should have stayed with what I had decent luck with in the past, BMW. Who needs this nonsense? Tires (if this is truly the problem) on the vehicle that can't hold up to typical use? Thought everyone should know and beware. Cannot recommend the vehicle for purchase. Anyone have some other escalation channels? Thx.

 

Gary, do you have the 19 or 20" wheels? I have the 19" with 245/40 R19 on my 2010 XF Premium and have not encountered any issues (16K miles now).

Do the dealers agree you have a problem or are they just taking it in and saying they have done something to make you feel better? They often will just keep repeating the same procedures but not escalate it to Jaguar head office or their local area Jaguar representative.

In your position I would be telling them to keep the car until it is sorted. It will very quickly become a Jaguar problem. Demand a loaner and refuse to part with it until your car is functioning correctly. Also demand to talk to the local Jaguar representative. HQ will probably ignore you. Although I have never had to do anything with Jaguar I have had to do this with BMW and it might be worth trying with Jaguar.

 

Gary,

Just an add'l thought. Does this shimmie occur on the same road surface each time. The reason I ask is that my wife was driving and she hit the brakes lightly and the wheel did the shimmie trick with both of us watching. I emediately thought of you and your never ending problem.

Further down the road and on a changed surface we tried to duplicate the problem and could not. I have therefore concluded that the problem is "tire nibbeling" and only occurs with the right combo of speed, surface and brake pressure. I like this answer cause it saves me a lot of money.

 

Whitbyxf and Tarhealcracker...appreciate the input. Definitely 19" wheels on my car. Tire specs are Continental 245/40 R19's. My car is identical to Whitby's picture (no front license plate yet, until I get a citation) Thus far, dealer has replaced two of the original tires. The service manager made it seem like all this was in my head, however, the top service tech fully acknowledged there was a legitimate problem and the car was not right. Interesting I'm not seeing/hearing similar complaints from other members on the forum. Shimmy is most noticeable at highway speeds, regardless of surface type. It tends to subside as I travel down the freeway. This is the killer part, flat-spotting is an intermittent problem. From what I've read on the subject, once a tire is infected by a flat-spot, it will keep occurring. I'm telling you, when I picked-up the car the last time, went for a long ride with the tech, the car was stellar, just as I remember on the original test drive. Was so relieved, enjoyed the car for the first time in a long while. Again, this after they replaced a tire and kept the car on the lift overnight. I take it home, and the next day, back to square one. I'll follow-up with Jag HQ tomorrow for the next step. Will keep all informed so others can recognize/avoid the same issue.

 

Gary, have they checked the front end alignment? If the alignment is off, the tires will wear unevenly, so that even if you correct the alignment you will get issues as a result of the uneven tire wear. (it does not take long, so even if they put on new tires, they quickly wear). Does the car have a tendency to wander at all on some surfaces or is it sensitive to some surface types, for example.

Although the XF tires are not super wide, they are quite wide which makes them susceptible to tramlining if the alignment is off which may start an oscillation in the steering system. Given that you find the problem prevalent at a range of speeds and surfaces, it sounds as if tramlining may have nothing to do with it but it was worth mentioning.

My guess is that the alignment is off in some way. I am not sure if the XF has rear end alignment (my previous 5 series had some adjustment for rear end alignment such that if it was off the car would wander - I found out when I hit 4' x 4' x 1.5" grate left in the middle of the freeway!!) but it may be worth asking the question.

Just a thought. Looking forward to hearing what the eventually resolution may be.

 

Gary

I have this same problem with my 2004 Jaguar xj8. I feel your pain boy do I!

If I go over (some not all) bumps or have uneven pavement I get a shimmy in the wheel (like a rapid shake back and forth) then it goes away as fast as it comes. I describe it like playing a video game and the way the steering wheel trys to give you feedback. Othewise it drives awesome!

I have had it to the dealer 7 times. No joke! Replaced everything from tires/wheels, both front air shocks replaced, alignment, balance, lower control arms, rebalancing, etc.

I bought the car and had an issue from day one. Bought it only 2 months ago (used from a local Jag dealer). It seem to gotten worse since they added that steering wheel squeak additive to stop it from squeaking. That was 1 week after my purchase. It maybe just in my mind! ITS DRIVING ME NUTS!

Dealer has basicly given up on me. They all feel what Im feeling, agree that there is a problem and then when they can't find it they back down and say its fine or its acting as it should. They are so full of ****.

They've also said its just a characteristic with the cars with Air Suspention. I don't think your has air in the front..Does it?

I believe it has something to do with the steering wheel shaft itself connecting to the rack is my only feeling. Everything else has been changes and or check.

I must say it can be a very irritating car to drive on the wrong road.

Let me know if you find something else out, I will let you know the same.

Give me you email and I will keep you updated.

I really want to get to the bottom of this. There is a local independent Guy I might drop it off to and let him take a crack at it!

 

If you have a shimmy back and forth this is a very different type of issue. This is more likely to be a rigidity problem than a balance problem. More likely this is something to do with the steering rack itself and how it's mounted to the subframe or bulkhead. I would get your dealer mechanic to check there.

 

My 2009 XF has always been fairly smooth. I added a 2010 XF that had been a demo. Vibration and shimmy issues from day one. Multiple force balances were no help. Dealer (very helpful) finally replaced a few wheels/tires to find a combination that worked. They were able to make it smooth as glass but it was certainly a most frustrating experience for the techs.

The 2010 had a few wheel scrapes when it was a demo. I'm guessing if you scrape a wheel it may be impossible to get it balanced properly.

I think the suspension/steering systems of these machines, the very thing that makes them great to drive, is what makes them high maintenance in the balance department.

Not too happy with Continental tires. Their "out of round" limits may be fine for a Ford Crown Vic, but not for something as sensitive as a Jaguar. They also seem to take a "set", and must be driven about 20 miles before they smooth out.

I expect these cars to require force balancing about every 5000 miles and very expensive tires. Cost of a great drive!

 

I switched out the Contis for Michelins and no more cold flat spotting! The Contis use nylon caps under the tread whereas the Michelins use polyester which results in a much smoother ride when cold.

 

If it's any consolation, I haven't noticed the shimmy anymore after k25 miles. Either I'm now immune to it or you have to wait to then!

 

Did you do any tire or front brake work in the 25k miles? Just curious as I had a similar experience with a 1977 TR7. After some brake work the shimmy became better. Guessing it was related to rotors.

 

No substantial tire or brake work. A couple of complaints to the dealer and one rebalancing of the wheels. I've gotten a couple of low mileage loaners - 2011 XF - and didn't notice the shimy over the same roads I drive.