Hello,

I am looking for a good diy post on how to replace the rotors and pads on my car, I can't seem to find a good post with all the steps, tips and tricks.....
Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

 

Steve, there are really not any differences between this car and others when it comes to the brakes except for 1 exception that I can think of. This exception only deals with the rear brakes.

Of note, when doing the front brakes, you will need a 9mm allen to get the bolt out. This is not a size that is in a lot of sets. You may even find that getting one with a longer shaft will make things easier. After that, if you can do a Ford or a Chevy, then you can do this car.

The exception for the rear is in setting the e-brake mechanism. If you push the piston in, replace the pads, then let the system adjust stuff without doing one of hte below steps, you will get an error warning. This will make you think that you messed something up and now you are on your way to the dealership. What you need to do is:

1) Using the JLR SDD software (requires a special laptop), tell the car that the rear brakes are being worked on and once you are done, you will then run the e-brake calibration routine.
2) Replace the brake pads and when you are done, open the trunk and disconnect a post from the battery. This will cause the computer to reset and one of the first things that you will be forced to do is recalibrate the e-brake. The car will walk you through it, but it will be an error message on the dash for you to deal with. You may also need to reset the auto up/down on the windows and the automatic features of the sunroof/shade.
3) After replacing the pads, use you thumb or some leveraging device and manually operate the e-brake lever. Initially you should be able to take it from stop to stop. After a few actuations, you will find that you will only be able to go part way. Repeat for the other side of the car. Now you should not get any warning messages.

As for tricks, with the rears, it is probably best to crack open the vent/bleeder port when you are attempting to screw in the piston. It makes it much easier and will prevent you from causing any damage to the ABS unit.

As for tools, you will need:
1) 9mm allen wrench/socket
2) metric wrench set
3) wire brush or other stiff bristle brush to pull the brake dust off of the caliper
4) large screw driver to help get the caliper off of the mount
5) needle nose pliers to remove the retaining clip on the front calipers

If you have a pad wear warning message, then you will need to order some pad wear sensors. Otherwise, after the pad replacement, you will still have the warning as the sensor has been worn and will actually fail if you don't replace the pads as son as the message came on. Sometimes you can get lucky if you replace the pads as soon as you get the message. But, normally, most people end up replacing the sensor. There is one for the front, one for the rear. You will see it when you remove the pads on the one side of the car.

One last note, the XJ has 2 different braking systems. They use different parts and they are not interchangeable. You have the basic rotors which comes with the 5.0L N/A motor (for your year). All the supercharged motors have a larger brake package and therefore need to supercharged pads and rotors. Know which one you have and order the correct parts. If a place says that the same part will work on both cars, they don't know what they are talking about and are not a company you want to deal with. This gets a bit more gray once you start tossing the 3.0L motor in the mix.

 

Do I need the special tool I can get from auto zone on loan to screw in the piston? I have read I can use a "C" clamp for the front like on the BMW but not the rear.

Also I was not aware of any automatic feature on -

"auto up/down on the windows: and the "automatic features of the sunroof/shade."

What are those? Thanks again very helpful.

Steve

 

I just found the reset for the windows and sunroof.

Steve

 

Here is a detailed write-up:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...job-how-85582/

 

Steve, the computer is NOT!!! something that you can get at your local auto parts store. It is about a $1000 computer that you would need. hence why I give you the options.