Hey everyone,

New to this forum so apologies for any breaches of etiquette.

I just bought an '04 XJR and love literally everything about it, with one exception. When I turn the car off, the steering wheel moves up (which is awesome since I'm 6'3" and all legs) and the driver's seat automatically goes back til there's maybe 3 inches between it and the rear seat.

So far, only my 8 year old daughter has sat behind me and the seat touches her knees, causing her to have a mini panic attack, every single time. I can imagine this being a potentially painful experience for a full size passenger.

Are these seats supposed to go this far back? Is there any way to disable it, preferably in a way that the seat stays in position but the wheel still moves up so I can get in and out?

 

Figured it out.

 

Welcome to the forum, RelentlesXJR!

For the sake of others who may not be as successful in solving this problem for themselves, it would be great if you let us know the solution.

And when you get a chance, please post an introduction in the New Member's Area:

New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

Cheers,

Don

 

I imagine it was the automatic 'seat back/steering wheel up' mode when opening the door. FWIW, you can turn it off on the switch on the left hand side of the steering column, turn it off auto I believe; a message will show up on the dash.

*do the XJR's also not have the extended wheel base in '04? I know they went to the longer wheel base in '05, as my VDP is, that was almost all in the back seat room.

 

Hi Ross,

Thanks for chiming in, but I was trying to encourage a new member that it's okay to post information even if you think everyone else already knows and you feel embarrassed for not having figured it out already.

Yes, our '04 XJR has the standard wheel base, so when the seat moves back automatically when in entry mode, there are only a couple of inches of clearance between the driver seat back and the rear seat.

Cheers,

Don

 

Got you Don! I was just posting the obvious (to most of us here) just in case someone new or even old didn't know that...kinda like when I learn the real lyrics to a song that I've heard for years but didn't know what they actually were too embarrassed to ask.

thanks for the tidbit on the 04 XJR's, I thought so, but wasn't sure.

 

As far as I know, the X350/X358 XJR was never offered in the long wheelbase. You could get the Super V8, which has the same engine as the XJR, in long wheelbase, but only with the comfort suspension.

 

Hi Don and Ross,

Thanks for the replies and welcome.

The solution was indeed to move the column adjustment knob from auto to column. I had previously been looking in the seat and memory sections of the user guide, forgetting that car manuals are often organized by location of physical controls rather than the action they perform.

I'm a chauffeur by trade and have become accustomed to a very forward driving position to maximize rear leg room which, even in the S550's I typically drive, never seems to be enough for the client. It would have been nice to disable the seat movement while still allowing the wheel to move up for easier exit, but I'll just use the extra memory setting as an exit mode as per usual.

After exhaustive talks with my local Jag Specialist, my understanding of the X350/358 models is:

The standard XJ8 was simultaneously lighter, stiffer, longer, and taller than than any previous XJ. The XJR was an XJ8 with performance seats, suspension, gear ratios, fuel mapping, brakes, BBS wheels and of course the blower. The XJ8-L was even longer and could be had in VDP trim for increased cushiness, or Super V8 for the blower but not the other performance goodies.

Side note: In addition to rotating for mode selection and up/down/left/right for adjustments, the column knob also pushes in. This doesn't appear to have any effect and isn't mentioned at all in the manual. Anyone know what it does?

Cheers!
Scott

 

Hi Scott,

On our '04 XJR that joystick knob on the column also has a "PEDALS" position that allows you to move the pedals fore or aft. If your car has the same, it might be very helpful given your height and forward driving position.

Cheers,

Don

 

I just measured mine and it stops 12 1/2" inches from the rear seat. I wonder if instead of moving to a predetermined position, it moves a predetermined distance, e.g., it moves back 12 inches from where ever it was.

 

I've read a few posts here and there claiming there's a combination of key position and button presses that sets the easy entry positions, that's really what I was hoping to find here. But after trying everything I've read, my wheel always goes all the way up and the seat always goes all the way back.

 

Hmm. On mine the steering wheel goes up but the seat stays put. However if I move the seat up it does move back to its normal setting. It'll be nice to program it to go back a little further than normal. Just for the cool factor of course.

 

I am 6,3 tall and the seat does not go far enough back for me
I have already removed the stops just wondering why you would be driving with the seat forward if you are that tall
Oh and no one sits behind me in any car I own (LOL)

 

I have an 05/XJ8-L, and over the past year--maybe longer, my drivers seat would move only an inch or so forward when I would insert the key and when I removed the key would only move that inch back. I had tried to re-program it many times and finally I guess I just gave up because it was basically where I drive anyway.

However, recently, I had to purchase a new battery and knew I would have to reprogram the windows, mirrors and such and did so. Yesterday I was getting in the car and was thinking about how the windows had to be reset and wondered if the seat was the same way. [Lower the window and hold the button until you hear the "click" then raise them etc., etc.].

So, using the seat adjustment button on the side of the seat, I moved the seat all the way to the rear and held the button for a moment, then moved the seat all the way forward ( CAUTION ) that damn seat moves a lo-o-ong way forward. I'm 5'10" tall and it almost crushed me, so be careful. Would have been best to be outside the car to do this. Moving right along, I then moved the seat back to where I wanted it. I then set the steering wheel, pedals, mirrors and so on, then inserted the key, punched the memory set button on the door then the #1 button and 'wala'. When I took out the key, the wheel moved up, the seat went all the way back (ease of exit/entry). Getting back in the car, inserting the key everything went to where I had set it.--Happy camper.

I don't know if the seat module is supposed to work that way, but on my car it reacts just like the window module does---they have to be reset.

Don't know if that helps anyone, but thought I would pass it on just in case. Now I'm going to check the seat in the XK8 to see if this helps that seat.

Chuck
05/XJ8L & XK8

 

I have the standard, short wheel base XJ8, and with the seat all the way back I have about 7 inches of clearance. Plus the seat rail, for long or short wheel base, are the same so this shouldn't be a factor. I'm really curious as to how the seat on getting three inches from the back seat?

 

When I read this, I went to the original brochure that I have, to check what options the cars could have when purchased. One of these is individual adjustable rear seats. So if you have the adjustable rear seats, they will need to be moved back if you carry on using the auto-exit seat movement. The brochure says the backrest can be reclined. Actually it does this by moving the seat cushion forward.

I, too, eventually found the backwards movement of the driver's seat a nuisance, because it went back too far ! So I turn the binnacle switch to "column" and then adjust the seat back to where I want and set that as position 2, having already set my personal settings to position 1. Getting the seat back a bit is useful due to my rather short legs making exiting a bit of a squeeze round the steering wheel. I should mention that I am the only driver of the car.My wife is on the insurance policy, but too nervous of the car due to its size. In the UK, our roads and parking slots are not generous !

 

My X350 had adjustable rear seat backs and it was definitely the backs that moved. The seat base on mine was a bench seat so you wouldn't be able to control them separately if it was that which moved.

The workshop manual also has a diagram of the mechanism and it shows the recline motor towards the top of the seat back.

 

I stand corrected !!

So the mystery is still unresolved.