Hi everyone, so I have a 2004 Jaguar XJ8 USA LHD model, naturally aspirated engine. The car has 139000 miles and still drives like new, aside from the fact that i have noticed that when i brake and come to a stop, the front creaks, almost like a bad ball joint. I would think that is what it is, except when i am in a stopped position and just holding the brakes, i hear them creaking a bit even though the car isnt moving. anyone experience anything similar or know what it could be? thank you!

 

lOOKS LIKE THE CALIPER ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IS MAKING THE SOUND, ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS ISSUE?

 

Even though the crush tube TSB service had been performed on my 09 XJR, and some perished bushings replaced under warranty, I continued to have creaking/knocking noises in the front end. The noises only occurred under braking. I would have sworn that these were bushing or balljoint noises, stressed under brake load, but when I had the local dealer's shop foreman test drive it, he diagnosed lack of lubricant on the calipers.

I really trust him, but I was dubious, having had almost exactly the same brakes on a BMW 5 series with no caliper noise issues through at least a couple of sets of brakes. But I agreed to pay them an hours shop time to re-lube the pads and pins.

I would have never believed it, but the noises cleared up. And also, as he predicted, after the first time it went through the automatic car wash, the noises returned. Supposedly, the lubricants succumb to the detergents in the high pressure wheel wash and you're back at square one.

They supposedly used a copper based grease that was a little more resistant to the detergents, but no luck. When I get a chance, I'll re-lube them myself, but at least I now know that the noises aren't anything serious, just annoying.

So, it's possible that your unexplained noises could be from the same source. These were not the kind of noises that I would have ever associated with caliper lubrication, but there you have it. It's at least an easy fix if that turns out to be the case.