Hello to all...


I am a noob to the world of Jaguars, but ventured here whilst doing research about a car I am considering for purchase. So technically, I'm not "in the club" yet, in terms of ownership, but very well could be within the next week or so...


I've had an affection for the classic lines of a Jaguar sedan since my teen years. There was one particular time when I caught a ride with an acquaintance in college (Baylor), who drove an XJ6 in British Racing Green. We were heading north on I-35, and it felt like we were flying... I've never forgotten that ride, or the car.


(Back then I couldn't afford a Jag... so I had to settle for a TR-6!)


Fast forward to this week. Unfortunately, this past Tuesday night (Dec. 23rd), my wife was run off the road by a jerk in a jacked up 4x4, who also apparently had his LED light bar turned on, and it blinded my wife as she was attempting to negotiate a sharp left curve... she couldn't see the road and veered off to the right a bit too far, and the car ran off the road and impacted the edge of a concrete culvert going under someone's driveway. The engine case was ruptured, front suspension demolished, and the roof even was crumpled... Airbag was deployed as well, and thankfully my wife sustained no physical injury (but of course she was quite shaken by the experience). Her car, an '05 Mercedes E320 Diesel, was totaled.


SO.... that means I'm in the market for a replacement vehicle! And I've been looking at literally hundreds of cars on Auto Trader, Craigslist, and the like. At some point, little voices (with British accents!) started whispering in my head: "what about a classy Jag?!?"




Not those brand new models... the CLASSIC lines of an XJ...


Well, suffice it to say that I've located a beautiful '05 XJ Vanden Plas, literally driven by a sweet old lady whose late husband bought it new about 10 yrs ago. The lady is now a widow, and living in a nursing home, bless her heart, and her son has decided it's time to sell the car...


About the car: it has ~75,000 miles since new. Judging from the pics, the interior looks MINT. I don't know if the rear seats have ever been used! There are a few TINY dings (the kind you get at a Wal-Mart parking lot, according to her son), but otherwise the exterior is damn near perfect. Brakes do need servicing. This is what the guy has told me thus far, anyway.


After a nice phone conversation with the lady's son, he told me that he'd be willing to take just $9,000 cash for this car...


Yes, you read that right!


Now for the big question to those of you reading this post: should I buy this car? I know the price is sweet. And the car is absolutelty gorgeous. My wife has seen the pics and of course got googly-eyed at how luxurious the interior looks. My concerns are whether or not this could possibly turn in to a "money pit." I'm quite mechanically competent and am not afraid to do most of my own maintenance. But if this is a car that is apt to require major surgery in the near future, maybe I need to pause, as this WILL be my wife's daily driver; that is, whatever she drives DOES need to be reliable.


So... I'm all ears.... WHAT WOULD YOU DO???


Thanks in advance for your wisdom and insight...


JT
Texas

 

I have an opportunity to buy an '05 VDP for $9000 cash...


I'm pretty sure that's a damn good deal...


Belongs to an old lady who unfortunately now lives in a nursing home, and now her son is putting the car up for sale. Was bought new by her late husband ~10 yrs ago or so. Has about 75,000 miles on it. Looks fantastic (don't they all??)...


I'm a noob to these fine cars... and I know they can be persnickety. From the several hours of research I've done tonight, it would appear that the inevitable Suspension Monster is what I need to be most concerned about having to deal with in the next year or two, if I buy the car. I've read about the aftermarket conversion kits (e.g. - Arnott) that supposedly solve the problem forever... but how much does the ride suffer if one goes that route?


I am fairly mechanically inclined... am not afraid to tackle most issues on my own. Having to twist a wrench doesn't bother me. What would bother me more is hearing that "only a dealer can fix this..."


If I buy the car, it will be my wife's daily driver. So I simply must figure in the "reliability factor" in choosing whatever her next car will be... (Btw, she's perfectly content with me choosing her car, so long as it's "pretty" - and the VDP of course meets that requirement, and then some).


So, I'm posting this to ask those of you who are familiar with this automobile if, knowing what you know, WOULD YOU BUY IT?? The price is definitely right, but if I'm realistically looking at needing to spend another $4000 to $5000 over the next couple of years as the car approaches 100,000 miles, then I probably need to reconsider...


Thank you in advance for your pearls of wisdom!


JT
Texas

 

Two words: Service History.

Every Jag in the US is a bargain compared to Australia.

Hope others input helps you more...Best of luck with the decision.

 

75k miles is not a lot for these cars. Many have been taken well beyond 200k miles and lots are over 130k still with the original engine and transmission. Clearly the air suspension can be problematical, and lots of owners swap to steel coils, but the air springs are very long-lived, it is the compressor that has a short life, and these are easily swapped out for not too much money. If you are a DIYer, you can even fix the compressor yourself using a kit made by one of our members.

Main thing to try and find is a Jaguar specialist near you, because you'll find the main agent prices for servicing and repairs rather eye-watering. I have had my car since 2010, and have taken it from 30k to 89k. These cars were expensive when new, and the spares prices reflect the new price, although there is lots of stuff on the internet now for the poor used car owners like us.

In terms of reliability, they don't usually leave you by the side of the road, but some parts in the suspension don't last as long as one would like. The bottom bushes on the air spring units are short-lived because the whole weight of the car is taken by these four bushes. OK, the car is all aluminium, and lightweight, but still significant, so be prepared to have to swap out these bushes. They cost about £20 (UK price), and the labour charge will be the main cost item if the job needs doing. Working on the suspension is easy, there is no coil spring to deal with, the air springs can be detached just like Mcpherson struts.

 

Thanks for input from all....

Re: this '05 VDP I'm considering for purchase, found out today that it also needs brake work, as in new rotors & pads.... That's something I can handle myself, and after a quick eBay search, it looks like a whole set (rotors + pads) can be purchased without a huge dent in the pocketbook. More concerning, however, is that the owner informed me that the error message "Config E" is displayed in the message center... And after a bit of research it would seem that is probably related to the ECU, and a reflash might take care of it, or it could be more ominous... Who knows?

This is all I know so far, but I'm not going to be able to check the car out in person until this coming Tuesday. I'm told that it runs and drives beautifully, so I'm inclined to believe that the ECU is probably not FUBAR...

Regardless of these issues, I'm leaning towards going through with the purchase, as having the opportunity to acquire a one-owner '05 VDP for only $9,000 is one that I'm unlikely to get again anytime soon...

 

First off, thanks for the warm welcome to this forum!

Re: this '05 VDP I'm considering for purchase, found out today that it also needs brake work, as in new rotors & pads.... That's something I can handle myself, and after a quick eBay search, it looks like a whole set (rotors + pads) can be purchased without a huge dent in the pocketbook. More concerning, however, is that the owner informed me that the error message "Config E" is displayed in the message center... And after a bit of research it would seem that is probably related to the ECU, and a reflash might take care of it, or it could be more ominous... Who knows?

This is all I know so far, but I'm not going to be able to check the car out in person until this coming Tuesday. I'm told that it runs and drives beautifully, so I'm inclined to believe that the ECU is probably not FUBAR...

Regardless of these issues, I'm leaning towards going through with the purchase, as having the opportunity to acquire a one-owner '05 VDP for only $9,000 is one that I'm unlikely to get again anytime soon...

One more thing: anyone have a recommendation for an HONEST mechanic in NE Texas area, say between Dallas & Shreveport, that I might could discuss these issues with, & eventually count on for help when needed if I buy this car?

Thanks in advance again!

 

+1 to Gippsland's comment. Service history full and complete, before you make the trip. The VMI's on these cars are readily available if the car was maintained by a dealer and even possible if serviced by an Indy mechanic.

Check with her son and find out where it was serviced. I personally wouldn't buy any car unless I'm provided with a full and complete (no gaps) history. This should be very easy if it's a one owner.

Then you will know what has been serviced (shock bushes and other bushes may have already been replaced.)

I would also take the car to a Jaguar Dealership. You can have the car full inspected, test driven by a master mechanic and walk away with a full write up of recommended, needed repairs, if any. This will cost you about $200. Have the son do it for you and you pay the bill.

Being a former mechanic myself, when approached, a potential buyer, I would tell them what I would do if I had an interest in the car. Invest in the history and the inspection before you invest in the plane ticket.

As Fraser also notes, these cars were expensive new (maybe $80k for an 05 VDP?) and there weren't many built so parts are not cheap. Aftermarket is coming along slowly.

Aluminum body requires special training to repair. I imagine that costs more than standard automotive bodywork, but don't know. With the advent of the new Ford 150 all Aluminum body, the body mechanic skill set should expand and this cost should come down too. With the exception of body work, I've done my own maintenance on my cars since the 1980's.

You will need diagnostic code reader beyond the standard OBD II. They too are becoming more plentiful and there are several discussions on this forum regarding the various models.

Bottom line is this is a high end luxury car will most all the bells and whistles on the VDP. $9k is only a steal if the cars maintenance is impeccable. Assume the owner did the bare minimum and add $3 - $5k to bring up to standards, you will be in the KBB ballpark, so then fairly priced @ 9K but not a steal. Hence the inspection and service history.

Like any high end car, they have issues, many of the same that can be found in Mercedes S class and the "near" luxury cars like Audi or BMW. Nature of the beast, but having owned more than a few luxury cars, I find my Super V8 to be the most reliable. Remember, many of the discussions on the forum are dealing with problems. That doesn't mean the cars are prone to issues. There are far more Jag owners who drive their cars without issue.

Best of luck and let us know what you do. If you buy, pictures are obligatory
Welcome to the forum.

 

I suppose you have seen this thread? https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...solved-102871/

I would not buy a car that's showing CONFIG E on the dash, if it's running or not...

The whole car probably needs re-flashing. Which is fine if you have the factory diagnostic system and know how to use it....if you don't it could be a can of worms...

 

Very much appreciate the time and thought you put into that post, Sean! Great food for thought!

 

That thread was a great read. I do have the IDS/SDD mongose setup and if this ever happens I'll know what to do next.

 

Hi there, presumably you've checked this thread out ?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...d-know-112913/

Hope it helps

Good luck

 

Config "E" is definitely related to the ECU (I know this as I just reflashed my ECU today via my WDS and at one point in the reprogramming process my amber/red lights were flashing with the Config E message displayed.

I believe forum member "Brutal" is based out of Texas - he is very knowledgeable and trustworthy...

I would go to the regional section of the forum and inquire.

I have to concur - I would never purchase a vehicle that has a "config" message of any sort...

Good Luck - Anthony

 

For those of you who've read my posts within the past week about my possible acquisition of an '05 VDP, this is an update.


I started my search for a new (used) car with a budget of around $10,000 to $13,000. The asking price was initially $12k, and I was able to negotiate down to just $9k. A few days later, I had a discussion with the owner about the concerns expressed by members here on this forum regarding what error message "Config E" might entail, and I was able to get the price down to only $7k. I originally thought that $9k was a "damn good deal." The words to adequately describe paying only $7k for a one-owner VDP would most likely be censored, and get me in trouble with the moderators... so I'll refrain....


BUT DANG!!! Now I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a VERY RARE opportunity!!!


And I think I should probably seize it!

My thoughts are that, if I buy the car, I can now (with the money saved) much more easily afford to have a dealer bring it "up to snuff." Also, I'm thinking that it would be wise for me to go ahead and purchase a Mongoose system to be able to at least have a chance of "staying ahead of the curve" by being able to diagnose future problems myself, and possibly fix them. Do you who are familiar with these cars agree that would be a wise investment?

If I do proceed and purchase the car, you can bet that I will be posting some nice pics of this baby in very short order...



To be continued...

 

Ok , I read your post. It's like watching a movie trailer without actual watching the movie. Tell us more information; mile, condition of engine, suspension, exterior, interior etc.. $7,000 is cheap but Jaguar is not an easy fix car and you might end up thousands more.

 

He actually has ALL that info in his 1st thread (it may have been a good idea to keep even in this on the original thread)

But yeah, he posted all that already...

 

Regardless, tread very carefully...

There has to be a reason why this owner is looking to cut the car loose. A replacement ECU alone is a huge amount of money...

 

Tenerator,

I have merged three of your separate threads into one so all but your initial New Member post are now together with others' replies, and I have retitled the new merged thread to reflect your central concern about the car you're considering purchasing. I hope this will make it easier for others to fully understand your journey and to offer relevant input.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks, Don, for helping me get more organized!

(or, should I say organised??)

To recap for everyone, the lady who actually owns the car is now in a nursing home. Her son is selling the car for her. It has been "taking up space" at his place, he has no interest in driving the car himself --- he's a rancher and drives a big diesel truck as his daily driver. He is highly motivated to simply get it out of his way and into the hands of someone who will appreciate it and take care of it. He doesn't have a clue what the "Config E" error message means... but he insists that he has not noticed anything amiss when driving the car. He says that he (and/or his wife) have been driving it on average once a week to run errands, but not as a daily driver. And aside from knowing for certain that it needs a brake job, he's not noticed any other problems while driving.


Nevertheless, "Config E" is displayed in the Message Center, and he hasn't a clue why.


If fixing this is likely to cost THOUSANDS of dollars, then I am here specifically hoping to receive a warning from you here on the forum who might have some knowledge to share.


BUT - after carefully reading the thread about the "Config E" error, I'm inclined to think that there's a reasonably good chance the system could be reset simply with a 2-hr battery disconnect, and at worst the ECU needs re-flashing... which, according to that thread, CAN be done with the Mongoose/SDD setup. I remain highly skeptical that the car is going to need major surgery or that the ECU has actually failed in and of itself...


For those who may be interested, here's an interesting thread on ECU problems from a different forum: Recognizing (and fixing) an ECU problem


The take-home point from this to me is that ECU issues most likely CAN be fixed without breaking the bank...


I will hopefully be going to look at the car in person within the next week, and drive it. If it is silky smooth as it should be, I will be even more confident that the error is simply due to lack of communication between modules, not a major mechanical failure.

Again, my plan is to use some of the money in my car budget to go ahead and "tool up" by purchasing the Mongoose/SDD... Is this the most highly recommended product, or is there a better one? What vendor is recommended to purchase from? Also, does anyone know which version of the SDD software I would need for this year model?

Thanks again to all who've shared their insights... I must say that I've found the response here to be most welcoming (compared to various other forums which I frequent)... and that in itself is quite encouraging to me, and makes me feel a bit more confident that I will have access to some excellent info here that will in turn help me keep the car in tip-top shape and save $ at the same time...

 

$9000 is £5800 approx., so in normal circumstances, a reasonable price for a 2005 car on that sort of miles. However, as you say, it has that Config E error message, yet apparently the car drives OK !

In these sort of circumstances only a personal test drive and inspection of the car can decide the matter. You are therefore wise to do this. If you do buy it, you do need to have a budget to fix whatever needs doing once you have it home. Also find a good Jaguar independent shop if you can, as main agent prices are usually eye-watering.

 

Here's what I don't get - the car should not be "operating" with a "Config E" message and flashing lights on the message center.

Hate to be the party "pooper" but is it me or am I missing something??

Also, read up on the Mongoose/SDD - from what I understand these are not very stable in reprogramming modules. (In the sense of someone that is not familiar with them attempts to resuscitate a failing ECU module)

If your that serious about the car - might be worth getting someone familiar with Jaguar's to go through the car with a fine tooth comb - starting with the ECU.

Just my $0.02