We were on the way to my mother on the local bypass, when a loud metallic scraping noise was heard from the off-side rear of the car. This road is very busy so I put the hazard lights on and proceeded to the next layby to pullover. Car seemed all OK with no warning lights or anything.


A brief examination showed a steel strap of some sort hanging down and scraping the road. I called my local mechanic and we took the car over there for a fuller inspection on the ramp. The strap is a securing strap for the fuel tank, and had rusted through at the point where the fuel tank cradle edge is located. The strap on the other side also looks dodgy. From what I can see the whole fuel tank is solely secured by these two straps made of mild steel. For heavens sake, Jaguar, what idiot signed this design off !! I could understand it better if the straps were of stainless steel or even galvanised, but these are mild steel, albeit with some paint on that soon disappears with the constant damp and road dirt thrown up.


Anyway, Louis secured the strap with some nylon ties and we were able to get the car home. I rang the Jaguar independent who normally does all the work on the car, and they have told me they will come and trailer the car back to their premises, tomorrow I hope. I had only today booked it in for a service next week !


So....anybody else had this problem ?

 

Yep happened to me not so long ago see
.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-xj6-xj8-xjr-x350-x358-28/hidden-terror-153120/
May be a good idea to drop the plastic under tray. Cheers Keith

 

I believe there was a recall regarding brake pipes in that area. There was some noise-reducing foam and this held water and lead to corrosion of the adjacent brake pipes. When I bought the car read about this, and had it checked out.


BTW can you tell me how difficult it was to replace these straps, please. Does the fuel tank have to be dropped out ?

 

My Jag has spent a few years the salty UK roads and I will definately be checking

the straps and applying waxoyl.

Thanks for the warning!

 

Frazer
Local garage did the job took about an hour and they didn't drop the tank.
Cheers Keith

 

Car was recovered on the flat-bed on Friday. I just rang them and the tank straps (both) have been replaced. When a shop says they have parts like this in stock you just know they are a failure item. Theyre now working through the 10k service and some other checks. One of the rear anti-roll bar links is shot, so that needs replacing. I did the other side about 4 years ago.


Today I also looked in my copy of the 2003 Technical Notes, and there is a nice picture showing the tank and its straps. Somebody in Jaguar who designed that securing system needs to go to technical school and attend some chemistry lessons on rusting of steel and how it is greatly accelerated by salt spray ! So far, it is 0/10 for Jaguar for this.