Hello Jaguar lovers,

I just came back form my annual check at my dealer and something is really getting me going RUST. I have been told that my licence plate light system is rusted out and that my side markers are also compltly rusted (a total of $600 to get everything fixed). I have a 2005 XJR with 130,000km on the car and I live near Montreal where winter is kind of cold and summers are humide and hot. I have had American cars, Japanese cars and even an Italian car and never did I have to spend for that kind of problem. Could somebody tell why is this happening or where did they buy those pieces.

Any of had this same problem?

P.S. I love my car, great ride and power but this is not normal.

 

$600 for new side markers and a license plate holder? I call BS!

 

Find yourself a good independent shop to keep watch over your automobile.

I have always said that taking a car to a new car dealership for a 50,000-75,000-100,000 mile checkup is a license to steal--especially at luxury dealerships like Lexus, Mercedes, Jaguar, Acura. Their average owners expect being taken to the cleaners--and actually expect it.

There's room within the auto repair business for good quality work at a fair price--and still be completely honest and forthright.

 

FWIW, there is typically a lot of wiring to be repaired in situations like this. Pins will likely need to be replaced on the harness side, as well as the bulb holders (which IIRC only come with the lens assy's). So, it is not just parts....there is labor involved also, in repairing the wiring. Good luck with getting it fully lit again.

 

what about salt and other chemical de-icing materials in Canada? If that isn't washed off when the weather allows, it'll eat through metal quicker than keeping it submerged in your swimming pool. That license plate lighting assembly, I admit it doesn't get my usual attention when doing a wash...easy to miss. The underside of the bumpers, where those side marker housings are located and never truly 'cleaned', are also easy targets for salt corrosion. I would run a couple undercarriage washes after the winter season is over next time, if those thin metal parts have already rusted to this degree, I can image the beefier steel is getting attacked as well...suspension, exhaust, cables, body panels, etc.

 

No matt, it happens to us in texas too. If the seal on the lights leak and get water(especially salty water in the north). The electrical pins which aretin rust. And yes like jagtec said. The bulb holder is only part of the light assembly. And when it goes into the harness connector this is not avail without the harness and useally too rusted to unpin too. This is why i scavenge harnesses for connectors, and save the bulb holder when replacing a marker light assembly that broken. It helps to reduce the cost of this repair. I also save the lenses when having to replace for this issue. Another area where a light dielectric grease would go along way to stop this problem

 

Maybe the price involves paintwork too.

In any case, it may have been accelerated by the presence of salt water and dissimilar metals. That is one of the aluminum body cars is it not?

Driving through heavy rain for long distances as soon as possible after the winter salt is gone is a great way to make sure that there is a water bath that reaches all the places that the saltwater bath reached in the winter.

 

As indicated by Jagtec1, they told me that their was many man hours that will be needed to do wiring and its not only a change of parts. The price does not include any paint job because the paint is all okay. My total suprise in this situation is to find out that the lights were all rusting. I have never seen this happen on any of my other cars who have been treated the same and in the same environment. Maybe Jag lost the ball on these items of the car????

Thanks

 

Huh? Just what car are we talking about, and what are the specific damages? This forum is for the X350, and that car has an all aluminum body. Aluminum does not rust.

 

Serge stated in his post that it's a 2005 XJR.

As I read it, it's the lamp fixtures that are rusting, not the body.

Cheers
DD

 

I contend that the burnt light markers are caused by the high pressure the car wash available today. Wash by hand with hose pressure - not so much a problem. I quite using the touch-less high pressure wash. It just BLASTS the water into the housing and the contacts can't take it.

04 XJ, used to change bulbs once a year, now not so much...

Tom

 

I have never changed a light bulb in my 04 XJ8, except for swapping out the headlamps for SilverStars. Unlike me, it gets regular hand jobs and stays inside when not driven.

 

I have bad news for you V7Goose, for aluminium bodies they don't call it rust but oxydization. One of my friends has a 2007 XJR and they had to repair the body because of two spots where bubbles started under the paint. Jaguar repaired the two places at no charge. Aluminium does have its problems, as for my car, I do go to the carwash but its kind of rare. They just told me that it was normal?????