Seems i've purchased yet another jaguar, specifically a 2004 xjr. Why you ask? Well my car has been giving me issues and when the paint started going, I started looking for a replacement. When my transmission line popped off the other day, I had it!. Coincidently its fixed and i'm now driving it again. But back to my story. How people option their cars always intrigues me.

My original xjr

Heated windsheild-Sepangs-no navigation

Recent Xjr

Non heated windsheild-Standard wheels-navigation

Now my original xjr has no proximity sensors in the front bumper yet I do have the proximity front and rear alert. I never actually thought about this till my new recent purchase. What does the front alert work off of?
My new to me xjr has the proximity sensors in the front bumper. What are they for considering the above?

I knew about the navigation option and wheel option and am just not to knowledgeable of the rest. Generally when I buy a car the dealer gets a lot of yes yes ok from me. And i'm really just concerned about certain things. I thought all xj's had heated windsheilds...for example.

Anyway, whats also interesting is that the two cars have completely different personalities. Maybe be my perception with the navigation in place and 19" wheels giving me a different ride.

So any other options I should be looking out for? And what are those front sensors for. May seem like silly questions. But there may be an easy answer

 

Maybe those extra sensors are for adaptive cruise control?

 

What "proximity sensors"? Do you have a photo? Do you mean the 4 parking sensors on the front bumper?
I thought they were standard.

I'm not aware of a "heated windshield", only a "heated rear window". Of course, I might just be not aware.

 

Yes we have heated windshields in the "far North bush" Heating elements from top to bottom and they are side to side.

 

They are for the adaptive cruise control. Its a nice feature for highway driving. Mine has it and I enjoyed it for a while, but I never use it anymore. I had never heard of a heated windshield being an option. Guess its not common here in FL.

Congrats on the 2nd Jag. My wife would kill me.

 

maybe the front sensors you are referring are the headlight washers? If you have no sensors in the front, then i don't see how you have the warning sound.

Option wise: My 2005 XJR has standard wheels, navigation, heated seats, but no heated windshield, no front sensors and no headlight washers. I'm actually glad since it keeps the front bumper clean and flowing.

 

The 4 flat round sensors are acoustic parking sensors. Don't see how parking sensor could work without them.
The 4 bulbous things are headlight washers, one below each headlight (as mentioned by aceler8).
As far as I can tell, the cruise control radar is a module behind the bumper. There would be only 1, and presumably it works through the bumper.

The headlight washers are a laugh (well, not for you guys in UK). How do I test them? Wife won't help. We don't have mirrors in this country. The manual had some operating instructions but I can't remember. So I pressed some buttons and ran around the front, the headlight washers just sat there giggling...

 

The adaptive cruise module is fitted behind the plastic cover next to the fog light below the bumper., in the UK it is on the nearside of the front of the car..
Heated front screens are very common over here on Fords, Jaguars and Landrovers.

 

My car with the heated windshield I shipped in from California.....the new one was from CT go figure. I’ll have to check out the bumper again. They didn’t look like headlight washers but maybe......

 

The headlight washers are on the top part of the bumper, just under each light, mine are red.
They were working right after the fender was replaced, but not anymore.
Was told its a common problem with our cars, not a real issue with me.
Just as long as the windshield wipers, & washers work, life is good.

 

"The headlamp powerwash will operate the first time the wash/wipe button is pressed and thereafter every sixth succeeding wash/wipe operation." (handbook)

Jaguar are winding me up. It's hard enough to run from the drivers seat to the front to see if anything happened, but apparently I have to count as well.

 

Yes, agreed, that's what its supposed to do, but mine seems to have its own ideas

 

Definitely not the window washer for headlights. Like I mentioned my other xjr does not have there but still has side and forward alert.

 

The sensors that I see are parking sensors. 4 front, 4 rear, standard parking sensors.

If your other car doesn't have them, I've no idea how it "alerts".
(if acoustic sensors could be hidden behind the bumper, everyone would be doing it)

X358 for reference. Apparently JLR worked out they didn't need to be so prominent, or more likely just simplified the mounting.

 

see that’s what I don’t understand. When I have the alert turned on and I get close to someone on the highway in front or on the side of me it will start beeping. I’m assuming that's the radar not parking sensors. My other xjr only beeps while parking in reverse . I’m talking about the on highway proximity sensor. I guess that radar based. Not sure if new one has that. Need to check it out.

 

If I was driving along, with the long bonnet 'n all, it would look like I'd be about to smash into the car in front long before the parking sensors went off.
I think you are talking about something else.

BTW, the parking sensors can be disabled with the overhead "P" switch.

Adaptive Cruise Control was a radar option on our cars, but I've never had one so don't know the finer details. The radar unit would be somewhere on one side of the bumper, as mentioned by roviw.

What else? Things like "blind spot monitoring" "emergency brake assist" are long after our time, which is the reason we can call our cars "classics"
Thinks: did you buy a car with something "custom" installed?

 

Well the car does have a k40 radar system in it. I think what I'm looking at is just the parking sensors that my other xjr doesnt have. STILL my other xjr does have that annoying beeping on the highway unless I shut it off if I get to close to someone. Then it flashes driver intervention. Its one of those things Ive just never used and really dont even know if its adjustable or not. I just know I can shut it off, :O)

 

Not sure which of your cars has the K40 cop radar detector. Use the ASL speed limiter <sarcasm>

I think it's necessary to establish what is standard Jaguar and what is something else, on whichever of your cars. Your one without the parking sensors, either doesn't have parking monitoring or the bumper has somehow been changed. I thought fore-and-aft parking sensors were standard on X350/X358, but maybe it depends on year?

 

As far as going off while driving, was driving when it started to snow.
A very heavy white out type of snowfall, and it covered the sensors.
Making them scream, until they were wiped clean of the built up snow.
Another vehicle, along side, too close, also makes them beep.
Both XJ's have the rear parking sensors, but only the Vanden Plas has the front ones.

 

If you have an XJR then you have Adaptive Cruise Control.

So, it works in 2 ways. One, if you have ACC enabled....meaning you have cruise control 'On', then it beeps and slows down as you approach a vehicle from your front.

ALSO, on the headlight switch panel, there is a button for sonar braking which when you are driving (without ACC enabled) this will beep and automatically apply the brakes to help avoid a collision.from the front. You will know if this is enabled by a small red light on the button itself.
I'm typing this from memory so check the owners manual.

You can see this button here in Red: