What to look out for in an X350 - you need to know!
 

Since we get more & more threads on what to look out for in an X350, I guess it's time to make a list of all the known issues, and how to solve them

Feel free to add to the thread!

General Issues

Air Suspension
Seems to be one of the most commonly discussed. Depends a lot on where your car is located in the world.

North American vehicles seem to blow out air-shocks much much more than those cars in UK/EU, don't as why cause it makes no sense. Replacement air-shocks are available from Arnott, either re-built or thier own version.

Air compressors will wear out. Mine went at 90'000mi. You can get a seal kit from bagpipingandy, or if you want to replace the whole compressor these are available from Arnott. They will wear out eventually, but will fail much faster if you have a leaking shock and the compressor is running all the time to compensate for the leak.

The air suspension also looses it's calibration on the front over time, because there is only one sensor on the left front, the right front will go a bit high after a while. The re-calibration is fairly simple with the right tools.

Suspension Bushes
The wishbone bushes on our cars should be considered a consumable item. They will wear out, i'd say every 30'000-50'000miles. The individual bushes can now be purchased in the aftermarket, so there is no need to buy complete wishbones & arms.

Heater Core & Pump
The heater core in our cars blocks up eventually which means less heat getting to the drivers side (regardless of LHD or RHD) if you're lucky it can be flushed out. If not then it's dashboard out to replace the core.

The electric Auxilliary Heater pump will eventually need replacing, around 100'000 miles. It can also start to leak externally, so you can loose a little coolant.

ZF Transmission
Some have been faultless, some have been problematic. Anything from "The Lurch" to the "Barking" at downshift. Also "surging" due to the torque converter clutch. Most have now been resolved by oil/filter changes & re-flashing the software. Several X350's have needed replacement transmissions because of solenoids failing in the TCM. Generally the transmissions are good, but you only hear about things that go wrong on a forum :)

The transmission is supposedly "sealed for life" so there is no fluid change scheduled into the offcial service procedure. If you notice the "The Lurch" "Barking" or the "Surge" then it might be worth getting the fluid/filter changed, and the TCM re-flashed. Others will say that as a precaution you should have the fluid/filter changed every 50'000miles.

Throttle Position Sensor
The TPS has a limited lifespan, could be anywhere from 50'000 miles to 150'000 miles. It depends a lot on the environment) hot climates will reduce the life of the part. Replacements are not available in the aftermarket, BUT the sensor is shared with a lot of othe cars, so you can pickup a throttle body from an X-Type or S-Type 2.5/3.0 for a fraction of the price & just swap the sensor.

Corrosion & Rust
It's an aluminium bodied car, so no issues with rust or corrosion right? Ah, no...
The alloy body can get "filiform corrosion" in some places, typically the inside lip of the front wheel arches, the bottom corners of the doors, and around the bottom of the rear window. There are several reasons for this, but fortunatley it does not spread like conventional rust, & is reasonably easy to repair for specialists in alloy panels

Rust on the other hand can be an issue for cars in cold/snowy climates where ther roads are salted. The front & rear subframes of the X350 are steel and will rust over time when exposed to salted roads. Also anything made of steel under the car will be affected (bolts, nuts, suspension parts, etc.) It's worth getting under the car & having a look at the steel parts if you are in the UK, northern Europe, northern states of North America or Canada i.e. where the roads are salted in winter.

Thermostat
The thermostat's in our cars do not last forever. Consider a preventitive swap-out after 8 years or 100'000 miles.

Driveshaft / Propshaft center bearing & couplings
After 120'000 miles or so the center bearing in the propshaft tends to get a little loose, giving a slight "thud" when you get on & off the throttle. The center bearing cannot be replaced, only the entire propshaft.

The rubber couplings at each end of the propshaft should also be changed preventatively after 10 years, as the rubber will perish with age. These are not available for the X350, but the S-Type ones are identical.

Transmission Cooler Lines
These also have a habit of wearing out & leaking. Should be checked after 100'000 miles at every service

Full Service History?
You need to be aware that an X350 at 95'000 miles, even if it's been service "by the book" will be on it's original spark plugs, transmission fluid, power-steering fluid, differential oil, drive belts, and possibly even it's coolant. Make of that what you will.

Alloy wheels
The OEM wheels made by BBS are not the strongest, and can often be bent by potholes. This is not an issue unique to Jaguar, but seems to come up fairly regularly.

Supercharged Specific Issues

Valley Hose
There is a $10 rubber hose under the supercharger which can fail. If this happens the whole supercharger/charge-coolers/intake needs to be removed to access the hose. It may or may not happen. Pot luck. $1800 labour to change a $10 hose.

Brake Rotors
The early XJR & SuperV8 had Brembo brakes. The OEM rotors are poor & warp regularly, giving a shudder under braking. Aftermarket replacement rotors of a "performance" nature are much better & do not warp like the OEM ones.

Diesel Specific Issues

EGR valves
The EGR valves will eventually block/jam up with crap. Expect these need replacing at 100'000 miles.

Diesel Particulate Filter
The DPF should not need any servicing, but sometimes they get so full that they are totally blocked & need replacing, especially problematic for "city cars" which don't get a good motorway run to clean out the DPF.

It also happens that the pipes running off the DPF can develop leaks, which can cause a lot of "unrelated" issues. So always check these pipes at every service.

Engine oil level
Keep a constant eye on the oil level, over time it starts to rise as diesel gets diluted into the sump. When you do an oil change don't fill the sump all the way, just a little over the "low" on the dipstick. If the sump gets full then the service message on the dash comes on, and it can happen within a few thousand miles.

Flex-joints before the cat converters
Are known to start leaking & you get diesel fumes in the cabin. These flex joints are welded to the pipes and are not available as a spare part from Jaguar, however are available in the aftermarket or can be sorted by an exhaust specialist.
These are now available from some Jaguar dealers!


Feel free to add more info!

Great write up Cameron, thanks for taking the time to compile and post, It will be helpful to many owners I'm sure.

You may want to add........

Alarm issues have been reported too, alarm sounding for no apparent reason.
I have seen / read many posts about this relating to the bonnet catch switch?

Diesel variants - It seems prevalent to suffer at some point with diesel fumes entering the cabin. This usually the result of cracking flexi joints.
Jaguar would insist that new Cats would be required at a cost of £2000+ but there are flexi joints now available for various sources.

Jaguar themselves have started to offer these as an alternative at various dealerships

Cameron - your post is great and will help many owners / prospective owners I believe.

Please add this to the HOW TO / FAQ section

Thanks

Thank you for this list. I have seen all of this plus a few extras with mine. My XJR was originally a California Car and now lives here in Florida. So with the high heat and terrible humidity that I deal with I would like to add that headliners tend to come loose over time. After looking into repair places and having them tell me that the rear window needs to come out I can tell you that you can DIY. After removal of all fasteners for the headliner and sail panels inside you could move the front seat all the way up and than remove just the bottom of the back seat for more space(beware of your seat heater and any there connections before you start pulling) you can remove the headliner through the rear door. I've had to replace this as I found there isn't much glue used at the factory. Now the headliner is better than new and for under $100. Not the $800 quoted.

I found and maybe because of the humidity or heat that the bonnet shocks wear out pretty quick with the OEM (Happens to all my cars I feel). I found a great company that charged me $50. for the pair! The company is called Lucid out of California.

Here's another tip for you...keep extra lug nuts handy. Anytime you take your car to have the tires rotated the new guy always seems to zip them on or off with his air ratchet..stripping the cap which is just a chrome cover. I found a few (8)from a local yard that looked new for $20. and have had to dip into them with a smile knowing that I had them.

Of course HID bulbs aren't cheap so a trip to Amazon.com helped save money and time just very tight space given to replace(Large handed), but can be done fairly easy.

I know my next item to buy is the Arnott Compressor as mine after nursing blown air suspension is tired Of course Ive replaced all four corners with Arnotts suspension now. I have bagpipingandys repair ring but I think its to late.

I don't know if there is a common problem with the stereos in our cars but I have the Alpine and know the tweeters in the dash one day were emitting smoke(removed completely now) and rear subs in the deck sound like garbage...I believe this is an amplifier problem. Who knows?

Batteries...What can you say. They eventually go weak and cause all sorts of issues that are related yet unrelated. If your battery is 3-4 years old and not used on the regular it may be the first thing you want to check if your having an electrical gremlin. Preventive maintance get a battery tender.

My two cents or three so take it for what its worth and maybe help. Keep this going please because even with minor or major problems I love this car :D

I'll add a couple of items to the list:

SIDE MARKER LAMPS - the connectors and sockets corrode very easily. It is not worth replacing the entire wiring harness, just to see that one corrode as well. At each of the four side marker lamps, I have cut out the wiring past the connector (about 8-9") and spliced in my own wiring and bulb holder. It takes a little fabrication to make a 4-tab bulb holder from the parts store fit into Jaguar's 3 tab side market lamp housing, but it works better than the corrosion-prone OEM junk.

COOLANT RESERVIOR BOTTLE - Mine leaked at the seam between the clear plastic bottom and the black plastic top. To be honest, I am not sure if this was a function of material fatigue or the result of a misbeehaving thermostat. I replaced both, using funds that had been earmarked for a new snowblower (yes, it cost about $500).

Great Write up Cambo! There are a few in there I had not read about.

Can we link my 'super' thread on Suspension Options?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...thread-111271/

It delves into the first one on the list pretty well I think (and updating as I get info), and links to all your repair options.

Valley Hose 2004-2005 XJR
 

Is there a way to inspect this hose?

Great summary Cambo. BTW dash does not have to come out to replace heater core on LHD vehicles, don't know about RHD.


Stu

I reckon it can be done after removing the glove box but I have not done it

myself.

great post CAMBO!

i'm researching purchasing new BBS wheels for my 2004 VP and i had no idea BBS made the OEM wheels! classy move JAGUAR!

this is my first post. i'd love to know how many members have 4.2L engines with 150K or 200K or 250K miles on them? i'd love to know how many miles this engine can go with regular maintenance and synthetic oil? any experience? any anecdotes?

Tim

Could I just add a little item: -

Lighting/Indicator switch on steering binnacle
Symptoms like

- lights flickering or even going out for a few seconds
- sat nav goes to Night mode in daylight


The above could be caused by the above switch being faulty, and faulty switches are a known problem. It is the same switch on the XF and the S-type.

Only when my lights failed for about 3 seconds on an very twisty unlit road on a moonless night did I resolve to finally take action. A new switch cured all my problems.

Great Information
 

Thanks for the great information. This is priceless to a new owner of a used Jag like myself.

Adding to a great post - Radio Silence
 

Adding to a great post - Radio Silence
I heard that it is not uncommon to suffer bouts of radio silence where the radio, CD, and CDC all go mute if the car sits in high heat (90+ degree) for a few hours.

While mute, I can't switch the nav screen to the CDC in the trunk. I can see the radio, and the dash-CD, but they produce no sound. Allowing it to cool overnight clears it up. I think its the CDC not booting on the audio network.

Amazing post, very educational
 

Thank you Cambo351, answered many questions I asked about in my first post here... At this rate I will be ready to start looking for my new project car.

:icon_bike:

Even at 100k mile on my car, the ZF Transmission Pan with the build in filter do not need replacement. I was told by the dealer that pan doesn't need to be change, but being skeptical I changed it anyway. After replacing the pan, my curiosity keeping me thinking if I really need to replace it. I decide to drill holes on the pan to expose the filter, the filter look very good. I would just drain and refill oil, but after drain and refill you don't see improvement in shifting then, I suggest changing the pan out. I got pics of the drill out pan, but I don't know how to upload the images. By the way, great write up CAMBO!

Recently replaced in the last 7 months:

All 4 rotors and pads are drilled R1 brand and purchased from ebay...replaced all 4 on wife's S type as well. They have been great and no more pulsing feeling with great stopping power. Also, look much better IMO.

New pads on Ebrake as well (easy job)

Replaced some rear bushings and bars with zerk fitted moog. Stiffened the rear wiggle abit.

Replaced Throttle body sensor after fault was tripped and put car in limp mode (never a cool thing to happen)

And now looking to replace or repair 20" Sepangs that took a beating on a recent road trip from S. Florida to NYC. Potholes took there toll. Not nice

Noticed I didn't mention in March on my post, but when I received this XJR the AC was not blowing and so I removed the glovebox and found a resistor for the fan motor was blown. I contacted Digikey? and ordered a .18 resistor which I soldered in and solved my problem that local shop/Dealer wanted over $1000. to do. 2 hrs and less than $1. :) Because, nobody repairs and they just want to replace whole part. Hasn't caused a problem again.

Thanks motofreaks!
Can you give me a little more detail on removing the glove box and the process of locating the particular resistor? My ac is working fine, but it seems like a good thing to learn. Is the throttle body sensor the same as MAF sensor? I just replaced my MAF sensor yesterday because it threw a P0101 code.

So should I expect a lot of expensive repairs with my x350 or are they reliable on the whole

Hi Dino,

If you've read Cambo's post #1 in this thread, you've learned as much as most of us could tell you without going into full service histories of our individual cars. I think it's safe to say that X350s are generally as reliable as most 6-to-10-year-old luxury-performance cars, and also similar in terms of cost of upkeep. There are known problem areas which can be expensive to correct, depending on how much of the work you can do yourself. Again, Cambo's post spells these out pretty thoroughly.

My wife and I are on our third Jaguar saloon since the mid-'90s, and I've done virtually all the service work myself. If you don't do the maintenance and repairs yourself, owning any out-of-warranty luxury-performance car can become expensive.

All that to say, the quirks, idiosyncrasies and known weaknesses of the X350 didn't keep me from buying one, and although in just over a year of ownership it has had a number of issues, it has never failed to start and get us from point A to point B.

As I mentioned in a reply to one of your earlier posts, please visit our New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum and post an introduction to give us some info about yourself and the kind of X350 you would most like to own. We'll look forward to hearing what you find!

Cheers,

Don

ADD:
Corrosion and rust- The steel support arms which hold up the petrol tanks were badly rusted and needed replacing on my X350 - This was in 2010 and the car is only a 2004 model.

Transmission fluid/filter change - Will do some more research on this after noting the following; the ZF units are sealed for life, which implies 60,000 miles- as I have read in some "other" forum posts. I asked our local Jag dealer and they have never replaced the transmission fluid or filters and don't recommend this on X350's. Once changed you may have issues with the seals, as the pressure may blow them. Also read that oil changes can disturb the sludge (filter muck, metal filings etc) back into the system if not correctly flushed out by the mechanic. ( refer Jaguar World May 2009 - page 25)

Spark plugs- conflicting information if to replace them at 50,000 miles or at the service recommendation of 70,000 miles. ( refer to "Jaguar world" May 2009 ,page 24 and 28). In regard to getting them out at 50,000 would be easier, before getting "seized in".

I note this post for " Full Service history" stating original plugs at 95,000 miles.
So it would be good for other members to share their maintenance experience on what can be left alone without any issue?

buttpt,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

Please visit the New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum and post an introduction so we can know something about you and your car.

Cheers,

Don

Thank you!
 

New Member - Had trouble receiving confirmation email - Just checking to see if I am able to post as a member! Cheers

On my 2005 Jaguar XJR I replaced the lug nuts with the appropriate Toyota one piece lug nuts. Gorilla 73138T and Gorilla wheel locks 73631T. This was after a 1/2 day at a garage removing the original lug nuts after the dealer's, non Jag, actually broke one of the original lug nuts trying to get it off.
I have just replaced several front bulbs and even tho my hands are not particularly large it is a painstaking task because of the lack of room. The front indicator bulb was supposed to twist a /14 turn to get out and required a lot of pressure to get it to twist.

Headliner reglue or replace?
 

Did you reglue it or replace it? If you reglued it what did you use?

Hello I'm not sure if this is where to post this information but my search for cabin air filters did not come up with a better location. A number of people said that they could not get any proper size aftermarket cabin air filters for the x350 and had to go to Jaguar dealers. I look through many vendors and asked for the measurements of their filters. One vendor, Onyx Enterprises, selling through CARiD.com had Denso charcoal cabin air filters #454-4055 (Made in the Czech Republic) for $18.84 each. It was the same size as the dirty original filter and fit perfectly in my 2005 VDP - so I believe it would fit most X350s. Good luck.

Another caution on X350 Jaguars

I have noticed this on a number the x350s and thought it would be worth mentioning. It is quite important to often check around the cabin air filter for debris such as leaves. If debris accumulates underneath the filter and on the tray it can migrate to the drain holes at either side of the car. If these are blocked water can accumulate and cause many electrical problems, including possible damage to the ECU. The filter is fairly accessible on the passenger side of the vehicle – just unclip the long upper prongs securing the filter cover, rotate the top of the cover towards the front of the vehicle and remove the filter. You can get clear access for debris removal by detaching the filter cover by lifting it so the bottom tabs are released. However, the upper prongs are thin plastic and easily broken. I have seen several x350 cabin filter covers taped because of broken prongs.

Besides a blown air-shock (happened on a business trip out of town, so paid the $750 to have it replaced by a great independent servicer - Jaguar Alley in Davenport, IA), I have battery issues (there's got to be some on-going drain other than the dash clock) - really need to get a tender, and the most frustrating was the nipple that the coolant overflow bottle connects to is so long that if any pressure is put on it, it will snap - usually at/under the hose, so it is difficult to see that it is cracked and leaking. Was on a trip home from Florida, when suddenly I'm overheating and had to stop and purchase a gallon of pre-mixed coolant to keep re-topping the radiator. As an engineer myself, I find it disappointing that some idiot engineer would make such a poor design choice. Had this been shortened up, it would be less susceptible to getting broken.

Just a quick suggestion
 

Since this system uses a fiber optic cable, I wonder if the plastic is swelling in the heat and moving out of location. Not sure what you could do about that, other than keeping it in a shaded area.

You bought a Jag
 

If you're relatively competent and can perform many of the maintenance/repairs yourself, you should be able to get by relatively inexpensively (it's a car, you know, so nothing's cheap). If you need to rely on someone else to do the maintenance/repair be ready to pay through the nose.


One example: Changing the oil and oil filter. The X350 has a windscreen under the engine. This has several bolts and screws that hold it on (about 6 bolts and 3 screws if I remember). Most oil change locations aren't used to needing to remove such a thing, and will either refuse to do the work, or charge you through the nose to do the work, as will a dealer, it's just that they know about removing the windscreen. However, once you get this windscreen off, the oil drain plug is beautifully located and the oil filter is right in the open - much easier to get to than my other vehicles (mostly Fords, so I'm guessing that the Ford powertrain engineers didn't have a chance to screw this up). Anyway, get the windscreen off, and it's a very easy job. Getting the windscreen back on is a bit of a bear as the screws in the front can be a challenge to get lined up. Use a synthetic oil and good brand oil filter and you won't need to change them as often.

Lug nuts
 

I had a similar experience. These covers over the lug-nut itself are stupid. Luckily, when I had the flat and twisted the cover off, it was in Tampa, so I could get a tow and have a dealer get the nut off. Had I been on the interstate in the middle of nowhere, I would have been majorly pissed. First thing that I did when I got home was go on eBay and order some solid chromed lug-nuts. I sold the crappy originals for more than what I had to pay for the new solid nuts. Those who insist on OEM parts for stupid designs like these nuts are just that - nuts.

I agree with you totally Rob.
The only reason I discovered the problem was because I wanted to install locking nuts. If it was not for that I probably would have discovered the problem as you did and past my 30 day warranty from the non Jag dealer I purchased the car from.

Bought a pair from RockAuto last week for $25 including shipping and they arrived in less than a week. Now the bonnet stays up.

That's where I got mine too. Thinking I might need to do the trunk ones soon.

Fantastic review of potential problems and fixes. Thanks to all. I might add that very often there are unusual electrical quirks (wiper/lights/engine/warnings) caused by poor grounds to the Al. body. In many areas of corrosion (salt, chemicals) the "posts" on the forward bulkhead (being the headlamps) seem to be the culprit even if they look OK. Good idea if there are unusual (particularly intermittent) electrical problems that defy logic and the OBDI, check these ground. Sometimes they look normal with no corrosion but when you attempt to remove the nut they fall off the bulkhead (remember that they are barely torqued down by Jaguar and do not over torque when replacing if they are OK). Thanks.

Great Post Very helpful

Something not on your list: "creaking" from the front end. I LOVE my 2006 SV8 - truly a "better" car than my beloved 2003 XJ8 VDP. But I am daunted by the sophistication / complication of this XJ. Anyway- back to the creaking..

I hear it at slow speed when turning or riding over the ridges and ruts in my driveway. Have had the ball-joints replaced .. still no improvement. Any hints??

You have renewed all the suspension bushes? They don't last long. Usually you hear clonks from them rather than creaks.


there is a sturdy crash-bar behind the bumper, it is riveted into position but the rivets can come loose. They can be replaced with stainless nuts and bolts. Possibly movement due to uneven roads makes them loose. If you can work out how to grab and tug on it you might get it to creak.

I have operated several X350 Jaguars in hot and cold weather. The car that I have had the most problems with the audio cutting off has been located in the north where it is not been warm. Usually turning off the ignition and turning it back on solves the problem. Otherwise it behaves exactly like the instances above - indications on the audio panel appear normal but there is no sound and you cannot adjust the volume. So I don't know if the ambient temperature has much to do with it. Good luck.

My XJ6 2004 is getting a few more niggles to put up with for now.

a) when I lock the car, the rear door ( passenger side) is not locking. The mechanical latch on the door is still out and does not flick in. You can open the door which sets off the car alarm. The work around is for me to check if that door latch has pulled in. If not, then unlock the car with the electric key, open the front passenger door and push the door latch in on the offending rear door, Then lock the car up again with the key.

b) The nearside wing mirror, does not close in when I lock the car ( two button presses to fully lock) sometimes. To save wear and tear on the mechanical moving parts ( probably plastic), I sometimes just lock the car with one button press, so that both wing mirrors stay out. problem solved for now until compltete failure. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/i...icon_smile.gif

Good to keep getting updates on this thread.

One tip having owned a 4.2 for 11 years, is when you replace your wiper blades opt for the Bosch alternative. I have found them superior to the the originals, they work very well and being lighter and having the screen washer outlet on the trailing edge intrude less on the view through the windscreen.
As an after thought, I have had my rear bushes replaced and used removable bushes that save an enormous cost on the Jaguar method of replacing the whole wishbone.
I concur with the advice to replace the battery regularly as the wattage needed to turn the engine over and run all the ancillary equipment is enormous.Taking into account that many of the systems require max voltage to operate correctly, it is crucial that the battery can maintain a full charge.

Greytop.

is that a blade like this? "Aerotwin Flat"
Jaguar XJ 8 03-10 Bosch Aerotwin Flat Front Wiper Blade Set Pair Windscreen | eBay


I've never seen them.
The ad says it includes pre-fitted washer jets.


I quite like the Jag ones which are marked Trico, still using the metal ones, I haven't yet got used to the flat plastic blades