Okay, I ordered a CKPS from a Jag parts vendor in the US. I thought I would get an official Jag part ... they list it as part# LHE1640AA-OE and state "New OEM Part". It was in a small clear zip-lock bag, inside a white box with no markings.

The last time the CKPS went out, I bought one from Oreilly Auto Parts, Part #19-0529, UPC: 25623654256 branded as an "Import Direct" part. The new one that arrived today, a supposed official part, looks verbatim like the Import Direct piece. I was going to buy from Motorcars (they're down the street from me), but I thought I'd save $40.00 and buy from this other vendor. Now I wonder if the $40+ (Motorcars) is because it's the real thing?

All the photos of the official CKPS I've found on the Net, all have "LHE1640AA" stamped on the flat facing on the rubber boot (and usually have a green Jag box with it). This one has zero markings. a blue and red wire to the connector and the wires are wrapped in a white sleeve. Not sure if this is correct, but it appears there's a ground wire sticking out of the white sleeve exactly 1/2 inch (braided wire twisted tight).

Maybe I'm making a big deal out of this, but I tell myself, "I could've driven down the street to Oreilly's, paid $110. for the same part and would have it in my hands right now". But since I wanted the real Jag part, I went Jag vendor shopping. Is this Jag vendor mis-representing the [after-market] part as a real Jag part?

So, what's the opinion? Should this thing have "LHE1640AA" stamped on it?
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The OE parts, although manufactured by "someone" for Jaguar, will nearly always have the Jaguar number on them somewhere.

The same people also supply the aftermarket world, or Grey Market, as we call it down here, with the same part, in plain wrapping, and possibly with no markings on the part.

It is these markings that Jaguar pay for, and we pay for eventually.

I liken it to medications, Brand Name versus Generic, same factory, different packaging, different prices, and we are informed the same product?.

Not sure on that earth type wire you see.

My aftermarket sensor looked exactly the same as the OE I removed, and worked just fine. Main issue I had was the vertical connector stupidity where the sensor joins the engine loom. Full of crud etc, and I still maintan that was my core failure more so than the sensor itself.

 

Thanks for the follow up, Grant.

Here's the part, with an inset zoom-in on the bare exposed "ground wire":

 

I think the silver wire is the end of a braided shield in the cable, not an earth lead.


OEM parts is a minefield. I do not buy anything from sites that simply quote "OEM" or even worse "OE Quality". If I don't know the brand I don't buy.

 

Yup, vendors use the term "OEM" *****-nilly. It no longer means anything. Without research and/or holding a vendor's feet to the fire it is very hard to know what you're buying these days. Add to that global manufacturing, label engineering, and ever-changing corporate ownership of parts manufacturers.....

Cheers
DD

 

Well said, Doug.

Times have changed and automakers have to adapt as suppliers discontinue parts as aftermarket demand declines or the supplier's circumstances change. Since the X300 Engine Management System was made by Lucas/Sagen-GEMS, it seems likely that the original CKPS was either made or sourced by Lucas. But Lucas, or what remains of it, no longer lists an X300 CKPS in its online catalog.

So who makes the parts that Jaguar dealers sell today? In all liklihood, one of Ford's OEM suppliers of ignition parts, such as Airtex Wells. And you can buy one of their sensors from Rock Auto. It probably won't have the Jaguar part number molded or otherwise marked on the sensor body, but it will probably be the the same, or of the same quality, as the part sold by the dealer. As an example, an air filter for our X350 from the Jaguar dealer comes in a Jaguar box, but the filter itself is marked Visteon, a former division of Ford.

Cheers,

Don

 

As far as I know the Lucas we love (or love to hate, for some of us) closed doors on automotive-related operations in 1996. Another company....the name escapes me at the moment...manufactures and/or sells Lucas automotive stuff under license. A little sad, really, IMHO.

Cheers
DD

 

That silver thread is the end of the coaxial shield inside that white covering. Rather tatty in my opinion, and not really required for that application either.

ALL of us that have had the early HE V12, will remember the "Infamous Shielded Wire" fiasco with the ignition amp. Those that have not had the pleasure of the V12, you have missed HEAPS, mainly FUN.

 

The 1996 X300 Electrical Guide shows that the CKPS wires are shielded, and that the shield connects to the RH bulkhead ground stud via the wiring harness, so why would the vendor have cut the shield short of the connector? The shield presumably helps reduce the amount of noise in the CKPS signal due to all the electro-magnetic interference in the engine bay.

 

Thanks for the follow up, Don. You're reply prompted me to go check the failed CKPS that's still in the Jag - I had to look because I remember not connecting a shield to a ground stud.

Sure enough, the failed CKPS that's on the car (I've yet to install the new one) does not have an exposed shielded cable. Just the white casing and a blue and red wire to the connector. I'll bet there's no shielding for the failed unit.

Now I'm curious if anyone else has bolted a CKPS and grounded the shield cable. I guess to make this an proper install, I should solder a length of wire and connect it to the ground stud. I'll read up on the Electrical Guide.

 

The name that escapes you is probably "Elta", right? If you go to the Lucas website and click to find a part, you're redirected to the Elta website.

For example, want a new "Lucas" ignition coil for the x300? It's now part# 5021374129574 (explicitly states it replaces LHE1510AB).

 

In the original configuration, the connection to the ground stud would have been via a wire in the harness that would have connected to a third terminal in the CKPS electrical connector, so no separate ground wire would have been required between the sensor and ground stud. It sounds as though the sensors available today either have no shields or, in the case of the one you just bought, are not using the shield that exists in the cable.

I would be very curious to know if the harness connector for your CKPS has three terminals or only two. Perhaps Lucas or Jaguar discontinued the shielding but didn't remove it from the schematics.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks Don.

My connector is a 2 blade. Your comment reminds me that at some auto parts stores, you can opt for a 2 blade or 3 blade connector sensor - I find this common at non-Jag-specific stores. At the Jag-specific shops I've frequented, I only see the 2 blade offered.

Anyway, I installed the new CKPS and she fires up and runs.

However, she's idling about 200 rpms lower and there's a slight misfire (probably bad coil). Central electrical door locking and electric trunk release still don't work. There was also a code thrown, but silly me, I've forgotten what it was (I cleared it, but I think it was a p1186).

 

That's it !



And even THAT is not the OEM coil.

Lucas/Elta is selling (as of a couple years ago, at least) a "DMB411" coil made ....I dunno....somewhere in Europe. "Lucas" is stamped in yellow on the coil itself.

The true OEM coils are made in Japan by Diamond Manufacturing. Lucas bought them, put a white 'Lucas' sticker on 'em that carried the Jaguar part number, and sold 'em to Jaguar. That's what was used when then car was built.

If you were to order a new Jaguar-packaged coil nowadays I'm not sure what you'd get.

Cheers
DD