Just got the total for getting my tilt/telescoping feature to work right. $460!!!! In labor only???? They didn't even replace anything. Turned out that it had been looked at before and when it got put back together, a wire harness got pinched and lost power to switch pack. So my question is, how freaking hard could it be to take the covers off, drop the steering column, repack the wiring and close everything up properly? How many labor hours should I expect to see on my bill? I thought I read a post on here that goes through this process, and it took about two hours. Going by that, Jaguar just charged me at over $200/hr. for this job. I'm going to pick up the car tomorrow, so if anyone has any knowledge of what Jaguars own shop manuals says about how much time it should take for this type of job I would like to hear those thoughts.

 

Huh. 3 hours at $149 each. I guess that sounds about right as far as the time it takes to do the job. I did get the loaner XF for a few days, from the service standpoint. Worth the value I got for my money. Park place jaguar in plano.

 

dude... you have no idea....

we were having a fuse blow in the same circuit. It took me a long time to diagnose the issue. the tilt telescope is tied into the memory seats. wiring for the telescoping function runs from the column under the seat to the memory computer, then under the rear carpet to the rear kick plate fuse panel, out of that panel into the rear passenger floor area,back up over the center hump, and back to the wheel....

it could have been anywhere in that wire. they probably started at the fuse and worked forward.

Mine was a short under the rear carpet that melted MUCHO wires.... I had to do extensive rewiring.

if you don't want these bills learn to fix it yourself or buy a cheap to repair car. jag dealers are VERY expensive..

 

I paid an indy mechanic $250 to track down an electrical issue -- he "used" his connection (a buddy of his) at the Jaguar dealership for help finding the problem. I'm just glad I didn't take it to the dealership or it would've cost a lot more!

 

Interesting it took "his connection" at the dealership to fix the problem. I have to ask did the indy supply you with a Jaguar loaner ? Just curious.

 

I ain't so sure a guy who has to use a buddy to find an electrical problem will actually be the best deal day in and day out. I'm glad he sorted for you this time, though!

 

with a wiring diagram ANY COMPETENT mechanic should be able to fix electrical issues....

problem i have found is that many mechanics are simply parts swappers....

many times, if there is a common fault dealers will know it second...usually after people here............lol

 

Yes.

No.

Sometimes.

With a wiring diagram any competent mechanic should be able to repair *wiring* issues.

Nowadays, though, "electrical issues" have morphed into "electronics issues"....not quite the same thing.





Too true, too true.

But here again lets not speak too broadly. In the last few decades more and more sub-assemblies (mechanical or electronic) are sealed units not designed to be repaired....only replaced. No service parts available to repair 'em and no repair instructions offered...even if you could get 'em opened up.

I suspect what you're referring to, though, is swapping parts in place of actual diagnosis. That's always been a problem to one extent or another, sadly. Lack of training can certainly play in, among other issues.

I've known many talented and capable mechanics with decades of experienece who simply couldn't keep up with modern technology.

OTOH....heh heh heh...I also known some who have never replaced a set of points or adjusted a carburetor and would some instruction to do so

Cheers
DD

 

Since my electrical / electronic skills far surpass my mechanical ones, I admit that is, in some ways, what attracts me to Jaguars. But both their mechanics and electonics are straightforward in design.

 

I'm ....um.....fairly certain that your education/experience/expertise with electronics exceeds that of most of automobile mechanics

With a fresh cuppa coffee I was prepared to spend some time writing one of my usual overly long and rambling replies on the subject of 'competent' auto repair technicians....but then decided I just don't have the strength.

Instead I'll just say that outfitting an auto repair shop with the right mix of talent can be very difficult.

I fear the industry is headed for trouble and not for any single reason. A 'paradigm shift' is looming and it won't be easy.

I just tickled that I'm no longer in a position where I have to be involved with it

Cheers
DD

Cheers
DD

 

I knew a few 'old-timers' that finally gave up on modern car repair because of electronics even though we got factory training at Jag school. They just HATED electronic diagnostics. Network faults seemed to be the worst. They also did not like computers and typing repair explanations to get paid for work performed.

Service writers and warranty clerks usually had to proofread and rewrite for them.

Some retired and some found something else to do.

As a side note to Cherry_560sel, this is the X308 section and not the X400 (2005 X-Type) if this is the car that was repaired.

bob gauff

 

And I wager many of them were otherwise very capable and competent. We all rise to the level of our incompetence. And that's not meant as a criticism.

When I was in the business I had one particular technician....an outstanding, loyal, dedicated, 25 year employee....who thru effort, leadership, and ability rose to be our "lead technician". Eventually, though, he just couldn't keep up with technology. It was a very difficult thing when he had to be .....well....demoted to the type of work that best suited his skill level.

Cheers
DD

 

Yeah, but thats the way the world works. The "flight engineer" on a airplane is a nearly dead profession. The iceman, the milkman, the typewriter repairman- even the filing clerk are all gone. There will be two classes of new auto tech- the traditional mechanic to tear down the nuts and bolts, and the electronics / diagnostician guy. Some guys will do both. There are specialists in most professions these days. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and engineers all have specialization. Just add auto technician to the list.

 

A flight engineer story....sort of. Well, one of my favorites little stories, at least.

Dad was a pilot in the Air Force. According to him you did what the flight engineers said or caught hell. Sorta like officers not messing around too much with Master Sargeants, if you know what I mean.

Anyhow, the usual instruction from FEs to pilots was "Don't f**k around with any of the buttons. Just fly the goddamn plane!"

That story sorta stuck in our family. To this day if one of us is trying to do something we know we shouldn't be doing ...with disasterous results looming....we get "Don't f**k with the buttons. Just fly the goddamn plane!"

Cheers
DD

 

not part of your problem , but just to show what dealers charge. my local jag dealer tried to charge me 15 hrs( over $1900) to check out why my 99 xjr wouldn't start. when all i wanted was my keys programed. the head guru said keys don;t go bad. thing was my car never left where the wrecker droped it. two wrecker bills later and car still not going. do the keys have to match the tansponder and the computer both?

 

Just remember that electrical diagrams have the effect of rendering many otherwise
competent people into catatonic state.

You only have to look as far as this forum.

The electrical diagrams are availabe for download via links in many
of the stickies in the model specific sections.

People either won't download them, or download them and then
it goes downhill from there.

 

At least auto technicians are hands on every day.

In an interview that aired last month, an airline captain of many years experience was
asked how long he actually had his hands on the controls these days on a flight.

His answer ... "two or three minutes. Everything from takeoff to landing is under
auto pilot."

So what happens when one of the newer pilots has something go wrong?

Well he has no "feel" for the controls. Just what he learned some time
ago in a simulator to get his ticket.

Better hope the programmer who worked on the auto pilot was really,
really good. Programmers of that caliber are really, really rare.

 

Keys have been known to go bad.

Very rare, but it has been reported here.

 

So not true !!!! First to get to the level of ATP (airline transport pilot) you would have taken one of two paths...first USAF, the second would be a private pilot training program with is the beginning of a long trek to get to ATP levels. The number of hours and the different types of planes (single prop, dual prop, jet propulsion, IFR rating, VFR rating, etc, etc) and devices that a pilot is required to learn in order to reach ATP levels is pretty rigorous. By the time you get into the cockpit of a airliner, you've flown a version of just about everything that there is to fly!!! Just had to put my two cents in...lol...

And to respond to motorman....sorry, I didn't know this thread was specific to a certain model. I just wated to chime in on how much the dealers charged for labor. In my case, I took my XJ VDP in for service. Taking the XT in at the end of March.