Hello all. I'm sure most or all of you guys are Jaguar experts, so I have a couple of questions, being that this is my first Jag. I picked up a 2002 XJR and noticed 3 things.. The car runs absolutely great, but I noticed that dashboard has a rattle somewhere near the center when I hit bumps. An ideas? Also, the "check brake lamp" light is coming on intermittently. Not sure if that's an indication of the bulb going out or an electrical issue. Lastly, the car has 90k miles on it and was wondering if these cars typically have alittle bit of a bouncy ride or should I go ahead and replace or upgrade the shocks. Thanks in advance and i look forward to becoming a part of the forum.

Regards,
TB
2002 XJR
2011 Porsche Panamera
2007 Range Rover Sport
1970 Chevelle SS
1971 Chevelle SS
1970 Malibu Sedan
1975 Plymouth Gran Fury
1967 Riviera
1967 Toronado
1978 MG

 

Hope you are enjoying your XJR. Mine is quite a bit older (98), but the ride is certainly not bouncy. I think they have changed the suspension between our years, but if anything, mine rides almost annoyingly stiff. The XJ8 models I have driven are much softer. Perhaps a 2002 owner can chime in for a more direct comparison, but "bouncy" is not what I would expect.

Also, the grill near the windshield sometimes rattles, usually after going over railroad tracks. I generally push it down a bit and it usually cures it. Mine is quite intermittent, so I have never tried to properly fix it. It might be interesting to hear from others if this is a common issue and if there is a simple fix.

I can't provide any sage advice on the brake lamp warning... I assume all 3 of your brake lights are working properly. Many posts point to low battery levels causing strange electrical warnings. You need to be above 12 volts, so you may want to have your battery tested. If it has not been replaced, it is certainly overdue.

 

Welcome, congrats
Brake lamp could be triggered from a few factors : loose or broken pedal wear sensor, ABS malfunction ,worn out pads . The very 1st happened to me on my Jag and replaced the pedal wires and problem fixed .I believe X308s come with brake pad sensors too

 

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of Jaguar!

My '02 has the same center of dash 'rattle' on road bumps and my research leads me to believe that the cause is that the climate control duct has separated from the dash. Discussions indicate that it is, or was, held in place only by some double sided insulated sticky tape. Reconnecting the duct was described to be on the order of magnitude of removing the engine so I have just learned to ignore it. If you find out something different I would appreciate hearing back.

A more common reported issue is worn suspension bushings that can cause 'thumps' on bumps.

My suspension is anything but 'bouncy' at 65k miles, a very refined smooth ride. The XJR is not a sports car but an outstanding luxury cruiser in the truest sense. The 'R' version should have a stiffer suspension than the NA cars but that is still not 'stiff'. Early cars suffered from general weakness in front suspension but had gotten a lot better by '02. Another forum member, Reverend Sam, is going through his suspension on his '03 and documenting the work with videos. Check out the following:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...s-video-50477/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...deo-faq-62122/

Brake light issues have been all over the place as indicated above but one left out, and is easy to check, is the bulb socket connection to the bulb and to ground.

You might also want to check out the FAQ sticky above and here:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ts-data-29800/

Looks like you appreciate autos. I think you will appreciate this one.

 

Welcome:

The center rattle can be caused from a few items -- do check the upper grill along the windshield -- but normally it is behind the ACC controls. A few things can be loose and the only way to fix it is to remove the components and take a look.


On the brake lamps -- make sure you have the correct bulbs and they are both the same -- you want the euro specification bulb not the higher wattage US bulb. The lamps on the X308's are all controlled by relays and in the case of the brake lamps a control module in the trunk. This module is known to have some issues and is expensive ... do a search you will find much information.


Jag's do have high suspension movement - but it should not be "bouncy" --- The 2002 XJR's do have the CATS system w/ two position shocks ($$) ... so you could have a problem with them. The front suspension does have many mounts and often does need some attention at your mileage -- best to have it looked over by someone familiar with the cars. XJ's in general are very particular to the tires installed and don't over-inflate.

The cars can be a bit "choppy" in the front on rough roads - especially the XJR

 

Thank you guys so much for your responses. That should get me headed in the right direction. I've been part of several boards (some good, some not so good) but it does feel good to get reponses from folks like myself who just like car and helpinf fellow car enthusiasts!

Regards,
TB
2002 XJR
2011 Porsche Panamera
2007 Range Rover Sport
1970 Chevelle SS
1971 Chevelle SS
1970 Malibu Sedan
1975 Plymouth Gran Fury
1967 Riviera
1967 Toronado
1978 MG