my 1999 XJR is making a growling noise? as you slow to a stop.
Think it transmission? I noticed a small leak at rad, fixed that, trying to find a dipstick to check level, any way to check it without Jag Deal dipstick? Jag dealer 1.5 hours away, and I do not want to drive it making this noise.


Any suggestions? No codes, shifts fine, just this low growl when coming to a stop light 60,000 miles on it ( 15,000 I put on this year long highway miles )

 

These can be difficult to trouble shoot.
Are you sure its the Trans?
Could the growling sound be a vibration, only at certain speeds, coming from the console area?

 

yes between the front seat area, low rumble gear like rumble from 10 mile an hour to stop... noise rpm slows as car slows, do not hear it under acceleration even light, but when coasting to a stop does not increase when brake are applied.
Again not sure if transmissions is low on fluid? it was leaking transmission fluid at rad.
Anyway to check level? without dipstick?

 

Yes, they sell the dipsticks on Ebay. Got mine for about $10 incl. shipping.

 

Could be the driveshaft coupling. But it the trans, fluid and filter haven't been changed in a while that should be addressed when you get the dipstick.

 

Plus 1 on the possibility of it being the driveshaft center support bearing. I had the same type of noise on my 98' XJR. It would produce a low volume growling noise. Allegedly the
95'-97' XJ6 center support bearing will work as a replacement even though it's not listed to work. I had a spare driveshaft on hand so I didn't try to replace just the bearing. I replaced the driveshaft and the noise went away.

 

Yes. Use a length of #12 wire, weed whacker cable, or
my choice of poison a bicycle brake cable.

You need to reference the diagrams of levels you can find
here and realise that the factory tool does not touch the
bottom of the pan.

 

An old choke cable sheath works too, I have used one for years. The kind that looks like it is made of wound wire.

FWIW, I got a real tranny dipstick from the junkyard, don't remember what car it came from, not a Jag, looked like it would work but it is just a bit too wide to make it thru the bends in the tube. It has been sitting on my bench for two years now, until I get the time to grind down the side width a bit.

Oh, I almost forgot to add: Jaguars are supposed to "growl," just not like that. lol!
Vector

 

Turns out to be the driveshaft hanger bearing. getting a used one temporary, but would like to rebuild the original.


So who has done an XJR ( 1999 ) driveshaft hanger bearing? I would like to rebuild this one, I see posts on using an 1997 bearing... but is there any body can tell me what the steps are ?

 

Well the growling noise when I slow to a stop turns out to be the driveshaft hanger bearing.... so far Jaguar has sent 2 wrong driveshafts .... waiting on another one.... not impressed at all with Jaguar Canada at the moment, first they sent a driveshaft way to short for my car, maybe it was from a S-Type, was told, parts guy couldn't match my serial number to a part and it was the only one they had in stock so they shipped it, without calling back and confirming.... then they figure it out and have to send one from England .. 2 more weeks and it's for a XJL , not a XJR ... so it's 10 inches too long ...( funny no woman ever told me it was ten inches too long before ... at least that made me smile ) ... so now... it took another week for them to figure out what went wrong, and now.. they sending me another one from England ... might get it the first week of August now ... by the time I'm done it if the right part shows up it's been 2 months ... this been going on since beginning of June

 

Why bother? Dipstocks cost under $10 on ebay.

 

Interesting, I wonder if that's the cause of my growling around 40-50 mph. It goes away at lower and higher speeds.