I just bought a low mileage 2008 XKR from CA. On the drive back I noticed that the wheels were not balanced. No chance of spotting this on a test drive as the freeway local to the dealer is used by NASA as a test track for lunar rovers. Oh well, mutter, mutter, not a really big deal. Then.....

....somewhere on a VERY dark part of I-15, the check engine light put in an appearance. Pulled off at the first exit that did not look like it belonged in The Hills Have Eyes and got out the flashlight. No oil or water gushing forth nor any strange noises from the motor as near as I can tell given I am unfamiliar with the beast. The manual was of little help other than to suggest I don't push it. No kidding, Sherlock. Drove home the rest of the way matching speed with the 18-wheelers and using the cruise control a lot.

Took it to the dealer ASAP next morning. Interesting response. Check engine light caused little excitement, but wheel vibration brought some sucking of teeth. Seems that in that shop CELs are an easy fix but wheel vibrations can be nasty. Maybe they see a lot of kerbed wheels here or something.

Dealer called today to say the fronts are in need of a balance and that the CEL has gone away after a "Performance Upgrade" to the PCM. I had a scout around for a TSB but I have not found anything too definitive. The service rep could not tell me what the code was, so either he could not find it on the tech's sheet or the tech just connected up, saw the version number and flashed away. We shall see. Not a great start to Jag ownership. I hope it gets a LOT better.

 

a performance upgrade? Factory?????!?! That sounds more like a "computer reset" to clear the cel

 

I just took my XKR's wheels in for odd shimmies in the front end. I have a little local shop that does autoX and does fine work on wheels. The rims themselves are true and were out of balance by only about half an ounce. However, the tires themselves are... oblong. They're out of round. Mine only had 3k on the odometer when I picked it up, and it had sat for almost two years with little use. I suspect that's what caused the issue. Short of replacing the tires, there's little I can do to fix that. The rims themselves were very well balanced though.

 

Mista:

I think "upgrade" is the motor trade's euphemism for "bug fix" as we often hear in the computer world.

Rahtok:

Your thought about square tyres also occurred to me. How long has the car been lurking in the showroom? It has a newish set of Hankook's on the front and some quite worn Dunlops on the rear. I can see how the rear tyres may wear quickly if you are heavy footed, but the fronts? Maybe the driver was ham fisted and often turned the wheel while the car was not rolling. Of course, the wrong road hazard can kill rubber pretty quickly, too.

 

You may have had the same issue with your CEL as my '08 XK recently experienced. The dealer informed me that the settings for one of the smog parameters were too narrow and had to be widened a bit with the re-flash to avoid being triggered by an occasional spike. No problems since.

Good luck and enjoy your car

Albert

 

Albert

Given that the best gas we get in the SW is only an alleged 91 octane, that is a good possibility.

I also wonder if the car ever left the low lying parts of CA and me taking it to the high desert and up over the Cajon and on to Vegas may have caused something to complain. I know that OBD II should cope, but maybe the car was set in its ways.

 

Don't despair Lost Wages. R versions of Jag autos may come in for a bit of abuse either at the hands of previous owners or car dealer personnel looking for a cheep thrill. Fortunately the engines and transmissions are robust.

When I got my XJR a few years ago it had 2 bent wheels and a set of ruined tires. It seems the dealer had used the car as a loaner as a technique to boost upper level car sales. I have surmised that a few "boy racer types" did a job on it. Anyway, 2 wheels straightened at minimal cost and gradual replacement of the tires put everything right.

Here's hoping your car sorts out as easy as mine did.

 

Mine too! When I bought my 08 XK, it was about three years old. The car had worn Dunlops on the back and much newer Goodyears on the front. Since these tires are staggered sizes, I am sure they had not been rotated. Anyway, I replaced all four tires at that time. That was about 8000 miles ago and so far the new tires seem to be wearing just fine.

Hmmm...

 

my 09 use to trigger a CEL when ever the gas station tried to top off the tank on a fill. It would go off after about 45 miles. Dealer never figured it out. Ended up buying a $75 code reader and reseter to check the code and if it was an evaporative one would just reset it and go on my merry way without wasting time going back and forth to the dealer.

 

This is a known issue with the XK. Bottom line, do NOT top off the tank. If the filler clicks off at "$22.99" one should resist the urge to round the tank up to $23.00.

Unfortunately, being a little on the obsessive/compulsive side, this is almost impossible for me...

 

I've had several bent wheels repaired since purchasing my 07 XK last July. Northern VA does a lousy job taking care of its roads, so you just have to grin and hand over the $200+ for the straightening job. I'll be putting on full winters soon but in the spring I will replace the OEM Dunlops (yuck) that have lasted over 28K miles.

Computer resets are not unusual for a car that is operated by so many different computers. As they say, technology is great when it works.

I would never buy a car such as a Jaguar without understanding its history ... while I think Ford did an EXCELLENT job refining this car under its ownership, it is still a Jaguar and will have issues now and then. That said, I love my XK like I loved my 97 XJ6 VDP and think they are in the top 10 of the most beautiful cars you can buy!

 

I am in DC too, boy these roads suck. I am originally from FL and every time I go back home I am in awe of how nice the roads are. Particularly in South Florida the roads damn near feel like silk.

 

Not a bad guess - but the ECU has an onboard altimeter, means it thins the fuel off as the air gets thinner at altitude. Smart eh?

It could have been a throttle re-calibration, these are released on what seems like a monthly basis

Please find the best gas you can to run the car!

You'll be very fond of it in no time.

 

Where did you buy the buying a $75 code reader Brand ??

 

You might be a winner. I filled up in Victorville using my normal routine that I have used on all my cars and rentals for the last 14 years that I have had/used OBD II vehicles. Pump clicked off. I filled some more until it clicked, then I topped up to a round number or a five. Distance from Victorville to the lamp illumination spot is probably 50-60 miles. Looks like I did it.

 

Wait Tarheal, did yours end up coming from Jaguar of Tampa? They had a slate one like yours for mainly aston martin customers but would usually give it to me too when I was in there because they knew how clean it would come back and that I appreciated a quality car.

 

BMW,

Yep. Jaguar Tampa is where the car came from. It sounds like we are talking the same vehicle. The glove compartment had a handful of loaner agreements. That's how I surmised what had transpired. Don't tell me you are the one who bent my wheels! LOL

It all turned out to the good but there were a few tense weeks at the begining. I can only hope my next car is as satisfactory.

BTW, private message me. I'm in the mkt. for an XK or maybe an XKR and you may be able to help.

 

I'd suggest buying an ODBII Error Code Reader. I have on and have used it many times on my Corvette's to identify and clear random CEL's. What make's Jag ownership frustrating is the lack of real GAUGES to let you know what's going on. I really miss a real Temp and Oil Pressure gauge.

Guess the demographics they sell to aren't expected to know or care about such things and just blindly call for a tow and take it to their nearest Jag dealer which in my case is 190 miles from home.

Tom

 

Link to helpful thread

I bought this one.

Reads & clears basic codes. About $50 USD. Works fine on my '08 XKR.

Thought everyone was kidding when I read that a code reader was a necessity with these cars. They weren't. They ought to come with one. Especially if you don't have a Jag dealer in the neighborhood.

 

Here is one that also will give you gauge info including temps and pressures. I found it helpful on track days and it will also check codes and reset the CEL. Not the highest quality unit but the price is right to make it a throwaway if it breaks.
UltraGauge Automotive Information Center and OBDII Scan Tool