In the engine bay, below the intake tube between the valve cover and the metal insulation plate there is a wire that is disconnected. I am getting no codes, CEL, or anything. I'm not sure what it does. I'm going to try to reconnect it once I'm done with my homework. It's a tight spot, I hope my hand fits.

Anyone have any idea what it is or what it connects to? I'm guessing I can rule out a sensor of any kind.

Also, my intake seems to have some engine oil in it. Where is the PCV on this car and how can I check if it's good or bad?

Here is a picture I snapped a few minutes ago. It isn't very clear from that angle but the electrical connector there is disconnected.

 

connects to a set of wires that go across the steering rack to the other side of the car. little too dark to pursue right now,

 

Jaguar uses a rather confusing wiring scheme as the ground wires attached to the actual grounding lugs mounted throughout the car are black but they invariably are at some point between the lugs and whatever is grounded there change to a red/yellow or an orange/yellow two color wire that goes back to the actual thing being grounded. Makes it hard to get a grip on the schematic until you get time with the basics.

In any case based on your info I'd be inclined to think that it's a ground wire leading to a lug that was pre-installed in the loom in anticipation of some particular electrical component that might or not be installed on your car. When the various sections of the harness are manufactured they put every wire that might be necessary since they don't know exactly how each car in the line will be optioned. It's much less expensive or time consuming then having to individually wire each car according to how it's optioned. Especially when your selling into an international market where mandatory levels of equipment often vary from country to country and in the U.S. even from state to state.

If you can trace the wire directly to a grounding lug that's probably what it represents. If it traces back through the loom to some electrical component then you've found a problem you didn't know existed since that component wouldn't work without being grounded. A multi-meter would be a really handy tool for this kind of DIY as dealers charge exorbitant prices for electrical diagnosis.

Also download (if you haven't yet) the electrical guide here:


http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...ed_in_1999.pdf

 

It's the wire from the Power Assisted Steering control module to the Solenoid on the Steering Rack.

With the wire disconnected, the steering will be Heavy (Low Boost) at all times. Steering effort at parking speeds will be heavy.

This system is not monitored for faults.

 

It turns out the wire was not disconnected, it just looked that way because it was connected backwards. I never experienced low assist steering. In fact, my car always seems to have a steering wheel which can be controlled with a pinky finger.

What about the pcv valve? Where is it? I'm worried there is quite a bit of oil in my intake tube and some of it made it to the filter.

 

AFAIK, You need pull off the two connectors to valve covers and remove debris in holes to stop oil going into tube..

 

The oil in the intake is most likely a restricted Part Load Breather orifice. It is located on top of the front left valve cover.

Here is the TSB on cleaning. Recommended at each oil change of 10,000 miles.

 

God god help us all, there is a system on the Jag that is not monitored. HA HA HA