Hi everyone,
I'm a new owner of a BRG manual v6 coupe located in New York, NY. Still in the honeymoon period but definitely madly in love with the car.
It gave me a proper English greeting when I had to drive it home through the heaviest rainstorm of the year. For some perspective I couldn't even hear the fully opened exhaust over the sound of the deluge.


Nothing needs to be said about the styling, but the handling is superb for its weight and all the mechanisms that pop in and out, up and down really amuse my pea brain.
Also the meridian sound system isn't nearly as bad as I've heard from all the griping on the forum. It's worse than the Harman's and B&O's of the world but definitely better than any other base trim sound system I've heard.
Who needs a good sound system anyway when you have the world-class soundtrack of that blissful SC 3.0L V6.

Onto some of my questions:

1. The gas pedal is about 1.5 inches set back from the brake pedal, a pretty poor position for heel-toe downshifting. Can this be adjusted?
2. The car bleeds RPM extremely slowly after letting off the throttle and clutching in. My 1-2 shifts have been pretty awkward. Is there rev hang programmed into the ecu? Can it be removed?
3. My brake pedal travel is extremely short. about 2cm total. The brakes seem to work as expected and the pads & rotors look pretty brand new. Is this expected? I was a bit alarmed by how little uptake there is on the brake pedal
4. After a heavy rain I saw a little bit of water sitting in the v of the engine beneath the supercharger. I've read about the issues this may cause with the injectors. How can this be mitigated? I've already thrown some injector cleaner in the tank as a precautionary measure.
5. The car is a tad bit heavyset, not a big issue because I have cars that fill the light sports coupe role, but I'm wondering are there some cheap, and preferably multi-purpose things I can do to shed a few lbs on the car? Weight & the gearbox was my primary motivation for choosing a v6 rwd 6-speed coupe compared to the many other f-type trims.
6. Would other fellow v6 owners recommend the VAP tune & pulley package for a car that's already got 60,000 miles? I wouldn't say that the stock 340bhp is insufficient but I've just heard so many glowing reviews of the VAP package that I'm very keen to try it out.
7. Are there adaptor kits that would allow me to install a standard threaded shift knob onto the ZF 6-speed which has a non standard plastic shaft?
8. Apart from the plastic coolant pipes which I haven't looked at yet, are there common failure points that need looking at on the v6 rwd? (I have an open diff)
9. Are there recommended service items that I should do coming up on 70,000 miles on the car? (besides oil, cabin filters, and other normal consumables) Jaguar's recommended service schedule is... worryingly sparse...
10. How thick is the paint on these cars generally? My BRG paint appears moderately swirled and I'm planning on doing a full paint correction and ceramic coat in the spring.

Thank you to all the kind forum members who have been very warm & welcoming. Looking forward to lots of fruitful discussions about the car.

 

I can try to answer a few of these (but fully welcome any perspectives that disagree with me). I have a 2019 6-speed R-Dynamic.

The car bleeds RPM extremely slowly after letting off the throttle and clutching in. My 1-2 shifts have been pretty awkward. Is there rev hang programmed into the ecu? Can it be removed?
I would check with VAP. I know there are several things they can adjust as part of the tune, but I've never seen a full list.

My brake pedal travel is extremely short. about 2cm total. The brakes seem to work as expected and the pads & rotors look pretty brand new. Is this expected? I was a bit alarmed by how little uptake there is on the brake pedal
Uhm that does seem crazy short, def shorter than on mine...but I have no idea why that would be, sorry.

After a heavy rain I saw a little bit of water sitting in the v of the engine beneath the supercharger. I've read about the issues this may cause with the injectors. How can this be mitigated? I've already thrown some injector cleaner in the tank as a precautionary measure.
DId you remove the engine cover, and which hood vents do you have? I removed the cover but still have the stock vents, which don't really seem to let in any rain. Some after market vents though let water in with no obstruction. If I had those I would limit rain exposure and keep a very close eye on it.

The car is a tad bit heavyset, not a big issue because I have cars that fill the light sports coupe role, but I'm wondering are there some cheap, and preferably multi-purpose things I can do to shed a few lbs on the car? Weight & the gearbox was my primary motivation for choosing a v6 rwd 6-speed coupe compared to the many other f-type trims.
Doesn't seem there are too many options. I just replaced the 65-ish pound battery with an antigravity lithium battery that saves probably 40 pounds...but of course that is 40 pounds off the rear wheels of a RWD car, so I can't decide if itj's worth it for that reason alone. I hear the seats are heavy but I use mine as a daily driver and the 3rd party racing seats don't seem very comfortable. Forged wheels, replacing the glass roof if you have it, and maybe one or two other things could add up I can't speak to those options.

Would other fellow v6 owners recommend the VAP tune & pulley package for a car that's already got 60,000 miles? I wouldn't say that the stock 340bhp is insufficient but I've just heard so many glowing reviews of the VAP package that I'm very keen to try it out.
I went VAP stage 2 at 10k miles, but I'm just under 13k miles now. I think the difference is very noticeable and worth it, and don't think my perspective would change on a higher-mileage car that is well maintained.

Apart from the plastic coolant pipes which I haven't looked at yet, are there common failure points that need looking at on the v6 rwd? (I have an open diff)
I'm on my third oxygen sensor but they have so far been replaced under a 10-year warranty without issue. I'm not sure that would change if they knew I had the tune, though, so I'm anticipating needing to buy and install my own at some point. The manuals seem to growl quite a bit more (depending on your driving style) and it seems related to failure of the sensors, but I'm just guessing. I also assume you have already had a clutch replacement to the latest version; if not, plan on it or get it done proactively.

How thick is the paint on these cars generally? My BRG paint appears moderately swirled and I'm planning on doing a full paint correction and ceramic coat in the spring.
Seems very thick to me. I did a full correction and ceramic coat with no issue. I had someone drop our garage door onto the tip of the hood and was shocked at how well it looked after I cleaned it up....only took very minor correction and the small gouge to me made it seem like a very thick coat of paint.

Lastly, I would consider the short-shifter that is manufactured by a member on this forum. It reduces the throw by a third or so (I think?), and really helps keep me from punching the audio power button or emergency lights when I shift into third

 

What is the amp-hour rating of the new battery?

 

Thanks for all the insights!

I have the stock "slit" style vents but still saw water in there which i thought was odd.

Ill look into o2 sensors and clutch. The cars clutch feels quite good and engages pretty low so im guessing it has been replaced but cant say for sure and didnt have a service history with the car. I might consider a lightweight flywheel at the same time as clutch replacement when the car eventually needs it. Should free up the revs a bit.

Regarding the short shifter, by a twist of fate I had actually already been in contact with the guy on here that makes those because I bought his LSD carrier on ebay. As it turns out my car already had it fitted by a previous owner. Score!!

 

I dynamatted my XE's doors and it took the Meridian from 'meh' to at least 'good,' I'm an audio snob so I wouldn't call it amazing but it's definitely made a huge improvement and it's plenty good enough for me to cruise around town in. If you're looking to save weight though, maybe not for you.

#9 - if you're doing the coolant pipes, might as well do the supercharger oil while it's off. Jaguar say it is "sealed for life" but this really means "sealed for the warranty period" and Eaton recommend oil replacement at 60,000mi/100,000km in other applications of the same supercharger. From all reports the oil is difficult to suck out, so propping it up at the right angle and letting gravity drain it while you're doing the pipes is probably the best way to do it. Some oil will still remain so I'd measure the amount of oil that comes out and refill with exactly that amount, rather than draining what you can and putting the full amount back in.

I did my transmission, diff, and brake fluids at 100,000km. Power steering probably should have been done too but we'll get that at the next service. Speaking of the next service, yes the interval is HUGE... my car still has pre-paid Jaguar services remaining so it goes to the dealer for those, but I get two oil/filter changes done by an indy in between the 26,500km Jaguar service. The oil/filter changes are done at 9,000km and 18,000km. Once the Jaguar pre-paid services run out, I'll have oil/filters done every 10,000km and the indy will do a logbook service (i.e. all the things Jaguar would do) at 30,000km.

#10 - generally it seems Jaguar paint is thick-ish, and about medium hardness... if you take it to a detailer and ask nicely (possibly with a six pack in hand), they might go over it with a gauge. Paint varies from car to car - even two cars made side-by-side on the same production line could have different paint - so you should always follow the "start fine and get more aggressive until you get desired results" method, and do test patches on multiple panels just to be safe.

Have fun!

 

Unhingd (aka Lance) developed the short shifter and has a BRG V6S coupe. He has the VAP tune, upper and lower pulleys, antigrav battery, Mina gallery intakes, polished S/C cover and forged wheels (I think). The air intakes allow a nice S/C whine which can be heard from a distance but isn’t obnoxious.

 

Thanks for the tips and insights!!
it's probably about the right time for me to be doing plugs, and all of the fluids.
Power steering-- I thought 2016 MY f types onwards all have EPS? Mine sure feels like an electric rack.

I'm also a dabbling audio snob-- I run Martin logan electrostatic panel speakers in my home theatre setup with an acoustically treated oak slat wall backed with neoprene. Not anywhere on the level of serious audiophiles that pour untold amounts of money into their rigs but I definitely enjoy good sound.



In cars-- some clarity is all i can ask for. No matter how amazing the stereo system it'll still be competing with road noise anyway. After experiencing the earsplitting hot garbage that is the "premium" bose system in my mazda cx-5 turbo, my expectations of the meridian system were on the floor.

To date, the nicest OE sound system i've had the pleasure of trying was probably the Bowers & Wilkins diamond system in the previous gen bmw 7 series. Too bad there's a plethora of other gripes I have with the 7 series so i would never own one.

 

I have a MY2017 6 speed. Have found that shifting at 4k rpm smooths the process, regardless of what the little green arrow says. This car did have the 4th g clutch installed before I bought it (24k miles). It now has 38k and all is well. Diff fluid change also recommended. Look for the CarFax and ditch the Pirelli tires.

 

Electric rack might explain why I haven't done it yet... I did all the others months ago, and it popped into my head while I was writing that reply 😂 Plugs probably not a bad idea... also if it's new to you and you didn't get a receipt showing the last time the cabin filter and air filters were replaced, you could do them too. If it still has halogen cabin lights, upgrading those to LED can make it look and feel like a much newer car... I swapped every light for LED except the Xenon headlights and it looks pretty cool.

Clarity is definitely what I gained from the dynamatting... at about volume 15-20 (I think its upper limit is 40 or 50) I'd get really bad distortion and vibrations, now it'll stay tight to about 25 or 30 which is way too loud for me these days. Vocals and highs are waaaaaay clearer. The alterative to faffing about with the stereo is to get an aftermarket exhaust so the stereo matters less 😂

 

I would not bother with new spark plugs at 70k miles, they don't need changing until at least 100k miles (NGK Iridium) and they can be a real PITA to do.

 

SInce mine is the base its got the open diff which i think doesnt fail due to clutch pack material unlike the LSD in the v6s. Additionally, ive put a deposit in for one of the quaife-made helical LSD's that theres a group buy going on for atm so a fluid change wont be necessary until that comes.
lucky me-- a previous owner not only fitted lance's short shifter to the car, replaced all the brakes and rotors, but even had the good taste to fit the car with michelin PS4S tires on type-r fitment flow formed wheels (lighter, yay!)
I'm thinking i got a hell of a deal on this car.

 

Yep, sounds like you really did get a helluva deal.
Short shifter, new brakes, 20" wheels, MPS4S, what's not to like!

 

you shouldve seen me giggle like a child at all the bits that move up & down, in & out. The vents, the door handles, the hatch, the spoiler. My inner child is ecstatic at all the goodies! As a toy should do, this car will have me grinning ear to ear for a while to come.

 

Just about everybody here knows more about these cars than I, but I will give you one suggestion, paint the panel box to match your walls. I guarantee you will notice an improvement in your home theater experience!

ps Go for the VAP tune!!

 

no worries ive already done so

 

@JoeyTheAsian A bit late to the game here, but I will drop a few comments here.
1) I like the pedal arrangement in my 2017 V6 Manual... I can do my "ball and pinky toe" shifting with ease. I can share my pedal spacing in Feb after I get back from a trip to UK
2) RPM Hang is something that is mentioned.. There are two sources: a) the heavy Dual Mass Flywheel, and b) electronic throttle control errors. I am soon offering a Light Weight Flywheel and Clutch upgrade.. look in this thread for more details. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...2/#post2610923
3) I'll share my pedal throw once back in country in 2 weeks.
4)
5) yeah.. I think a "lightweight" V6 Manual would be a nice car to develop. Throw out the stereo, simplify the interior, light weight sport buckets, perhaps Lexan for window glass, etc.. carbon fiber body panels? Perhaps -400 lbs?? There is someone else on the Forum who is a real weight-watcher. he may have some more thoughts.
6) Ask about where the VAP tune gains more torque... just at high RPM? or also down low?
7) the shift knob is lifted off of the stalk with "some force" no threads in sight. Talk to @Unhingd
8) see Jag service schedule (PDF) listed elsewhere in the Forums.

talk to you later,

 

The place to save weight is unsprung weight. It looks like you already have aftermarket wheels. Do you know if they are forged? On the stock cars, shaving 10lbs per wheels is very realistic. Lighter rotors help too. Either way, shaving a few pounds off your unsprung weight will be far more effective than removing 100 times that amount from the rest of the car.

 

Shift knob is removed by pulling down on the ring just under the knob and then lifting the knob off. Full description with pics is available in the PDF located in the “Short shifter, anyone?” thread.
I was able to shed about 130 lbs with a lithium battery, two piece rotors, and forged wheels.

 

yep. These appear to be avant garde m621's. Flow formed 19x11 wheels that weigh about 21 lbs a piece.
As for the brakes-- definitely not looking to go smaller. The brakes are adequate for street use but look sorely undersized for track duty if I ever choose to do so.

 

Thanks for the tip, know how to remove the shifter but was wondering if it was possible to replace with threaded aftermarket shift knobs rather than the lug style press fit head the shifter has.

i already have 21lb flow formed wheels so i guess im halfway there

IIRC, those antigravity lithium batteries are eye wateringly expensive though...