I bought two bottles a couple of years ago because the 03 squeaked and I figured the 05 would start eventually. Treated the 03 and all was well.

This week, however, it returned with a vengeance. In clear contradistinction to the TSB....I treated it again last night. But yes, I laboriously flushed the system first....Drain reservoir, top up, fire-up, steer like mad for some time. Repeat. Until I had collected 2 1/2 qts (nominal 2something qts system) of fluid and it was coming clean, clear and red.

We'll see if it abates.

 

Zane,

You may be the first to report the return of the squeak after successfully using the additive. Used it on our 2005 S-Type in March 2010, and it remains silent as a tomb....

I'm not surprised that the noise can return, however. We all have to keep in mind that as our S-Types continue to age, we'll be dealing with unwanted noises more frequently than we'd care to. Alas, the consequences of getting old, both mechanical and human....

Keep us posted if your second dose indeed keeps the squeak away for awhile....

 

I'm interested what happens. I've read that the additive chemically reacts with the seal(s) in which case reapplication wouldn't be any use. But I don't know that what I read is correct!

There is a known but very very rare squeak that actually isn't the steering rack. Instead, it's a bush somewhere (I'm a little unsure exactly where but involved in the column I recall).

hmm, may be JTB00034v3 which is

 

I don't remember from before (and recent computer crash with total loss of data means I don't know when I first accomplished the TSB - but think it was sometime in 2010)...but on return, it is only noisy when turning right. Doesn't matter if from center, or from full left or near full right...leftward movement of wheel is smooth/silent while any rightward movement is squeaky with some vibes/tactile feedback in the wheel.

[Edit] Aha!....remembered I had actually backed up Outlook files recently pre-crash and that I used to keep maint. records as "tasks" - so it was 5/9/2010 at 81,112 mi. Now at 116,750.

 

UPDATE!

One day later and about 75 mi or so, I asked my daughter if the noise was still there?
"I didn't notice....I don't think so...." but then I had occasion to go out and reposition the car....seemed nearly as bad to me as the night before...before I renewed the fluid and added elixir. Remember, it was only noisy on right turns...and I did notice that the first time the wheel was yanked to the right, it was just as loud, but subsequent yanks were quieter, though not silent. Leaving it alone for a few minutes was like a reset....another loud first pull to right then quieter ones thereafter.

The following day she took it back to school and I lost valid data acquisition. Last weekend, we went over for the "White Coat Ceremony" and although I didn't drive the car, I did log a bit of time being chaufferred about in the back seat and was also out and about in front of it whilst wife and/or daughter was turning right into her driveway...and no noise! So I guess the magic elixir will work more than once...but for how long, remains to be seen.

 

Daughter was home this week for Spring Break. I drove the car up to the shop to check fluids/pressures etc. (and forgot to renew the wiper blades! - ah well, they should last 2 wks til she's home from end of semester) Anyway, from moving it around the house and such, I can confirm the steering mechanism is still smooth & silent, now at 123K mi. So in Mythbuster's lingo, I'm going with "Plausible" that the "Magic Elixir" works on second application.
I won't move to "Confirmed" until about Christmas, 2016 if it is still silent then - that'll be a little over 3 yrs, which is how long the original application lasted.

 

It's rare but a couple of people in the Lincoln LS/ Jaguar S Type group have had the noise come back and it did require a 2nd application of the magic juice.

Thanks for giving us the solution. A cheap fix is always a win.
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Working under the assumption that Murphy's law rules the day I'd like to know if the "Magic Elixir" is even available at this point?

The stuff for the tranny chirp I could not find so I figure this is probably now unobtanium?

Thks.

 

Still available judging by recent posts.

 

My car needed another dose of the anti squeak fluid 2 years after the first dose. All is well now. 2003 STR with 125,000 miles.

 

He said he already had an extra bottle.

 

My reply was to your post so your comment doesn't apply does it?

 

Call your local dealer and ask. I used the magic anti-squeak juice on my 2005 S-Type in March 2010. The part number at that time was C2S48887. I paid $7.15 plus tax....

 

I bought 2 bottles in the Spring of 2010, b/c I had two S-Types. Have so far used both on the 03. Hope it's still available as you never know when the 05 will spring a squeak!

 

Yes, still available. I bought and installed it in my '03 S-Type 3.0 on 4/15/14. Classic Jaguar/Saab in Cherry Hill NJ charged ~$5 for the bottle. The parts guy knew the part# by heart LOL.

The bottle is translucent, and I noticed that it appeared to have some "solids" floating in the liquid. I shook the container well before installing, but observed that shaking did not dissolve the solids. I'm sure this is why the TSB says to remove the filter screen (certain MYs) before pouring this stuff in.

I'm no scientist, but I'm certain those solids - and not the liquid, which is the consistency of mineral oil - are the key component to this fix. The solids may be designed to dissolve and bond to the squeaking seal only when your PS fluid is at/near 100 degrees C. This would explain why the TSB is really emphatic about getting the fluid to that temp BEFORE doing the 2 second wheel turns into lock for 8 reps right, then 8 reps left at 900-1000 rpm.

I used my cooking thermometer probe dipped midway into the reservoir to ensure I reached the 100 degrees; took about 15 minutes at 3K rpms (the starting temp of the fluid at idle was ~70 degrees C).

If you did not follow the TSB exactly, you might not get the full benefit of the elixir (I drove it for a week before doing that final step. In that week the squeak dissipated somewhat but didn't go away, nor did it eliminate the wheel shudder).

It was only after I did that final step, following the TSB to the letter regarding the proper fluid temp and wheel turns, that the squeak went away. Now my wheel is quiet and smooth.

BTW - the Jag parts guy also knew the IMT o-ring part# by heart as well. Bought them while I was there. I forget the exact price but they were equally inexpensive.

 

I think you've nailed it.

 

I'd be tempted to ask what other parts (besides oil filter etc) he knows for your car type - and why!

I've a similarly good guy near me, who assured me they never replace the gasket on the SC bleed port - and it's because they found it doesn't need bleeding from it so they don't open it.

 

ha ha. Now I'm gonna have to ask him on my next trip to his parts desk.

Here's a pic showing the rig I used to monitor PS fluid temp while I kept my foot on the go-pedal to maintain the desired RPMs. It has a magnet on back, so I stuck it to my open bonnet facing me as I sat at the wheel. The cardboard disk covered the filler neck to keep out debris and it also allowed me to adjust how far into the reservoir the probe sat. Worked like a charm. Just don't tell my wife this is the same thermometer we use to cook our turkeys during holidays.

 

Yes I found it online. I just want a couple of bottles in reserve.

Now If I could only find the transmission additive at a reasonable price. The last time I looked it was scarce and absurdly priced. I guess I'd better have another look.

 

The present version of the transmission fluid already has the magic additive blended in. No need to add more.