I just picked up an 03 S type 6 cylinder about a week ago with 70K miles and the next day of driving locally "unsafe to operate" message came on along with the orange engine icon. I checked the motor oil stick just to find out that there's barley any oil in there on the tip of the stick. I took it for an oil change with synthetic and the mechanic cleared the light with his code reader.
Drove the car again on a trip 87 miles each way. Going was fine, on the way back i wanted to see the true performance of the car, and stepped on the gas a little harder then normal to accelerate, and got this harsh rough loud sound from the front end and the car lost power along with check engine orange light on with restricted performance message on the dash.
Im trying to love this car, but now worried and wondering if I made a mistake by buying this vehicle? I mean im coming from a 96 Lexus LS400 with hundred some miles on it and not a single issue ever...

Also did notice the driver seat does everything its suppose to besides the up and down part is stock on one level the first day of purchasing a week ago, and now a week later the passenger side does the same exact thing as the drivers seat.

Transmission's acting kind of weird as well.. When the cars rolling slowly to come to a stop while downshifting there's a kick, also when i slow down to stop to a light and when light changes green and i get on the pedal at low speed i feel a jolt/kick at a lower speeds, and whenever putting gear to Revers, it takes a second to engage, and sometimes with a clunk and hard movement of the car..

Sorry for starting my first post this way, but im very frustrated at this point with the car, I meant to introduce myself and get to know some fellow Jaguar owners that will be willing to share their knowledge and guide us to the right direction.

Thanks in advance for your kind inputs and help.

 

Some things first.... Read about "the lurch". Should explain the trans.

Also read about the throttle body. Known issues there as well. Get the OBD trouble codes read and post here.

And welcome to the forum. Once you iron out the bugs and get used to the characteristics of the car you should find it very pleasing. They may be a little more troublesome to maintain but at least Jaguars aren't the bland vanilla transportation that is Lexus...

 

Sounds like a previous owner who didn't bother with proper maintenance
I'm guessing a Lexus treated badly would also have problems!

Unless you can take it back or got a warranty... what JOsworth said though I'm unconvinced about it being the throttle body. The codes should help find out.

 

Do you hear any hissing (or sucking) sounds? I would check the vacuum lines. They are known for cracking and leaking which are associated with all of your listed problems. Get codes read as very knowledgeable members stated!

 

Thanks you gentlemen for the timely reply. Yes i always loved the S type look and wanted one, no doubt about that as these cars are very elegant looking and one of a kind on the road, but i wasn't expecting so many issues.
I got the car from a used car dealer without a warranty. I mean car looks brand new inside out and looks very clean, so one would think its been maintained great by previous owners.. But the no oil in engine, dirty air filter that i discovered show otherwise.
I never heard a hissing sound from the engine. It idles smoothly and quietly and when stepping on the pedal it accelerates smoothly and quietly as well.
I will get the codes out and report back asap.

 

Ok, so i went to my local family mechanic i've known for 20 yrs, and he pulled the codes out for me. They are P0171 P1000 P1074. He suggested that it could be from the air sensor on the air box, or vacuum hose air leak. I also told him that i've read on this forum that one guy had the same exact issue and after numerous attempts of changing sensors and such, at the end the problem turned out to be one of the catalics.
Also i told him how the sensor came on while driving on the freeway, and got after a loss of power got the message of "restricted performance" and kept driving, after 10 miles or so, the message and the yellow light went away, but the check engine light remained lit.
He told me to drive it more and to see if it comes on again, he said it might not come on at all again.
Please let me know what you guys think.

Thanks

 

Is the P1074 a typo for P0174? If so, you have two lean codes - but you should have none. You can be pretty sure you have an air/vacuum leak or misifires (e.g. bad coils). Whataver, it needs fixing if you want proper performance, want to be able to pass I/M tests and want your cats not to be damaged. P1000 is worrying because it suggests that codes have been there ever since the last time they were cleared.

It's theoretically true that the codes may not come back but in reality, they will and from what you describe it'll be soon.

Oh - and a Lexus should also flag P0171 & P0174 for lean running, as they're legally-standardized codes. We'll get to P1000 when the others are fixed.

 

Yes that's my bad that's a typo by me when i was typing on my phone notepad in a rush all the codes. It's P0174 as you stated.
Where do I start? Do i get new spark plugs and wires installed and all vacuum hose checked?
Also what do you recommend to do for my transmission situation? I feel a little bump jolting here and there when coming to a stop at 5-10mph or when i get on the brake to stop and right before a stop step on the gas again to pick up speed it does its thing again. Otherwise its running smooth and gears are changing normal. Should i get an oil change done to it as well? And what about the programming update of the ECU for the transmission that i've been reading about on some posts? Is that something covered by Jaguar? Or do I have to pay for it? If so how much does that typically cost? I'm in California.

 

Forget the tranny until you've got the engine running right. Search on here for what to do about
P0171
P0174
leak
lean
(etc) - all covered before.
Pray you're not too late and fix it quick as cats are VERY expensive.
Just a final thought, I hope you put in the grade of fuel required.

 

Jagv8, I am going to get on the engine situation just thought if what i read so far about the tranny situation might help, might as well go ahead and have them do the tranny fluid flush as well?
But like you said first things first, and most important is the motor and the running performance.
I only gased it up once since i got the car and haven't even finished the tank yet, but of course i filled it up with Premium Unleaded.

 

Have you read about the "lurch"? You may end up spending tons of cash on constant re-flashes to no avail. My latest re-flash seemed to fix things for a while until I went and used sport mode, now it is back... A fluid change may be a good choice since the car has 70k and questionable service or care. But, as Jag has stated, get the engine issues sorted first. A slightly poor running engine could also confuse the trans and make it act up as well.

 

I agree!!!

While your doing your searches also include a search on IMT O-Rings. They are a KNOWN defect AND have to be replaced as well. There are 2 of them located on the rear of the intake manifold towards the passenger side. Use a clean paper towel or rag and wipe the underneath of each, if you see oil they need replacing.

 

Thank you Gentlemen for your wise & experienced comments. I will take a note of every suggestion and see what I find out and what is wrong with this beautiful "unhealthy" beast of mine
I will keep you posted here on the results as soon as I find out something new. Cars not being driven and due to go to the shop for vacuum leak inspection tomorrow.

 

Mechanic's been giving me the run around about taking a look at my car about vacuum leak inspection and throttle bodies by telling me he's busy for two days now. Just wondering if it's a hard or complicated process in doing so perhaps? It's not like him and the person i've known for so many years as a family mechanic to go this route.

 

Chances are it's not the throttle body. I wouldn't start with it. Don't mess with it yourself unless you really know what you're doing. Rule out the usual suspects first (or fix them).