So there is NO confusion, this is related to the Black S Type V6

Day after Christmas, usual sore head and other parts.

Son wants access to the work area to work on his Calais, so both S's have to be moved, HIS task.

The Black Beast made a rumbling sqwark as it started. Serpentine belt is due, as it has 106700kms on it, and the belt is a tad "hard" but no cracks, and it is on the "to do list".

Both in a sad way (humans that is) but his insistance that the noise is "So Un-Jaguar", and I should be embarrassed to drive it like that. WHY, it shuts up after 20 seconds (bit of heat in the belt I reckon), and everything works just fine. The notches indicating belt stretch on the tensioner were still a long way within usable spec.

So out with the airbox, pulled the tensioner up and slipped the belt off, all of 2 minutes.

New belt off the shelf, 6PK2745, slid it in, NO WAY, too short, NAH, same belt I used on the Silver car, YEP, too short.

Old belt studied HAHAHA, eyesight not the best at the moment, for a Ford number, or something, eventually found XW4H8620AC whoopee. Quick crossreference via Google, and its a 6PK2770, BUGGA.

Not may places open, but we found one, slipped it in, airbox back in, fired the beast, SILENT, well done. Went for a drive, and then the difference was plain as day, the steering working sooooooo much smoother, the a/c appeared colder, etc. Imagination, maybe, but after 20 minutes of touring it really was better all round.

So these belts do stretch and wear, obviously, but the event is so slow and gradual we hardly notice until all is returned to "standard".

NOTATION, for those that are interested, there are obviously 2 belts for the V6 X200 cars, and NO book anywhere lists that. The Silver is 9/01 build, and the Black is 8/00 build. I will seek and sort as I do and repost whatever I find when I find it.

So now the JD is passing the lips ever so smoothly.