I wouldn't even bother bringing it to them. They will keep messing with things that doesnt need to be touched.... You just need a new wheel.

I will throw this out there as a FYI....if a wheel is bent even slightly it disturbs the perfect weight distribution. 19" wheel on a Jaguar XF spins/rotates about 600 times per minute. So, if there was a even a tiny imperfection in the roundness of the wheel, that would get transferred to a lot of vibration.

 

Driveshaft balance issues are common. Jaguar uses the carbon fibre driveshafts with some quality control issues. New drive shaft is the fix although there is a balancing technique used on my car by switching CV joint nuts.

 

One of the options to consider after I do a test drive with the technician.
I can't put a new wheel myself to void warranty (or give them the easy excuse to wash their hands off the issue).
However, and so far; the machine (as they say) gives out a completely balanced wheel!

Drive-shaft issues is also a possibility.

I drove the car for about 200 miles yesterday, roads were clear around NYC, driven stop and go traffic around Manhattan then the surrounding highways at high speeds, then to Jersey. Thought to break-in the new tires.
Vibration decrease and increase based on speed, road incline, surface, but it is always evident above 50mph however with different feel and pattern.
For me, it is a matter of economics now, since they haven't resolve the issue so far and I will have to decide if the amount of time I need to spend driving back and forth to workshops is worth it or simply replace the car!

 

I've had wheels re-balanced by a supposedly good tyre shop, and it came out a lot worse than when it went in. I had to go to a more distant place I can rely on, they said it was way out, rebalanced again, this time perfect. So maybe your guys just can't do it properly, or their equipment is out?

 

The highest number of balance weights you should see on a properly balanced wheel is two.

For high offset wheels like the XF there should only need to be one. This is because the inside/outside imbalance can be offset by placing the weights on the inside of the rim at the correct location. You should see no weights on the outside of the rim.

If a wheel/tire won't balance then either the wheel is not true and should be repaired or replaced, or the tire is breaking up within the carcass and should be replaced immediately.

 

If the wheel really is true, the balancing correct, and the tyre new and fitted properly - I would start to suspect something getting loose or a shock prematurely slack.
A long shot - are the wheels stock Jaguar? (If aftermarket, perhaps the centres need spigot rings to locate them centrally.)

 

First post says Volans which are Jaguar wheels.

I had a front wheel bearing fail at 25,000 miles, that type of failure can produce vibration.

 

agreed if the wheels are true, rubber ok and all are balanced and you still have vibration then you need to look at rotating stuff inboard...bearings are the next in line, then driveshafts I would think.

Nothing is more frustrating than a luxury vehicle with a vibration through the steering or body.

 

Actually there are two, due to the Volans design, both weights are inside one towards the inner edge and the other is opposite to it!

I will ask the dealer tomorrow to install a properly balanced 19" set to the car and test drive it for the vibration. 19" wheels will have about 1/3 of an inch from the large front disc caliper. I am not sure that they will do so, therefore the word "ask"

 

That sounds wrong to me. Dynamically there can only be one net heavy spot requiring an offsetting weight opposite. The reason for two weights is to counter an offset imbalance causing shimmy. With the positive offset hub any offset imbalance ought to be remedied by positioning the weight relative to the wheel vertical centerline.

 

Is it the same guy who did the balancing each time? If he is one of the notoriously clueless ones ......
Also out of round due to damage but not delaminating (yet) ....
Finally it is not unknown thata bearing can deteriorate quickly if driven with continuous vibration as can the damper......

IMHO it is time for a swap with a known set of good wheels at the dealer and then take it from there.

 

This is a tyre/wheel problem, not a Marque/model problem. At a guess, I'd say that the tyre dealer you went to knows plenty about extracting dollars, and not much about wheels & Suspensions. You need to ask around your area to find a good 'little guy' with a brain that functions, not an 'automaton'. If the tyre was replaced, you've either got a crook wheel or suspension damage. My money would be on the former.

Cheers,

Languid

 

I totally agree with you, however, I lost the technician's attention today after the second sentence above!
hmmmm.. not so sure about that. Steering vibration have always been an issue with many Jaguar models, pretty much like MB E-Class power steering issues and BMW sensors issues!

So far the car is at the dealer and they have no way of fixing the issue (though it is very clear from this thread) and of course my sales guy is explaining that it is a wonderful opportunity to upgrade (actually down grade) to a new 2011 Portfolio!
I can get a new set of wheels and tires, but then again, the issue may persist.

 

If you have a 2009 Supercharged, I wouldn't call the 2011 portfolio a downgrade as it would have the samer performance specs of your S/C 09. I can't imagine how frustrating having to deal with this over and over would be. I had an issue with an old 87 Porsche with something as small as A/C issue not blowing cold air and I was ready to sell the car after the 4th visit about that issue.

 

Sorry, 2011 Luxury Premium, Portfolio is 2012 naming. Yes, it is frustrating, specially if it is your only car! I have two other cars that I can use.
The technician asked me to drive my car to his home today and use it for sometime to feel the problem. I let him do so seeking that gets the "feeling"...!

 

Although you have new tyres it doesn't mean they are faultless. Normally an out of true wheel will be clearly visible if fitted to the balencing machine sans tyre, at least I have never seen differently. And the fact that it got worse after new tyres and the placement of the weights leave something to be desired I wouldn't have any confidence in the dealer at all. Find another Jag dealer with a set of good wheels to try or as said above another tyre/wheel guy who actually knows what he is doing.

Ask your guy if he can solve the following (I am an amateur and I did on one of my cars): After a slow puncture whilst on a long trip I used a leak fix *** compressed air bottle. All well but next day a teeth rattling vibration showed up at approx 55mph, absolutely nothing below. Nothing showed up during the best balancing sessions available. I have asked a few tyre guys for fun, and the good ones spotted it immediately!

 

That is true, however, unlikely.
Cannot do so. This is a CPO purchase and I need the selling dealer to fix the issue. Otherwise I will keep paying out of pocket, until I find that guy who knows what he's doing (in US Northeast that seems to be a myth! with very limited exceptions)

 

You need a new dealer. Imagine what else they don't know. Jaguar front ends are hyper sensitive to wheel imbalance. On the X type there was a TSB informing dealers to locate the high spot on the mounted tire and then put the tire on the vehicle with the high spot down, then snug the wheel nuts up but not torqued, drop the car off the jack and then torque the wheel bolts. The idea was that the high spot would be pushed upwards against the tiny tolerance in the hubcentric wheel mounting canceling out the difference as much as possible. Really, I read the actual TSB and had my car treated in that way to remove trace vibration from the front end. Now the X type used strut front suspension from the European Ford Mondeo and struts are notorious for inducing vibration whereas the XF uses a variation of doube wishbone which is in theory more resistant to vibration but the steering feel is also exceptional so you are going to feel any imbalance right away.

 

The thread is starting to take a path in different directions, that have nothing to do with his vibration.

It's very simple....pothole + large wheel = bent rim.

 

Just got the car from the dealer's service after it spent a couple of days with the technician. This time the vibration is gone! They told me they replaced the tires for the third time and that took care of the problem.
Now, since that is done, and the problem is isolated in tires/wheels I am thinking seriously of going 19", not that the 19"will not bend hitting a tri-state super pothole!