Noticed on my 16 XJL that has about 600 miles on it that the redline on the tach is 5500 RPM's?

I thought the V6 Redline is around 6500? Will this change after a certain amount of miles?

 

Think I may have figured out the issue!
In Europe they have a 4 cyl available in the XJ.
The redline on that engine is 5500 rpm.

So... I think it's a possibility that the wrong software was installed on my car and some others in the USA for the 2016 model with the V6.

I looked on Autotrader at some pictures of 16's they had for various cars. Some showed the 5500 rpm redline and some were correct at 6500! (V6 340 HP).

If you have a 16 like me you should check your tach to see if it's correct.
Don't know if the performance of the car is affected or not with the lower redline. My car has good power but I am still in the break in period and have not opened it up yet.

I am going to contact Jag in the US and discuss this with them to see what they say.

 

You bring up an excellent point!!


Last year, my wife and I got a 2016 XJ-L, with the V-6, to replace our previous 2012 V-8 powered XJ-L, which was destroyed in a crash. After the new car had a few hundred miles on it, to allow it to "loosen up", one day I gave it a little "poke", just to see what it would do.


Having owned many "stick shift" cars, over the years, I'm used to watching the tachometer, when shifting. However, with automatic transmissioned cars, I'm not quite as vigilant, they are supposed to be automatic, after all. HOWEVER, when I was getting on the car, and was waiting for the transmission to upshift, I happened to give the tach a glance, and I saw it was into the red. Of course, I immediately let off the gas. Then I took a hard look at the "red zone", and it started at 5500 RPM, just as you mention.


I initially posed a similar question to yours, last year, and was told "not to worry", as the redline is supposed to be 6500 RPM. However, I never "leaned on it" since then. I never gave it a thought, that the vehicle's software would control the tachometer display. Must be part of the "new software download" that I got the notice for, and will be receiving in a couple of days..........

 

Hope your right about the software download. I got the notice too. The dealer told me it's something related to the airbags? Wonder if the redline fix is included?

In any event I am going to have them fix it. I called Jag USA and told them about the issue and they said they would get back to me.

So I must ask you, when you opened her up did the car shift at 6500 like it's supposed to regardless of the 5500 limit on the tach?

 

When I saw the tach sweep into the "red zone", I immediately let off the gas, and at that point, the transmission upshifted. Since this event occurred shortly before I put the car away for the winter, I figured I'd discuss this with the dealer this spring. I received the notice about the "data download" from Jaguar, a couple of days after I put the car back on the road, and called them right away, to make an appointment. I'm taking the car in this morning.

 

Thanks!

Please let me know if they fix it with just a software update and if affects how the car performs afterwards?

 

Just an update.....I took our '09 XF in yesterday morning, first thing, to get the coolant flushed. This is the second time for this, as I do it every 4 years.


Anyway, after that was done, my wife brought the XJ to the dealership, so they could do the "21st Century Tune-Up" (software upgrade), and we left with the XF. They told me that it would be at least until today, before the XJ was completed (I also wanted the wheel alignment checked). When I checked with them this afternoon, they said that the car was basically completed, but they were still attempting to sort out the tachometer redline issue, so they wanted to keep the car until tomorrow, so they research it some more.


More news as it becomes available....

 

Is it to do with being in Dynamic and/or Sport? My car is much older, but Harry Metcalfe (ex of Evo now a honcho at SVO) posted a picture of his XJR's dash on Twitter. I queried the redline (his was around 5500, whereas my SuperSport is 6500) and he replied saying that it unlocked the top end of the rev range in Dynamic and/or Sport.

My wife's Mercedes does the same thing, although with a traditional dash, the redline doesn't move, it just shifts 1000rpm short

 

I understand what you're saying, but that wouldn't explain why our car went "into the red" the one time I really got on the gas, as it wasn't in dynamic/sport mode at the time. I will, however, inquire about that possibility, when I pick it up from the dealer today.

 

OK, here's the latest news.....There were several "updates" to the car, that were performed on this visit. They were, in the order that they were printed out on the work order:


A) Replace carbon canister hose, due to possible cracking, caused by ozone;


B) Replace heated oxygen sensors (2);


C) Incontrol Touch Pro phase 2.5 software update. RES configured for K437;


D) H007 technical service message not displaying. Some sort of update performed.


Bottom line, as pertaining to this discussion, the tachometer's redline now displays properly, at 6500 RPM. Since I hadn't "gotten on" the car, since the one time I noticed this tach discrepancy, I made it a point to do so, on the way home from the dealer. The transmission shifted right at the redline (6500 RPM), and the response seemed fairly snappy.

 

Great News!

Going to call my dealer tomorrow and make an appointment to get mine fixed.

Thanks for the report!

 

Generally, redlining engine before initial break-in period finishes is a bad idea. Wait until at least after 1000 miles to beat on it.

 

ECU will cut fuel if you over-rev engine somehow. Plus, redline is not an actual hard cut-off, it is indication where issues may start happening.

With an automatic, I would not be at all concerned with watching RPMs once you out of initial break in period. You have two control mechanisms making sure it works right - engine ECU and transmission CU, both would need to spectacularly fail to cause damage.

Anecdotally, long time ago I had BMW 7 series that was tuned to bump redline by 250. Had that car for many years and took it to rediclous mileage due to travel without any engine-related issues. By the time I was done with it everything else failed twice, but the engine was original with just oil changes.

 

I agree, although I may have pushed it a little, as the car had only 7-800 miles on it, at the time.

 

Did the dealer ever get your car "fixed"?

 

No they never fixed it.

I give up. It just shifts at 6500 when in drive which obviously is in the red zone on my car.

Not all dealer service departments are the same, what can I say.

 

That's disappointing to hear. I was pretty certain that it was nothing more than a software glitch, and that the "update" would take care of it......

 

New performance cars engines are all hot run and broken in.

I went to Bowling Green, Ky to tour the Corvette assembly plant. EVERY Corvette is run thru all the gears too redline on a chassis dyno. This is the last step before it's driven out of the building to shipping. It's pretty neat because they have a clear side on the enclosed dyno so you can watch the guy blast thru the gears up to 150+ MPH.

After the tour there was a film and we could talk to the guides. Who were usually retired guys who worked at the plant. I asked about this obvious abuse and was told if the car could stand up to that kind operation it simply was NOT a Corvette! It would never leave the factory.


I hardly think Jaguar builds their engines to a lesser standard?
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As having the pleasure of both a Jaguar in the garage, as well as a Corvette, let me say this, about that............


Without going through all of the gory details, we ordered our late, great, 2012 XJ-L in November of 2011. The car arrived a couple of days after Christmas. We never had any intention of driving the car through the winter, so I was planning to have it "flat-bedded" to our home, where I'd tuck it away until spring.


However, we had a couple of relatively warm, dry days, prior to the car's arrival, so the roads were clear, and I drove it the 5-6 miles home, from the dealer. As I was backing the car into the garage, I noticed a "squealing" sound coming from under the hood. It sounded like the noise a bad belt makes. I notified the dealer the following morning, and they, of course, said not to worry, and as soon as I put the car on the road, to bring it in.


Long story short, after a little diagnosis, and a conference call with Jag headquarters in NJ, it was determined that the car was one of the "couple dozen", that had a bad exhaust camshaft, on one of the cylinder banks. Bottom line, at least in my opinion, the engine MUST have been "test fired" after assembly, the noise HAD TO HAVE BEEN HEARD, but the engine was sent off anyway, and installed in the car, and then sent off for delivery.........


Need I say more??

 

Man that is sad to hear!

Really drops my opinion of Jaguar and their build quality too.
Thanks for reporting that. I hope it's a one off?
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