So I am getting very frustrated with my dealer regarding the AC on my 2013 XJL 5.0SC. The issue started around a month ago when the AC would not blow consistently cold air. Often when I started the car it would not cool and when I would turn the AC on/off play with the temp etc. the air would kick in and then be sufficiently cold. The dealer checked and it was a little bit low on Freon but not very much. Said it was probably the compressor going bad but that he recommended first evacuating the system and recharging with dye to see if I had a small leak before spending the money on the compressor. Said if it turned out to be the compressor they would credit back most of the cost of the recharge.

I was leaving for vacation for two weeks so I said that was fine and that if it ultimately needed the compressor to email me. And replace it as we discussed pricing prior to my leaving. Well I return from vacation pickup the car and told all is well the recharge took care of everything the air is blowing cold. You guessed it. Less than two miles from the dealership car is doing the exact same thing. I turn around and they verify have no real explanation. Say to bring the car in after the weekend and they will have a loaner. They call after a couple of days it needs a compressor and a couple of o rings and they need to order the parts. Wrong compressor came in and they had to reorder. After 10 days they call and my car is ready yea!!! I pick it up blowing ice cold on the 15 minute drive home. This morning drive to breakfast no problem. Car was in the parking lot for 1.5 hours go to leave turn the fan on high and it is making this weird sound like heavy breathing. It would be full volume and sound and then the volume remained fairly constant but the sound was like some turned the blower down 2or 3 notches. In addition the car continually blew warm air. I tried playing with the controls and it made no difference.

Fortunately the dealership has limited Saturday service hours so I drove there and was able to drop it off and get a loaner. The service director is going to call me on Monday. He is a very nice guy and I am sure he is just as frustrated as I am. Any thoughts as to what might be going on here. I am getting very frustrated as I would think AC repairs are fairly straightforward and easy to diagnose. All thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

 

So there are 2 different compressors for the 2013 XJs one does not have a clutch and runs continuously when on and the other (a lot more expensive) does have a clutch. Recently I had a similar issue that the cooling was not consistent and on a hot day parked outside the AC would not cool at all. My Tech Matt determined that the clutch on the compressor was failing as he could measure 12v in the circuit that would atuuate the clutch but the clutch would not engage. So the compressor/clutch assembly was replaced and all is working properly. This brings me to to my educated guess that your issue may be in the circuit that actuates the clutch on the compressor.

 

Thanks for that info. Judging by the price I think I got the expensive compressor at least I hope so lol. The part number is C2Z29597 and the list price is $1525. If it turns out to be the circuit than perhaps the original compressor was not defective. At any rate I just hope to get a permanent fix to the problem.

 

Yes that is the expensive compressor. What dealership are you using? And do you know what diagnostics they used to determine you had a bad compressor?

 

No sorry I don’t know what diagnostics were used. What would be the typical protocol to diagnose a bad compressor. I will share the name of the dealership as soon as I have the issue fully resolved. My wife thinks I am being too nice with them and maybe she is right but I want to give one more chance before getting a bit more aggressive. The service director has been fair with me in giving a price consideration for the inconvenience of having to return the first time.

 

Buyer Beware of so-called "price concessions" from unscrupulous dealers. My experience includes padded prices for both labor and parts:

• a 20% discount in the dealer's posted hourly labor rate that was offset by excessive time charged to do the job compared to the time allowed by the Jaguar factory Technical Service Bulletin, and
• parts prices that were substantially higher than the MSRP (List Price) shown on the websites of all the authorized Jaguar dealers for the identical part number.

Jaguar prices are high because Jaguar is a luxury brand, and the manufacturer's list prices are intended to provide a fair profit to the dealer. I own two Jags and expect high prices. I don't begrudge any business from making a profit; their survival depends on it. But lying and cheating is unacceptable greed that doesn't deserve my continued patronage.

Don't just sit back and take it. Gather all your supporting documentation and ask the dealer for a refund. Also, dispute those excessive charges on your credit card and file suit pro se in Small Claims Court for a refund. It'll cost the dealer more to litigate than to refund those overcharges. And the good feeling you'll have afterwards is priceless!

 

I appreciate what you are saying and to this point believe they are treating me fair. I have been charged a total of $1375 after concessions for both repairs. The first Evac and recharge and the second for the new compressor. That includes labor, shop fees, taxes, etc. I believe this is a legitimate $500-600 savings. The real issue will be if it turns out that the compressor was an unnecessary repair and how they handle that. So far they have handled the situation with professionalism so I will continue the “more bees with honey” approach. In the event I feel lied to or that they are taking advantage of my good nature I will have zero problem showing that I have a backbone lol.

 

Turns out the system was slightly overfilled with Freon. They evacuated and recharged to the correct level. I have been driving for a couple of days now and it is working perfect and blowing ice cold air. For the further inconvenience in addition to the price concessions I mentioned above they gave me a pass that allows for lifetime free car washes at any of their dealerships. While it was very frustrating that the AC was not fixed right the first time, I believe they treated me fairly and I will return to this dealership again for service in the future. The dealer was Northfield Jaguar part of Fields Automotive.

 

I think you are right that they did treat you well and wanted to and have earned your business. Happy motoring. BTW the Compressor lists for $1334..38 and labor is 2 hours for a total before tax and stuff of $1638.58 \. I know this as it was what my Assurant Policy paid. Sadly i am now out of warranty with 100275 on the odometer. Still purring.