Hi scooternva,

I saw that note in the "Approved Scanners" thread about the Actron, but the thread gives no specifics as to whether the Actron is able to read any of the codes beyond the generic OBD-II emissions-related ones. If the person who tested the Actron on a 2004 saw a code, any code, even the innocuous P1111, he may have assumed the scanner "worked." There are seemingly hundreds of other Body, Chassis, Powertrain and Undefined codes that are Jaguar specific (or maybe Jaguar-Ford or Jaguar-Land Rover-Ford specific). My Equus Innova 3130b was not inexpensive at around $225.00, but it won't read the Jag-specific codes (or many of the manufacturer-specific codes on our BMW). I hope the Actron works perfectly on your X350 and we'll look forward to your report. The unfortunate thing is that you may only know if the Actron is actually working if it finds codes of different types present (e.g. P, B, C or U). If it only finds P codes, you may not know if it is able to read the Jaguar extension codes.

Cheers,

Don

 

You guys are correct. It's better to use SDD. Cloned Mongoose cable costs around 80$ and you can buy a used laptop for a same amount of $. As for me, i'm using IBM x61s, which is very handy and powerful enough to run a Windows XP with SDD v.134. This particular laptop is small enough and fits in a seat pocket and remains hidden there

 

Hi MoscowLeaper,

I set up SDD v. 131.3 because I understood that was the last version you could run without a subscription to Jaguar IDS, but my Mongoose cable came with v. 134. Have you had any difficulties running that version? I assume you have your laptop WiFi disconnected? Does v. 134 only work on Windows XP Pro 32-bit like v. 131?

Thanks in advance for any education you can offer!

Don

 

Well, it looks like I will be hanging around here for a while and will need more information on getting a cloned Mongoose and laptop setup. The Actron did indeed find only P1111, but the Jaguar mechanic did not get any additional Jag-specific diagnostic codes that caused undue alarm. Dickered with the seller on the things that were noted during the inspection (some minor body dings, needs new wipers, the brake rotor replacement that was previously disclosed) and got a thousand bucks off the asking price.

It. Is. MINE.

 

The SDD v.134 comes with a custom license file, so it will not ask topix login/password (despite the fact that i have one )
No difficulites at all. My laptop is running XP Pro 32 bit.
But if your v.131 works fine and you don't need to work with past-2013 Jags - there's no need to install v.134

 

Interesting.
I also bought a Mongoose chinese clone (sold with with v134, calibration files, ID and password), but I purchased v131.3 and calibration files in parallel because of the risk of v134 not to run because trying to connect to Topix. Also because the softs provided with the Mongoose are often corrupted.

Can you please provide more feedback on your experience with v134: clock set on 2012 on your laptop, no viruses and/or bugs when you installed it, internet access off during installation and/or during use, no perpetual attemps to connect to Topix, etc.?

 

Mongoose will work fine if you'll not even try to upgrade it to Pro version.
Clock is set to actual date. Internet access is ALWAYS on.
There's a virus in license self-extracting archive. You may try to extract it by winrar or 7 zip or i can e-mail you extracted file (i've exctacted it on a linux PC, lol ).
There's no attempts to connect to topix at all.

 

Congratulations, scooternva! Looks like a real beauty!!!

Please keep us informed as you get to know your new Cat!

Cheers,

Don

 

Congratulaions..................THAT IS AN AWSOME LOOKING CAT! Post some more photos when you have a moment.

 

I will, once I get the brakes and the horn situation sorted, and properly wash and detail my new obsession.

 

I'm a new Jaguar owner and this post makes me feel a lot better about my purchase of a 2000 XK8 with 48,000 miles. Even though the dealer here that checked it out told me it was a steller find you never know with a new venture. I gave $8,400.00 for it so someone tell me if I fell in love with it and overpaid. It doesn't matter I love the car but as I said my first Jag in my stable and would appreciate learned experienced opinions

 

A clean 2004 XJR with 74,000 miles in Southern California @ $9,000 would be considered a very big bargain requiring one to do serious investigation as to why so cheap. Fair market would seem to be $14-$16k for clean car with records....or the same color and rims as my car listed and pristine at a dealer : ) priced too high.

Used 2005 Jaguar XJ For Sale | Pasadena CA

 

Well, it turns out my unicorn had a few hidden flaws that (of course!) didn't manifest themselves until after I brought her into my stable.

This morning as I was driving Shaguar to the mechanic to get the front brake rotors replaced, the power steering started making a high-pitched chirpy noise. Top Line Jaguar diagnosed the issue as a leaking front control arm, requiring replacement of the control arm and the rack & pinion steering--a $2,500 job. Add the malfunctioning horns and the front brake rotor replacement, and my unicorn is now about to undergo $3,500 in surgical repair.

George at Top Line says the steering is leaking fluid prodigiously. He is of the opinion that a thorough, in-depth inspection of the car would have revealed this condition, so I have to question the inspection job that my mechanic (who was not a Top Line Jaguar mechanic) did last week before I purchased the car. I suppose it's possible that the steering issue is a new one and that it wasn't manifestly visible last week (the XJR wasn't leaking fluids, for example), but I have a hard time believing that this condition just suddenly cropped up today so ferociously that the car now needs a $2,500 steer-ectomy.

I'm trying to look upon this as a learning experience, but I'm not very happy right now. What was an $8,000 purchase is now more like $11,500. Would I have bought the car for $11,500 instead of $8,000? I don't know. Last week I thought I had bought an XJR with only one known mechanical issue (the front rotors) and congratulated myself for making a great purchase. As it stands now, I can say that I have an $11,500 XJR with 75,000 miles on the odo and all known mechanical issues fixed. Have I still come out ahead?

 

Way way too much money-what you have said does not make sense.

Are they main dealers?

I would take it off them quick!

 

What do you mean by "are they main dealers" and "I would take it off them quick"? Take what off?

 

I mean a main Jaguar dealer who sells mainly Jaguar cars and Jaguar spares.

They are notorious for overcharging people.

I suggested that you take the jaguar off them since if they are Jaguar dealers

they are incapable of repairing anything only selling parts and labour at

exhorbitant prices.

 

Have you already greenlighted the repair? Have you tried sourcing parts outside of the Jaguar dealer network? People on this forum can be very helpful, I have found.

I still think the price you paid, even after the repairs, is a good deal for what you got.

 

Top Line Jaguar is an independent shop that was recommended by several jaguarforums.com members. I asked to look at the rack and pinion assembly that was removed from the car and it was definitely leaking.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Anticitizen. As I was driving to the repair shop last night to pick up Shaguar, I was thinking I would not have bought the XJR for $8,000 if I had known a $3,800 repair was in the immediate future (that was the final bill with labor and tax added). But on the other hand, all of the '04 XJRs I'm seeing for sale right now either have tens of thousands more miles on them, or the asking price is north of $18,000. And then, on the drive home last night, with the brakes smooth as glass and the steering effortless and squeak-free, I decided that you're right, I'm still out ahead (or at least within the average ballpark).

Ask me the same question when the air suspension system inevitably fails...!

 

Ha! I'm literally taking a break right now from converting my car over to coilovers. The car is on jack stands in the garage. Going a lot slower than I hoped... I should be done around 2 AM!

 

I hope you're documenting the procedure with lots of photos Good luck...