When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So, I will finally be taking my 2004 XJR in tomorrow to get a full diagnostic. Here are a list of the current issues. Any help for what to look out for is appreciated as always:
2. Check engine light is on about 75% of the time, with restricted performance message, but car drives normal. There is no singular thing that triggers the light, such as flooring the gas pedal.
3. When driving, the RPM bounces about 150-200 RPM constantly. The sound coming from the engine sounds like I'm pressing the gas, then letting off the gas, just like a never ending cycle. When I brake, the car brakes as normal, but then it kind of gets thrown from 800 RPM to about 500 RPM when I come to a complete stop, and feels like almost like it's being thrown or if I'm slamming on the brakes.
4. I've noticed little puddles forming under the front center, appears to be blackish, no idea what it could be.
It would be good to have the fault codes that would help a lot.
You need to figure out what that leak is whether its engine oil, transmission oil or even power steering. If it is power steering then you should see a drop in the reservoir fairly easily.
As for the "hunting" you describe that could easily be a leak somewhere in the intake system, hose from the PCV valve etc.
I had a leak in the PCV valve hose and that caused restricted performance but the car would drive just fine.
Hunting could be also be explained by a faulty throttle position sensor (TPS)
As recommended, you need to get the codes off the car.
I think some of these issues are trans related. Torque converter lock hunting, black puddles (trans fluid) it's originally golden honey color? Could be leaking from sealing sleeve or pan or even cooling lines.
+4 on having the diagnostic trouble codes scanned, ideally by a system capable of reading the proprietary Jaguar U, B and C codes in addition to the generic OBDII P codes.
Like jackra_1, my first guess is that you will have one or more codes like P0171 and/or P0174, indicating a leak somewhere in the air intake plumbing between the MAFS and the intake manifold gaskets or in the breather or vacuum lines. Either of these codes will trigger the restricted performance mode, which limits engine rpm to something like 3,000 rpm and might go unnoticed in typical driving around town.
The fluid leak is a potentially serious issue, so please be certain the shop identifies the source so you can rectify it asap.
Thanks all. I'll have it in, in the morning, and hopefully I hear back by the afternoon so I can post what they say, and go from there. You all are very helpful, much appreciated!
P0730 code for transmission. They asked when the last time I serviced the transmission was, and with me purchasing the car 9 months ago, I have not performed any service, so we are going to flush and replace fluid
On the front end - ball joints, tie rods, sway bar and bushings all need to go
Rear upper and lower bushing and sway bar links
Leaking oil pan, and a small coolant leak above the water pump.
I mean, Good God! It's hard to fully complain, I got this this with 65k miles on it for just a little over $11k, and knew I'd have to put some work into it, so hope this is all I will have to do for a while now.
Leaking oil pan, and a small coolant leak above the water pump.
On the leaking oil pan - have them recheck it. I have replaced the pan gasket twice and the pan itself once (thinking it was bent) only to find out (finally!) it was leaking from the timing cover gasket. Have not tackled that job yet since it is a huge job.
I would do the tranny service first to make sure that fixes your main issue. If not, search on clearing the tranny adaptations. If you have to replace the tranny you are looking at $7K.
Lagonia, I will be getting an oil change in a week and will have them re-check then, thanks for the heads up.
So here is what the mechanic (not the guy in the front of the shop) told me when we talked...
Trans is leaking a little. They asked if I have done service on it, which I have not, so we are going to flush, and refill. The fluid is still that honey color, but definitely has some blackish contaminated fluid in it. He said the next step if I'm still having issues would be to reflash, which they do not do there.
Front lower bushings and tie rods need to be replaced ASAP and the rear bushings should be replaced in the near future, but it's not urgent.
There is a slight coolant leak right above the water pump, but again, it's very minimal.
My check engine light is on 75% of the time it seems, but it just wasn't on when the car was in the shop. He provided a history of the codes that have come up, which are here:
I'm hoping that since this car was due for a trans flush anyways, it will solve the problem. Does anyone have recommendations for where to find the best priced front tie rods and front lower bushings? Rock Auto/Parts Geek?
edit: Sorry for the sideways picture, not sure how/why that happened.
John L.
Don't forget the seal for the TCM socket. These were prone to start leaking over time, and later trannys had an improved seal. It is basically an O ring. The oil can contaminate the electrical contacts in the socket and cause spurious faults to occur. This is because the TCM, which is inside the tranny, relies on signals from the ECM and other modules in order to work correctly.
Don't forget the seal for the TCM socket. These were prone to start leaking over time, and later trannys had an improved seal. It is basically an O ring. The oil can contaminate the electrical contacts in the socket and cause spurious faults to occur. This is because the TCM, which is inside the tranny, relies on signals from the ECM and other modules in order to work correctly.
Fraser, thanks for this. They said when they went through everything looked fine. They said that there were two bolts that were stripped, and assume someone tried messing with them previously. This would make sense considering advice others on the forum gave, where they mentioned two bolts on the driver's side of the Transmission that were known to cause issues. I hope this is a fix and not a band aid. Onto the bushings and tie rods!
Ok your P0205 Fuel injector #5 malfunction, P0305 is misfire #5 cylinder. The P0171 & P0174 are lean codes on both sides. The P1316 is misfire excessive emissions. Your P0128 is coolant thermostat range performance. Your P0730 is a gear ratio fault.
The first 4 codes could all be contributed to poor fuel presentation to the engine and more than likely clogged injectors. Go and get a can of BG44K and add it to your fuel. In just a short time you should see a difference in its performance.
As for the transmission code when was the last time you had the fluid and filter changed in the transmission? If it has not been changed have it done. If when they drop the pan look and see if you have a collection of metal shavings in it. If you do chances are you will need to make repairs at a latter date.
The list of diagnostic trouble codes your mechanic scanned includes only P, or Powertrain codes. I assume the Matco scanner he used is not capable of reading the proprietary B (Body), C (Chassis) and U (Network) codes that are probably also stored in your car's various ECUs. To give you an idea of what those other codes can represent, at the link below you can download the full 153-page X350 DTC Summaries manual that includes the P, B, C and U codes. My guess is that your car probably has some of all of those codes stored.
Gus, while I'm thinking about it, would you please grab this file and add it to your terrific JagRepair.com website? The manual you currently have only includes the P codes. Thanks!
Sorry for the digression, suiteddeuces. Did your mechanic clear all the codes and then see if any of them reappeared? These cars are prone to triggering spurious codes when battery voltage sags or the ground points become corroded. I would recommend clearing all the codes and for now only concerning yourself with the ones that reappear.
In all likelihood, the P0305 cylinder 5 misfire code was caused by a problem with the cylinder 5 fuel injector circuit fault that triggered the P0205 code. Could be something as simple as looseness of or corrosion on the injector's electrical connector, so that would be worth checking.
When P0171 and P0174 appear together, indicating that both banks of the engine are running lean, the most likely cause is a vacuum leak or air leak in the air intake plumbing somewhere between the Mass Air Flow Sensor and the intake manifold gasket. Check for cracks in the air pipes (especially in the Helmholtz resonators), overtightened hose clamps, cracked crankcase breather pipes, problem with the PCV valve, etc. Other possibilities include a clogged fuel filter, failing fuel pump, obstructed injectors, etc. See the possible causes listed in the DTC Summaries manual.
The list of diagnostic trouble codes your mechanic scanned includes only P, or Powertrain codes. I assume the Matco scanner he used is not capable of reading the proprietary B (Body), C (Chassis) and U (Network) codes that are probably also stored in your car's various ECUs. To give you an idea of what those other codes can represent, at the link below you can download the full 153-page X350 DTC Summaries manual that includes the P, B, C and U codes. My guess is that your car probably has some of all of those codes stored.
Gus, while I'm thinking about it, would you please grab this file and add it to your terrific JagRepair.com website? The manual you currently have only includes the P codes. Thanks!
Sorry for the digression, suiteddeuces. Did your mechanic clear all the codes and then see if any of them reappeared? These cars are prone to triggering spurious codes when battery voltage sags or the ground points become corroded. I would recommend clearing all the codes and for now only concerning yourself with the ones that reappear.
In all likelihood, the P0305 cylinder 5 misfire code was caused by a problem with the cylinder 5 fuel injector circuit fault that triggered the P0205 code. Could be something as simple as looseness of or corrosion on the injector's electrical connector, so that would be worth checking.
When P0171 and P0174 appear together, indicating that both banks of the engine are running lean, the most likely cause is a vacuum leak or air leak in the air intake plumbing somewhere between the Mass Air Flow Sensor and the intake manifold gasket. Check for cracks in the air pipes (especially in the Helmholtz resonators), overtightened hose clamps, cracked crankcase breather pipes, problem with the PCV valve, etc. Other possibilities include a clogged fuel filter, failing fuel pump, obstructed injectors, etc. See the possible causes listed in the DTC Summaries manual.
Please keep us informed.
Cheers,
Don
As always, you the man Don! I'll be taking the car next week to replace front bushings (I'll be getting them from Rock Auto), and an oil change. I will relay this to them as well!
Gus, I replied to your transmission comment in the other thread. I'll definitely try the BG44K. Thanks!
As Gus says, BG 44K has an excellent reputation, but it is not exactly cheap (around $20 on eBay for an 11 oz. can to treat 20 gallons of gasoline). It's easy enough to mix your own with a little kerosene, mineral spirits and naptha. You can buy a quart of each at Walmart for about $20.
Here's the Material Data Safety Sheet that gives the chemical composition of BG 44K:
Is it recommended that you put the BG 44K with EVERY fill up? If so, then yeah, $20 would be very expensive! I guess I assumed it was a one time thing to just help with some clogging...
Just looked up the safety sheet you sent me. Good Lord, is this stuff really that dangerous, or is this just them protecting themselves?
John L.
Last edited by suiteddeuces; 12-10-2016 at 06:24 PM.
Is it recommended that you put the BG 44K with EVERY fill up? If so, then yeah, $20 would be very expensive! I guess I assumed it was a one time thing to just help with some clogging...
Just looked up the safety sheet you sent me. Good Lord, is this stuff really that dangerous, or is this just them protecting themselves?
John L.
Refrain from drinking this fluid. It works, so do several others. I also like Berryman B-12 Chemtool. This is 3.00 fuel injector cleaner. The expensive cleaners may be better, I add a can of B-12 right before every oil change. That is 5,000 miles for me. Maybe a can of the hard stuff every air filter change.