Hi folks,

I took delivery last night of a 2004 VDP. It's a Christmas Prezzy for "Mrs BoxxMann", and she loves it. There are a couple of oddball things going on with it, but nothing terrible. Here's the car:



It's in good condition with 68.5k miles. The problems with it are as follows:

• Stuck DVD in rear DVD player - no power, can't eject DVD
• Sunroof shade is really hard to slide
• One Headset screen in cracked with display all screwed up
• Center brake light is INOP

Not too bad

Questions:

• How do I get power to the DVD player and get the stuck DVD out of it? I can't choose "DVD" as a source from the switch panel in the back seat and the DVD power light isn't on - fuses are good
• Is there any way to lubricate the sunroof shade so it slides freely?
• Is there an easy (and inexpensive) way to replace the one broken screen?
• How do I replace the 3rd brake light and what bulb/bulbs would it take?

Thank you in advance for any help!


PS - here's my 2002 MB CL500:

 

Nice looking cars!

 

How do I get power to the DVD player and get the stuck DVD out of it? I can't choose "DVD" as a source from the switch panel in the back seat and the DVD power light isn't on - fuses are good.
Well, first off, the trunk trim has to come out, so you can check the electric sockets are in securely. You may have to find an auto in-car entertainment shop to have a look. I think it is an Alpine unit.

Is there any way to lubricate the sunroof shade so it slides freely?
Probably ! No info on this one

Is there an easy (and inexpensive) way to replace the one broken screen?
They will be a bought-in unit so if you can find the maker, this will be the cheapest option. Have you tried the internet
DVD Headrest monitors for Jaguar vehicles - Complete replacement DVD headrest monitors

How do I replace the 3rd brake light and what bulb/bulbs would it take?
I think this is an LED array. If none light up, it is probably a bad wire somewhere.

 

@Frasier - ok...the rear DVD is Alpine. Looks like a radio shop will have to sort it out. The one broken screen isn't that important to where Mrs Boxx wants to spend 1500 sorting it out

Sunroof is odd; will find solution one day :/

With respect to the 3rd brake light: There is a plastic cover housing encasing it on the ceiling of the car. Can that simply be popped off? Of course, with care. If there's a Jag P/N, I am interested in knowing it

Anyone know where the OBD II socket is located? I looked under the driver's side dash and didn't see it - is it really in there somewhere?

Crewe, England...you could be a Bentley Man

 

The sunroof shade slides in a track with some plastic pads to make it glide smoothly. If it's binding, chances are the material is falling off the panel and bunching up. Also possible if your headliner is perfect, then a PO had the headliner replaced and the new material is too thick. Should settle in with time I suppose.

OBDII port is under driver side dash, near center console.

The 3rd brake light cover comes off easily, just pry down on one end. I doubt you've lost voltage to the light (worth a check either way), probably some shared part of the array circuit. Try looking at "Jaguar Parts" - Jaguar parts and accessories catalog (just one source of many) to find a replacement 3rd brake light, or at least to see a parts diagram.

 

Try folding down the rear armrest and feeling behind the cloth screen between the seats. You should be able to feel the wire harness that goes to the control in the arm rest. The harness can get a kink in it from the armrest being bent up and down. My DVD would sometimes not connect if I start the car with the armrest down. I found that there was a kink in my harness making a bad connection. Its and easy quick check to make. Just reach behind the rear seats and feel along the wire.

 

Actually I worked for the railways in Crewe ! I was there for nearly 20 years for a total 40 years career, all in railway IT systems. Crewe was originally built as a railway town in the 1830s, a bit like Altoona for the Pennsylvania RR. I have been round Bentley Motors and it is a fine factory, originally a WW2 aeroengine factory for Rolls-Royce, then it made the cars, then Volkswagen bought it, but BMW ran off with the bride and now make Rolls-Royces down in the south of England.

Hope you can now get the car sorted out. Electrical problems are a real PITA on modern cars.

 

Does the sunroof cover slide all the way forward and rear correctly and that it is hard to push or does it only slide part way?

I had the same issue ( still do!) and found that the cheap glue used to hold the fabric to the wood has become brittle and let the fabric fall off. This gets caught in the gap between the roof and the interior roof lining if that makes sense.

Now I only half close the sunroof cover and that works for me.

You may also find the interior fabric falling away and becoming saggy at the rear quarter pillars.

Unfortunately this is a common fault with UK cars dealing with extreme US weather cycles In my humblest of opinions....

The DVd unit is an alpine unit and spares can be purchased via the Alpine company website.

ODBII connector is right up close to the centre console on the right side under the ignition key slot. You need to be aware that some ODB tools will not read the codes given too. There is a thread on here explaining which ODB tools are good and which aren't.

However, it sounds like you have a good deal.. Make sure you check the heater works on hot and cold with A/C and for the driver and passenger side in dual and non dual temp mode.

 

Headliner is good - it's really tough to slide back and forth. It gets lodged into the pocket when you open the sunroof all the way and doesn't allow the glass to close without reaching into the pocket and physically pulling the shade out of there when the glass is closing. Not fatal, by any means, however.

I found a couple 3rd light assemblies on ebay I'll get up in there with the meter to test the voltage. The 3rd light, BTW, has its own circuit - or presumably does as it has its own 5A fuse in the boot fuse block.

Will do and good advice. The DVD issue isn't too much of a big deal...at this point it's more of an exercise of "Red Jag VDP v BoxxMann". Ironically enough, Mrs Boxx didn't even want the damn TV's!

Mrs BoxxMann's kids' doctor drives a Bentley Continental...seems I picked the wrong biz!

I just watched the Discovery show on Bentley. As an owner of several German cars, this new Jag gives me a newly found appreciation for how the English define luxury...

But in my younger days I walked many miles of railroad as a survey man for a long distance phone co. 20 miles of West Texas rail in the summer time makes one appreciate the simple luxury of a cold glass of water!

Let's hope the meter gives me a voltage reading and just the led cluster is kaput...no juice to the cluster is another (more $$$) matter

Thank you - I need to get up in the sunshade tracks with a light and see what's there. It's strange the trouble a car can give!

I'll see what Alpine has - I certainly don't want to spend good money on it...it may shake out that the DVD is just inop and such is life.

Fortunately we don't need the heat too much in Florida...though there are times one wants not to be without it

 

most likely the DVD is not getting a good signal, cause when mine doesn't get a signal when I start the car, there is no power to the DVD player and there is now rear entertainment option on the touchscreen menu. But if I wiggle the wire harness and restart the car all it all works. Someday I may have to open up the harness and repair the kinked wires.