I am a new Jaguar owner, I've only owned my 2002VDP for 29 days and it has been great until 11/1/2015.
I just had P1384 & P1396 show up today. It lost some power then I heard a knocking sound, bummed!!! I checked the oil last week and it was full and clean, after the nois and codes the stick was dry!? No oil leaks on my driveway and no oil on bottom of car.
What should I do?????
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Yeah- that does not sound good and I would have a hard time believing that trying thicker oil is a good idea. As I assume you know, the codes are for both VVTs and are not specific to the electrical circuit, so I ASSUME that it means the feedback does not match the command. I would say there might be a tensioner failure except it is both sides.

I would sure like to know the oil pressure was good before I ran that engine at all since the symptoms both match no oil pressure.

 

Over on the Xk8 forum there is a recent post

VVT solonoid noise and P1384 chk eng lite

Take a look. You would have to be three qts low to have dry dip stick. You might try adding oil . . . But be mindful of the risks Ross pointed out.

If you have some experience, adding oil to test the pressure might be illuminating, if not get it towed to a local Jag specialist. If adding oil quiets the noise, look for blue smoke out the tailpipes and double check for drips, the oil went somewhere.

 

Thanks Ross,
I'm not even going to try to start it I'm just going to have it towed into the shop and hopefully they can figure it out for me

 

Please report back what you learn. I cannot recall anyone reporting an oil pump failure. I hope it is not that or worse.

 

Well I had the mechanic who has taken care of this Jag for the last 50K miles come by to check it out. As soon as he started the car he shook his head, NOT GOOD! Said it is something in the bottom end but is baffled because there are no leaks and no smoke out of the exhaust.
Anyone have an guestimate on the price of a rebuild or buying a used engine? Its a V8, 2002 Vanden Plas edition.
Thanks in advance

 

$2K +/- will buy the engine- Your mechanic will tell you how much for the install.

 

What's a better option rebuilding my current engine or getting a used engine installed?

 

If the costs are about the same, I would rebuild. Then you would know what you have. Buying a used engine would leave you guessing what condition is it really in.

 

I doubt you could "rebuild" an AJ27 engine for anything like the price of a used one.

 

Fwiw, a year or two ago I had some "low oil pressure" lights. Added, then low. Added, then low. Not seeing any drips. Eventually traced it to a loose oil filter from a Walmart job. DIY change and filter (and cylinder wash re-wet), and it's been fine since. I was also worried the engine was trashed, but it pulled thru just fine.

 

Thanks LowellLamb but no lights came on until after the knocking and it was the engine light. Looks like something catostrophic has happened. My mechanic is looking for a used engine for a replacement but that scare me too, not knowing what I'm getting myself into with a used engine. I'm very bummed, I only had it for one month!

 

So after weighing the options I am going to go with the rebuilt engine. All said and done it comes in a little under $6K. Does that sound reasonable??

 

I would still look for a low mileage used engine. There's got to be a lot of damage in there. The camshafts are the last to receive oil. There's just so much machine work that needs to be done to repair that engine. Besides, a used engine will get you back on the road much faster.

 

I agree with the Addict. Many of the engine parts are not readily available so you might be waiting for a while unless it is an exchange. Most used engines bought from relaible sources come with the history of the donor car.
BTW, and i know you don't want to hear this now, but your experience is why these cars can be a bad deal for someone who does not want to do some major repair work themselves. I do admire your lack of whining for your bad luck.

 

I had a 1999 Vdp and as I understood it, the cam chain tensioners were problematic from 96-2002.After that they changed them as the plastic cracked. Car will be noisy,run rough possibly, and you might find plastic or metal fragments in the oil. Mine died at 116k. Had to have the cam chain and tensioners replaced. It will probably run 4k and you will need a special installation tool kit also. If you are mechanicallying inclined this site has good instructions on how to do it . The tool kit and cam chain tensioners will only be about $1000. I had to buy the kit and had a competent mechanic ( non jag specific ) do the job for about 2k. Might for the purpose of getting your heart racing go to a jag dealer and get their estimate before your consider an engine swap?

 

Thanks, but the previous owner already had that done, I have the paperwork. This way at least I have a completely rebuilt motor with a warranty. I will go by a dealer to get a quote from them though. Thanks!

 

Luckily my mechanic has worked on this car for at least the last 80K miles and can get an already rebuilt motor so it would be a swap. I didn't want to spend $4k on a used engine when for just $2k more I get a completely rebuilt one with a warranty all done within 5 days.

 

Thanks for the advice and usually I enjoy working on cars but this is over my skill set and I've only owned a Jag for a month. In regards to the engine, it would be a swap. I didn't want to spend $4k on a used engine when for just $2k more I get a completely rebuilt one with a warranty all done within 5 days. (Those amounts are for the full job). And, no use crying over spilled milk. I love the car and when it's all done it'll be almost like new.

 

Let me suggest a different option you might want to look at: for $6000 you can probably find a nearly perfect XJ8 or XJR in the Southern California area. Then, trade off the best parts from the older car to the new one and sell the hulk as a parts car.