Super-quick:
asked my shop to take a look at the air filters, and they came back "pretty dirty" and this is the parts-n-labor price for new ones. I know it's high, but ridiculously so? I don't have a workspace so it's not something I can easily do on my own. Car has 80K miles and I think they've been changed once. Should I just go ahead and have them do it?
Thanks!

 

It’s likely mostly labor. Remove both front wheels, remove front wheel liners, remover filter housing screws and covers, slide out filters and holders, install new filters and reverse.

now if you are doing yourself, you can just do one side at a time and turn the steering away to reveal the front liner, undo the liner screws and fold it back, open the filter house and wiggle the filter assembly out.

 

If I were to do it-- I assume that to do the left front, you'd turn the wheel fully to the right (and vice versa)? And would it help to jack that side just an inch or two? (Wheel still in contact with the ground, just a little lift to make access easier?) Just watched a video on it that was pretty good and it sure doesn't look like rocket science.

Although they did remove the wheel in the video.

 

The wheels do NOT have to come off, although off makes it easier. Just have to crank the steering full lock one way or the other (forget which way for which side) and you can pull/bend the liners out of the way quite easily. That saves at least 20 minutes for both sides, and a lot of dirty work.

 

Just read this thread about matching filters, MAF sensors, all that, and thought.... screw it. Not worth the hassle for me at this moment.
Should last for a few years, at least, and they've got the car, so I said yeah. Go ahead. Take my money.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...esolved-92749/

 

And if I get a code a hundred miles from now, it's on them.

 

Convenience costs money. No doubt your time is worth good money. For stuff I don't feel like doing, I consider my time worth $80/hour.

 

The filters on mine were 10 years old and had over 50k miles on them and still looked new, no dust, no dirt, which gave me cause to wonder how much air was actually going through them 🤔

 

If they are using oem spec filters then they are quite pricey IIRC then £40/50 USD per side.

However,as we all know Jag don't make filters and they are either Mann, Wix or Hengst....whoever is cheapest and to a standard at any given time.

It is a reasonably easy job with car on the ground and full lock applied both ways to allow access to both side. In my.case gaining access was easy, getting the filter out of the holder less so...possibly becausenit was cold and arthritic hands on my.attemlt.

If they arent using OEM they can be sourced quite cheap and it doesnt mean they are lesser quality.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233720332467

FWIW my.indy charge 40 mins labour for changing air filters which equates to £40/50 USD (inc tax) They don't remove the wheels to do it.

IMO if your car's only had one filter change in 80k, it sounds like it's been slightly neglected as that done automatically as a major service item, and you should have had 4 of those

Also look for another garage with better rates and stock up on a couple of filters for next time

 

jahummer, you're in Florida, where the air is clean because it gets washed every day during rainy season. That's why your air filters were so clean. The air wasn't very dirty.

The OP, on the other hand, is in polar opposite LA, where the air quality is unfit for humans to breathe. Sadly, the crap in the OPs filters is also in his lungs. LA has the worst ozone pollution in the USA.

 

[QUOTE=Stuart S;2293250
The OP, on the other hand, is in polar opposite LA, where the air quality is unfit for humans to breathe. Sadly, the crap in the OPs filters is also in his lungs. LA has the worst ozone pollution in the USA.[/QUOTE]

Uhm... thanks?

 

Gotta disagree about the change interval. The car is, if anything, over-serviced. We're not talking an oil change here-- my people are pricey but cool, and this is the third time they've pulled them. First time they swapped them, second time they decided they weren't bad and simply blew them out. Keep in mind that Chevrolet (I think) now recommends a 45,000 mile service interval on air filters, and Toyota it's 30K. I've basically had 40K on each of two sets of filters - long, but not crazy long.

 

The specified change points for the air filter for the 5 litre cars are 45,000 and 90,000 miles so the car has actually been serviced correctly.

The 4.2 litre is every 40,000.

 

I am taking my just-purchased 2007 XK to a "European-car" specialist shop for service and to get a baseline on maintenance. They quoted $127 for the air filter change (I assume one filter only in non-XKR model). If only for one filter, this lines up pretty well with what you are paying.

 

Wonder if there is a K&N filter pair that replaces the stock filter in its original location. I have K&N filters in all my vehicles. I replace stock filter on new cars when filter change is required and immediately for pre-owned. They are reusable and have increased CFM flow so that would be my recommendation.

So far as DIY. Thinking placement for XKR filters is strictly for performance or lack of real estate. I understand the time it takes to wrench on these vehicles, but that is 1/2 the fun. Manufacturers are deliberately making it difficult for home mechanics to work on their cars. Repair shops and dealers reap the benefits. Tried to check oil in a friends Audi recently and dipstick was no where to be found.
This will continue as more and more electronic and computerized equipment is added to cars. It is nice to have the choice to perform basic maintenance on your own vehicle. I have the tools, time and talent and prefer to keep the extraordinary dealer prices in my own pocket. I'd list this one as a big savings DIY job.

 

It’s not difficult. Turn the wheel so you can access the front of the wheel well, then undo a few of the bolts holding the liner. No need to take off wheels blah blah blah. Filters are around $30 each, you need one for each side. Takes about 5 minutes each side.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the K&N filters because often I'm dealing with over oiled filters slinging onto mafs; I've seen it on enough used cars I've bought and other peoples cars I've worked on. These cars are sensitive enough maf wise side to side that I'd be more worried; yes you can properly oil and most likely not cause an issue. I bought a set of paper filters and popped them in during an oil change 15k miles ago at 55k. I should be good to near 100k.

Honestly I thought this was not that hard a job.

 

you probably figured it out by now, but AF replacement required removing the wheel, the wheel well panel and a bunch other stupidly designed parts, thats why they charge so much, but depending on the geo location the cost is ball park $140-160

 

Honestly it was one of those "oh what the hell" moments. I'm glad it's done.
FYI the total of the work done was $5100, which included that filter change, plus rear brakes, plus an overheating issue, plus a convertible top issue-- and they found some cracked bushings up front. I paid about $1350, all but $100 of which was the brakes and that filter job, so I'm happy to let them do it.

Having said that, I only recently realized how ridiculously easy it is to do an oil change on this car. So the way I see it, at about 100K miles I'll have them do the plugs and the belt and that, sadly, will be it. They do amazing work but, price-wise, well.... it's a you-get-what-you-pay-for world, and I'm going to have to start to pay myself for doing this work...

 

Sorry should have qualified that whenever I purchase a used car I always change all filters and fluids, I bought mine at 48k miles, and have had everything done bar the tranny fluid (being done in November)

Also I have always changed my normal paper filters (on other cars) every 5-6k miles, in the case of my Audi it was a 5 minute job and the filters cost me £3/$3.60 so bought 10! Yup may be overkill but a new lean paper filter does a better job than one with even a light amount of contamination.

Not a problem with my K&N's of course which only require a lightly applied air line so far