Hi guys,

Unfortunately, my XKR 2009 engine failed one month ago "went to work with the car, before going to parking, the car started shaking, i thought maybe its a coil or something. I parked it right away, went to work, when i came down to go home, when i started the car, i heard loud bangs in the motor and did not start. Switched it off right away".
Long story short, I took the car to 3 mechanics and all confirmed engine jammed and i need to replace the engine.

I found a guy who can replace it, but finding an engine was challenging in this part of the world "Middle East". So, we found an XJR with 70K Kms on it. As per the guy, it's the same engine but different supercharge. So, his plan was to replace the engine, and install my supercharge on it.

Things he replaced:
1- XJR engine with XKR supercharge
2- Engine seal
3- Transmission seal
4- couple of water hoses
5- 8 coils and spark plugs

Things i requested to change but he said its fine and no need:
1- Timing belt,
2- Engine mounts
3- Flush water and clear the radiator


It's been 2 weeks, and yesterday i finally went to see it. The below was my observations:
1- The car has check engine on "Engine system fault" I posted a pic in this post. He's telling me, coz the engine is new you need to drive it for a couple of weeks for the system to recognize it. Is that true?!!!,
2- Steering wheel is a bit tougher than it used to be. Not sure why.
3- I tried to kick down the gear to check acceleration. it didn't. it went straight without down shifting! - Also, i could not really hear the supercharge sound.
4- When the car is on D and in a traffic light. i can hear vivid loud noise coming from the engine bay "like fans going so fast or something" with an intermitted sound. Don't know how to describe it "like Vom Vom Vom with 1 second interval between each one" which is causing a bit shaking in the car, slight but causing rattle in the dashboard which wasn't there before.

I refused to take the car like this. I told him recheck what is happening. I am paying a lot of money for this.

So, I wanted to take your opinion guys, I am not really an expert in Jags, so what should i do next?


Thanks and sorry for the long post.
I've attached a pic showing the error "he left the car with no gas, so i had to drive it to fill it and brought back to him"

 

As a general observation because I'm not an expert in this field, changing an engine in a canbus car like the XK is never a simple swap. Most of the issues which arise will be around the ECU and the related electronics. If the ECU from the replacement engine is used, then it won't communicate properly with the gearbox electronics etc and if the existing ECU is left in place, then it won't communicate properly with the sensors in the engine.

I suspect that it will need a specialised auto electronics engineer with the proper Jaguar software to resolve this but I will be interested to see what others say.

Richard

 

What did you or the repair shop do with the original 4.2 motor?
These are some of the most durable and reliable engines Jaguar ever created. Very curious to learn what the original prognosis was, for the engine that initially “failed”?

 

Very sad @Moe Eid - my heart goes out to you. I guess the original failure source is academic at this point since that engine is no longer in the car but I too would be very interested to know what went wrong. If as you say engine was "jammed" I assume you mean it would not turn over even by hand? So you took the car to three different mechanics on a transporter? Or towed it? And these mechanics were Jaguar specialists? I'm just a back garden mechanic but the much-more knowledgable @RichardS is right - switching an engine between two different models is going raise all kinds of electronics questions.

 

Its still there on the mechanic shop floor. Not sure what am i gonna do with it.
and the car milage is kinda low compared to year "130K KM". Engine was in perfect condition and well maintained. I dont understand how out of the sudden that happen. There were no sounds, noises, etc. It was very calm that i dont feel the car running when put in N.
No prognosis received yet. He does not want to open the old engine as he saying it will cost you more for me to open just to see whats wrong and put it back in!!!
I think i will decorate the garage with it

 

Yup. Used a crane or transporter to move around between them.
and yes, 3 people tried to turn it by hand and nothing. it would not turn.
The oil was perfect, the water is perfect, timing belt and chain belt are perfect.
It's a mystery!!
She was a good girl for a year, so i guess she wanted to remind me that life is not that easy
I don't really want to sell it or scrap it. I really like the car. But if that engine swap did not work. Not sure what will be my next step.

 

All the computers need to be reset. Driving it, if possible, may reset some features but not all. A Mongoose SDD cable and CDs, will give the mechanic access to the resets. This is the direction you should most likely go. Your mechanic can most likely steer you to get the these tools.
Also don't let the old engine stray. There are many electronics, sensors, water temp parts, ignition hardwares to keep.

 

He told me he knows a guy will come and reset it next week.

but i’ve asked another programmer for Jaguar, he told me you need the new engine ECU to fix this issue. Or at least an xjr ECU. My current XKR ECU will never be programmed to XJR engine.

is that true?

 

Quite possibly.
Does the XJR engines have thirty two valves?
Keep that in mind incase mechanic #1 gets to a dead end.
The old ECU is one of the bits to keep.
Let us know.

 

Hi @Moe Eid .

Ok, specifics time.
Are the engines swapped a 4.2 l with a 4.2 l? Or 5.0 with a 5.0? Or something else?
Was the transmission changed as well?
(being open and honest, I would have tended to the original engine)

And to answer your question, NO! An engine systems fault is never normal and there is no magic drive and see solution.
(and just being open and honest again, I wish for your sake you had chose a Jag specialist)

I’d like to see specifically what codes are being throw. Do you have that? You will need JLR software to do this right.

 

Is there a chance you had a 4.2 replaced by an early 4.0? These are some distinctions that are easily overlooked.
The reluctors at the end of the camshafts are different between those engines which wil upset original ecu. (I believe camshaft sensors are the same)
These metal parts under the camcovers can be swapped between camshafts to correct it if neccesary (cams have to come out) but if a 4.0 could run wel on 4.2 ecu I don't know.
This because 4.0 uses the Merc 722.6 automatic, and not zf so more little things could pop up..

 

Depending where in the world you were, the xjr was equipped with 4.2sc in 2003/2004 (only with fixed cams) however, it didn't receive vvti on the intake camshaft until 2006 so the question is have you got the vvti or fixed cams That is a good starting point to look at (next step would be injectors)

 

ahh yes!
That missing vvt would not have gone unnoticed🤣.
My bad. (too long ago I tore one or two apart)

 

Sorry for the late reply.

Its a 4.2L (XKR) for 4.2L (XJR)..

No transmission was changed,

after 4 weeks, i finally took the car yesterday. All errors are removed "even old pedestrian system error is not there!". He said, a programmer from the dealership came with the Company computer and he did it for 100 bucks.

I am not what happened "i had to travel for 4 days". But, is there anyway he is scamming me? Is there a way to hide or remove the errors without actually programing the car?

I feel something is not right with it. I mean it runs okay, but the car sounds like breathing when left on ideal. Like air coming in and out. That was not there before.

Also, I heard a weird noise coming from the transmission when i started it in the morning "like squeaking" for a second and then it was gone.

I have a bad feeling about the car.

 

That's a good question that i do not have answer to .. I will try to find out...
And I am not sure which year is the engine, I will find out that too. Most of these engines are imported from Europe. Not sure if they would have the details of the original car or not.

 

Quite positive so it seems.
Perhaps just small stuff that needs fixing?
Can imagine los of confidence but might turn out fine.
Could be that the seals between top lid of supercharger and the intercoolers are sucked in causing a erratic vaccuum leak at idle for instance. (Breathing noise?)
Gearbox squeel at startup does not ring a bell here..(or there must be a torque converter bolt left loosened.., flexplate compromised..)

But could it be an auxilary belt tensioner or even supercharger belt squeel?
Alignment of the belt loop is key.
No big deal to fix.

I think absence of errors stems hopefull.

 

"""I have a bad feeling about the car."""

That's bogus feeling. It will get you nowhere, and rob you of your enjoyment of the car.

There will be repairs down the road, but that is, down the road, Live it now.

 

There is no reason to reprogram an identical engine swap over

 

True, but TS says its 4.2..and its an R..
If that is correct I don't see what could be hugely different.
if its a 4.0R engine...could be vvt missing.
if its a 4.0 (or 4.2) NA engine, now with supercharger on it....too much compression (knock sensors triggered all the time) could be fooled by fixing bypass in open position..which would be a terrible waste of power.

Hard to tell based on info provided.
But as said, if what TS states is correct (4.2R engine out 4.2R engine in) these concerns don't really apply anymore.

 

Update guys,

I tried to start the car in the morning, it didn't work. Also, yesterday, i saw white smoke came from exhaust when i started it in the afternoon "car was not cold" for a second and then was gone.

I checked the water. All good. Tried to check the oil level, could not locate the oil measurement tool in the engine!!!

Fastforward, i suspected maybe battery? - I connected it to another car, and it started. However, I called the mechanic to ask about the oil measurement, where is it? as i searched online, i saw a post that the 5.0 engines do not have it and they can check it from the car system in the cluster.

So, I asked him, which year is that engine, he just replied it's a 2011 XJR engine "American". Is that a 5.0!!!

Now, I do not know if that's a good thing or not, or how i will measure the oil level later on. I am still waiting for him to give me answers as the deal was 4.2L for 4.2L.

This is image of the engine installed: