Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Tue 2 Jan 2007 16:23
Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on - Vin {P}
Woke up this morning (now THAT'S an original idea for a Blues song) and started the Jag, to find it was in "Reduced Performance" mode. It had been standing in the street in Sheffield in poiuring rain overnight with a true gale blowing it at the front of the car.

I drove it carefully till it warmed up, then stopped for a couple of minutes and restarted. The limp home mode was gone, but now the "engine fault" light was on. A quick dive throught he manual suggested this just meant "get it checked at a dealer". so I drove it 200 miles home. No problems whatsoever, but the light didn't go out.

My question: Is this light just to say "There has been a problem", or does it mean "There is currently a problem". I'm hoping the former and that it was the rather extreme conditions last night that did it, but can anyone with a tad more mechanical knowledge that I shed some light on this for me?

Cheers,

V
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Jan 2007 18:29
Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on - Aprilia
Standing in the street, even in heavy rain, shouldn't cause a fault! Compare with driving at 70 mph on the motorway with a 'rooster tail' of water being thrown up in front of you!

The light means that a fault has been logged - the fault may or may not still be present. Either way, you really need to get the fault read.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Jan 2007 21:44
Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on - csgmart
Almost certainly a coil pack has got damaged as a result of the rain being blown into the engine bay. A common fault on these cars I am sad to report.

Easy[ish] fix for the dealer and nothing serious but I would get it fixed.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Jan 2007 21:45
Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on - csgmart
By the way try www.jag-lovers.com for helpful advice and information.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Jan 2007 21:49
Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on - Aprilia
I'd have thought a faulty coil pack would give a misfire - but maybe not?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Jan 2007 22:02
Jaguar S Type - Engine fault light on - csgmart
True - although in my experience most engine light faults on the S Type have been down to faulty coil packs. It's almost impossible to say exactly what the cause is without hooking it up to a fault code reader.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide