X-Type Engine Woes

[fatboy69]

So, yesterday, my 3 Litre X-Type ceased to be a functioning car as the engine destroyed itself & left pieces all over the A46 just outside Warwick.

Initial diagnosis - by the AA & the garage to whom the car was recovered too - is that the bottom end of the engine broke for no apparent reason.

I was minding my own business when the dashboard lit up like a sodding Christmas tree, the engine started to make some awful noises & i lost all power - luckily i was able to steer the car up a side road much to the annoyance of a early morning horse rider!!!

Anyway i know have a knackered car although quite why a well maintained & regularly serviced engine with just over 64k on the clock would destroy itself in such a way is, at the moment, a puzzle.

So what do i do with the car? Initial quotes for a new engine, fitted etc, have ranged between £1700 & £4000!!! On a car worth no more than £2k....

Do i spend an initial £300/400 (or more) on a partial strip down of the engine to see what went wrong & what needs replacing, do i simply buy a new engine or do i scrap the car?

Fuel consumption aside i love the car & i will be reluctant to get rid of it however i dont know what do. I need a car for work as if i dont work i dont earn however to work i need a car - the usual catch-22 scenario.

One other irritating point - when the AA recovery bloke arrived he insisted on putting 2 litre's of oil into the car before he turned on the ignition.

And then he proceeded to relive me of £26.00 for the oil.......

A rip-off? I think so, particularly as he switched the engine on, & straight off again, before telling me that engine was broken!!!!!

Which i knew anyway!!

So, does anyone know of a reputable engine supplier in the Gloucester area from whom i might be able to get a good deal on a new engine?

Also does anyone with a knowledge of the 3 litre engine know whether the engines have a reputation for destroying themselves in such a catastrophic way?

Any help, guidance or sensible suggestions will be gratefully received.

[Six Fiend]

Bad luck

They're known for big end self destruction. Has it been knocking at all?

[fatboy69]

No unusual noises until the engine let go yesterday morning.

Running like a dream up to the point of destruction.

[NormanD]

fatboy69 said:

So, does anyone know of a reputable engine supplier in the Gloucester area from whom i might be able to get a good deal on a new engine?

Sorry to read this thread, we had a 3Lt X-Type, was verry pleased with it

Anyway, my Independant Jaguar Specialist is just allong the M4 to you so would be well worth you calling him as he has the contacts for a replacement and can fit it for you

TLJaguar post code RG40 4TS phone [phone]

[Six Fiend]

These chaps are also well regarded on the northern fringe of Bristol:

http://www.autoclassico.co.uk/index.html

[AmitG]

Would it be easier+cheaper to scrap it and buy another 3.0 X-type of similar age and mileage?

[V88Dicky]

Sorry to hear of your woes Fatboy, I have the same type of X-Type.

I can't remember reading anywhere that this is a common problem, so hopefully it's a rare occurrence. If you like the car, there's plenty of 3.0 engines available on eBay etc.

[fatboy69]

AmitG said:

Would it be easier+cheaper to scrap it and buy another 3.0 X-type of similar age and mileage?

Possibly however i like my car!!!

[LordLoveLength]

I'm sure I read on here that the engine was originally designed for transverse mounted applications, and that when fitted longitudinally that they suffered from oil surge - due the sump baffles being not ideal.
I'd suggest, looking at the number of these that appear on ebay with bottom end problems, that there may be someting in that theory.

[jith]

LordLoveLength said:

I'm sure I read on here that the engine was originally designed for transverse mounted applications, and that when fitted longitudinally that they suffered from oil surge - due the sump baffles being not ideal.
I'd suggest, looking at the number of these that appear on ebay with bottom end problems, that there may be someting in that theory.

That is right on the button M'lord. You get no warning whatever, just the oil light followed instantly by bearing failure which can result in a con rod poking through the side of the block.

As usual Jaguar not doing their development work properly. These V6 X type engines are desperately flawed because of this fault.

J

[Domf]

jith said:

LordLoveLength said:

I'm sure I read on here that the engine was originally designed for transverse mounted applications, and that when fitted longitudinally that they suffered from oil surge - due the sump baffles being not ideal.

As usual Jaguar not doing their development work properly. These V6 X type engines are desperately flawed because of this fault.

J

The Jaguar AJ-V6 engine is a specialized version of Ford's Duratec 25/30 V6.The Duratec was designed for the Ford Mondeo in 2.5 format and as such is a transverse mounted engine. This is the same layout as used in the X Type bored out to 3.0. The 3.0 engine is mounted longitudinally in the S Type and MK1 XF (latest 3.0 XF is the new Supercharged engine found in the F Type)
Therefore those Longitudinal problem engines appearing in ebay etc are likely to have come from S types not X types.

[Tame Technician]

I was pretty shaw it only happen when they were very low on oil too. Like off the bottom of the stick low.

Regardless, very sorry to hear what has happened.

Sadly with any car of this age + value it is usually cheaper to change the car than repair it, unless you are doing the labour your self then a second hand engine is the best option.

[Blackpuddin]

Often amazed by the number of blown 3-litre Xs for sale in the various classifieds. Bad luck OP

[jith]

Domf said:

jith said:

LordLoveLength said:

I'm sure I read on here that the engine was originally designed for transverse mounted applications, and that when fitted longitudinally that they suffered from oil surge - due the sump baffles being not ideal.

As usual Jaguar not doing their development work properly. These V6 X type engines are desperately flawed because of this fault.

J

The Jaguar AJ-V6 engine is a specialized version of Ford's Duratec 25/30 V6.The Duratec was designed for the Ford Mondeo in 2.5 format and as such is a transverse mounted engine. This is the same layout as used in the X Type bored out to 3.0. The 3.0 engine is mounted longitudinally in the S Type and MK1 XF (latest 3.0 XF is the new Supercharged engine found in the F Type)
Therefore those Longitudinal problem engines appearing in ebay etc are likely to have come from S types not X types.

Sorry, that's not accurate. The V6 engine in the X Type is almost nothing like a Mondeo it is so changed and modified. I have never had one of these fail in an S Type, although I have no doubt they do. But they fail in the X Type almost on a weekly basis due to oil surge problems because the sump and pickup pipes are not properly designed: it is a known fault with them and Jaguar did nothing to correct it or compensate those who have suffered losses through this.

J

[fatboy69]

jith said:

LordLoveLength said:

I'm sure I read on here that the engine was originally designed for transverse mounted applications, and that when fitted longitudinally that they suffered from oil surge - due the sump baffles being not ideal.
I'd suggest, looking at the number of these that appear on ebay with bottom end problems, that there may be someting in that theory.

That is right on the button M'lord. You get no warning whatever, just the oil light followed instantly by bearing failure which can result in a con rod poking through the side of the block.

As usual Jaguar not doing their development work properly. These V6 X type engines are desperately flawed because of this fault.

J

Exactly what happened to me. Driving along, in no particular rush, the oil light came on & that was it.

fked........

Total failure, uneconomical to repair & i am left without transport which means i cannot get to work therefore i dont get paid.

And not a sodding thing i can do about it.

Spoke to 3 car breakers today during my search for a replacement engine - all have got X-Type's & S-Type's waiting to be scrapped due to the same fault. Mine is in a very good condition yet it will have to be scrapped or broken up simply because of an apparent design fault.

If the engine had 200k miles on it then i could accept it - mine has got less than 67k on the clock. With a full service history.

Extremely pissed off right now tbh.

[fatboy69]

Has anyone got any experience - good or bad - of the National Engine Centre who are down in Cardiff?

They have quoted me what seems to be a really good price for the installation of a new engine in my Jag - cost includes collecting the car from Gloucester, a courtesy car whilst they have mine & a 12 months/20k miles warranty.

They seem to know what they are on about & seem competent on the phone.

Just need to know if they are as good as they sound. Id so then i think i will be using them.

[melhookv12]

When did you last check your oil level fatboy ?

[phumy]

melhookv12 said:

When did you last check your oil level fatboy ?

Its a bit late in the day to be asking those type of difficult and complex questions, im quite sure fatboy has probably been through all the permutations of why this might have happened. I doubt for one minute that that is the definitive answer seeing as it appears to be a very common occurrence with this type of engine, it sounds as though you are trying to aim the blame at him.

[V88Dicky]

phumy said:

melhookv12 said:

When did you last check your oil level fatboy ?

Its a bit late in the day to be asking those type of difficult and complex questions, im quite sure fatboy has probably been through all the permutations of why this might have happened. I doubt for one minute that that is the definitive answer seeing as it appears to be a very common occurrence with this type of engine, it sounds as though you are trying to aim the blame at him.

I don't think anyone's inferring that Fatboy hasn't been checking his oil levels regularly, or at least I hope not.

However, I still can't find any evidence that this is a regular or common problem with the AJV6. There's next to nothing on the interweb about it, I've even asked my Jag and Aston tech mate about it, and he can't recall hearing of this type of failure since the X-Type was introduced. Transfer boxes, DMFs, JATCO auto boxes, numerous issues with the diesels yes, but this oil starvation or surge problem? no.

[Tame Technician]

We never changed one for that, I worked for jag from 1998 to 2006.

But we had some knocking big ends once or twice, which suggests there might be an issue.

Most customers thought I was mad when i said the oil light means key it off now, not drive it to the filling station and buy a top up pack.

As I type this I am acutely aware I havent checked the oil on Mrs Tame Techs x type v6 for a long time, might do that later