XF X260 (2016 On)

The second iteration of the Jaguar XF codenamed X260 has a similar exterior design to the original car but uses a modern, aluminium construction with more than 80% of the parts being all-new. As with many cars these days, their complexity means specialist equipment is required to communicate with the onboard systems and it is unlikely that your local garage will have this in their shop.

The XF uses a platform that is also found on the XE and the Range Rover Velar so at K Motors, we are able to leverage our experience as an independent specialist working on these vehicles to find and fix any problem that rears its head.

Below we have made a small list of the most common issues affecting the Jaguar XF (X260) with symptoms and solutions.

The 2.0 diesel engine used in the XF is the same Ingenium unit that is fitted to vehicles across the Jaguar Land Rover range and timing chain issues are unfortunately very common on this engine. The timing chains stretch over time and if not replaced can cause irreparable engine failure. The root cause is oil dilution from incomplete DPF regenerations and the construction of the chains and guides themselves. Initially causing a rattling noise on cold start and sometimes a Restricted Performance message on the dash.

If failing timing chains are left for too long, they can jump time or snap causing the pistons to hit the valves, effectively destroying the engine. The plastic guides that the chains run along can also cause other problems too. As they wear down, plastic particles from the guides can make their way into the engine oil pickup system blocking it, this can lead to spun crankshaft bearings causing a bottom end failure or turbo failures due to insufficient oil supply.

If you have failing timing chains the solution is to replace the chains along with new guides, idlers and tensioners.

To read more about this issue, please take a look at our full article on 2.0 Ingenium timing chains.

Turbos on the 2 litre XF are known to fail. Turbo failure can manifest itself as a loss of power along with an engine management light.

If the failure is caused by an oil leak on the turbo unit itself and that leak makes its way into the exhaust system, you may notice a large amount of blue smoke coming out the exhaust, the level of smoke will likely increase under acceleration as this will cause the turbocharger to spool harder and take in more oil.

Sometimes, a turbocharger will give also some advanced warning of failure, you may hear a siren like whining or whistling noise that gets progressively worse. This warning should be taken as a clear message that it’s time to book in for a repair.

Replacement is often not as simple as removal and fitment of a new part, because any contamination in the oil delivery system could potentially cause a new turbo to fail shortly after it is installed. When fitting new turbos at K Motors, we perform a full engine flush and will recommend replacement of parts which we feel are at risk of contamination including intercoolers, feed pipes and filter screens.

Please see our Ingenium Turbocharger replacement guide for a complete estimate and a more detailed breakdown of symptoms and diagnostics.

To learn more about turbocharger issues on all Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, please take a look at our full article on turbochargers.

The 2.0 Ingenium diesel engine fitted to the Jag XF uses an electronic solenoid to manage oil flow to the piston cooling jets. These jets apply oil to help keep piston temperatures under control when the engine is under load, reducing stresses and wear on the internals.

Unfortunately, these solenoids are known to fail, usually due to coolant leaking from the thermostat housing onto the solenoid body and electrical connector shorting it out

Please use the button below to view the repair procedure for the piston oil cooling jet solenoid on Ingenium Jaguar models.

The throttle body on the 3.0 engine can clog up and cause the Restricted Performance message to appear on the dashboard. If left unresolved, it can also prevent the engine from completing a DPF regeneration cycle, which will block the DPF over time, triggering a ‘DPF Full’ red warning and causing further issues down the line.

Thankfully, throttle body replacement on the 3 litre diesel is straightforward, please use the button below to view symptoms of throttle body issues, diagnostics, a step by step replacement guide and a full estimate.

Inlet manifold or rocker cover leaks are another common cause of the Restricted Performance message on the 3 litre XF, especially if the error tends to show when the engine is under load such as hard acceleration. This could be due to a leaking gasket, but as the inlet manifolds themselves are made of plastic, they are also know to crack.

For a detailed guide on what can cause the inlet manifolds to fail, all fault codes associated, a step by step Inlet manifold replacement procedure and estimate, please head to our repair guide using the button below.

The timing belt on the 3.0 diesel needs changing every 7 years or 112,000 miles, whichever comes first. It is essential to make sure this is done on or before the scheduled interval, as if it were to snap, The pistons will hit the valves, destroying the engine internally.

For a step by step guide on 3.0 timing belt replacement, and a full estimate please hit the button below.

All XF diesel models from the 2016 model year onwards are all equipped with an SCR system, this is an emissions reduction system that uses Urea (AdBlue) to stop harmful Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions coming out of the exhaust. This system is quite sensitive and can be expensive to repair if it goes wrong. If the system runs out of AdBlue, the car will become immobilised until the system is topped up, but if overfilled, the NOx sensors monitoring emissions levels can sometimes fail.

The SCR system could also start adding too much AdBlue into the system leading to increased consumption if there is a fault such as contamination or a sensor failure. If you have noticed an increase in AdBlue consumption or any other unusual behaviour, it is advised to get vehicle booked in for diagnostics.

Diagnosing SCR System – £74.50 inc. VAT Per Hour

NOx Sensor Replacement – P.O.A

For more information on SCR systems, please take a look at our full article on AdBlue and SCR Technology

All second generation diesel XFs are equipped with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter). The DPF is another emissions control system like SCR but this filter catches the soot emitted from the exhaust system instead of the NOx and keeps it there until it can be burnt off cleanly during DPF regeneration. Regeneration occurs passively when the vehicle sustains high temperatures on a long run such as on a motorway.

If the vehicle isn’t used for long runs like this once every couple of weeks, the DPF will fill up and an active regeneration will take place, this is where extra fuel is injected into the engine to artificially raise the internal temperatures of the engine and exhaust system. Some owners may not realise this is happening and will switch the vehicle off before a regeneration is complete, meaning the system will still be blocked. This can cause the red DPF warning light to appear on the dash with the message “Exhaust Filter Full Visit Dealer”. This is quite a common problem in urban areas.

We are experienced with DPF problems at K Motors and if diagnostics do not reveal any failed sensors we try to force a regeneration using our Autologic systems before proceeding to a manual DPF clean. Unfortunately though, sometimes an expensive new DPF will be the only option.

DPF Diagnostics – £74.50 inc. VAT Per Hour

Force DPF Regeneration – £110 inc. VAT

Manual DPF Clean & Regeneration – £300 inc. VAT

To read more on DPF systems, please take a look at our article on DPF Maintenance.

For a fitment guide and full estimate on DPF Replacement, please head to our DPF Failure page using the button below.

Water pumps on 3.0 Supercharged XF models are prone to failure, sometimes they won’t even make it to 20,000 miles. This is because coolant gets inside the bearing housing corroding the water pump bearing. This stops the impeller shaft from being supported properly causing excessive wear of the mechanical flat face seal of the pump allowing water to escape.

Symptoms of water pump failure will likely be a low coolant level warning message and traces of a coolant leak around the water pump pulley. Luckily the water pump on the V6 XF is fairly easy to access as it is at the front of the engine. We also recommend replacing the small coolant pipe that connects to the pump at the same time as it needs to be removed to replace the pump and has very fragile plastic connections that will likely break upon removal.

Sadly, the water pump is not the only part of the cooling system that can fail on these engines, many of the hoses and pipes used for coolant delivery are of a plastic design, unfortunately with age these can crack and fail. Replacing them one at a time as and when they fail is not a particularly efficient approach and could result in you being in and out of the garage, and as such we recommend that all plastic coolant hoses are replaced if one has failed.

Whilst less common than on other Jaguar models, the 3.0 V6 diesel engines in the XF can suffer from crankshaft failure, this can range from spun main bearings starving the bottom end of oil to the crankshaft actually snapping.

Symptoms vary from a knocking bottom end to a completely seized engine. Unfortunately, in either case, it is not advised to attempt an engine repair as extensive damage will have occurred. A replacement engine from Jaguar will be required.

Whilst the second iteration of the Jaguar XF has had less problems so far in comparison to its predecessor, there have been quite a few reports of alternator faults. These generally manifest with a “CHARGING SYSTEM FAULT” message, red battery light and red warning triangle light displayed on the dash. It is always necessary to check the other usual suspects as well in these circumstances, the auxiliary drive belt may have slipped off stopping the alternator from turning or the battery itself may be failing to hold a charge, but if the car is running and the aux belt is where it should be, verifying the alternator’s functionality is as simple as connecting a voltmeter to the battery terminals, the reading should be between 13.9 and 14.8 volts (ideally somewhere in the middle), if it is not, the alternator has likely failed.

The 2^nd generation XF up until the 2021 model year uses a similar rising circular gear selector to its predecessor and Jaguar have managed to make the mechanism much more reliable, although they can still get stuck down occasionally or sometimes just get stuck in park.

The fix for this fault if it is not a weak battery playing havoc with the electrics or a faulty brake switch (if the selector is just stuck in park) is to fit and program a new selector unit and this is not a cheap part.

Customers sometimes complain of a weird howling noise resembling an owl at low engine speeds, if you have noticed this noise and your XF is equipped with an 8 Speed automatic transmission, there is a good chance this howling noise is actually the sound of oil flowing through the automatic transmission oil cooler pipes running by the subframe.

The solution to this issue is to fit revised foam pads inside of the oil cooler bracket.