Re: S-Type, Problem Starting

I doubt if LOZ is going to write back since his post is almost exactly one year old, however, I would bet that your problem is the battery as well for two reasons.

1) The battery going bad in an S Type seems to almost always set off the car alarm when you crank and fail to start, and with our car the car would actually try to ignite then run weakly for a second then die.

2) Body shops are notorious for killing batteries (think of how long your trunk was probably open with the light on both after the accident and while they were working on it) and then they quick charge the batteries or jump them to bring them back from flat which is usually the kiss of death for the battery.

I'd try a new battery. If nothing else, if it is over three years old, it couldn't hurt anyway. Best of luck.

Hazey-

Thanks for the feedback (I had the same thought about Loz but figured someone else may have info as you did). The shop had the car for a month, then it sat in the driveway for a week while I was on travel. Funny, didn't have a problem for a few days, then acted up intermittently. Sometimes it starts fine, other times as described. I checked the engine-off, non-load voltage last night and it was a bit over 10.5V, so I agree that it's shot, but cause is open at this time. Can't wait to see what *that's* going to cost to replace!

Since you have one as well, was wondering if you have another common issue; there's a hollow "whistling-whine" coming from below the center console, peaking in loudness around 2000RPM, and it's there whether the tranny is in park or in gear (in motion). I found out (too late) that the

2002 S has the same crap Ford transmission as in my Merc Mountaineer, which had major (expensive) issues at 40K miles, about where the Jag is now. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Tom

It was the battery as expected. For information, was $130 installed at Sears for 3-year warranty battery.

10.5V . . . Yup that sure is new battery time!

As for your transmission thing, I really don't know. We have the 3.0, and I don't even know if that is the same transmission, and I was under the impression that the tranny is actually a Jaguar developed component and not Ford parts bin, but I culd be wrong about that.

Ours doesn't whistle and never has, but what you describe sounds something like a bearing going bad. The only other thing that I could think of is the pump in the tranny, but I have never heard of one making a whistling noise. Have you tried having the transmission fluid serviced? Other than having the fluid serviced, I doubt that there is much to do except ignore it. Sorry that I can't be more helpful, but we've never had that problem, and our car has about 75,000 miles on it. Best of luck.