Differential Noise

Started 30th May 2019 at 15:50 · Stig Moltu-Jacobsen

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As far as I’m aware all XJ-S cars came with Limited Slip Differential (LSD). It’s my feeling that many non-Jaguar service facilities over time often used the wrong oil, i.e. not the required special LSD oil, but whatever they had at hand.

It’s possible that the somewhat wrong oil didn’t do any harm, at least not initially. But after some time certain problems could arise, e.g. noise when driving, a sort of pulsating whine or ‘song’, if you prefer.

My particular XJ-S, a 1985 LHD XJ-SC 3.6 manual, now has such a ‘song’ coming from the diff, most noticeable when driving on the highway at moderate speeds.

I would appreciate some feedback from you all, who may have a similar experience, and what you actually did to get rid of the noise.

My mechanic says it’s nothing to worry about, but I can’t live with the anxiety of something suddenly breaking, with severe and costly repairs as a result.

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- 30th May 2019 at 15:57 #15266
  
  Stig Moltu-Jacobsen
  Participant
  
  Oh, I forgot to say that I’ve had the wheel bearings checked by a Jag specialist, and he found nothing wrong. So the ‘song’ evidently doesn’t come from the wheels. He also checked the level of the diff oil, and said it was OK. However, I don’t think he tested the oil to find out if it was a proper LSD-oil.
- 30th May 2019 at 18:15 #15270
  
  Laurence Jones
  Keymaster
  
  Hi Stig @stigmoltu-jacobsen
  
  You’re correct that the XSJ did have LSD, though like anything around our cars there’s bound to be some examples where someone has one without 🙂
  
  I recall from my rally driving days (Ford Escort) that if you didn’t put LSD oil in an Limited Slip Diff then you wrecked it pretty quickly.
  
  Laurence
- 30th May 2019 at 22:35 #15294
  
  Stig Moltu-Jacobsen
  Participant
  
  Thanks Laurence!
  
  Have you experienced (or heard of) a ‘singing’ noise in other XJ-S cars, and how the issue was resolved ?
  
  My 2005 S-Type has a sealed-for-life diff, the oil level and quality is ok I’ve been told by my mechanic. However, its diff has a similar problem, which a Jaguar-approved service facility in Benidorm is now going to fix. The diff itself will be taken out and sent to Valencia to be repaired. They told me it’s a Ford unit, not strange since many components are Ford in these cars. The repair cost is about 1000 euros, a new one from the factory 4-5 times more.
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