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Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:12 am
by RPSN
ejhughes.15 wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 12:09 pm I am keeping the old vent and plan to do the repair you described when time permits (another one of those jobs!?). That way if I have another problem with the vent I won't shell out the £218 for the genuine part rather replace with the repaired one.

Thank-you again.

Yes, it’s worth keeping the old centre vent as a spare just in case. At least there's no rush to repair it now.

Hopefully you won’t have any problems with the new one 👍

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 10:51 pm
by Nick
Thank you for that a very detailed guide, I have downloaded it, should this need repair in the future.

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 2:13 pm
by RPSN
@Nick: Cheers 👍

The attachment (written by Alex), the centre vent photos I provided and the additional information included in this Topic should help you to do the job if required.

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 7:59 pm
by Fez
Great write up, good job.

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:06 am
by RPSN
Fez wrote: Wed Oct 13, 2021 7:59 pm Great write up, good job.

👍

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 9:55 am
by M21ENO
Doh! My centre vent stuck in the up position for the first time today. Got a coffee, read the great technical posts on here, got the tools together, returned to the car .... and it had 'fixed' itself. Hurrah.

Had the car 2 years, it came with an invoice showing it had repair work on the vent before I bought it. What do we think - Is it a case of once it starts to stick it will continue to happen until I remove, sand and lubricate it or replace it? Or is it just a periodic quirk (aka poor design) of this feature I should leave well alone and learn to enjoy the unpredictability?

Just wondering if I should act now to stop it knackering something if it is experiencing resistance to free movement. What is the downside, i.e. how much does the replacement unit actually cost?

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:20 pm
by RPSN
@M21ENO: If the centre vent has sorted itself out, you could just leave it and hope it doesn’t stick again. That’s what I did until the problem reoccurred which is why I stripped it down and fixed it myself.....it hasn’t faltered once since :D. I think this is the way for you to go.

As for what you say as “learning to enjoy the unpredictability” of the vent, that’s something I wouldn’t get any enjoyment from on my F-Type!

If the previous repair work to your car’s facia centre vent was done by a main dealer (genuine Jaguar parts) it is guaranteed for 2 years. If that was the case and you were within the 2 years, you could take it back to them. However, from what you’ve said, the repair was done prior to this so it wouldn’t apply.

A new centre vent from Jaguar is priced at approx £220 inc VAT and they’re available in Graphite Grey or Black. Mine has the former.

Here’s the link (see item number 1 ‘Facia vent’) which is VIN specific....

https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.co ... nd/jaguar/

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2021 5:08 pm
by M21ENO
Thx RSPN.

I dug out the invoice. £370 in Oct 2019 for a strip down, diagnosis of motor not working and replaced with new vent assembly (dated Sept 2019). Fixed by a non-Jaguar place local to the Infinti dealer in Preston I bought it from. So I decided it would be a good Sunday afternoon time-filler to take it apart. I justified it to myself as maybe I would stop this motor burning out with a liberal dose of silicone spray on whatever was sticky. (Wow, it's truly plastic-fantastic in there. More plastic fiddly easy to lose bits than an Airfix kit.) It sounded and felt incredibly stiff. Sadly silicone spray didn't seem to achieve much. So stripped out the spindle and gave it a little sand. Probably needs more. Seemed to hold together - and move marginally better - if I left the end caps off the spindle. Doesn't seem like it would work loose. We'll see. Just glad to get it all back together and working.

I see the wiring is there for the central dash located speaker - even though my 2013 car has the most basic stereo without even a left / right balance. Seems like it needs a 10cm diameter and 4cm deep speaker. Has anyone discovered whether you can just get a suitably sized speaker and plug it in to "improve the sound system"? You can but hope!! I guess I could stick a multi-meter in the cable plug and see if the reading changes with the stereo on and off. Anyone been down that route before?

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2021 11:53 pm
by Jaguandy
The higher quality centre dash speaker is AW93-18808-EC. I have my doubts if you will get any sound out of it just by plugging one in with your basic system. Also be warned, it sounds bright and coloured and I don't use mine, I prefer the stereo setting rather than surround which brings in that speaker. I'd forget it if I were you.

Re: Centre Console Vent Issue – Now Fixed

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 6:57 am
by RPSN
M21ENO wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 5:08 pm Thx RSPN.

I dug out the invoice. £370 in Oct 2019 for a strip down, diagnosis of motor not working and replaced with new vent assembly (dated Sept 2019). Fixed by a non-Jaguar place local to the Infinti dealer in Preston I bought it from. So I decided it would be a good Sunday afternoon time-filler to take it apart. I justified it to myself as maybe I would stop this motor burning out with a liberal dose of silicone spray on whatever was sticky. (Wow, it's truly plastic-fantastic in there. More plastic fiddly easy to lose bits than an Airfix kit.) It sounded and felt incredibly stiff. Sadly silicone spray didn't seem to achieve much. So stripped out the spindle and gave it a little sand. Probably needs more. Seemed to hold together - and move marginally better - if I left the end caps off the spindle. Doesn't seem like it would work loose. We'll see. Just glad to get it all back together and working.

I see the wiring is there for the central dash located speaker - even though my 2013 car has the most basic stereo without even a left / right balance. Seems like it needs a 10cm diameter and 4cm deep speaker. Has anyone discovered whether you can just get a suitably sized speaker and plug it in to "improve the sound system"? You can but hope!! I guess I could stick a multi-meter in the cable plug and see if the reading changes with the stereo on and off. Anyone been down that route before?

Considering the centre vent assembly on your car was replaced with a new one in Sept/Oct 2019 it shouldn’t have recently failed, irrespective of whether or not it was fitted by a main dealer. Could be worth taking that up with the Jaguar Customer Experience Centre https://www.jaguar.co.uk/contact-us/index.html

As well as you sanding the centre vent mechanism shaft/spindle pivoting points, did you lubricate them? (I used silicone grease for this). Also, did you remove the hinge pins (see pic) and do the same? When sanding the pins you have to be careful not to sand the arrow shaped ends as they stop the pins from working loose.

On reassembly, the 4 locks on the shaft/spindle (2 at each end - inner and outer) should be carefully refitted into the locked position (see pic) as they keep the shaft/spindle in place (ensuring correct alignment with the motor) and prevent excess movement.

With regards to the surround sound speaker, my Jaguar sound system also doesn’t have this (although the fitment is there for it). Cars which have the Surround Sound System (Meridian High Premium) include the speaker. The thought about fitting one did go through my mind but I haven’t done this and don’t think I’ll bother after seeing the previous comment....
Jaguandy wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 11:53 pm I have my doubts if you will get any sound out of it just by plugging one in with your basic system. Also be warned, it sounds bright and coloured and I don't use mine, I prefer the stereo setting rather than surround which brings in that speaker. I'd forget it if I were you.

Also, reading through some info on the Jaguar XF forums on upgrading the audio system, it looks like as well as fitting the surround sound speaker, an additional amp is required and some software changes are needed to activate the surround sound functions. Changes to the CCF (car configuration file) are needed.

For reference, the Jaguar F-Type part number for the surround sound speaker (located underneath the centre vent speaker cover) is C2Z22817 and it’s priced at £67.03 inc VAT. This is the link for it - see item number 12. The additional amplifier is shown as item number 8..... https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.co ... nd/jaguar/

These are the links from the Jaguar XF forums which include:

"It can be done, has been done a number of times now. However it's not just a case of adding the speakers and the amp, some software changes are needed to activate the surround sound functions. Changes to the CCF (car configuration file) are needed."

2012 XF S Audio upgrade??
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xf-x ... de-181627/

and.....

"The XF base audio cars are actually pre-wired for the Surround system, except for the center dash speaker......."

2011MY XF - 2008-2011 B&W Surround Retrofit from Base audio
https://www.jaginfo.org/threads/2008-20 ... dio.76761/