2003 XJ350, VIN ending G00689.
Has early standard brakes.
Just changed front pads.
I have a hoist which makes life easier.
Looked up my X350-3 chassis.pdf file.
Got to say it is better than nothing but poorly indexed and quite obscure about finding out what you need to know.
It does not seem to have a specific instruction for changing pads, but does ramble on aout changing over calipers and parking brake hardware.
There is mention of a special jig needed to release the parking brake cable and you better go through the tedious procedure of (decomissioning ?) the control system first.
That sounds over the top to change pads.
So in fact do you just do it same as front pads ?
Like to do it soon, not much meat left on the pads.
If it’s like all the other XJ’s since 1987 then the handbrake cable controls the rear (parking) brake SHOES and has dick all to do with the rear brakes/pads/calipers. Change the pads just like the front.
Here’s a pic of a typical XJ rear brake setup:
There’s no handbrake cable on the X350, it has an electronic brake.
Neither are there separate handbrake shoes. The standard X350 uses the
same pads for handbrake and normal braking, but the XJR with Brembo
brakes has separate pads.
Jaguar would have you use their SDS diagnostic system to put the
handbrake system into safe mode when changing rear pads and disks.
When I did mine, I did an Internet search on how to safely change the
disk/pads without SDS and the simplest answer was that after releasing
the handbrake, simply disconnect the battery.
Apparently, operating the electronic brake without pads or disks fitted
will seriously damage it.
After changing disks/pads and then reconnecting the battery and then
turning the ignition on, you will get a message to press the brake pedal
to recalibrate the handbrake.
Also recommended is pressing the brake pedal lightly before turning the
ignition on.
Thanks Chris,
A concise and sensible explanation on the way to change rear pads.
I think there is a cable involved, altough not your standard issue hand operated one.
My guess is one electric motor drives both parking brakes via cable.
The pdf file laboured the point about detaching that cable, so I thought best to ask.
As an aside I note when the car was up on the hoist a fair number of gaiters/boots around ball joints or whatever in the suspension are starting to break up. Well, 14 year old Best British rubber is starting to perish.
Car still drives well, and we are getting to the point where the sale value is so low you need to think carefully about spending a few thousand on pulling all the suspension to bits and replacing worn parts.
Maybe not many owners have grappled with changing rear pads on the XJ350.
My car is early 2003 3.5L, standard brakes.
Apart from Chris giving me the correct info to disarm the electric park brake, you need to know about the self adjusting feature of the park brake.
The cable operated park brake lever moves thru about 90deg and is connected to some kind of screw mechanism that inches the piston towards the pad. You cannot simply push the piston back into the caliper body because it binds on the screw.
That screw must float to a small extent so foot brake hydraulic pressure can move the piston maybe 2 or 3mm to hit the pad when park brake released.
You have to turn the piston clockwise as you push it in.
This gem of information was from the Jaguar Forums site, lucky I found it.
I got the piston back into the body with a big G clamp and a pipe wrench to turn the piston at the same time.
This is far from elegant, there is a danger of damaging the rubber boot with the wrench, and it is a bit slow.
If I had known in advance i would make a simple tool to help.
The piston is about 40mm OD.
Take a piece of mild steel or aluminium maybe 45 to 50mm OD.
Length can be 50mm, not critical.
The piston has two grooves at 180deg on the outer edge.
Firstly one groove is to fit the small pin on the pad.
Remember that. When the piston is fully home you need it rotated to line up a groove on the pad pin.
Without the pin engaged in the groove the piston will rotate and the pak brake does not work.
Secondly the two grooves let you put a couple of roll pins, or cut down nails, or anyhting you like in your 45mm OD tool to engage the grooves so you can rotate the piston.
Drill a coiuple of holes thru the tool at 90deg so you can stick a bit of bar in there and rotate tha tool.
Put your G clamp on the tool to press the piston, rotate the tool clockwise at the same time and it will be quick and easy.
I googled for 30 minutes to find a diagram, drawing or photo of the internals of the self adjsuting feature.
Not one hit.