Anybody have info on 1996 XJ6 differential problems? Our 1996 XJ6 differential is starting to "sing". Obviously it is ready to go. We were not aware from our research that the 1996 XJ had any differential failure problems. Our XJ6 is treated kindly and has only 60k miles. We're looking at
Motorcars LTD
8101 Hempstead Hwy
Houston, TX 77008
and
Coventry West
Lithonia, GA
for possible differential replacement. Any advice out there in Jaguar land?
Thanks
Carol

Submitted by charlesmiller6… on Sun, 11/19/2006 - 14:59

Thanks for the information. I'm not so lucky as to be able to replace my own diff unit. I contacted the suppliers and they said 11 hours tops of labor to replace. Apparently Jaguar designed these diffs with lateral and horizontal pressure on the bearings which wears out the bearings in short order.

Submitted by vackels@isp.com on Fri, 08/11/2006 - 02:15

We just replaced the differential in our 1996 XJ12 (90k miles) today, which is the same as in your XJ6. After completing a 6k miles trip this spring through the Western US, it started to "sing" for the first time. I opted for a reman. differential from Motorcars LTD. My mechanic suggested I go for the non-locking unit, since we seldom drive the car in bad weather, and don't need the extra traction and cost. MCL service was excellent. The unit arrived undamaged in transit (packaging was not so good.)
Installing the new differential was a different story...After 4.5 hours, the 3 of us managed to remove and reinstall the complete rear-end assembly, after taking it apart on the floor to replace the old unit. With the best of tools and equipment, it was still a difficult task. My cost was 1/3 of the Dealer's quote ...,which makes me happy in my retirement.
Attached is a link to MCL's XJ6 parts page for reference.
Good Luck!
Vern
1996 XJ12 X300 Owner
It Purrs!