XKR mark one advice needed
Discussion
I had a recent XKR and did not get on with it but am now considering a say year 2000 one. Convertible.
They seem to have reached their bottom value and are being tipped to rise.
Easy to live with and affordable to run?
Good GT drive?
Many known faults?
70K miles OK?
Thanks for your patience
They seem to have reached their bottom value and are being tipped to rise.
Easy to live with and affordable to run?
Good GT drive?
Many known faults?
70K miles OK?
Thanks for your patience
Serious floorpan rust and erratic hood operation. Prone to stonechips and occasional boot opening proplems. Hopeless legroom in rear.
Otherwise mechanically almost the same as 1997-2002 Jaguar XJ X308 except no 3.2 litre option on the XK.
The JS XJ X308 buyers guide:
OVERVIEW
To avoid XJ model confusion the 1997-2002 V8 engined XJ is referred to by its factory designation as the X308. The V8 engine in the 308 is available in a 3.2, 4.0 with VVT and a supercharged 4.0 and all versions are 5 speed auto only. £3000 should buy you a good example of a base 3.2, but the best low mileage cars or high spec ones are priced at up to double that. Engines were revised in late 1999 model year from AJ26 version to AJ27. A car fitted with the revised engine version can be identified by a VIN number ending in five, not six digits. AJ26 cars had weak water pumps, secondary timing chain tensioners, throttle bodies and a Nicasil coating applied directly on the aluminum block bore walls rather than using conventional liners pressed into the block.
ENGINE NICASIL
Some Nicasil coatings suffered from erosion due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered considerably in Jan 2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated V8 engine that's still OK now should be fine forever. Several Nicasil lined engines were changed under warranty so you may find a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head buried at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of bore erosion and loss of compression are poor cold starting, a lumpy idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intake. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check for this is to slightly lift the oil filler cap at hot idle. There should be little or no internal pressure or fumes escaping. Jaguar dealers can perform a blow by check to determine engine condition. A good condition engine will show less than 25 l/m, anything over 40 l/m will make a good Top Gear coffee table.
ENGINE COOLING
Impellors on AJ26 water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be changed to the later version with a metal, not plastic impellor. The temperature gauge is software driven and is not always an accurate refection of actual coolant temperature.
For an indication of water pump efficiency, remove the coolant header tank cap when the engine is STONE COLD, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin return pipe that runs back from the front of the engine.
You may be able to identify the later type of pump by the presence of a black plastic, not metal gasket, but the only certain way is to remove the pump and have a look. Spring type coolant hose clips can loose tension and allow pipes to blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are delicate. It’s worth replacing all the sprung coolant clips with proper Jubilee ones. Check all over for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower and coolant (valley) pipes underneath the inlet manifold. Occasional auxiliary heater pump failures can lead to no heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM. Cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range. Two types of coolant available for the XJ - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier type.
ENGINE THROTTLE BODIES
AJ26 throttle bodies ought to have been changed to the later design under a factory safety recall. Some of the early bodies suffered from failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on the overrun. The later design should have been factory fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.
SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS AND CHAINS
The only post AJ26 revision engine issue is the secondary timing chain tensioners. These were revised to a mk 2 version around the same time as the rest of the 1999 engine revisions but the mk 2 type still had a plastic body which can crack or break up leading to slipped or broken chains. Mk 1 tensioners are actuated by engine oil pressure and failure can often be identified by a sharp rattling noise similar to a bicycle chain dragging on the chain guard on a cold start. The mk2 type is permanently tensioned by an integral spring instead which means it’ll usually fail silently.
A permanent solution is to retro-fit the later mk3 version tensioner made with a metal, not plastic body from the later 4.2 incarnation of the V8 engine and the only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted to an 308 is to either have a receipt with tensioner part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 new bolts to fit them on it relating to that particular car or remove the RH cam cover - the LH is a PITA to get off - and have a look. A reddish/orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey aluminum metal one (mk3) is good.
The cam phasing on the V8 means the timing gear works hard and timing chains can stretch at high mileages or on neglected cars. If this is identified then a full chain and tensioner replacement is required costing up to £1000. If the chains/sprockets and guides are OK then it’s a wise precaution to fit the mk3 secondary tensioners which is a fairly easy DIY job. Tensioners cost around £75 a set plus a couple of quid for new bolts. Cam setting tools for this job and all other special tools needed for any work on a 308 can all be hired from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any tools by removing the exhaust cam whilst preserving the timing with a tie wrap holding the chain on the ex cam sprocket and easing the tensioners out of location.
Exhaust cam chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give a very rough running engine, more than one tooth slipped means exhaust valves will meet pistons.
A good general rule of thumb for engine condition is internal cleanliness. Bright shiny metal inside the oil filler cap and dipstick along with clean oil and no evidence of leaks is a good sign, as is clear coolant that does not smell or taste bitter or acrid.
GEARBOX/ DRIVELINE
All X308s have a “sealed for life” gearbox – ZF unit in the n/a cars and a Mercedes one in the supercharged cars. Loads have failed now - just look on ebay in the non runners or spares and repairs section. Any car that hesitates or engages Drive with a jerk or thump as the engine speed rises has a potential gearbox failure looming. Gear changes should be seamless and quiet and you should be able to play tunes with the throttle, Sport switch and J gate selector. Any car stuck in 4th or 5th is FUBAR’d.
A very faint gear whine may be heard in intermediate gears. Any gearbox issues or concerns are potentially fatal. An oil and filter change may be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction but that’s never guaranteed.
Ideally the gearbox oil and filter should be changed at 50k then at 25k intervals; it's not a simple drain and refill on the ZF box as the final fill has to be done quickly with the engine running and within a narrow temperature range. There is no conventional dipstick for checking oil level.
The ZF 5 speed box on the n/a cars requires Esso/Mobil longlife LT 71141 fluid also known as Lifeguard Fluid 5 and not conventional Dexron 3. The Mercedes gearbox in the supercharged version is also sealed for life but the same change requirement apply although you can use Dexron 3 in this box and once you have fitted a temporary dipstick it’s a much less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the rather fragile oil cooler pipes in the radiator which also gets the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.
The same applies to the rear axle. Oil should be changed but there’s no drain plug. Old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil. Noisy diffs can be quieted down quite a bit with EP140 or 250 oil.
BODY, PAINT AND CORROSION
Substantially better than earlier cars but 308’s still rust. Look for corrosion round the rear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings, inner and outer sills and closing panels and most importantly behind the front shocks on both sides. There's a reinforcing plate where the engine sub frame V mount is bolted to the body rail and some cars have corroded badly here. Corrosion around the same area may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the two bolts that retain the top of the V mounts. Corrosion here is an MOT fail and a big welding job. Another area to check is the joint between the rear of the front inner wings and the bulkhead. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and bumper mounting brackets can corrode.
Lacquer on the XJ8 is soft and easy to scratch with careless washing Providing you can’t actually feel scratches with a thumbnail and the paint colour underneath is OK it’s possible to restore the bodywork to a very good finish with a through clay, polish and wax. Stripe down body flanks if car has one is hand painted and not always completely straight.
INTERIOR
Always leather with different levels of trim and seat design. Wood trim clips on and is easy to change to different type. Driver’s seat back and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear. Head linings can sag. LWB version has more room in back.
SUSPENSION, TYRES AND BRAKES
X308s are hard on suspension and brakes, listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking over bumps and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. A sharp rattle heard and felt through the steering over bumps combined with a little free play in the steering wheel may be a worn crush joint on the lower steering column.
A clattery rattle from the rear is likely to be failed shocks or shock bushes. X308s with weak rear A frame bushes or rear hub pivots will tend to self steer and wander about under hard acceleration.
Feel round the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure giving incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather badly and heavy wear in the inside edges is a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush or ball joint failure. Slight and even feathering is normal on the front tyres.
All Jaguar XJs are very sensitive to wheel and tyre imbalances or damage, typically you'll feel a steering wobble between 50-70MPH and possibly vibration through the seat if there are any tyre problems or buckled wheels. A Hunter Roadforce or in situ wheel balance is usually the solution. Incorrect tyre pressures, worn out or cheap budget tyres will severely affect handling and ride. Most X308s exhibit a faint exhaust harmonic around 50 and another one at 65MPH. You might possibly experience a hint of driveline vibration through the body too. Don't expect too much in the way of the legendary Jaguar ride quality either - it's pretty good on touring (black shocks) suspension and 16" wheels but sport suspension cars (green shocks) are stiffer and have a thicker front anti roll bar and one on the rear too which when combined with larger diameter wheels and lower profile tyres gives a hard crashy ride on poor roads. CATS suspension may be fitted as an option to any X308. CATS has electronically controlled valves in the shocks to vary the damping rates depending on driving style. Identify CATS by the presence of a plastic cover over the top of the front shock absorber with a lead going into it.
ELECTRICIAL/ OBD2 DIAGNOSTICS
Electrical systems are generally pretty robust. As with any old car you might have the odd problem so check absolutely everything works. Even the earliest X308 is OBD2 compliant and a £20 code reader plugged into the socket in the driver’s footwell will help diagnosis a lot. Electric aerials are vunerable, there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures.
XJ’s need a strong battery to avoid random error messages appearing on start up. If you get one – usually TRAC FAIL – the battery is on its way out or needs several days on a trickle charge to bring it back up to full capacity.
BUYING AND LIVING WITH AN XJ
Generally the 1997-2002 XJ8 is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough to DIY and parts are reasonable and in good supply from several independents and the Jaguar Classic Parts scheme. Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway, 20/4 round town and mid teens or less if you nail it everywhere. Tyres are around £100/120 a corner in 16" diameter size. The 3.2 is quick enough (0-60 is 8s) the 4.0 is much rarer and does the same in 7.0.
Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give improved fuel economy. A through rust proofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car. Official servicing is annual or 10000 miles. 70k service is the expensive one on n/a cars.
One last thing. A software fault means you should never start an XJ8 from cold and then switch off again straightaway and before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. Chances are it’ll flood when you next start and wash all the oil of the bores and it’s a right PITA to get it running again.
Otherwise mechanically almost the same as 1997-2002 Jaguar XJ X308 except no 3.2 litre option on the XK.
The JS XJ X308 buyers guide:
OVERVIEW
To avoid XJ model confusion the 1997-2002 V8 engined XJ is referred to by its factory designation as the X308. The V8 engine in the 308 is available in a 3.2, 4.0 with VVT and a supercharged 4.0 and all versions are 5 speed auto only. £3000 should buy you a good example of a base 3.2, but the best low mileage cars or high spec ones are priced at up to double that. Engines were revised in late 1999 model year from AJ26 version to AJ27. A car fitted with the revised engine version can be identified by a VIN number ending in five, not six digits. AJ26 cars had weak water pumps, secondary timing chain tensioners, throttle bodies and a Nicasil coating applied directly on the aluminum block bore walls rather than using conventional liners pressed into the block.
ENGINE NICASIL
Some Nicasil coatings suffered from erosion due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered considerably in Jan 2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated V8 engine that's still OK now should be fine forever. Several Nicasil lined engines were changed under warranty so you may find a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head buried at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of bore erosion and loss of compression are poor cold starting, a lumpy idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intake. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check for this is to slightly lift the oil filler cap at hot idle. There should be little or no internal pressure or fumes escaping. Jaguar dealers can perform a blow by check to determine engine condition. A good condition engine will show less than 25 l/m, anything over 40 l/m will make a good Top Gear coffee table.
ENGINE COOLING
Impellors on AJ26 water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be changed to the later version with a metal, not plastic impellor. The temperature gauge is software driven and is not always an accurate refection of actual coolant temperature.
For an indication of water pump efficiency, remove the coolant header tank cap when the engine is STONE COLD, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin return pipe that runs back from the front of the engine.
You may be able to identify the later type of pump by the presence of a black plastic, not metal gasket, but the only certain way is to remove the pump and have a look. Spring type coolant hose clips can loose tension and allow pipes to blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are delicate. It’s worth replacing all the sprung coolant clips with proper Jubilee ones. Check all over for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower and coolant (valley) pipes underneath the inlet manifold. Occasional auxiliary heater pump failures can lead to no heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM. Cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range. Two types of coolant available for the XJ - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier type.
ENGINE THROTTLE BODIES
AJ26 throttle bodies ought to have been changed to the later design under a factory safety recall. Some of the early bodies suffered from failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on the overrun. The later design should have been factory fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.
SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS AND CHAINS
The only post AJ26 revision engine issue is the secondary timing chain tensioners. These were revised to a mk 2 version around the same time as the rest of the 1999 engine revisions but the mk 2 type still had a plastic body which can crack or break up leading to slipped or broken chains. Mk 1 tensioners are actuated by engine oil pressure and failure can often be identified by a sharp rattling noise similar to a bicycle chain dragging on the chain guard on a cold start. The mk2 type is permanently tensioned by an integral spring instead which means it’ll usually fail silently.
A permanent solution is to retro-fit the later mk3 version tensioner made with a metal, not plastic body from the later 4.2 incarnation of the V8 engine and the only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted to an 308 is to either have a receipt with tensioner part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 new bolts to fit them on it relating to that particular car or remove the RH cam cover - the LH is a PITA to get off - and have a look. A reddish/orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey aluminum metal one (mk3) is good.
The cam phasing on the V8 means the timing gear works hard and timing chains can stretch at high mileages or on neglected cars. If this is identified then a full chain and tensioner replacement is required costing up to £1000. If the chains/sprockets and guides are OK then it’s a wise precaution to fit the mk3 secondary tensioners which is a fairly easy DIY job. Tensioners cost around £75 a set plus a couple of quid for new bolts. Cam setting tools for this job and all other special tools needed for any work on a 308 can all be hired from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any tools by removing the exhaust cam whilst preserving the timing with a tie wrap holding the chain on the ex cam sprocket and easing the tensioners out of location.
Exhaust cam chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give a very rough running engine, more than one tooth slipped means exhaust valves will meet pistons.
A good general rule of thumb for engine condition is internal cleanliness. Bright shiny metal inside the oil filler cap and dipstick along with clean oil and no evidence of leaks is a good sign, as is clear coolant that does not smell or taste bitter or acrid.
GEARBOX/ DRIVELINE
All X308s have a “sealed for life” gearbox – ZF unit in the n/a cars and a Mercedes one in the supercharged cars. Loads have failed now - just look on ebay in the non runners or spares and repairs section. Any car that hesitates or engages Drive with a jerk or thump as the engine speed rises has a potential gearbox failure looming. Gear changes should be seamless and quiet and you should be able to play tunes with the throttle, Sport switch and J gate selector. Any car stuck in 4th or 5th is FUBAR’d.
A very faint gear whine may be heard in intermediate gears. Any gearbox issues or concerns are potentially fatal. An oil and filter change may be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction but that’s never guaranteed.
Ideally the gearbox oil and filter should be changed at 50k then at 25k intervals; it's not a simple drain and refill on the ZF box as the final fill has to be done quickly with the engine running and within a narrow temperature range. There is no conventional dipstick for checking oil level.
The ZF 5 speed box on the n/a cars requires Esso/Mobil longlife LT 71141 fluid also known as Lifeguard Fluid 5 and not conventional Dexron 3. The Mercedes gearbox in the supercharged version is also sealed for life but the same change requirement apply although you can use Dexron 3 in this box and once you have fitted a temporary dipstick it’s a much less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the rather fragile oil cooler pipes in the radiator which also gets the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.
The same applies to the rear axle. Oil should be changed but there’s no drain plug. Old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil. Noisy diffs can be quieted down quite a bit with EP140 or 250 oil.
BODY, PAINT AND CORROSION
Substantially better than earlier cars but 308’s still rust. Look for corrosion round the rear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings, inner and outer sills and closing panels and most importantly behind the front shocks on both sides. There's a reinforcing plate where the engine sub frame V mount is bolted to the body rail and some cars have corroded badly here. Corrosion around the same area may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the two bolts that retain the top of the V mounts. Corrosion here is an MOT fail and a big welding job. Another area to check is the joint between the rear of the front inner wings and the bulkhead. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and bumper mounting brackets can corrode.
Lacquer on the XJ8 is soft and easy to scratch with careless washing Providing you can’t actually feel scratches with a thumbnail and the paint colour underneath is OK it’s possible to restore the bodywork to a very good finish with a through clay, polish and wax. Stripe down body flanks if car has one is hand painted and not always completely straight.
INTERIOR
Always leather with different levels of trim and seat design. Wood trim clips on and is easy to change to different type. Driver’s seat back and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear. Head linings can sag. LWB version has more room in back.
SUSPENSION, TYRES AND BRAKES
X308s are hard on suspension and brakes, listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking over bumps and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. A sharp rattle heard and felt through the steering over bumps combined with a little free play in the steering wheel may be a worn crush joint on the lower steering column.
A clattery rattle from the rear is likely to be failed shocks or shock bushes. X308s with weak rear A frame bushes or rear hub pivots will tend to self steer and wander about under hard acceleration.
Feel round the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure giving incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather badly and heavy wear in the inside edges is a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush or ball joint failure. Slight and even feathering is normal on the front tyres.
All Jaguar XJs are very sensitive to wheel and tyre imbalances or damage, typically you'll feel a steering wobble between 50-70MPH and possibly vibration through the seat if there are any tyre problems or buckled wheels. A Hunter Roadforce or in situ wheel balance is usually the solution. Incorrect tyre pressures, worn out or cheap budget tyres will severely affect handling and ride. Most X308s exhibit a faint exhaust harmonic around 50 and another one at 65MPH. You might possibly experience a hint of driveline vibration through the body too. Don't expect too much in the way of the legendary Jaguar ride quality either - it's pretty good on touring (black shocks) suspension and 16" wheels but sport suspension cars (green shocks) are stiffer and have a thicker front anti roll bar and one on the rear too which when combined with larger diameter wheels and lower profile tyres gives a hard crashy ride on poor roads. CATS suspension may be fitted as an option to any X308. CATS has electronically controlled valves in the shocks to vary the damping rates depending on driving style. Identify CATS by the presence of a plastic cover over the top of the front shock absorber with a lead going into it.
ELECTRICIAL/ OBD2 DIAGNOSTICS
Electrical systems are generally pretty robust. As with any old car you might have the odd problem so check absolutely everything works. Even the earliest X308 is OBD2 compliant and a £20 code reader plugged into the socket in the driver’s footwell will help diagnosis a lot. Electric aerials are vunerable, there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures.
XJ’s need a strong battery to avoid random error messages appearing on start up. If you get one – usually TRAC FAIL – the battery is on its way out or needs several days on a trickle charge to bring it back up to full capacity.
BUYING AND LIVING WITH AN XJ
Generally the 1997-2002 XJ8 is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough to DIY and parts are reasonable and in good supply from several independents and the Jaguar Classic Parts scheme. Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway, 20/4 round town and mid teens or less if you nail it everywhere. Tyres are around £100/120 a corner in 16" diameter size. The 3.2 is quick enough (0-60 is 8s) the 4.0 is much rarer and does the same in 7.0.
Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give improved fuel economy. A through rust proofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car. Official servicing is annual or 10000 miles. 70k service is the expensive one on n/a cars.
One last thing. A software fault means you should never start an XJ8 from cold and then switch off again straightaway and before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. Chances are it’ll flood when you next start and wash all the oil of the bores and it’s a right PITA to get it running again.
Why did you not like the X150 ? The X100 range is great an as a convertible quite practical, I have collected a wheel barrow and two large garden seats tied to the top 
Rust is an issue now but easily checkable, most of the issue points tensioners etc. will have been sorted and Nikasil is a non issue now. Prices must have bottomed out now with useable cars starting at £7K
My XKR convertible is my only car currently and hence a daily driver but only while I await delivery of a car suitable for transporting dogs. Use of the rear seats is OK provided you are not tall. your passengers are not tall and the journey is short.
Rust is an issue now but easily checkable, most of the issue points tensioners etc. will have been sorted and Nikasil is a non issue now. Prices must have bottomed out now with useable cars starting at £7KMy XKR convertible is my only car currently and hence a daily driver but only while I await delivery of a car suitable for transporting dogs. Use of the rear seats is OK provided you are not tall. your passengers are not tall and the journey is short.
XK8/R are awesome. Drivetrain and electric bits all the same as a similar age XJ.
Floor pan on the XK's is essentially very similar to an XJ-S/DB7, so suffer the same problems they do.
Oily bits can always be replaced, be it an entire engine swap or gearbox. Rust however is far harder to sort. 2nd hand engines can be had for a few hundred quid these days, so I want to buy the best body condition one I could find.
Floor pan on the XK's is essentially very similar to an XJ-S/DB7, so suffer the same problems they do.
Oily bits can always be replaced, be it an entire engine swap or gearbox. Rust however is far harder to sort. 2nd hand engines can be had for a few hundred quid these days, so I want to buy the best body condition one I could find.
I bought myself a 2001 XKR Convertible a few months back. So glad I did.
I've had Jags of varying models for over 20 years but never bought an XK. I was looking for some cheap'ish fun and kept an eye out for a decent XKR. The one I bought is in lovely nick, my main concern was to get a solid one as it's more difficult to fix rust than anything else.
Mine's got about 70k miles and runs sweet enough. A couple of things I've changed/fixed. Went back to standard rear cans to stop the drone of the straight pipes that were fitted. Fixed a rattle in the roof mechanism, rust sealed and undersealed a tiny bit of surface rust at the base of the rear wheel arches.
This weekends job is to overhaul the supercharger which is a bit rattly. I've ordered up a refurbed snout with a 10% power uplift pulley and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. Future 'upgrades' will be to fit 25mm wheel spacers and lower the rear to give the car a more aggressive stance.
Main advice when looking is to take your time, buy privately , but buy a car that's been someone's toy and been looked after. Mechanical stuff is easy to fix, body work is expensive.
I've had Jags of varying models for over 20 years but never bought an XK. I was looking for some cheap'ish fun and kept an eye out for a decent XKR. The one I bought is in lovely nick, my main concern was to get a solid one as it's more difficult to fix rust than anything else.
Mine's got about 70k miles and runs sweet enough. A couple of things I've changed/fixed. Went back to standard rear cans to stop the drone of the straight pipes that were fitted. Fixed a rattle in the roof mechanism, rust sealed and undersealed a tiny bit of surface rust at the base of the rear wheel arches.
This weekends job is to overhaul the supercharger which is a bit rattly. I've ordered up a refurbed snout with a 10% power uplift pulley and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. Future 'upgrades' will be to fit 25mm wheel spacers and lower the rear to give the car a more aggressive stance.
Main advice when looking is to take your time, buy privately , but buy a car that's been someone's toy and been looked after. Mechanical stuff is easy to fix, body work is expensive.
These write-ups ^ make ZF gearbox servicing sound like an expensive nightmare. It's incredibly easy.
You get a complete kit including the refill procedure arrive at your house from Bristol Transmissions. Jack up and support all 4 corners. Undo gearbox drain plug, leave it over night to trickle out. Next morning, undo Torx bolts around gearbox sump, remove and discard. Fit new sump inc filter assembly and bolt up with new Torx bolts in kit. Refill gearbox using a £5 bulb type hand pump until it spills. Fit fill plug. Start engine, put gear selector in Drive. Let it "drive" on axle stands until warm. Measure temperature using £5 infrared thermometer from eBay. When warmed up, open up fill plug and pump more oil in until it spills. Done.
It's only complicated if you find a can of Diet Coke confusing, frankly.
As above, Nikasil is a complete red herring these days.
Timing chain tensiors will cost about a grand to have replaced professionally if you don't want to hire camshaft locking tools from Jaguar club.
Rust? Yeah well, all steel cars do. Get one that isn't rusty and dry your eyes.
Subframe V bushes can be a bit squishy nowadays. There are a lot of bushes in general, but whilst you can find ways to spend money on maintenance you won't lose anything on residual value at least
You get a complete kit including the refill procedure arrive at your house from Bristol Transmissions. Jack up and support all 4 corners. Undo gearbox drain plug, leave it over night to trickle out. Next morning, undo Torx bolts around gearbox sump, remove and discard. Fit new sump inc filter assembly and bolt up with new Torx bolts in kit. Refill gearbox using a £5 bulb type hand pump until it spills. Fit fill plug. Start engine, put gear selector in Drive. Let it "drive" on axle stands until warm. Measure temperature using £5 infrared thermometer from eBay. When warmed up, open up fill plug and pump more oil in until it spills. Done.
It's only complicated if you find a can of Diet Coke confusing, frankly.
As above, Nikasil is a complete red herring these days.
Timing chain tensiors will cost about a grand to have replaced professionally if you don't want to hire camshaft locking tools from Jaguar club.
Rust? Yeah well, all steel cars do. Get one that isn't rusty and dry your eyes.
Subframe V bushes can be a bit squishy nowadays. There are a lot of bushes in general, but whilst you can find ways to spend money on maintenance you won't lose anything on residual value at least
jamieduff1981 said:
These write-ups ^ make ZF gearbox servicing sound like an expensive nightmare. It's incredibly easy.
You get a complete kit including the refill procedure arrive at your house from Bristol Transmissions. Jack up and support all 4 corners. Undo gearbox drain plug, leave it over night to trickle out. Next morning, undo Torx bolts around gearbox sump, remove and discard. Fit new sump inc filter assembly and bolt up with new Torx bolts in kit. Refill gearbox using a £5 bulb type hand pump until it spills. Fit fill plug. Start engine, put gear selector in Drive. Let it "drive" on axle stands until warm. Measure temperature using £5 infrared thermometer from eBay. When warmed up, open up fill plug and pump more oil in until it spills. Done.
It's only complicated if you find a can of Diet Coke confusing, frankly.
As above, Nikasil is a complete red herring these days.
Timing chain tensiors will cost about a grand to have replaced professionally if you don't want to hire camshaft locking tools from Jaguar club.
Rust? Yeah well, all steel cars do. Get one that isn't rusty and dry your eyes.
Subframe V bushes can be a bit squishy nowadays. There are a lot of bushes in general, but whilst you can find ways to spend money on maintenance you won't lose anything on residual value at least
The XKR 4.0 under discussion by the OP, myself and others has a Mercedes W5A 580 gearbox, not a ZF one as you state, and your written procedure above is completely incorrect for changing the oil and filter in it. You get a complete kit including the refill procedure arrive at your house from Bristol Transmissions. Jack up and support all 4 corners. Undo gearbox drain plug, leave it over night to trickle out. Next morning, undo Torx bolts around gearbox sump, remove and discard. Fit new sump inc filter assembly and bolt up with new Torx bolts in kit. Refill gearbox using a £5 bulb type hand pump until it spills. Fit fill plug. Start engine, put gear selector in Drive. Let it "drive" on axle stands until warm. Measure temperature using £5 infrared thermometer from eBay. When warmed up, open up fill plug and pump more oil in until it spills. Done.
It's only complicated if you find a can of Diet Coke confusing, frankly.
As above, Nikasil is a complete red herring these days.
Timing chain tensiors will cost about a grand to have replaced professionally if you don't want to hire camshaft locking tools from Jaguar club.
Rust? Yeah well, all steel cars do. Get one that isn't rusty and dry your eyes.
Subframe V bushes can be a bit squishy nowadays. There are a lot of bushes in general, but whilst you can find ways to spend money on maintenance you won't lose anything on residual value at least
Even if it was correct it would be extremely unwise to suggest as you do to drain the oil before you have checked you can also loosen all the sump bolts and the filler/weir plug as both are known to corrode - the sump bolts to the point where they shear of - and just barging ahead and draining the oil without actually knowing you have the ability to replace it when you subsequently find you can't remove the filler plug is idiotic to say the least.
To save you any further embarrassment and the perpetuation of more dangerous ignorance on this forum here is the correct method for the gearbox under discussion.
XJR/XKR 4.0 5 Speed gearbox oil change
You need to source a filter, sump gasket, a dipstick specific to this gearbox and at least 7 ltr Dexron 3 oil.
It is essential to work absolutely clean on automatic transmissions. That means perfectly clean tools, clean hands and a spotlessly clean working area.
Slightly loosen all six bolts retaining the sump pan.
Remove the drain plug and drain the oil.
Remove the six bolts, move the heatshield bracket aside and remove the sump pan and filter.
Clean the sump pan and fit new filter.
Fit new gasket and renew or Copperslip the bolts and refit sump pan.
Locate the gearbox filler tube - by the bulkhead on the XKR.
Fill with approx 4.0ltr of standard ATF Dexron 3 with the engine off and selector in Park.
Start the engine and promptly add another 2/3 litres.
Cycle the gears once up and down through the gate.
Check the oil level with the engine idling in Park.
Use the cold (25C) full mark on the dipstick if the box is still cool or the hot (80C) one if the box has heated up whilst filling.
If you can identify exactly which ZF gearbox it is you're talking about in your post - you will of course know the oil/filter change procedures for the 5 and 6 speed ZF Jaguar ones are very different - I'll be happy to let you have the correct method for that too.
In the meantime: If anybody had followed your "advice" verbatum regarding that particular car and gearbox then not only would they have wasted time and money on sourcing the wrong parts they would have found it absolutely impossible to do the job when they came to it.
I'd suggest you confine posts to the absolute known and proven facts in future and if you have nothing technically correct to offer or are not 100% absolutely sure you know exactly what you're talking about then either STFU and listen and learn from those on here who do, or go on the other forums where the standard of advice given and and technical accuracy of detailed knowledge frequently matches the sub optimal level you've revealed yourself to have.
You got me Steve, it's the 6 speed I've serviced.
I forgot to mention dropping the undertray too. Those screws are pretty advanced tech.
As for checking fill plugs first - totally basic stuff no? Are you sure you don't want to remind people to remember to buy tools first?
You already know what I think of you from your pathetic musings in the General Gassing forum where you love passing scathing judgement on others based upon some first impression of a numberplate. Seeing your posts about mental health issues in other sections of pistonheads perhaps goes some way of explaining your contemptable posting style.
At any rate, anyone who knows one end of a spanner from the other will see that your post does not materially change anyones' understanding of what's involved. You can still buy complete kits for all these gearboxes which come complete with the oil and the specific procedure.
If you had much first hand experience you'd probably know that. As for copper greasing? Yeah ok mate.
What a w
ker. Honestly.
I forgot to mention dropping the undertray too. Those screws are pretty advanced tech.
As for checking fill plugs first - totally basic stuff no? Are you sure you don't want to remind people to remember to buy tools first?
You already know what I think of you from your pathetic musings in the General Gassing forum where you love passing scathing judgement on others based upon some first impression of a numberplate. Seeing your posts about mental health issues in other sections of pistonheads perhaps goes some way of explaining your contemptable posting style.
At any rate, anyone who knows one end of a spanner from the other will see that your post does not materially change anyones' understanding of what's involved. You can still buy complete kits for all these gearboxes which come complete with the oil and the specific procedure.
If you had much first hand experience you'd probably know that. As for copper greasing? Yeah ok mate.
What a w
ker. Honestly.jamieduff1981 said:
You got me Steve, it's the 6 speed I've serviced.
I forgot to mention dropping the undertray too. Those screws are pretty advanced tech.
As for checking fill plugs first - totally basic stuff no? Are you sure you don't want to remind people to remember to buy tools first?
You already know what I think of you from your pathetic musings in the General Gassing forum where you love passing scathing judgement on others based upon some first impression of a numberplate. Seeing your posts about mental health issues in other sections of pistonheads perhaps goes some way of explaining your contemptable posting style.
At any rate, anyone who knows one end of a spanner from the other will see that your post does not materially change anyones' understanding of what's involved. You can still buy complete kits for all these gearboxes which come complete with the oil and the specific procedure.
If you had much first hand experience you'd probably know that. As for copper greasing? Yeah ok mate.
What a wker. Honestly.
Wow. So much frustrated anger and venom in your posts. If that mindset overwhelms you as much when actually working on cars as it obviously does when talking about working on cars I fear very much for whatever unfortunate car it is you're working on.I forgot to mention dropping the undertray too. Those screws are pretty advanced tech.
As for checking fill plugs first - totally basic stuff no? Are you sure you don't want to remind people to remember to buy tools first?
You already know what I think of you from your pathetic musings in the General Gassing forum where you love passing scathing judgement on others based upon some first impression of a numberplate. Seeing your posts about mental health issues in other sections of pistonheads perhaps goes some way of explaining your contemptable posting style.
At any rate, anyone who knows one end of a spanner from the other will see that your post does not materially change anyones' understanding of what's involved. You can still buy complete kits for all these gearboxes which come complete with the oil and the specific procedure.
If you had much first hand experience you'd probably know that. As for copper greasing? Yeah ok mate.
What a w
ker. Honestly.I'll leave this thread with this thought: If you get it right then nobody will ever be able to tell you that you have got it wrong.
Rovinghawk said:
jamieduff1981 said:
What a wker. Honestly.
He was correct in what he said. You were not.ker. Honestly.Rather than being abusive, you might want to try a more contrite approach when proven to be wrong.
Oil out, sump off, sump on, oil in, warm up, top up.
Above all the very first thing I said was to go buy a service kit which will come with the correct parts, the correct oil and the full procedure.
I'm stunned at how people professing to be car people can think his toxic reply is actually a contradiction to any key steps because it clearly isn't.
Furthermore, he only did it because I called him out on another part of the forum for making fairly offensive judgements about complete strangers based upon their car choices.
Edited by jamieduff1981 on Monday 31st August 07:11
Pack of bits for Mercedes 722-600 gearbox, source 1:
http://www.xk8-parts.com/index.php/2012/08/mercede...
Pack of bits for Mercedes 722-600 gearbox, source 2:
http://www.bristoltransmissions.co.uk/shop/product...
First place supplying Jag spec Fuchs Titan 4134 ATF:
http://www.xk8-parts.com/index.php/2011/12/titan-f...
And to Steve, I apologise for an aggressive response. I won't pretend that your previous posts haven't annoyed me. Furthermore I still believe that your response didn't actually contradict anything materially. My response was unbecoming though so for that I offer an apology. My aim above was to illustrate (without detail - for the purposes of considering buying a car and wondering what to look out for, I didn't consider the specifics very important and certainly didn't expect anyone to actually follow my post to the letter) that these gearbox services aren't rocket surgery and any half-decent DIYer can do them - or even a garage can do them for low cost.
I would hate to think anyone walked on past an XKR because of a need for a gearbox oil change or because they perceived rust to be a worse issue than any other >18 year old steel body car. The timing chain tensioners even aren't all that difficult but it is time consuming and they do need the proper tools - and it will cost a lot if it goes to a garage to have done.
http://www.xk8-parts.com/index.php/2012/08/mercede...
Pack of bits for Mercedes 722-600 gearbox, source 2:
http://www.bristoltransmissions.co.uk/shop/product...
First place supplying Jag spec Fuchs Titan 4134 ATF:
http://www.xk8-parts.com/index.php/2011/12/titan-f...
And to Steve, I apologise for an aggressive response. I won't pretend that your previous posts haven't annoyed me. Furthermore I still believe that your response didn't actually contradict anything materially. My response was unbecoming though so for that I offer an apology. My aim above was to illustrate (without detail - for the purposes of considering buying a car and wondering what to look out for, I didn't consider the specifics very important and certainly didn't expect anyone to actually follow my post to the letter) that these gearbox services aren't rocket surgery and any half-decent DIYer can do them - or even a garage can do them for low cost.
I would hate to think anyone walked on past an XKR because of a need for a gearbox oil change or because they perceived rust to be a worse issue than any other >18 year old steel body car. The timing chain tensioners even aren't all that difficult but it is time consuming and they do need the proper tools - and it will cost a lot if it goes to a garage to have done.
jamieduff1981 said:
(I) certainly didn't expect anyone to actually follow my post to the letter
Some people see instructions & follow them. Unfortunate but true.jamieduff1981 said:
these gearbox services aren't rocket surgery and any half-decent DIYer can do them - or even a garage can do them for low cost.
My local garage (knowledgeable, friendly & the owner has a 2002 XKR) referred me to a specialist when I wanted mine doing as he said there was too much risk/hassle for him to want to do it, despite them handling tricky stuff for me before. Read into that as you will.Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff