Just put a deposit down on a 2008 X350...

[fizmo100]

Just put down a deposit on a 58 plate X350. It's a 2.7 TDVi Sport Premium, just under 50,000 on the clock.

I'm working away at present, I'm heading down to see it and do the deal next week if it's as described. It's for sale at what appears to be a reputable dealership, good reviews (as far as they can be trusted) and they deal at the posh and exotic end of the spectrum (the Jag looks a bit dowdy in amongst their stock list). Hopefully they know their onions when choosing their stock. That said, what issues are there I should be looking out for when I check it out?

I've looked around the forums and most of the issues that I've read about are electrical, usually traced back do a dodgy battery or earth. Are there any other issues specific to this model of car that are worth looking out for?

I can't wait to get home and check it out... I'm like a kid before Christmas. )

Cheers,

Dan.

[Jaguar steve]

Corrosion - more specifically paint reaction with the aluminium panels. Go over the entire body with a fine tooth comb. Look carefully for any evidence of local paint repairs especially on the front of the boot lid, a/b/c pillars, tops and bottoms of the doors and round wheel arches. Check service history for evidence of under body brake pipe recall/replacement. Some flimsy minor trim on the X350. Make sure nothings broken, missing or falling off.

Take a long, long test drive and listen for any suspension noise over bumps and check auto box operation and gear change quality. Concentrate very hard on any engine or road speed specific vibration through the body. Check tyres for even wear patterns.

See if you can negotiate a gearbox oil and filter change into the deal. If not pay for it yourself. £200 or so.

Once bought check engine oil levels obsessively and change oil more frequently then the schedule calls for.

[fatboy b]

+1 on the engine oil. It makes it's own and can fill up.

[fizmo100]

Is that a common occurrence? My thinking is that at the earliest opportunity it's going to have a DPF delete and the EGR removed if possible. Don't fancy driving around with the car re-breathing its own exhaust, just seems like madness to me.

[t400ble]

If changing the oil, don't fill it to max

[pete5570]

I think the MOT laws are going to be changed regarding diesel cars. A check to ensure DPF is fitted to late (2006 onwards I think). I would wait with the delete if it was me.

[pete5570]

I think the MOT laws are going to be changed regarding diesel cars. A check to ensure DPF is fitted to late (2006 onwards I think). I would wait with the delete if it was me.

[fizmo100]

I was reading up on this earlier, and thinking along the same lines. I'm going to speak to the garage I had in mind to do the work, and see if they have anything to say about it. They also do MOTs, so I'm wondering to what extent they would stand behind their product should the law change, if you catch my meaning.

As I understand it, it's only a visual check as part of the MOT, which wouldn't detect the removal of a DPF. I guess the problem would be if in years to come they changed the rules again and there was some other inspection to check the DPF was still there - people have mentioned particulate testing, or even thermal testing (exhaust downstream of the DPF should be cooler than upstream if it is installed). Tricky one, as my driving habits don't fit a car with a DPF - I was planning on having it removed from day one. I guess it couldn't hurt to go for a long tootle once a week to get the regen going.