I bought a 22 year owned low mile xj12 with a clean body/paint and interior. She ran well for about a week, but I am now under the impression that she has dropped a valve. Everything was working and the previous owned had head gasket, axle seals, shocks, rear brake rotors, front and rear subframe bushings replaced as well as the air conditioning compressor. Current California registration.I just want out… Please make an offer. Mark (714)742-9506.
I just watched the start video on BaT and it’s definitely not running on all 12 / sounds like it needs a full tuneup and the usual carb adjustments, but doesn’t sound like major mechanicals.
I am truly baffled as to why XK’s replaced ONE head gasket back in the day, I’d like to have a chat with wrench that signed off on that, , but otherwise looks to have been nicely looked after.
That truly sux. I lusted after that car when it was on BaT - I have one in the exact same color combo that I got cheap because of what sounds like the same problem you’re facing (mine is not nearly as pretty either). Can you post a video of the sound it’s making? I know for sure that mine has dropped a valve seat in #1b and the sound is very obvious (and horrible). A video might help to confirm your issue.
Had it confirmed by a mechanic. It doesn’t sound bad, just cranks like no fuel. If I had local options and it wasn’t a money issue, I would already be knee deep into it.
It was running fine. I didn’t let it warm up long enough and it died. Cranked and cranked with no turn over, as if I flooded it. Eventually I towed it to a shop that said a compression test showed a lack there of and said it likely “dropped a valve”. No bad sounds like marbles in a can or anything like that, just no turn over…
With ‘no turn over’, Mark - do you mean engine won’t rotate in ‘crank’…?
…which prevents a compression test, but even with ‘one’ dropped valve a V12 would certainly start and run on the remaining 11 - or even on 6 if need be. So the result of the compression test is of interest - though low compression may have other causes…
But basically a failed compression test does not necessarily prevent an engine from starting…
There’s no way a car with 11 working cylinders turns over and doesn’t start because one cylinder lost compression. You would hardly notice. Change mechanic. Buy a cheap compression tester and test yourself. As long as the engine turns over you can and must fix it.
I know a car that, according to a shop, has a blown head gasket. Their tests and opinions were wrong. It still runs flawlessly and has done so for several thousand miles of hard use. A little blueish smoke at startup was cured by replacing a bolt for a few $. Don’t believe the shop.
I had a V12 XJ that had zero compression one one cylinder, it was due to a bent exhaust valve. We had to remove the head
If I was you I would not accept that the engine had dropped a valve till I did the simple thing and looked in the afflicted cylinder with a ~$30 borescope that connects to your phone
That will take about 5 minutes and establish 100% whether you have or not, and even what damage has been done (if it has dropped a valve)
Having said that, eventually the head would have to come off, which is no small task, and usually requires a special plate to draw the head off the studs
, but otherwise looks to have been nicely looked after.
