My 17 year old son just bought a 1984 Jaguar XJS that has 57000 miles on it (don’t know if it’s actual). I would like to find out more information on maintaining this and things to look out for.
Here’s some pics. https://photos.app.goo.gl/kDKwlaunNjE2nOs32.
He only paid $850 for it as it has a rebuilt from salvage title. It did not run when we got it but all it needed was a new fuel pump and it fired right up. It passed Colorado Emissions test with flying colors, very low on all values. The interior is water damaged. because it had been parked with the windows down for over a year. Windows worked once again after we cleaned the contacts in the switches. It drives and runs good and has almost new tires on it.
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What a great looking XJ-S. My 17 year old loves driving mine. He wishes he had one. Keep us up to date with pictures of the interior restoration.
Hi- I got my first XJS at 19 and have loved them ever since. You’ve made a wise choice, assuming he has a backup car.
You need the factory manuals, which are on DVD or USB drive and aren’t cheap on he face of it, but invaluable in the long run: http://www.store.otpubs.com/jaguar-xj-s-xjr-s-and-xjs-1975-to-1996/
You also need the Kirby Palm book, which is free: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xj-s/book/
I think based on that interior condition that you need a parts car. Something rusty and non running but with a good interior. Buying individual parts will not be an economical proposition for that interior. But if you do need a used part here and there, I like www.everydayxj.com
Best of luck and always feel free to ask questions here!
-John
Thank you for your reply and the info!
Here are a few questions.
- There is a vacuum hose coming off the distributor that has a filter attached to the other end but is not connected to anything. If I plug the filter the idle drops lower. Is that supposed to be attached to something?
- The cruise control doesn’t work. Does that run off electric or vacuum? I only see an electrical connection on what looks like a cruise control bellows. (Answered my own Q. found it here http://www.jag-lovers.org/books/xj-s/16-Cruise.html)
- The emergency brake ratchet’s tight when you pull it but doesn’t brake at all. Are those drum brakes in the back?
- When we got it the transmission fluid was 4 quarts low and it wouldn’t even go until we filled it up. But seems to run fine now. I don’t see any leaks so I’m not sure why that would have been.
- The gas gauge only goes up to 3/4 full when it is full. I’ll check out the sender unit.
- The emergency flashers will only run for about 5 seconds and then quit. I’m guessing it’s the flasher unit.
- The trip computer lights up (after I replaced the fuse) but reads zero on mpg values. The Average speed is totally wrong as well because I can reset it and it then shows about half the current speed I’m going. sensors? Does that thing have a clock? It seems to show hours minutes but I can’t seem to change it.
- the door lock works sometimes and locks both doors when I pull back on the switch but other times only springs back and does nothing. And I can’t seem to lock it it when the door is open. Have to use the key
- The AC clutch just burned up when I tried turning the AC on. Compressor seems to be frozen and there is no refrigerant in the system. Not sure why it would have tried to turn on the compressor when there was no pressure in the line. Usually there is a pressure switch. I unplugged the compressor so it wouldn’t try to engage the clutch. I would want to switch it over to R134a anyway so will eventually be getting a new compressor. I don’t see a receiver/dryer anywhere. I assume it is there somewhere.
- If any outside light is turned on, or when I press the brake, the little light on the dash that looks like a light bulb with an X through it turns on. I assume this means it thinks a bulb is burned out. But all lights appear to be working. Maybe someone put in a low current LED so it’ thinks the bulb is out.
- It was idling high at about 1200 rpm. I read that there is an air control that is supposed to control the idle speed by limiting the idle air intake when the engine is warm. I tried adjusting that screw in but it didn’t have any affect. So I punched a few holes in a piece of plastic and put it over that idle intake hole inside the air filter. That brought the idle down to below 1000 and more like 750 when cold.
- Does anyone have a pinout for the two radio connectors? https://photos.app.goo.gl/hE0HLaH1uk6J6lxu2
Other than those things the engine runs real smooth. Car looks like it had been repainted at some point in time but probably at least 10 years ago. The paint is crackling in places and a few spots of rust at the bottom where it looks like it was painted over. The chrome is amazing and shiny with no rust.
I’m trying to find some seats that will fit. Most of the bucket seats I find online are too tall or don’t recline or fold down. I’ll have to check out the salvage yards.
Oh he be styling in that. 
#10: http://jaguar.professional.org/bfm.php
#12: I used to have the radio wire info, but darned if I can find it. I think the the 6-wire connector is covered by the diagram below (the other connector block is likely all for speaker wire pairs and should not be difficult to sort).
This website format is relatively new and I haven’t yet figured out how/whether you can search on topics, but the old site pages are still there: http://www.jag-lovers.org/snaps/snap_searcher.php
Don,
Kirby Palm’s book is your friend…
That’s how it’s supposed to be, it vents the distributor.
No drums, but separate handbrake calipers that need restoring and new pads.
This is the hardest job of them all as you have inboard brakes.
The consensus is that it’s better to remove the rear cage, overhaul all at once and be done with it.
If it ain’nt broken don’t try to fix it… at least for now…
Typical, the float on the sender is pierced and full of fuel.
Most probable…
Most probably your door lock actuator has a problem.
You can take it apart and try to fix it, or find a replacement @ everydayxj
Does your speedo work ok ? They share the same info.
Try finding a replacement trip computer, @ everydayxj…
Yes it has a clock, keep pressing “reset” and press “hours” or “minutes” to set
Yes, there is a pressure switch and usually a blow-out fuse.
I think you need a new compressor.
I switched mine to R134a by just changing the charging ports. Works fine.
The light should stay on for a few seconds and then go off.
If it doesn’t check if all pairs, left and right side light bulbs, have the same wattage.
Your Auxiliary Air Valve is not working properly. Lots of info in the archives.
It’s a great car and it looks like it’s in a very decent shape.
All these are mostly small things and very easily repaired.
Imperative:
Check your vacuum and centrifugal advance that they are free and in good working order.
Change all FI hoses.
Also check your Radiator, one hundred percent sure it will need a re-core.
Best,
Aristides
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Thank you Aristides. Why do you say it for sure it needs a recore not knowing the history? The car seems to run cool if the gauge can be trusted. A new radiator can be found on ebay for $300 which seems like it may be cheaper than a recore. But why fix it if it’s not leaking or overheating
@WayneC thanks for Radio info. It doesn’t appear anyone makes a radio harness but those are Molex connectors so I can buy mates for those online and make my own
Don,
If you read Kirby’s book you will see all the cooling system’s intricacies…
Having two inlets, two thermostats but only one temperature sender the reading on the gauge can be misleading.
Besides the car’s tendency to accumulate leafs and debris in the front of the radiator, Jaguar was issuing Barr’s Leaks in every service, eventually plugging up all the internal passages.
If your radiator hasn’t been touched before it will definitely need attention.
Aristides
Nicely done! follow @John6’s advise a shop manual is very helpful. I also have a complete wiring diagram for the XJ 's saloon’s and Coupe’s.
Seats.
Craigslist, ebay, offerup are all good sources, (at times) Try David at everydayxj.com He’s a really good guy, I’ve purchased a bunch of stuff from him. If he has seats, he’s a good source. I just ran across a complete wood trim kit for an XJ-S on craigslist I just looked again, but its gone.
if the seat frame is in good shape world upholstery is a great source for foam and OE seat covers (a bit spendy though). Also, here’s a chinese source (I’m assuming chinesium based on price, and the fact there isn’t an address associated with their website.) lseat.com Here’s the thing with lseat or any other seat / interior source, If you’re trying to match any of the existing, interior lseat.com probably isn’t going to cut it. you’ll probably end up dying the new seat covers.
Does anyone know if the wood dash trim from a 90 XJS will fit a 84? There’s a guy on craigslist locally that has those for sale. Also the trip computer if it’s the same.
the console yes,
door panels
the wood is held on by clips which are screwed to that go through the door panel, you may have to drill holes, Also, vinyl on the door panels is all one color with the wood, and black on the top and the interior color below separated by a metal strip.
Dash
If there’s an indent in the dash for the wood to inlay, then probably will work, if not, I don’t know, I don’t have an early XJ-S, so this is speculation on my part.
Sorry not much help
Mark
Trip computer should be the same one for all XJS V12 models.
I’d only be guessing on the wood panels; there was a switch from elm to walnut after 1984, so the door trim panels would be different if you don’t get those, but I think the dash panels are probably the same.
I own an 84 and an 89, so I could take some photos if you aren’t in a hurry.
Thanks everyone. This is a great forum. I picked up the trip computer, radio , dash wood trim pieces and a Auxiliary Air Valve that we tested to make sure it closed when heated. Also a original 90 xjs owners manual that had the radio code in it. $250 for everything. I didn’t get the door wood trim as he didn’t want to separate them from the door panel and I didn’t want the whole tan colored door panels for $100 each.
The trip computer works better than the old one. At least I have a clock and it shows average speed and elapsed time correctly but zero on the fuel economy. Where does it get it’s signal for that? When I took the radio out I discovered that there are a lot of little wires that are actually fiber optic strands used to light the controls. I originally thought they were wires but by chance noticed the tips light up when I turn on the headlights. They are very dim however and I can hardly tell the heater controls are lighted when in place Has anyone tried adding a brighter bulb or LED bulb to the fibre optic light sender module?
I finished the seat restoration. I added some more pics to my album
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kDKwlaunNjE2nOs32
Spent more on the seats than I did the car but they do look nice… Price list is with the pictures. I would have been happy with some aftermarket seats but couldn’t really find anything that would fit.
I Bought 2 New old stock seat backs that supposedly had never been in a car, They did require replacing the rubber straps in the back because of dry rot. I might have been able to reuse my old seat backs but the foam wasn’t great due to the water damage. The backs added quite a bit of cost.
I have been unable to find any BFM in the trunk anywhere.
I found what looks like a little electric motor or switch on the left trunk side opposite the gas cap. What is that? Inertia switch maybe?
Can’t answer that question from personal experience, but shop manual shows bulb failure modules are just below the top surface of the rear fender (probably within 6 to 10 inches of the tail light; one per side)… you’d have to stick your head into the trunk and look upward to see them and could be covered by upholstery cards; also shown just adjacent & rearward of the BFM is an inline fuse for the tail light.
And, I found my listing of radio wire colors…
Thanks! I found one on the right tucked up where the light should be (light fixture was missing). Unplugging it turned the bulb warning dash light off so it must be the problem. Although I did find that one of the 2 license plates bulbs is out so maybe it’s reporting that. I hadn’t noticed that. Thanks for the radio pinout!
Yes, it turned out to be the burned out license plate light that I hadn’t noticed. Warning light now goes out by itself. It was reporting actual light failure after all!