Finally bought my first Jaguar, xjs v12 convertible 1990. Its a low mile car and want to do correct maintenance on it with 30k miles. Have no owners manual. It is in very nice condition and drove good, but Im a virgin and need assistance as to maintenance schedule and procedures. It was one fun ride home!!! All assistance appreciated.
Do you have any service records with the most recent work done?
Add a picture to your post of engine if possible.
There are different approaches to this.
Unless records prove otherwise I assume, with any used car, that all services are due. I give the car a full service, stem to stern, and thus create a new âsquare oneâ to work off of.
Change engine oil and filter. Replace air and fuel filters. Change transmission fluid. Change differential fluid. Flush brake fluid. Repack front wheel bearings. Lube rear hubs. Grease all suspension and u-joint fittings. Inspect hoses and belts; replace if any doubt.
Flush and bleed cooling systemâŚbut this is just one step of ensuring that the cooling system is up-to-snuff. Thereâs a lot moreâŚwhich can be delved into. This is important. the cooling system must be 100% on these cars.
Replace all fuel hoses in the engine bay. This is very important on the Jag V12s. Fire hazard.
Your car will have Marelli ignition. Failures in the system can have serious consequences. Weâre talking about fire hazards here. At bare minimum youâll want to remove the distributor cap to inspect the ignition rotor for burn-through.
Unless your XJS has been cared for by a knowledgeable enthusiast thereâs a strong possibility that some of these important items have not been addressed.
Cheers
DD
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Martini,
Get a copy of your owners manual. It is white and it is called the âDriverâs Handbookâ, they show up on eBay from time to time. You will need it to answer all the basic questions about how your car operates.
Also purchase a copy of the XJS Repair Operations Manual (ROM), a copy of the S57 Electrical Guide, and the Parts Catalogue for your model. I got my hard copies on eBay. You should also download a copy of Kirby Palmâs excellent âExperience in a Bookâ from Jag-Lovers (it is free).
Having these documents and reading them will remove a lot of the mystery out of working on these cars (but not ALL of the mystery).
Paul
Attached are pictures of the front and rear covers of the XJS Drivers Handbook for my wifeâs 1990 XJ-S (5.3 L V12 with Marelli ignition ) convertible. It explains a lot of important things that you should know about your car, some of which are NOT intuitive.
Paul
No service records. Label with next oil change do at 35600. Pic coming. Want to do all minor stuff to get it up to speed. Prior owner had it for 2yrs drove it 227 miles.
Thankyoy
Thankyou, thats what i have been wanting to hear. Any tricks to doing any of the work myself, or have a jag mech. Do it?
You can easily change the coolant, do the fuel hoses (important, and see excellent advice on the forum) and inspect the belts yourself. Same goes for the air filter and the distributor. Read up on the marelli thing that was mentioned and watch out, if it doesnât run dead smooth be careful. For the oil changes and grease points, youâll want a lift or good jacks and stands for oil, filter, differential. I understand that changing the transmission pan is a bit of a job on the V12 with all the exhaust ducting, and if youâve never done brake fluid and are not as determined as I was when I had to change mine it might pay off to have a helper.
Apart from that, look for rust, rubber and driveline condition, take a few photos and leave well enough alone. Enjoy it!
Also, stay away from âexotic / europeanâ places and the like. Cars are machines and shops donât always do a good job just because of their pay rate and specialisation. Ideally, have or make a friend who has a lift and knows how to turn a wrench.
If it wasnât driven a lot, then maybe better start to do a few shakedown runs and find out if something comes loose. If not, they really like long runs and the occasional sprint canât hurt either.
Paul Novak has mentioned the essential literature.
All the best,
David
And download and read the book.
SaintPanzer,
I already mentioned Kirby Palmâs book in my post. I am clarifying that so that Martini doesnât wonder what âbookâ you are referring to.
Paul
Paul and Doug covered it all. 
If there isnât any service records then you can almost surely assume none of that has been done.
Looking forward to seeing photos.
Ok pics soon thanks. Any reason trunk doesnt open all the time??? Key turns, through, no catch?? Security?
Lots of tricks and tips. As you approach each task, let us know. Many here will help.
Cheers
DD
Yes. I was trying to add what some might call âReinforcing Firesâ.
Yes, thanks. Plan to do coolant change and all hoses. Then the rest of the fluids. Is there any parts brand better for a v12 or one to stay away from? Or kits to buy to upgrade parts? Thanks
Jaguar Dealer mechanics if they would want to work on old cars would be expensive. âŚI found a good local shop that will fix anythingâŚon top I can handle thingsâŚunderneath one needs a hoistâŚbrakesâŚlubeâŚalternator. .hoses âŚsteeringâŚetc âŚneed to be lifted up
Martini,
Please provide more information about the trunk problem. There was no factory security system installed in the car that would affect trunk operation. The original radio, if still installed has a security feature meant to deter theft, if power is lost a code is required to enable it. Other than that the trunk lock has three positions (always open, opens/locks automatically, always locked) maybe that is what you encountered?
Paul
Paul, thanks. Where is each position, left, middle, right. Also. Is there one page with mileage /maintenance requirements you could send? Give me an idea which do first, after oil and antifreeze. Thanks again
First major issue, 1 rear window dont come up, other one 80% time.