Well, it happened again. After a long stay in the garage, it was time to get the old girl out and go for a spin. She is a 2001 convertible in black with beige guts. A lovely car with but 81,000 on the clock.
I bought her back last time, and now I face the same situation. Someone out there has to know what to look for, and I would appreciate any ideas and tips on what to check first. This is such a good-looking car, and why it has so many problems just ruins it for me. Thanks for reading my complaints.
Have you had the codes pulled?
The long stay in the garage may be your first problem. When cars sit for a long time, problems develop.
Many people with the AJ-V8 engine have suffered from this. A search on “restricted performance” will bring up many, many others who have suffered this problem.
More information is required to narrow it down. The first thing I would do it get a OBD-II code reader, under $20 from many parts stores or even Harbor Freight in the USA, and pull the codes as Robin advises. Record them, and ask about it.
If you’re devil-may-care, clear the codes with the reader after recording and drive it. When the message pops up again, note the circumstances under which it occurred (while using cruise control? Cold? Hot? Accelerating?) then pull the codes again and see what people have to say about.
Dave
All good advice, and much appreciated. I do have a Jaguar mechanic, and he fixed it last time, except for the ABS system. There is a miss in the engine, and I think it may be some of the 20-year-old coil packs need replacing. He changed out two last time, and that temporarily ‘cured’ things. My understanding is that we should have replaced all of them at that time.
Ronald,
i just got my '98 convertible back from getting its annual safety inspection which it passed. When it arrived back at the garage it started running on four cylinders. a bit of
‘fiddling’ and it was OK. Then as they were about to delver it back to me, no starts!
A bit of diagnostics later and the ECU is the main suspect. When the pulled it out there was a capacitor had blown and leaked the acid electrolyte onto the circuit board. Luckily the mechanic knew an ace electronics guy who was able to repair the tracks damaged by the acid and replace four other components for what I considered a reasonable £120. I think the engine runs a lot smoother now too. There was always a little stumble at idle before now it’s smooth as silk and it has 146000 miles showing. So i suggest you cast an eye over the ECU circuitry just to be sure. It cant hurt.
Art
Hey Ron,
Is it the battery dying? How old is the fuel? Have you put a drying agent in the tank, then filling it up?
I’ve got fewer miles, same year, a Topaz exterior with a Doe interior. Mine’s in a climate controlled garage.
It’s also covered with a soft dust cover. Other than low battery problems, now having been solved as of fall
last year with a battery monitor. Another problem not related are the tires getting a flat spot. Makes the wheel
shimmy. Then I get on a “private”, quite road for slow driving, I use the race car track technique of turning the
wheel back and forth to warm up the side walls and it also takes the flat spots out. Usually about a quarter of a
mile or so. Use up most of the road from side to side, fun, fun, fun! Oh, make sure that you don’t have it “S” mode.
You can always use that later when the engine is warmed up. Blow out a little carbon as we used to say. Let me know.
Bob
Bob Allen
GR8 XK8
kabob@wavecable.com
Thanks for the information. I have heard that the ABS module has some of the same issues, and can be repaired with a few solder joints repaired. I am so disappointed in this car and how it was thrown together.
| kabob Bob Allen
October 25 |
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Hey Ron,
Is it the battery dying? How old is the fuel? Have you put a drying agent in the tank, then filling it up?
I’ve got fewer miles, same year, a Topaz exterior with a Doe interior. Mine’s in a climate controlled garage.
It’s also covered with a soft dust cover. Other than low battery problems, now having been solved as of fall
last year with a battery monitor. Another problem not related are the tires getting a flat spot. Makes the wheel
shimmy. Then I get on a “private”, quite road for slow driving, I use the race car track technique of turning the
wheel back and forth to warm up the side walls and it also takes the flat spots out. Usually about a quarter of a
mile or so. Use up most of the road from side to side, fun, fun, fun! Oh, make sure that you don’t have it “S” mode.
You can always use that later when the engine is warmed up. Blow out a little carbon as we used to say. Let me know.
Bob
Bob Allen
GR8 XK8
kabob@wavecable.com
That’s what we get for buying hand assembled autos. Another treatment of the ABS is to have the
brakes air blown clean, front and back. My dealer has done that for me annually before the concours
and show & shine events start. We drive it to and from every one that we attend. Victoria & Vancouver, BC
and Seattle/ Tacoma,WA & Portland,OR and lots of S&S in between. I’ve had one judge try to dock me points,
saying that my car had been totaled in the front, next year, same judge, it was the rear end that had been totaled.
They look up a bunch of stuff on line during a concours, why not check the Carfax as well. Mine’s all original paint,
we use a paintless repair when needed for a ding. More time & money, but worth it. Loving it and keeping it in top
shape for the next owner! Even had the wheels re-chromed just before the shut downs for Covid-19. Among the many
things done earlier, was a new top, all three layers, still fits like a glove! AND, we still LOVE it. My beautiful, purring kitten!
Bob
Bob Allen
GR8 XK8
kabob@wavecable.com
I will do that just as soon as my mechanic is free from working on ‘lesser’ cars. He cannot find good help, and has had to go back and make things right for customers, so he is about a month behind. I would not trust anyone else to work on the car. It sits and waits for him to get to it.
Look for cat and knocksensor codes , then change the knoks and youre hapy . my experience.
When was the last time the fuel filter was replaced and the mass air flow sensor was cleaned with CRC mass air flow cleaner?
2/2 XK8s have done this before these simple procedures were done.