[xj-s] I am a new Jag Owner - TELL ME EVERYTHING!

XJ-S
1

I just got an 84 xjs 93,000 miles. I have always owned American
classics and this is my first Brit. I am looking to learn
everything about keeping one of these. Here are my immediate
concerns

  1. The fuel ring split and I had a fire a year ago two days after I
    got it. Well $3000 and all parts replaced later, should I be
    concerned of another fire?

  2. What about the transmission? The car is pretty fast but 93,000
    miles.

  3. When I put the key in, it takes a moment or two for the battery
    to have enough juice to kick it over, from there it charges back up
    to mid level. At the same time, I have to disconnect the battery
    each time I stop the car due to a mystery draw when sitting and not
    running. I do this over and over and it works but ???

Anything anyone can help with, I mean basics would be great.–
sharkatronic
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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2

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

Read Kirby’s book! All 700+ pages of it. Then search the
archives.–
Joe Bialy 87 XJ-S
Grosse Ile, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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3

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

Sharkatronic,

If I had known THEN…what I know NOW.

4 years ago…I adquired my '84 XJS…74k miles.

Many dollars down the road I would suggest.

  1. Recondition the entire cooling system as your first priority.
    Take the radiator out and have it checked. Inspect the banjo
    bolt. Inspect the air purge jet tubing. All these items have a
    major tendency to clog up. Replace the thermostats. Pull and
    inspect the atmospheric catchment tank. Pull the expansion tank
    and check it for leaks, rust in bottom, etc. Replace all the hoses
    whether they look good or not. Make sure the electric fan operates
    properly and consider a new electric fan w/ a higher CFM. Check the
    coolant level sensor and the coolant temperature sensor for proper
    operation…including the gauges. Check that the air spoiler is
    properly fastened. Add a new ‘‘coolant filter’’.
  2. Tranny usually not a problem…but get a new filter and have
    the fluid changed. Note…there are generally 2 ways that fluid and
    filter are changed. One is to drop the pan, change the filter and
    re-add new fluid. However…this method doesn’t replace ALL the
    fluid. Second method is have the fluid ‘‘suctioned’’ out and
    replaced. This method will replace maybe 90% of the fluid…but
    doesn’t replace the filter. Get ‘‘all’’ the fluid changed AND a new
    filter.
  3. Worry about the battery drain after the above.
  4. Download ‘‘the Book’’.
  5. Get the cd rom available.
  6. Buy a Haynes manuel.

My first impression as a ‘‘newbie’’ to a Jag…when looking under the
hood…was…’‘Good Lord’’…look at the size on that V12 and all
that ‘‘other’’ stuff. Not quite like my 350 cu.in. 89 Chevy Suburban.

BTW…my ‘‘cooling system’’ is on the porch being totally
reconditioned as I type. Shoulda done it 4 years ago.

I love this car…Ummm…my rocket ship.–
Dave 1984 XJS-HE
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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4

I just got an 84 xjs 93,000 miles. I have always owned American
classics and this is my first Brit. I am looking to learn
everything about keeping one of these. Here are my immediate
concerns

Congratulations.

  1. The fuel ring split and I had a fire a year ago two days after I
    got it. Well $3000 and all parts replaced later, should I be
    concerned of another fire?

I’m confused … You just got it, or you’ve had it a year?

The “fuel ring” split? Do you mean the fuel rail? It split? That’s …
Not good. If you have a new fuel rail and all new hoses (including feed and
return lines), there is probably no need to worry about another fire, unless
you are talking about the fuel rail and there’s a remaining reason for it to
have split in the first place; like that it’s over-pressurized.

  1. What about the transmission? The car is pretty fast but 93,000
    miles.

Pretty much bullet-proof. Get a transmission service to be safe (probably
$300 or so) as recommended in another response.

  1. When I put the key in, it takes a moment or two for the battery
    to have enough juice to kick it over, from there it charges back up
    to mid level. At the same time, I have to disconnect the battery
    each time I stop the car due to a mystery draw when sitting and not
    running. I do this over and over and it works but ???

Are you sure you have a drain and not just a dying battery? While a
properly charged battery will last a long time, they don’t last forever. If
a new battery yields the same consequences, your alternator is either not
charging the battery to the levels it should be, or you have to find where
the drain is coming from. There is a lot of information on tracking down
battery drains in the archives, including a fairly recent thread on the
power antenna being a fairly common source.

Anything anyone can help with, I mean basics would be great.

There are people who would say the cooling system recommendation on the
earlier response is a bit excessive, but I wouldn’t say that changing ALL
your fluids on top of that transmission service is a bad call (coolant, oil,
tranny, diff, brake, PS). You can get a pretty good feel for what’s
rumbling around in your cooling system and whether or not you need to start
planning work on it from the condition of what comes out after a good flush.
Have a good look at the steering rack and PS pump, as they seem to be common
failure points by your mileage (and earlier). Plan on replacing anything
rubber in the engine bay at some point :slight_smile:

Yes, download “The Book”. It’s a compilation of Kirby’s experiences
maintaining his own car and various discussions on the list, organized
nicely into sections. It’s a good starting point for most issues.

Gordon

'88 XJ-SC (Lucas CEI) Bagheera (47,000 miles)
'95 XJ6 (VP) Kyriell (129,000 miles)
www.myjags.net
Alexandria, VA US

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5

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

About 7 months ago, I bought a 1991 XJS V12. It looked pretty good
compaired to others I’d looked at. I’ve wanted a V12 since I wore
a younger man’s clothes, but couldn’t afford one. Lessons learned.
Patience, it’s never easy, parts are available but sometimes
expensive. As mentioned before READ THE BOOK. Download it and use
it frequently. There are several Jaguar ‘Forums’ on the web. Use
them. Search their histories for your problem. Always get more
than one oppinoin. (I’ve been lead astray a time or two.) Ask
questions. For my original price for the XJS with 66,000 miles on
it was $7,000. It looked pretty good. It ran, looded reasonably
clean. Good tires. Well, things were not as they looked. I’ve
invested another $8,000 in it and now have a XJS V12 that’d I’d
drive from coast to coast. Take your time. Tackle one problem at
a time. I started my ‘maintenance’ from scratch - just like nothing
had ever been done to it. Oil and filter change. Thorough lube.
Radiator flush. Transmission flush and new filter, plus a couple
of mods in there. Complete cleaning and days and days of detailing.
Don’t give up. Someone else has had the same problems you’ll have
and solved them. All you need to do is find that person. Use the
Forums.
And - Good luck. Your efforts will be worth the results.
Mike–
The original message included these comments:

everything about keeping one of these. Here are my immediate
Anything anyone can help with, I mean basics would be great.

–
Mike B
Wichita, Kansas, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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6

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

  1. The 12s, as you’ll read, have a history of fires, often caused
    by one bank’s ignition cutting out and the injectors continuing to
    shoot gas into the cylinders. The gas exits the cylinders and
    winds up filling the cat converters which are hot enough to ignite
    it. So the moral seems to be, make sure your ignition system is in
    tip-top shape always, and at the first inkling of a problem – loss
    of power, drop in exhaust sound, etc. – pull over and shut her
    off. A fire can start real quick. Oh, and along those lines, keep
    an extinguisher handy, ideally in the cabin where you can reach it
    immediately. You might not have time to get it out of the trunk.

  2. I don’t think 93,000 miles is a lot for the GM transmission in
    your car, Of course, a fluid/filter change is always a good idea
    if you’re not sure when the PO did it last.

  3. From what I’ve read, the battery drain problem is not uncommon,
    usually a fault in the wiring for a light or something. I’ve never
    had to do it, but troubleshooting it can be a time-consuming PITA.
    It usually involves measuring draw at the battery before and after
    pulling fuses for the various circuits. After finding the
    offending circuit you have to trace the problem to the specific
    component. (I think I’ve read that the window motor wiring can be
    a problem. But there are so many gadgets in these cars that it
    could be dozens of things.) Don’t know if the slowness of the
    battery to be ready to start the car is related. I’m a relative
    newbie, myself and that’s a new one to me.–
    The original message included these comments:

got it. Well $3000 and all parts replaced later, should I be
concerned of another fire?

–
John - '90 Majestic, '95 XJ-S 6.0 Conv., '86 Volvo 760T
Stamford, CT, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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7

it was $7,000. It looked pretty good. It ran, looded reasonably
clean. Good tires. Well, things were not as they looked. I’ve
invested another $8,000 in it and now have a XJS V12 that’d I’d
drive from coast to coast.

You spent $15,000 in total an a car that’s mechanically fit enough to drive
from coast to coast and looks great in the process? Sounds to me like you
did OK :slight_smile:

I spent over $8,000 in standard repairs when I got mine (though I’ll admit
some of it wasn’t strictly necessary) and am now working on upgrades.
Unfortunately, I didn’t start out as low as you on the sales price either.

If you’re looking for cheap transport, this ain’t it. But, if you feel
you’ve got reliable transport in the way of an XJS, it glitters, and it only
cost you $15,000, I’d say you’re not in all that bad a boat compared to
some.

Gordon

'88 XJ-SC (Lucas CEI) Bagheera (47,000 miles)
'95 XJ6 (VP) Kyriell (129,000 miles)
www.myjags.net
Alexandria, VA US

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8

At 16:01 2003-11-25 +0100, John-in-CT wrote:

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

  1. The 12s, as you’ll read, have a history of fires, often caused
    by one bank’s ignition cutting out and the injectors continuing to
    shoot gas into the cylinders.

This applies to the later Marelli only. Fires on the Lucas can be chiefly
attributed to lack of proper fuel hose maintenance.

  1. From what I’ve read, the battery drain problem is not uncommon,
    usually a fault in the wiring for a light or something.

Boot lamp SWITCH not being fully depressed when the boot is closed (even
though the lamps go off when you depress the switch while standing there),
and duff aerial motors. Most everything else has a visual cue or relates
to something which is giving you troubles already.

— '88 Jaguar XJ-SC 5.3L V12 (LHD) ‘Black Cat’
Sean Straw '85 Jaguar XJ-S 5.3L V12 (LHD) ‘Bad Kitty’
Marin County, California '91 Jaguar XJ40 4.0L (LHD) ‘Trevor’
http://jaguar.professional.org/ '69 Buick GranSport 455 V8

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9

In reply to a message from sean.straw%2BJaguar@mail.professional.org sent Wed 26 Nov 2003:

Opps, keep getting my years mixed up. Score one for Lucas.–
The original message included these comments:

This applies to the later Marelli only. Fires on the Lucas can be chiefly
attributed to lack of proper fuel hose maintenance.

–
John - '90 Majestic, '95 XJ-S 6.0 Conv., '86 Volvo 760T
Stamford, CT, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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10

At 01:54 2003-11-26 +0100, John-in-CT wrote:

Opps, keep getting my years mixed up. Score one for Lucas.

It is said that Marelli is Lucas’ Italian cousin…

— '88 Jaguar XJ-SC 5.3L V12 (LHD) ‘Black Cat’
Sean Straw '85 Jaguar XJ-S 5.3L V12 (LHD) ‘Bad Kitty’
Marin County, California '91 Jaguar XJ40 4.0L (LHD) ‘Trevor’
http://jaguar.professional.org/ '69 Buick GranSport 455 V8

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11

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

I am now on my 3rd which I have owned since 1yr old and still have
to find any car I like better. BUT they do start getting expensive
circa 7yrs old and need religius maintenance. It NEVER pays to put
off any work on one of these and always make sure it is done
properly. The bad news is that they are highly complex and good XJS
mechanics are like gold dust. eg It has taken 18mths to convince my
local jag garage that there was a real problem with my front
suspension and I had to diagnose it myself. If you can find a good
mechanic then it is worth paying them to go over it with a fine
toothcomb for any potential problems. Preventive maintenance is a
must on these - ie replace all rubber pipes at the first sign of
any aging. Some parts can be horribly expensive but others are
redicuously cheap there appears no rhyme or reason to the parts
pricing.

Common problems with these are

  1. Rust
    More applicable to cold climate countries with damp roads & salt
    but there are 3 hidden areas that rust badly:-
    a) Front subframe normally on the uprights or across the top where
    the spring sits. Almost impossible to see without a mirror on a
    stick or a bendy camera. Be wary from circa 8yrs old on. New
    subframes are V expensive �900
    b) Rear radius arms which rust on top where you cant see it.
    c) Seat belt mounts

  2. Cooling system.
    Radiators get blocked at approx 4-5yrs if maintained by jag garage
    with no filters. Heater cores tend to go about every 8-10yrs. BUT
    based one experience if you replace the heater core than you should
    completely flush the engine, replace the radiator and the
    thermostats. If you are unsure of the last time this was done it
    would be well worth doing all this and fit some filters (tefbra?)
    the alternative is a cooked engine and other under bonnet items.

  3. Rear springs and shocks
    If you view through the rear view mirror changes when you fill up
    it is time to change these. Best to do both at once.

  4. Front bushing
    If you experience any wander in the steering especially on non-
    smooth roads then it is time to have these replaced - you will be
    amazed at the diff.

  5. Air con compressors which in my experperience last 5-6 yrs

  6. Shock absorbers - the V12 especially is a heavy car and gets
    through the std ones in 4-5 yrs. The change is gradual so you dont
    notice it happening except maybe when cornering really hard.

  7. Batteries
    Maybe because of the size of the engine the V12 is especially hard
    on batteries - over the last 18 yrs I have averaged just under 3
    yrs per battery but then I run mine in the alps in -20c in the
    winter which is when it always shows. Normally I can get a free
    replacement for every other one as they fail to make their 3yr
    warranty!.

  8. Air con drain pipes
    These block on an almost bianual basis first siggn is water in
    footwells.

Hope this helps.–
stevehaley
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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12

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Tue 25 Nov 2003:

THANKS EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING!! You will all be hearing lots from
me.

84-XJS Cobalt BLue / Bisquit - STRUTTER–
sharkatronic
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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13

In reply to a message from sharkatronic sent Fri 28 Nov 2003:

Learn how to search the archives. Download the book. Reda this
forum weekly. Get the links to members’ webpages. Some folks have
detailed websites on the work they have done. Ed S’s is one of the
best.

Congrats!!–
Christopher R Guevara 1985 XJ-S HE V-12 HRITPUR
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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