Per my intro post in the new members forum, I will be (hopefully) coming home with a 1991 XJS Coupe this weekend on a car hauler. In case you haven't read my intro post I'll explain:

I am currently in negotiations with a very old woman to purchase her deceased husband's Jag. The car was kept in impeccable condition and is sitting in her year-round 72 degree, climate controlled garage with a car cover over it. The car has 51k miles, a new transmission was installed a few months before he passed. The car was never driven in the rain and she has all the service records and build sheet from Coventry. They special ordered it with ever flippin' option. Even cupholders.

The problem is...the car has not been started in six years. Not even touched. So I have my work cut out for me. I will have to drain the fuel, clean out the tank, bleed the brakes, check the master cylinder, drain the oil, flush the coolant, change the hoses and belts. These are things that I can pretty much do myself with a little help. I am sure I will also need to install new spark plugs and have the injectors cleaned. I cannot do that myself (from what I've read).

So I am wondering about a few things--info that I've googled but can't seem to find:

1. Where is the fuel pump located? Is it under the battery?
2. Where is the fuel filter located?
3. How difficult is it to remove the fuel tank? I understand that it is behind the spare tire.
4. From what I've gathered, the car has a dry sump pump for the oil--located at the front (?). Easy to drain or no?
5. How hard is it to get the oil filter off when changing the oil? Any special tools?
6. How difficult is it to change the belts?
7. Is there a security code? Because I have to put in a new battery, I've read about security code resetting problems.

The plan is to drain all the fluids myself so that I can at least drive it to my mechanic to do the tune up and injector cleaning. Anything else you fine folks can think of that I need to do to this car that has been sitting for six years is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[QUOTE=pastagreyhound;692039]
The problem is...the car has not been started in six years. Not even touched. So I have my work cut out for me. I will have to drain the fuel, YES; clean out the tank I think you will be OK without doing that as long as you fill it with new fuel and change the filters (one behind the spare wheel another under the battery), bleed the brakes, check the master cylinder new seals or better replace, drain the oil yes and new filter, flush the coolant VERY important, change the hoses and belts also very important particularly all the small hose to the heater etc etc. These are things that I can pretty much do myself with a little help. I am sure I will also need to install new spark plugs You can do this yourself with patience and care and have the injectors cleaned may not be necessary if you puy a good strong dose of injector cleaner through, but checking the FI hoses to the injectors is crucial, change them if they have gone hard, also change the injector harness if it is at all brittle,. I cannot do that myself (from what I've read).

So I am wondering about a few things--info that I've googled but can't seem to find:

1. Where is the fuel pump located? Is it under the battery? Best to remove the spare wheel, then under the battery under a metal cover is a swirl pot and a pre-pump filter held in by a lock ring, this filter must be changed. You can drain the tank though this as well: Under the floor below this swirl pot is a rubber bung, lever it out from under the car and there is a drain plug accessible. Just next to the swirl pot, on the left of it as you look into the boot, is the fuel pump, on the floor of the boot. Main filter is behind the spare wheel.
2. Where is the fuel filter located? see 1 above
3. How difficult is it to remove the fuel tank? I understand that it is behind the spare tire. not easy, but unless you have fuel smells in the boot, coming from the tank rather than old hoses, not necessary at this stage
4. From what I've gathered, the car has a dry sump pump for the oil--located at the front (?). Easy to drain or no? No, normal wet sump to the rear of the engine behi,d the rack, just drain as normal.
5. How hard is it to get the oil filter off when changing the oil? Any special tools? Normal spin-on filter
6. How difficult is it to change the belts? The belt tensioners are all threaded and in principle very easy to loosen and adjust afterwards. Squirt a bit of penetrating stuff on the threadds a day before yuo start. Access is not too bad but take your time. The innermost belt is the alternator, and this has to be adjusted/replaced from underneath the car, the others from the top.
7. Is there a security code? Because I have to put in a new battery, I've read about security code resetting problems. On the radio? Do not know, otherwise as part of a factory immobiliser, no

The plan is to drain all the fluids myself so that I can at least drive it to my mechanic to do the tune up and injector cleaning. Anything else you fine folks can think of that I need to do to this car that has been sitting for six years is GREATLY appreciated!

Aircon working is a must in anything like warm weather, shock absorbers may be too old once you start driving it, rear axle / body mounts are rubber bonded to metal and may be coming apart - very good idea to change these, rear axle radius arm to body and / or its bushes may need replacing, transmission fluid change, check radiator is in good unblocked condition VERY important, clean as many earth connections to the body as you can find several in the boot by the ECU. BRAKES: check rotors and caliper seals and particularly rear ones if you have the inboard brakes, change fluid. Check front suspension bushes and replace if shot. Grease and adjust front wheel bearings and the rear axle nipples (there are 10 on the rear axle, four in the centre on the inner fulcrums, one on each of the four driveshaft UJs and one each side on each outer fulcrum).
/QUOTE]

Welcome to the club

Greg

 

Greg, thank you very much! You are awesome! I talked to my mechanic--a good friend of the family--that has some experience with Jags. I figured he would just say "walk away, my friend, not worth it" but to my surprise, he said "get that car, it's incredible!" He told me to just wench it up onto the car hauler and bring it to him and he'll take care of everything.

Now I'm just waiting for the little old lady to make the commitment. I know she has emotional attachment to the car, as her husband treated it better than a child. She just wants to make sure that it's going to the right person. I might get an interview with her this weekend, I might now. Will keep ya'll updated.

Thanks so much for answering my questions--it is truly appreciated. I am humbled by your response!

 

Cool for you! Make sure to post lots of pics!

 

I must be either very lucky or these cars don't quite degrade as quickly or as thoroughly as people think. My point is that I keep reading a lot of threads where people have bought an xjs (or any other jag for that matter), that has sat for many years and they're told told to practically dismantle the car in order to safely drive it either that or they assume they must. I purchased my 91 xjs after it had sat in a garage for 5 years. The oil was new (clear) on the dipstick and the window sticker date acknowledged it had must have been changed pror to being parked so I didn't change that. It had 64k miles on it. I was told that the current owner(middleman between me and original owner) burned out the fuel pump by forgetting it was running and ran out of gas. I replaced that and did not change the fuel filter. I did not change the trans fluid as it was pretty pink or check the gear oil or grease the fittings or change the brake fliud or pads or tires (yes cracked sidewall perrellis) great tires, now I know why they're so expensive, even when they get old they're still just fine. I ran the engine with the two fouled plugs till it was almost out of gas and then filled it up with new gas pulled the plugs, SANDBLASTED the plugs,put them back in and the engine ran perfect and still does. I replaced the auxilliary air valve as its thermal piston was dead. These are almost always dead by 50k miles, but even these can be fixed by stopping up the intake to it. My belts, hoses, vacuum lines are fine and yes my injector fuel lines are also supple and fine. I did not change the antifreeze I merely added to it.I believe how much needs to be changed is directly poportional to how well the previous owner cared for the car. I do know that, due to the lack of rust anywhere on my car except for one small hole by the left back taillight, it tells me that this car was garage kept and that also makes a big difference. I did not change the air filters as they were just fine I cleaned them with air pressure. I put one can of freon in the air cond system and found the compressor was leaking at the rear. I discovered the O rings were flattened and replaced them filled up the system to find the air cond. system working perfectly (all summer long). My steering was stiff at first this because for some reason there was no fluid in the resevoir. I filled it but it did not free up until I put in an additive specific for curing this symptom and after a couple months of driving, it worked. I also needed new rack bushings. After 2 thousand miles on the road I don't seem to be having any problem anywhere but a pinhole leak in the gas tank, which is my next project. Oh yes, I replaced the fuel level sending unit. All the things I replaced were what I had to, to drive the car. I did not change something because of procedure. Everyone has their way of doing things and I may find I should have replaced somethings I didn't, but 2k miles is a dead giveaway that I didn't have to. If you inspect your car thoroughly you will find what needs to be replaced and what doesn't. But if you want to replace everything,Bon apetite. I'm merely telling a tale of how my car turned out. Bud

 

Thanks for that--good to know! My mechanic called me on Friday and he basically said the same thing to my astonishment. "Put some fresh fuel in her and start her up."

Apparently the woman called the certified Jag mechanic that serviced the car from 1991 until her husband's death in 2007. He said the same thing. I'm bringing my co-worker who is a total gearhead and he and I are going to check as much as we can before firing her up. He has a car hauler with a wench, so if it doesn't fire, we're going to take it to my mechanic. He suggested just starting it and then driving it on to the hauler and bringing it to him so he could change all the fuels and tune it up.

I reckon I'll see when I get there. Supposed to have an "interview" this week. We'll see.

 

If you really want to look in the tank to check for any rust, you could always remove the sender and have a look through the hole and maybe use one of those mirrors on a stick.

Obviously don't do so when the tank is full of gas but when I had a look in my tank, it was totally rust free.

In a very hot climate like yours, I don't think I would bother.

I am a great believer, in 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' but if you overhaul your brakes, make sure that your guy knows what he is doing, as I screwed up the master cylinder when I did it myself.

Which then resulted in my car diving to the right and even the repair kit costs about £450 'if you can find one'!

While I have also been quoted £1,000 for a new one!