Its in Fontana, CA
Heading there tomorrow

 

Mine is still for sale. See my Clist ad here in Cincy, OH.

2003 Jaguar XK8 Convert

Sell it to anyone here for 9600.00 If you have scouted this site at all you know based on my clist ad info I have done MANY key maint items to my car.
The only issue that I have not dealt with yet is the hard shifts from a stop when she is cold. Once warm it is fine. I am told it needs the filter and fluid change which was my next maint item this spring.

 

Hey Lads,

I went ahead and bought it.
Got the price I wanted to at 6K but the car will need some love.

It wasn't apparent during my test drive but after a while I noticed the car was more or less dropping into first gear when I would roll to a stop light. The transmission is not making any noise and the upshifts are all very smooth. Just when you roll to the light at the very last second you can really tell you just dropped into 1st. Sound like a solenoid gone south?

I am obviously going to give the car a major service including transmission fluid and filter but not sure if a nice fresh fill will make that condition any better?

Car needs a lot of stupid little repairs from neglect but if you have seen my XJ6 exploits, you know the car is in the right hands.

Engine is strong but I babied it yesterday as I could hear some sort of sucking sound on the P side of the engine around the throttle body area. Sounds like something is not sealed and its making almost the sound of a cracked manifold but not. Its a different sound and the engine idles perfectly. At first while driving the car I thought it was my cams and it freaked me out but now that I heard it up close and personal its not mechanical, its a suction sound. Ideas?

 

I like it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it like I have mine. 120K is high mileage for a trans flush if one had not been done before. A filter and refill should help. Mercon SP is a good fluid to use and cheaper than Jag branded fluid although it's apparently the same thing. After all, your jag was made while Ford owned it.

 

Good luck with your new car very nice looking, I'd suggest you check your fuel trims if there is a intake vacuum leak it'll show up there.

 

Thanks Lads,


Pretty sure I found the source of the noise.
Seems to be the EGR tube on the P-side of the engine.
Stuck my stethoscope down there with just the tube on it and can clearly hear the noise. Won't know for sure until I remove it but sure seems likely.


Also found a leaking fitting on the thermostat housing. Damn, that's one complicated piece of plastic! I was wondering if that stem is pressed into the fitting as it is leaking around the base? If it is, I might be able to just put a little heavy duty sealer around there for now. I can imagine what one of those plastic housings cost?


Finally for today, I noticed that the coolant recovery tank has a fitting that's been blocked off. Surely someone did it later in the cars life so I need help understanding where that line would have run to?


So far - so good.
Car is not in bad shape and at the price I got it for, I can afford to put a little money into it. The headliner is shot and that will definitely get replaced as well as a bunch of other cosmetic items but for now, I need the engine and transmission purring and I will be happy.

 

My coolant reservoir only uses one connection. Mine is still factory sealed. As a result I don't even have a blanking plug. The sucking sound may be the air intake hose. It has protuberances that reduce airflow vibration. Some of them stick down near the exhaust manifold and can melt leaving a hole that sucks air.

 

Not used on later model ('maybe '99 up ?) so either a tank from an older model or that port is blanked off and someone put a cap on it for no reason.

 

The T-housings are notorious for ending up leaking, on the 4.0 there was a aluminum one made and many people replaced them with, I don't think there is one for the 4.2 though (and they are different) do a search on t-stat housing or tower, plenty of threads. If there is a 4.2 guy may chime in.

 

Yep, just bite the bullet and replace the entire coolant outlet duct assembly (as Jaguar calls it). That plastic gets weak with age and heat cycles, then warps and leaks in multiple spots. I bought the parts from my local dealership in November 2014 for about $125 or so. Read up on the numerous threads regarding this repair so you'll be fully aware of the challenges, mainly getting to the two rear bolts on the assembly. Plenty of tips to help you get through the process. If I remember correctly, it took me not quite three hours with my monster hands from start to finish. Folks with small hands will get it done quicker....

To my knowledge there is still no aluminum thermostat housing option for our 4.2 engines....

 

Yeah, not a big deal.
So do these later MY's still have the high pressure coolant issue? (green shower). If so, does anyone know the kit that is supposed to drop the pressure down? Might as well deal with all the coolant related items at once.

 

In searching for an EGR tube for the car, I see two prices and one is literally double the other one and with a different PN.

Are there two EGR tubes on the XK and if so, what is the PN for the one on the passenger side of the engine?

TIA!

 

See this link for reduction kits
JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

That's the right link but it's not a coolant shower but hydraulic oil from the roof hoses.

 

Defintely needs an EGR tube.

Put my hand under it and its blowin' pretty damn good.......lol

 

Pulled the EGR tube off today and it is indeed cracked.

The cost for this simple tube is very high over 200.00 USD.

What the hell is this thing made of that warrants that kind of cost?
Anyone have a good resource for them to save some money? Don't want to be throwing 2 and 300 dollar parts at this thing right out of the gate......lol

 

I have to admit that 200.000 for an EGR tube did not make me happy. I finally received the package today and now I guess I get it. Take a look at the difference between the original cracked tube and the replacement that came to me!

Holy crap that is a significant upgrade to the original part!!