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New Member Area - Intro a MUSTNew to Jaguar Forums? Drop in and tell us about you, your ride and location. This is your chance to introduce yourself to the forum.
Hello from the Czech Republic!
I've been lurking around on the forums for quite a while now, figured I might as well share my XJ and the progress so far.
So my dad has a long time friend, who is a big Jaguar enthusiast. Said friend got a Series 3 XJ12 as a spare parts car but it ended up being too nice, so he kept it for driving. However, then it broke down, he got fed up with it as he had plenty more cars to enjoy, so he decided to scrap it. Before acting upon this decision, he briefly mentioned it to my dad, with a somewhat jokingly added suggestion that he would give it to my dad. And that's where I come in, saving the poor car from a junkyard. So I ended up with a free '87 XJ12 that cranked but wouldn't start.
After helplessly looking around in the engine bay, I searched the internet and eventually found the issue. Naturally, the issue was the shielded ignition pulse wire going from the ignition amp to the ECU. Now the engine started, which was great, but it was running really rough and would stall after a while. Seeing the horrible shape the injector harness was in, I decided to make a new one, with the help of a brilliant guide somewhere on these forums. I also changed the spark plugs, plug wires and repaired the centrifugal advance system, which was most definitely seized. Now it's somewhat better, still idles rough after a few seconds from starting though.
All in all, quite a bit of work done, but still a lot ahead. I'm currently in search of the elusive S57 electrical guide as the schematic in the service manual is very hard/impossible to read. I'm also still trying to make sense of all the vacuum lines, because the diagram in the service manual doesn't match the situation in the car.
It's definitely been overwhelming, working on such a complex V12 engine as a first project with very little prior experience working on cars in general. But these forums have helped me to pull through so far, so I hope to get on the road soon!
..... I'm currently in search of the elusive S57 electrical guide as the schematic in the service manual is very hard/impossible to read. ......
Welcome to the forums Daniel,
I presume English is your first language and you aren't a Czechoslovakian with brilliant language skills?
You have clearly already found your way to the XJ6 & XJ12 Series I, II & III forum so there's no need for a link to it from me. The 'HOW TO' thread at the top is a good place to start for information on regular issues. Please add vehicle details to your Signature to help others to give relevant advice. Go to the User CP button on the left of the top menu bar, then Settings & Options under Your Control Panel. Select Edit Signature and enter the details.
Hello,
When it is sorted you will get a lot of pleasure knowing you are not driving modern euro fuzz box crap.
The car looks good, the classic lines and the leaper.
Good luck with getting it running again.
John
If you haven't done so already you should add your car details to your signature to help others to help you.
If you need help with getting around and using the forum follow this link for some help Forum Help
Hello, Daniel,
I'm a bit impressed that you, with little automotive repair experience, have not only tackled a stubborn Jaguar v-12, but you seem to have it sort of under control. Good Job!
Wow, thank you for the kind words everyone! I was foolish not to become involved here sooner!
Originally Posted by GGG
I presume English is your first language and you aren't a Czechoslovakian with brilliant language skills?
I'm Czech but thanks for the compliment, haha.
Signature sorted and thank you for the link, all of the ones I found were dead. I'm a little surprised not to see an XJ12 section in the guide but I assume engine related wiring will be identical with the XJS and chassis, interior etc. same as the XJ6?
Apologies for the delayed response. My work has not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic so time has been short.
Continental Europeans put we English to shame in language skills. I can just get by in French and Spanish and am limited to communication for eating, drinking and filling the car in Italian.
I've only had one V12 Jaguar (an early pre HE XJ6 Series I) back in 1974 and the fuel consumption was so terrifying I sold it after six months. The original printed Workshop Manual for that car had V12 specific wiring diagrams. However, I agree that the engine wiring on your Series III will be similar to the XJS and the remainder of the vehicle identical to the 6 cylinder versions of the Series III.
That's quite a collection of language skills! Mine isn't as varied, had a couple of German classes in school but I still prefer English any day of the week. I'm definitely grateful for knowing English somewhat well though. Without it I wouldn't have been able to do any work on the car!
Fuel consumption hasn't been an issue so far, as the car still mainly sits waiting to be registered! It needs to be registered as a classic vehicle and the registration process for that has been interrupted by the pandemic unfortunately. But it should be possible next month so I'm excited to hopefully drive the car more. If it gets approved for registration despite the numerous oil leaks and a modest bit of rust on one corner of the underbody, that is. (Yes, still a lot of work to be done.)
Anyway, even when sitting I noticed the fuel level in one tank has dropped, so I immediately thought it leaks. But the other tank, which was empty, has now leveled with the previously full one! I didn't know they did that, if they're even supposed to. Always more to learn about these cars.
The original Jaguar service manual has been helpful in figuring things out, but lately I've started collecting alternative documentation as well, which I found to be an even bigger help - parts catalogues especially, for figuring out what all the parts are, where they are and what they do.
My "get by" falls a long way short of your fluency in English!
I used my XJ12 as a daily driver and was covering over 20K miles a year so the cost difference between running a Series 1 with the 4.2 litre engine returning 15 mpg and the XJ12 below 10 mpg was considerable. I understand the later HE engine is more economical but haven't risked another.
The fuel level situation depends on the vehicle specification. I recall some of the V12's did have a system to balance the fuel between the two tanks rather than having all the weight on one side.
I agree with your enthusiasm for Parts Catalogues. The diagrams are often more helpful than the ones in the Workshop Manual. If you haven't already got a copy, JEPC (Jaguar Electronic Parts Catalogue) has a section for the Series III:
Hi everyone!
