Hello,

I just recently purchased a 1999 XJ8 Vanden Plas with only 74K miles! It is a dream to drive and it is the first car in a loooong time that I've really been fond of.

I've already begun tinkering with it I've done the water pump, thermostat, all the coolant carrying hoses, and the serpentine belt. Although the car has been well cared for, the radiator hoses looked original and based on my reading here and elsewhere, this is one area that needs regular attention. I did not see any valve cover leakage and the wheel bearings look good. Of course, I also performed a full lube and replaced the oil and filter. Sadly, the service records have been lost...

I'm on, now, to servicing the transmission. I've always done the service work on my own cars (but they've all been American or Japanese) and after reading up on the trany service, it sounds a bit more complex - can someone recommend a set of instructions? I do want to drop the pan and replace the filter.

Also, what other regular servicing should I perform? And how often? Any gotcha areas?

Thanks in advance!

 

Welcome and I also bought a 1999 long wheelbase XJ sedan but I bought mine with a broken timing chain. I got the car for a good price ($500.00) but I would suggest replacing the secondary tensioners BEFORE they fail.

bob gauff

 

 

Glad to have you with us!

 

Welcome to the forum, good advice from Motorcarman, as always.

 

Welcome to the forum,

Good to have you here.

 

Hello and welcome to jaguarforums.com. I know that you are anxious to get started and we are anxious to meet you and talk about your car. We have a baseline / criteria that must be met before full access can be granted. Please enjoy the forum and be patient once the baseline has been satisfied full access will be granted. Please continue to post and accept my welcome to the forum.

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welcome aboard belaire
good advice onthe tensioners from Bob and very worthwhile doing

Loads going on, plenty of very friendly and helpful members as well as some excellent tech advice......all good!

In the meantime I've manually upgraded you to full forum access so you can better view the site

 

Bob,
Thanks for the advice. I did a little digging into the parts and I was wondering, do you recommend just replacing the secondary tensioners? Or, while I'm there, should I just get a kit and replace everything? The kit includes primary and secondary tensioners (upgraded to metal instead of plastic) and guides, chains, o-rings, etc.
Thanks!
-Scott