Hi all - new to the forum. I've got a 96 XJ12 (X305) in midnight blue that I've had since 2002. The car has been pretty good to me but a series of issues had gotten me to the point of wondering whether I should stick with it. This is my second XJ - I had a 97 XJ6L that never had a problem. I sold it to buy the XJ12 (had to have the picnic trays!).

I had a run of bad luck with batteries, tires, A/C and most recently, my windshield wiper. The A/C didn't work in hot weather, and the wiper didn't work whenever it rained! Plus I was saving $$ on gas by driving my other cars (although leaving a Jag to sit without driving it is asking for trouble).

I'm pretty handy but haven't had the time or self-confidence to tackle too much under the hood on this car. Since the wiper problem was intermittent I figured what could I lose, so it extricated the wiper motor (with some effort), and discovered it was full of rust and one of the magnets was broken and jamming the motor. Some WD40 and super glue and the thing was back to original condition. Now I'm feeling inspired. Changed out the plugs and wires and the engine is running significantly smoother (and shifting better).

Now it's down to the little annoying things. The door locks take several pulls on the interior handle before they unlock (the lock button on the center console works fine however). So I'm not sure how to tackle this. Then there's my sagging headliner. I saw a post on headliner DIY - I may take the leap. And there's a terrible rattle in my sunroof although it works fine. I'm not sure how easy it will be to dismantle that - I'm trying to locate info on disassembly. And there are lots of cracked and bare spots on the leather - I have no idea if there's anything that can be done about that other than replacement.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the show? Well it's a great car, comfy, and takes off like a rocket. And so far, it's still cheaper than a car payment!!!

Hello, I am glad you sorted out some glitches
I pay my .....well reverence to you as you bought V12 . I always wanted to own one but couldn't finalize it lol
You can check out other forums and contact vendors if you need parts
Congrats , V12 power and happy driving

Welcome to the forum Dave,

It sounds like you are getting there slowly.

That the locks work fine from the console button suggests everything after the control module is OK. That leaves item ahead of the control module.

I've never examined or repaired the system but I *think* that pulling the inside handle replicates the movement of the linkages to operate the switch at each door's lock cylinder. So...I would pull the door trims for a look-see on how it all works. It could very easily be a simple matter of lubricating some linkages and/or cleaning the lock cylinder switches.








Many guy have tackled DIY headliner replacement. I'm not one of them....yet. But it should be quite doable






Often the factory parts manuals are helpful. The illustrations let you see what you're getting into and how everything goes back together.







It's common and easy to re-dye bare spots (or even entire seats) with products from Leatherique, Gliptone, ColorPlus, etc. You can also buy materials (perhaps from the same vendors who sell the dyes) to fill the cracks. Google "leather crack repair kit" or similar.

It sound to me as though you're doing well with what you've already tackled on the car so I see no reason to avoid forging ahead. God hates a coward, after all :-). Dig in....and soon enough you'll be in love with the car all over again.

Many here will help. Post over on the "X300" section for more replies

Cheers
DD

welcome aboard LADave and great to have you here with us
Hope you enjoy it here and we can help

I'm upgrading you too full forum access so you can better view all the sites features......all the best