Hello,

I have a 38K mile 1990 XJS Classic V-12.I think it's a work of art. I read that the v-12 won a lot of races for Jaguar in the 80's. My car is in almost perfect condition. 2nd place in the concors in San Diego,Ca. I bought it because it's an exotic. A modern XKE with upgrades to the FI., ac, trans, and wiring. I am an expert mechanic. However I'm afraid to drive it anywhere, the closest dealer is in Las Vegas. quite a distance.
I read that the v-12 is one of the best engines ever made. I don't see any high mileage cars around. Have they all been recycled into Kias? I would like one of you more experienced members to tell me what is it that goes bad on these cars. I love the 327 Chevy and you can give me an engine in a pile of pieces and I will get it to roar. I'm not afraid to fix anything on the Jag, but I want to build dependability into it I want to be able to drive it to San Diego, 350 miles each way, with no worries.
I know about the fuel injection hoses that can turn the car into an expensive rolling BBQ. Mine are new. The car gets hot with the ac on at idle. I also know about droping valves when the engine gets hot. The car has dual electric radiator fans. Haven't checked if they both function. Will do. But I was told these cars have an overheating problem that can destroy the engine.
So let me know what your experience has taught you about what goes wring with these cars. I have plenty of time to dive into this car before the summer gets here.
Thanks,
Jim

 

Some of us have spent *years* learning about XJS quirks so it isn't easy to give a quick answer.

Here are some conversation starters in nutshell form:

The cooling system must be kept at 100%. Not 98%. Professional radiator cleaning, new (and correct) thermostats, properly working fans (elect and/or mechanical), and *proper bleeding* will usually solve any problems.

Check the Marelli ignition system ASAP. Lack of maintenance (plugs, wires, cap, rotor) = high resistance = burned out rotor = one bank shutting down = cat convertor filling with fuel = fire.

Heat-baked wiring in the 'Vee' of the engines can mean trouble. Most of us make up new wiring on our own injector harness. Other than that most elect problems are dirty-loose-corroded grounds and connectors.

Inboard rear brakes are often neglected

Others will chime in with more. What's mentioned above just barely scratches the surface.

Fabulous cars when fully sorted. Worth the effort. Don't take shortcuts and don't try to rush any work. The car will fight you.

All the likely failure modes and fixes are known an documented. I suggest going thru the car, doing 'em all, doing it once, get 'em done, and enjoy the car. Fixing these cars 'ala carte' is just torment. You'll end up duplicating a lot of your labor that way

Download "Experience In a Book" by Kirby Palm. It's a must-have, as are the factory wiring guides, parts books, and service manuals

Cheers
DD

 

Welcome to the forum Jim,

Good to have you with us at Jaguar forums.

Follow this link XJS - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the XJS forum for help, advice and information. The 'HOW TO' thread at the top is a good place to start for info on regular issues.

Please remember to 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.

You can also visit the USA Southwest Region forum by following this link USA Southwest - AZ TX NM OK - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to find other members in your region.

Enjoy the forums.

Graham

 

Firstly welcome.

Doug has touched the surface as he said.

The list, if there is/was one, would equal "War and Peace" in my opinion.

The V12 in my garage "Sir Arthur" has topped 500000kms, and is untouched. All the sunndry items have been attended to, and it is as reliable as any car you could pick.

My XJ-S (1985) has taken spousy and me all the way around Australia TWICE. That is about 25000kms each time. The only issue was a $6 oil light switch that sprung a leak, big deal.

I hear all this "running hot", "dont go far from a dealer", etc etc, and mainly from the USA market. No idea what you do with cars up there, but we have 45c+ summer temps as "normal" and NONE of my Jags have ever ran hot, and NONE have ever overheated. OK, I am bordering on **** with maintanenece, and make NO excuses for that. It has been that way since 1968 when I got the mighty MK7.

Dealers, OK, I have to fair, as they do serve a purpose, but I would NOT know where my dealer is located, and I luv it.

As you are an "expert mechanic" that car will be a breeze for you. Procrastination will kill the same car.

 

Hello, Jim.
Welcome to the forums from ElinorB.
(';')

 

Welcome to Jaguar Forums Jim,

Good to have you with us.
Enjoy the forum.

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

 

welcome to the forum - enjoy!!

 

Welcome to the forum

 

Hi and welcome aboard, its good to have you here with us here at Jaguarforums

Any useful site information you may need such as how to post pictures, edit signatures, add videos, using the
search facility etc, can be found here within the following link Using JF "How To"

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