Hi everyone

After buying my first Jag and my first car, an XK8 convertible, I just joined this forum.

It's a 2000 model so it's only a couple of years younger than me!

Obviously, it's an unusual choice for a first car but I've always loved the Jaguar brand and since I recently moved here from England, I wanted a convertible to enjoy the sunshine

After purchasing the car I had a few important repairs done, new front brakes, a new parking brake and lights.

I'm now looking to maintain the car and treat it with the respect it deserves so I can keep driving it for many years to come.

I am a bit of a novice when it comes to cars so I definitely don't want to watch something on YouTube and then crack open the bonnet and try do to things myself.

But I would love to learn from someone who has experience with these cars!

If you're nearby LA (I'm in Hollywood) let me know!

Looking forward to meeting you all. I'll attach a couple of pics of my Jag

Cheers
James

 

Welcome aboard. When I started with my first car, I had to go to this big building in downtown and read books on how to fix my car. I think it was called a Library. I didn't always fix things the first time. Sometimes I had to go back to the library and re-read or find a different book that explained it better. I made some mistakes, but I never did anything so wrong as to cause a catastrophic engine failure or wreck the car. You're fortunate to have forums like this one and Youtube University. I wish I'd had such resources back then.

I was starting about the time that everything was switching over from carburetors to computerized fuel injection and everyone thought that was going to be the end of DIY repairs. You had to have access to the diagnostic computer at the dealership. But if anything, it got easier. Used to spend days tuning an engine. I remember fiddling with limit screws and bending little S-shaped linkages on carburetors, going for a drive, and fiddling with them again, over and over. After computerization all you do it reassemble and engine and turn the key. It runs a little rough for a few minutes as the computer reads all the sensors and makes adjustments, but it tunes itself. And if something goes wrong, a cheap handheld scanner can read the error codes and often (not always, but often) lead you right to the faulty component. Today, many members of your generation aren't even scared to open up the computer box, replace chips, plug them into a laptop and tinker with the settings to get more power like we used to do with our linkages and set-screws.

Just start buying tools (one can never have too many tools) and have at it. If you run into something you don't understand, then just post a question. We've got some brilliant people on here who've already fixed everything that will ever need fixing to help explain how to do it. I'd say good luck, but you don't really even need that. You'll be fine.