Issues to look for
#1
06-29-2018, 10:44 PM
Issues to look for
Hello all, I'm looking into purchasing an '05 sport brake/ wagon and was wondering what are the common issues and trouble spots with this model? 3.0 ltr engine, 87,000 miles, looks to be pretty solid. I own a XK8 '02 so I'm used to turning wrenches, etc. Any help will be appreciated, thank you.
#2
06-30-2018, 07:31 AM
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Daves, you have a rare creature there. Not many were brought to the US.
As for issues, the big issues the car suffers from is intake vacuum leaks. That will be easy to tell as the check engine light will be lit on the dash. If you have this issue, great way to talk the price down and fix it yourself for cheap.
After that, take the car out for a test drive. Does the front end of the car sound like a "box of rocks getting tossed around". If so, that is the transfer case starting to go and you will want to run away from the car unless you are willing to put in a transfer case (a new one through Jaguar runs about $3000 installed).
At this point, get the car up to about 60-70 mph and listen for a hum that is going to sound like it is coming from under/behind the front seats. This would be the carrier bearing for the rear drive shaft. Normally this can be fixed with a simple greasing, but another means to talk the price down since you may need to replace the rear drive shaft.
Next, find a long sweeping turn (cloverleaf exit for example) and get the car going about 20ish mph and in the middle of the turn, get on the gas a little bit like you would want to pass someone in the middle of the turn. Does the rear end of the car feel like it is going to come around on you? If yes, then you have a control arm on the rear suspension that will need replaced. Not a hard job, but if you don't take care of it soon, it will eat up a set of tires. Kinda along that lines, take a look at the inside edge of all 4 tires. This car can start eating tires pretty easy if you don't have the suspension just so. easy to keep there, but once it starts going, the tires are the first symptom normally.
The last thing is to set the e-brake prior to starting your drive. You should see the end of the e-brake lever come up about 3-4 inches and then get firm (ie, e-brake has engaged). if you pull the lever up say 6-7 inches and then it feels like it hits a stop, you most likely have a problem with a caliper. I have found that the e-brake levers tend to get rusty and will stick. This will result in the e-brake lever getting really easy to pull all the way to the top. Normally the fix is to get a new caliper (about $100 through your local auto parts store). Kinda like after the test drive, run the back of your hand near each wheel. they should all be warm, not hot. This will be especially true of the rear wheels. if you have a hot rear wheel, the e-brake lever has stuck on you.
The big "run away" thing for this car is the sills under the doors. If you see the paint starting to bubble there, run away from the car. Most cars do not suffer from any problems, but there have been a few that have suffered from sill rot. The sill is a structural part of the car and getting that repaired is a very costly thing. I have never seen it personally, but members here have had the unfortunate experience with it. If you do some looking, there should be some pics about it.
I know this may sound like a lot of issues, but this is a summation of the "common problems" that this car experiences. All of these can be fixed by someone that is willing to turn a wrench (except for the sill rot). We can help you get through just about anything here.
As for issues, the big issues the car suffers from is intake vacuum leaks. That will be easy to tell as the check engine light will be lit on the dash. If you have this issue, great way to talk the price down and fix it yourself for cheap.
After that, take the car out for a test drive. Does the front end of the car sound like a "box of rocks getting tossed around". If so, that is the transfer case starting to go and you will want to run away from the car unless you are willing to put in a transfer case (a new one through Jaguar runs about $3000 installed).
At this point, get the car up to about 60-70 mph and listen for a hum that is going to sound like it is coming from under/behind the front seats. This would be the carrier bearing for the rear drive shaft. Normally this can be fixed with a simple greasing, but another means to talk the price down since you may need to replace the rear drive shaft.
Next, find a long sweeping turn (cloverleaf exit for example) and get the car going about 20ish mph and in the middle of the turn, get on the gas a little bit like you would want to pass someone in the middle of the turn. Does the rear end of the car feel like it is going to come around on you? If yes, then you have a control arm on the rear suspension that will need replaced. Not a hard job, but if you don't take care of it soon, it will eat up a set of tires. Kinda along that lines, take a look at the inside edge of all 4 tires. This car can start eating tires pretty easy if you don't have the suspension just so. easy to keep there, but once it starts going, the tires are the first symptom normally.
The last thing is to set the e-brake prior to starting your drive. You should see the end of the e-brake lever come up about 3-4 inches and then get firm (ie, e-brake has engaged). if you pull the lever up say 6-7 inches and then it feels like it hits a stop, you most likely have a problem with a caliper. I have found that the e-brake levers tend to get rusty and will stick. This will result in the e-brake lever getting really easy to pull all the way to the top. Normally the fix is to get a new caliper (about $100 through your local auto parts store). Kinda like after the test drive, run the back of your hand near each wheel. they should all be warm, not hot. This will be especially true of the rear wheels. if you have a hot rear wheel, the e-brake lever has stuck on you.
The big "run away" thing for this car is the sills under the doors. If you see the paint starting to bubble there, run away from the car. Most cars do not suffer from any problems, but there have been a few that have suffered from sill rot. The sill is a structural part of the car and getting that repaired is a very costly thing. I have never seen it personally, but members here have had the unfortunate experience with it. If you do some looking, there should be some pics about it.
I know this may sound like a lot of issues, but this is a summation of the "common problems" that this car experiences. All of these can be fixed by someone that is willing to turn a wrench (except for the sill rot). We can help you get through just about anything here.
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daves_ale (06-30-2018)
#3
06-30-2018, 08:59 AM
Thermo,
Excellent write up sir, thank you.
Considering when I bought my XK8 I wound up rebuilding the entire front end due to sagging suspension and shock mounts, followed by removing the interior to deal with exploding lines for the top, this seems like pretty easy stuff to assess. I do my own work.
I guess my main concern is the tranny, that's what I see pop up when searching. I believe you mentioned in another post about them changing out the tranny for a better one in mid '04? Given this has a date of 10/04 it should fall into that (*crosses fingers). This will be used as a daily driver/ work vehicle, I'm in sales, so I'm hoping to get some solid years out of it. I do mostly highway miles and I've stopped racing from light to light decades ago.
Any other info you can provide I greatly appreciate, thank you for your time and input.
Excellent write up sir, thank you.
Considering when I bought my XK8 I wound up rebuilding the entire front end due to sagging suspension and shock mounts, followed by removing the interior to deal with exploding lines for the top, this seems like pretty easy stuff to assess. I do my own work.
I guess my main concern is the tranny, that's what I see pop up when searching. I believe you mentioned in another post about them changing out the tranny for a better one in mid '04? Given this has a date of 10/04 it should fall into that (*crosses fingers). This will be used as a daily driver/ work vehicle, I'm in sales, so I'm hoping to get some solid years out of it. I do mostly highway miles and I've stopped racing from light to light decades ago.
Any other info you can provide I greatly appreciate, thank you for your time and input.
#4
06-30-2018, 10:16 AM
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Daves, it is the transfer case, not transmission that is the issue. If it has a build date of 10/04, then you are golden. The only thing that I would tell you to look for is the "DSC button" on the center console. The "down side" to the new transfer case is that it is an open differential design. So, while it does apply power to all 4 wheels, if one wheel looses traction, it will take all the power and leave the other 3 wheels sitting still. This is where the DSC will step in and limit the speed that the one wheel can go too and force the transfer case to send power to the other wheels. This shouldn't be a deal breaker as you can do a similar thing with appropriate application of the brake pedal to limit the speed of the one wheel.
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