Yes it looks like the one.

In it's favour it is lighter, keeps better contact with the screen and requires no aerofoil to maintain contact but for me it's most notable attribute is it can barely be seen from inside the cabin when the wipers are parked, giving better forward vision.

In truth the old Trico design is from the sixties, it is heavy, crude and inefficient. The cantilever springing raises the profile of blade making it more susceptible to wind effect and causes uneven wear of the blade, making the decision a no brainer

Greytop

Thanks for the great post and discussion. I have experienced the air suspension issues and thanks to this site, Arnotts and bagpipingAndy managed to repair to like-new condition. &, I just finished a complete brake job with the help of the generous contributors on this site.

The support offered here takes what could be frustrating and turns it into a very satisfying hobby!

Further, it seems that the mechanics in our area don't have the time for us any longer. I have one guy who takes an interest; however, he is close to retirement age and seems to be less and less available. So, it is very satisfying to know that things can get done when I have the time.

Hi,
My recent purchase of a 2004 XJ8 Vanden Plas with 73k on it makesit my seventh Jag.
The x350 and other variations of descriptors has m confused. Where can I read more on this subject?
Jag Nut

Try Wiki for all the info you need on this, quick n easy

Your right ups are fantastic guys thank you. I haven't had any issue so far. My 07 XJR which I bought from the original owner hasn't given me any issues that you guys have mentioned. I did however have to replace the front struts but they had been done by the previous owner and Arnott stood behind the replacement. Other than that nothing to complain about. I live in Palm Springs CA where the summers are the most brutal of all and the car came from Phoenix AZ. It was garaged its entire life and I have all the service records. The coolant tank was replaced but other than those two items I mentioned. Nothing has been done and its still running like a champ. Nothing but regular maintenance for this car so far. 98K miles and still going.

2005 XJ8
 

On steady use all is good, but mine sat for a few days, & on startup there was a thump, thump, about 6, & the front end eased up slightly.
Is this a portend of problems. or normal? say normal!

Thank you for these wonderful contributions guys..about to tackle the headliner here on 04 xj8.

Communication fault please consult your dealer - on screen
 

This message has appeared a few times over the past few months.

The AC /heating and radio don't seem to be controllable when this happens.

If I stop and restart the engine it goes away.

Is this anything to worry about, or maybe deserves a visit to the garage to scan the computer diagnostics to see what it is monitoring for?

The message would be more meaningful if it actually mentioned what the fault actually was. Or is this some con so you have to take the car to the dealership so they can rip you off !

X350 2004 V6 model

you should also note that the ENTIRE thermostat housing and outlet pipe need to be changed if you need to change the thermostat for any reason. They're plastic and prone to coming apart inside. This will go one of 3 ways, the engine overheats, fans run on longer than normal, engine runs too cold not getting up to operating temps. If you have secondary air injection plan on just buying the plastic line assemblies from jaguar since they're brittle and will break when you look at them to long... :)

Thanks every body on this tread, now I can go out to looking for an XJ.

Great write up Cambo and all other contributors.

I'd also add catalytic convertors. Mine were replaced after 80,000KM but the car has now done over 270,000KM without the need to replace the second set of catalytic convertors

Update - Jan 2017 - This messages has NOT, re-appeared since I posted this item.

I called a jag dealer and they told me that the thermostat housing is the outlet pipe and it is priced at $180. Didn't make since to me but now that you have mentioned it...are the thermostat, housing and outlet pipe 3 different parts?

Hi croco,

I can't recall the year and model of your car - it's a good idea to add that info to your signature line so others don't have to ask.

If your car is a normally-aspirated X350, then Jaguar calls everything included in the diagram below the "Outlet Pipe" assembly. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...7e9551d502.png

Part 2 is called the Thermostat Cover and can be purchased as an assembly with the thermostat included. For example Gates part 34726 is $30.79 at Rock Auto:

More Information for GATES 34726

SNG Barratt offers the entire Outlet Pipe assembly, Jaguar part number AJ811793, for $130.30:

SNG Barratt - The Ultimate Jaguar Parts Specialist

If your car is supercharged, the Outlet Pipe and Thermostat Housing are different.

Cheers,

Don

Radiator Coolant Overflow
 

Be careful around the radiator overflow nipple. It is very long and the hose that attaches to it if pulled up or down will cause it to break very easily. This will cause the radiator fluid, as it heats up, to leak instead of going to the overflow and back. This ends up leading to an overheated engine - believe me, I found out the hard way on a 1000 mile trip. Luckily, I had stashed away radiator coolant in the trunk (boot for you English types) but still had to stop every hour or so to fill back up.

Communication Fault
 

I had this as well after I had pulled the touchscreen module to connect my iPhone to the system (have since replaced that and installed Veffremov's Bluetooth and am very happy with it). Seems I didn't get one of the connectors quite seated and it was slightly loose causing an intermittent loss of signal. After I was back in I found it "wiggly" so made sure the second time that I got it snapped in tightly. Now, no problem.


Has anyone been into the dash center console? If so, might be the same issue. The fact that it hasn't come back is likely that it moved to a spot where there is good connection, but hit a bump, and it may jostle loose again. If you're comfortable with minor repairs, this is an easy thing to address. Hardest part is getting the "horse collar" cover for the center console out of the vehicle.

Speaking of wiper blades, I had to replace mine recently. Because of the spray nozzle on the wiper, typical replacements won't do the trick. The spray nozzle itself is part of the attachment piece which is riveted to the wiper mechanism (instead of being replaceable like on a replacement wiper). And of course, blades from the dealership are outrageous.


Solution? Buy replacement blades of the correct length (19 in passenger, 24 in for driver) that have the old style multi-point carriage (like what's on the car). Take the new blade and near one end you should see the metal strip that supports the entire blade will have a little bump on either side of the last clip that holds the blade. You can use a set of pliers to squeeze this into the rubber blade and push the blade/metal strip out of the wiper carriage. Take the wiper off the vehicle and do the same on the old wiper, unplugging the washer hose from the nozzle - just pull on it as it's a compression fit. Then, take the new rubber/metal strip and feed it into the old wiper carriage, pushing the bump into the last clip. Return to vehicle plugging washer spray hose back into nozzle. Voila, new wiper at much less cost.

Sway bar bushing will make a lot of noise going over rough road. Some will diagnose is at air suspension, some will say control arms. Check them as they are a PITA to get to. Hazet 13 mm offset is the only way. Be sure to long life grease the snot out of the bushings or you will regret it, they will squeak and bind. You will think they whole front end is shot. Lube em and they are super quiet.

Super charger coolant leak.....The one little nasty hose under the SC will get you every time. Big job at dealer, big job at home. Hoses are not cheap and you will want to change them all out. The one hose that I didn't change, the one from the overflow to the ther inlet (for $48 buck wholesale and 74 retail) got me 6 months, just because I was being cheap. I dropped almost $800 in hoses, did water pump, replaced pulley bearings, did the SC snout, belts, and added an oil separator when I saw how much oil is dumped back into Throttle Body. The cats like to be massaged. And they like special tools.

Other than that....super cars.

Thanks for the info

Thermostat
It's made of PLASTIC on the XJ8. The supercharged version is metal.
Our XJ8 failed at start, made a pop noise. After driving on the freeway, slowed to city streets and it started to overheat. Shut it off, cooled down, then made it to the dealer.
Rear Sun Blind
Worst design ever. VERY thin metal on the support rods, will bend with use and then break. PIA to fix. Jag now sells the support rods with these ends for $100 each.
Headliner
Look at the front windscreeen area, and the very back by the top of the rear window for sagging. This will especially happen if the car sits outside.