1997 XJ6 driving in COLD weather
 

I have a road trip planned in my 1997 XJ6 (has about 75k miles on it). It'll be highway speeds (75mph) and COLD - as high as 20 degrees (F) and as cold as maybe just below zero. Do I need to be concerned about those temps freezing up the engine?

(Years ago we had an '85 buick and had to put cardboard in front of the radiator on the highway in such driving conditions.)

Hi Kanjag, going from my own experience the short answer is no, nothing to worry about, apart from keeping an eye on road conditions, good luck and let us know how you get on.

Thanks! I got a brand new set of tires so at-least those should be OK :)

As long as your antifreeze is up to specification ( a 50/50 mix) you'll be fine. The coldest I have driven my car in was -43C and the heater had trouble putting out enough heat, but the engine was fine. My previous Series III V12 car had a much better heater, -40 didn't bother it.

This has nothing to do with cold weather. However I noticed that you Jag has 75K miles. I recommend you to check the differential and change oil. I have two 97 XJ6s. The first one developed winning noise due to low oil and the entire differential was replaced at 80K miles. My second XJ6 with 55K miles that I recently purchased also was low on oil, which I drained and refilled before it becomes an issue.

OK. Thanks for the info. I bought this at around 45k miles. I tend to baby it - oil changes / frequent services. I'll even drop it by the mechanic and have them give it a once over before a road trip - its not a five year old Toyota! Fortunately I have two separate mechanics I'm comfortable taking the car to. I'll have to look into the differential - hadn't thought about that.

As an aside... sometimes folks dream about the car they'd get if they had a million dollars: something like a Lambo, or maybe a Bentley. I'd throw an unreasonable amount of money at this 1997 Jag XJ6 to fix... anything. That model is in, in my opinion, one of the best looking cars ever made (by anyone). Its a beautiful car.

Make sure your heater is producing hot air before you strike out. And check that your thermostat is not stuck open. Best is an OBDII device with live data - you can see what the coolant temp is getting to when fully warmed up. If stuck open, you won't see much above 150F, depending on ambient temp and speed.

Less reliable, make sure your temp gauge is reaching the middle or near to it.

Heater cores are known to clog up and not pass coolant, hence no warm air for your feet, so may need a backflush.

OK. Thanks for the info.