Hi all,
I am looking to buy a Jag (I'm playing a risky game because its my first car ever) and I mainly am looking around at X308s and X350s. However just recently a listing got posted on craigslist for an 95 XJ6. I've heard great things about Jag's inline six engines from this era and the rest of the car, I assume, is very similar to the X308 other than some differences in drivetrain and other things. I am not as educated on X300's and I was wondering if any of you have any advice on what to look for, specific issues, or general buying advice for X300s.

Thanks!

 

Go to the Sticky Thread section above and open the "How to" thread. In there you'll find an X300 buyers guide to get you started. Then come back for more info, clarifications, etc

Cheers
DD

 

I gave it a read over earlier and was wondering more on the side of common problems that people may have experienced with this certain model year of 1995 and such. Also the laundry list of certain issues that can happen seem to intimidate me more than what could happen to an X308/350 but maybe it's because I've looked into those substantially more. And comparatively to the 308 and 350 is the X300 any more costly to look after and maintain or should I pass up on this model and stick to the other ones?

 

My experience with 2 of them.

They are bullet proof mechanically, BUT, if its an abused car, the badge means nothing.

That AJ16 engine is rock solid. OK, it has little issues here and there, that are simple fixes.

The Transmission, being USA, will be the ZF 4HP24 electronic controlled unit. Good unit, but the trans fluid MUST be kept clean and fresh, like any other car.

I have never had a diff problem, but I dont beat my Jags.

The trans in the X308 (except the R) has internal issues, and if it has not been upgraded, walk away, that is $$.
The engine has plastic chain tensioners, and again, if they have not been upgraded, walk, that is a $2000 job on average.
Water pump, not the end of the world, nor is the thermostat issue.
BUT, if the V8 has been overheated, death sentence.

I would have another X300 in a heartbeat, if access was easier for me, and its not, sadly.

 

Are the coil packs and EGR valve anything to be scared of?

 

Both are known to give trouble. Often the EGR just needs to be cleaned.

The bugaboo with the coils is finding good replacements. Lots of low quality junk out there. Or, at least, there used to be. It's been a few years since I've had to deal with it

Cheers
DD

 

This might help you

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...s-46769/page3/

Cheers
DD

 

And this:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-record-84881/

It should be noted that I sold the car at 171k miles and, although the repair list grew a bit longer, is was still running well and never left me stranded!

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks for the help! I'll have to see how the rest of the week goes but right now it is looking like I'm going to have to pass on this one for other reasons. (Some weird government benefit limitations that my mother is on may get messed up through some convoluted process of technicalities, and the seller hasn't found the service history yet because the car was his late father's) I can now say for a fact that X300's are on my radar from this point forward though. Again, the help is greatly appreciated!

 

Cracked exhaust manifolds are a common problem which has no viable solution except sourcing good used ones from the market or fabricating a set made of stainless steel, which can be very costly and must be professionally made and installed.

 

My 2 pence worth

You are definitely right to look at X300 or X308 rather than later models that got rather fat and tall.

The X300 engines are very robust if a little basic. I have a base model 3.2. It goes down the road nicely but isn't fast. The 4.0 is better

The X308 engines have better performance clearly but to me seem on balance to be a little more "plastic fantastic" and more fragile.

Outwardly they are the same car to most people. I personally prefer to the dash pod in the X300 for practicality even though the X308 is nicer looking with individual dials.

 

If you want a reliable car that can be repaired inexpensively get X300. I own an XJR (supercharged version of the six cylinder) and an XK8 coupe, which has same running gear as X308, so I have first hand experience with both.

X300 Pros:
- engine is bulletproof, will last you 200K easily with nothing more than basic maintenance, if not abused.
- Transmissions (4 speed auto) are bulletproof on both normally aspirated and supercharged version of this car
X300 Cons:
- ride isn't as sporty as X308 (More like Mercedes, less like a BMW)
- normally aspirated version isn't a speed demon


X308 Pros:
- sportier (less like Mercedes more like BMW) ride, a bit more fun to drive
- normally aspirated X308 cars are faster than the X300
- the Automatic transmission of the supercharged version (made by Mercedes) is very reliable.

X308 cons:
- Early v8 engines had nikasil bores. Sulfur-rich gasoline in the US destroys them. Most are probably all gone by now, though.
- v8 engines came with bad timing chains tensioners that need to be replaced to avoid catastrophic engine failure. It's an expensive repair ($600 in parts and like 8 hours of labor). Usually happens around 100K, could happen sooner with aggressive driving and infrequent oil changes (or oil from the likes of Jiffy Lube).
- v8 engines had poorly designed plastic parts in the cooling system that need to be updated to aluminum.
- v8 used the first generation of the fly-by-wire electronic throttle. It is known to fail and is expensive to replace.
- The automatic transmission (5-speed ZF 5HP24) on the normally aspirated version has a design defect in the valve body. It usually fails at 100K, sooner with aggressive driving. Rebuild costs more than the market value of X308 in good running condition. Only a handful of specialist shops in the US can rebuild these transmissions successfully.

In general, if you want reliability, get the X300 with Inline six or skip the x308 and get the X350 instead, because the 4.2 liter v8 with a 6-speed automatic (ZF 6HP series) are bulletproof.