So I just brought home my new to me 1995 xjr. Drove it home from ottawa to hamilton (approx 500kms)

A few of the small niggles ive notices so far:

1)The car drove great, a slight vibration between 120-130kms/hr. The suspension feels quite tight compared to others ive driven, so Im thinking I need some new bushings or something along those lines?
2)Cigarette lighter doesnt seem to work (there is light in it, just no power)
3)Passenger side heated seat not working
4)Button on the trunk to open not working
5)Radio is garbage, with some rattles coming from the back
6)I have 2 keys, but no fobs

Thats all I can come up with from the ride home (aside from the gas consumption)
Does anyone else's xjr seem to run extremely cool?
The temp gauge didnt seem to move much past the blue mark.

Last but not least, now that it is in my driveway, any suggestions on immediate maintenance, or fluid changes that should be done.
Ive tackled putting fresh oil in it already, just curious what people here might recommend.

Thanks for all the help in advance, just trying to make sure I keep this beauty on the road.

ps - ill get pics of it ASAP

 

The temp gauge should come up to the mid point, these cars also typically warm up quickly. I suspect your thermostat is stuck open. That would also account for poor fuel economy. Fortunately a thermostat is quick and easy to change.

A rattle from the back speaker can be the sub woofer. If you lift out the trim panel ( I think the rear seat needs to be removed) the ring around the speaker cone has probably come loose. It can be reguled with model cement and the rattle will go away.

For the trunk button take a look at the wiring harness right at the right side trunk hinge. It's common for the wires to break where they bend and will have to be repaired.

 

Thermostat ordered.

I also have chrome window surrounds as well as side view mirrors, is that common?

 

Welcome to XJR owenersip! These are wonderful cars, but at the age they are unless they've been impeccably maintained, you might get to experience the death-of-a-thousand-cuts until it's all sorted out.

North American cars were shipped with chrome trim, rest-of-world cars had black trim.

1. Change all driveline fluids, including a transmission fluid and filter change, differential fluid, and brake fluid. Once the trans is done, change the fluid alone a few times as one pan drop will not drain all the torque converter fluid. The trans pan has a drain plug, and one drain is ~ 4 qts.
2. Look at the suspension. I can't even count how many bushings I've had replaced, but basically it's all of them. Every time I had one fixed I noticed the next bump/rattle. Now it finally drives like it should. My shocks were fine though at 110,000 miles (US car).
3. Once the bushings are looked at/replaced, then get an alignment.
4. Run through a couple of tanks with fuel injection cleaner; I use Amsoil:
AMSOIL P.i. Performance Improver Gasoline Additive
5. Change the plugs.
6. Forget about the seat heater, quite complicated and expensive to repair. Mine will burn my right thigh about 2 minutes so I know it's ready to short out, so I don't use it.
7. _http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/fuel-additives/gasoline/p-i-performance-improver-gasoline-additive/?code=APICN-EA

+1 on Jagboi64's recommendations.

 

Side mirrors are usually body coloured on XJR's and XJ6's, chrome on VDP and XJ12. Sounds like the previous owner has changed them to dress it up a bit.

For your cigarette lighter, try replacing the relay, it's in the right side rear heelboard, should be the third relay if you start counting at the centre of the car and go outward. Also check the fuse, it's #9 on the left rear heelboard fusebox, should be 20A.

For the heated seat first check that the lumbar pump works, as it's a common ground to the seat heaters. If yes, you'll have to get underneath and you'll see a seat module, and 4 plugs going into it. You might have to unbolt the seat and tilt it back to see them. On the smaller (12 pin) blue connector you should see a red wire at pin 9 and a black at pin 10. Unplug the connector and measure the resistance across the red and black wires. If it's open circuit, then the element is burned out.

Key fobs: partway through 1995 at VIN 758728 the security module changed. Before that it was 315 MHz, after that it was 433 MHz. You can find fobs of the right frequency to match your car and program them. They don't have to be Jaguar fobs, others here have used fobs from other cars and matched the frequency.

 

thanks for all the great advice. So far the car is running great, getting to know its quirks.
There are quite a few thuds over bumps. As far as the suspension goes, would it be wise to just go through and replace all the bushings at once?
Is there a source to get a complete bushing set for these vehicles?
How durable are the springs and shocks?
I was thinking Mina springs with new shocks. Mind you, not everything at once, ill stockpile parts for summer and mabey do all the work at once.

edit - so today on the highway the car seemed to miss or stutter. It would seem to only happen when the car would want to build boost. I think there may be an exhaust leak, could this be causing the miss??


Thanks again everyone, this is a great forum.

 

The most likely culprit for a suspension clunk is top shock bushings. I'd replace those first and then see what happens. Coventry West makes an upgraded set that are better than the originals.

For the miss, I's suspect either coils or plugs. These engines are very sensitive about sparkplugs, so replace only with Champion's, just the regular copper plugs; nothing fancy and definitely no platinum plugs. I think the plug is R12, but I can't remember. Do a search here and you'll see it.

Coils do go bad, there is quite a saga here about those and how bad the aftermarket coils are. It's worth reading that thread here: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0-coils-93966/

 

Just did a suspension overhaul, rides great now.

Also replaced the plugs, the slight stutter is still there but not nearly as bad. I guess the next step is to look at coils?

 

Hello, M5Andrew,

Were you able to make contact with any of the Jaguar master mechanics in St.Catharines from the email I sent you a while back?

 

I was actually waiting for an email from you and never received it. I probably should have looked in my junk folder perhaps. That would have been useful.
I ended up going to a shop called The Cats Cradle in etobicoke. The guys there were really friendly and seemed very knowledgeable. They are a shop that specializes in Jags and came recommended from others.
The plus was they have a much more reasonable labour rate than Birkshire Motors and even have me a new black leather cup holder piece on the house as mine has a tear in it.

 

I'm glad to hear you had a good experience with Mike from Cat's cradle as my communication with him left me puzzled.

I asked him about a section of exhaust I need for my 95 jaguar xjr thinking he might have a used one kicking around but his reply was to say when they were available they cost $4,000.00 but his exhaust guy could make me one for $800.00. I have no idea if he has info I do not know of but I can buy this part all day long NEW for just over USD $400, and have it shipped to a US mailbox near the border.

Good of him for giving you the cup holder.

Bretton's is the nearest jag guy by you, just one city over.

 

Welcome!