Hi all, new member here.

I just test drove a 1996 XJR with 106k on the clock and loved it. A/C was ice cold, it shifted gears smoothly and the bodywork is immaculate. Oh, I also found myself doing 110 mph without realising it too, so that's encouraging

I have a couple of questions that I hope are easy to answer! I've owned several turbo-charged cars (Volvo and Saab) over the years and am used to the noises made by turbos. The XJR has a whine under acceleration which I assume is the supercharger, my question is should I be worried about being able to hear the supercharger? I mean, does it mean that it's about to die and need replacing like turbos do every now and then?

The car only comes with a single key and no remotes. I've found a few guides on the web which suggest that (roughly speaking) opening the boot, turning the key to position I and pressing the central locking switch in the car 5 times will put the car into learning mode. Can anyone confirm that this is the case, and do I need a 1995-1997 remote, or will any XJ series remote work?

I'm probably going to buy the car tomorrow unless someone can give me a good reason not to!

Cheers guys,

Richard

 

'95 thru '97 XJ6 is a remote that is not common to other models. It also was supplied in two frequency ranges. The correct one might be VIN specific, I'm not sure. Programing the proper one is an easy procedure to find.

How much for the car, and what color is it?

 

Thanks for the remote info.

Car is black with black leather. It looks stunning! I've noticed some discussions about chrome vs. body coloured front grilles and this one has a black one.

Price is $7K

 

Run a Carfax to make sure it hasn't had issues, and buy it. My black/ black '97 has a black grille, and I am under the impression that all R types had grille shells painted to match body color.

 

I am very sorely tempted!

The Carfax shows only smog checks, although it was a fleet vehicle for the first 10y9m of it's life, the current owner is the 2nd. It's had oil changes every 3k miles, but I've no other real history. However, if the condition of the bodywork/interior and engine bay are anything to go by, it has been cosseted it's whole life.

The Carfax also shows an accident sometime in the last 12 months, but there is no more information. The accident was in California and I have a police reference number, but no idea how to check it out further (I'm from the UK and new to buying cars in the US). There is no obvious evidence of the accident and the Carfax report says the airbag was not deployed, so I figure it was a very minor accident.

Any ideas on the supercharger whine, is it bad or normal? It's not intrusive or loud, just there.

EDIT: Just saw XjJagXjJeepDriver's reply to the supercharger issue, must have replied whilst I was typing, thanks!

 

It would be prudent to disconnect the belts and feel the idlers for dry/ sloppy bearings. They are truly sealed for life, probably original and may be the source of some noise. Happy exporting.

 

Ah, is that a big job to check on the owner's driveway?

I'm not going to export the car back to it's homeland sadly, the cost of fuel would cripple me! I'm here for 3-4 years and am taking advantage of the (realtively) cheap cost of petrol in the US to fulfil a dream of owning ine of these! Petrol in the UK is £1.13 per litre at present or $8.90 per US Gallon. Not really Jag friendly!

I'll try and see if I can get a specialist to check the car over, that might be the best solution to the idler issue. Trouble is, the owner needs to sell fast due to money probs (he's selling a few cars off to raise cash) and I don't want to be gazumped (I hope that term is used this side of the pond...) due to waiting for a tech to be free. Although if I don't, the repair bills might be nasty. It's a quandry!

 

Well thanks for the tips and info all, I put a deposit on the car this morning after I took it to a Jag specialist who checked it over thoroughly and confirmed that the whine was the normal supercharger noise and nothing to worry about and that the car was a great purchase

Only issues the car has that I didn't spot on the first drive are that the headlining in the rear is hanging low and needs sticking back up and the main rear view mirror has been epoxied in place so it can't be adjusted. When I tried to make the view better, it came of fin my hand and now doesn't go back in the same place, so I can't see out the back! Looks like I need a replacement one. I notice on fleabay there are 3 wire, 5 wire and 8 pin ones advertised. I guess I'd better wait until I have the car on my own drive early next week so I can check what I have before I order one!

Looking forward to driving my first Jag, I still have a schoolboy type excitement about me!

 

Hey rparker,I'm happy for ya . It seems you will be buying one of the finest machines around and also a great combination of colors