Hi, I am going to look at a 199 4.0 XJ8 this evening. It looks mint and he will take £1000 for it as he says the ABS and Traction Control lights come on and dont gout out until a few miles. He says its been standing for a month and the battery has been flat and is not sure how good the battery is so could it just be that? Dont know if its worth taking a risk or could I be looking at a massive repair bill? Thanks. Dan

 

I had the same issue and it was a broken ABS sensor cable. You may need a test on the dealer or independent, to locate the right wheel. A new cable is 50-60 pounds.

Also Traction control message while starting the engine is a weak battery (I see it when I leave the car sitting for weeks).

 

For a grand you will have to accept that there are problems with the car, but it's worth more than that in parts if the engine and box are ok. I'm not far from you so if you want me to have a shufty at it, send me a pm and I'll give you my mobile number.

 

From what I've read on this forum, a low battery can cause all sorts of codes and messages to pop up. Bring a battery tester when you look at the car.

Either way, if those codes are all that's wrong with it, it sounds like a good price. If the secondary timing tensioners have not been upgraded, factor that into your decision, as you will want to upgrade them immediately. Also, check the compression, as Nikasil may or may not be an issue for you.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Dinger, I got it in te end and the lights have now gone out but thanks for the offer after driving for about 60 miles tho the coolent light came on briefly and although it was dark I think I noticed some water on the toad to the left of the car. Will look around for leaks today.