After lusting after the big Jag for much of my adult life, I may now be in a position to pull the trigger on 2004 XJ8 with 65K miles on it. I know that Jaguar has made huge improvements since the days of needing to have a 2nd car, since the Jag was always in the shop, but I'm still a bit nervous.

A few questions:

1) Generally - what should I be prepared for?

2)Should I have the car I'm considering checked out by a Jaguar dealer (it's for sale at a Mercedes dealer)?

3) How much should I plan to spend to have the car maintained?

4) Any big service items I should plan for in the near term given the mileage (65K) on the car.

5) I've heard horror stories about Jaguar dealers. Should I look for an independent mechanic?

6) Anything I'm not asking that I should?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

1.)The '04 up cars, with the 4.2L engine and 6 speed transmission, are the result of fixing things for 8 years of field engineering that finally paid off. The '04 up should be about as reliable as any other car.

2.) It might be a good investment. Expect to pay $200 plus for a complete review. I would particularity look for any accident damage. The '04 was the first year of the aluminum bodied XJ8/R and body repair is more difficult than previous models. Since it is for sale at a dealer, ask them to provide a CarFax report. Remember that CarFax can only report what has been reported to them. Says so in their disclaimer. Also ask the Jaguar dealer to pull the Warranty Repair Detail report which will list all the warranty repairs. They can also print out all repair invoices from any Jaguar dealer but will ask for a release from the PO because of the name/address/tel no information of the invoice. That doesn't exist on the warranty report so if they tell you 'privacy' they mean that they do not want to do it.

3.) Oil changes at the dealer are easily in the $$$ range, plus there is no end of other repairs that can be recommended, and can be done by anyone, including DIY. Repairs are going to cost more at a Jaguar dealer than at a Ford dealer.

4.) The 60k mile service is a larger than normal one. Ask for repair orders verifying that the service was done. You can down load the service book and other owner books here:

http://www.ownerinfo.jaguar.com/extf...prod/index.jsp

5.) Dealers provide a valuable service at a valuable price. A good independent shop will be substantially less. A local non-specially shop may be stressed with the Jaguar although most now have AllData, or something similar, and can handle a lot of the potential work.

6.) Perhaps you can check out the following link to review all the issues Jaguar resolved leading up to the '04.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=29800

That's all the 'field engineering' I was referring to.

Good luck! Great car.

 

I can only relay what the jaguar service advisor told me about the newer (04-09s), they have two trouble spots...

- air suspensions system (air shocks and compressors)
- throttle bodies

He added, when I told him I was entertaining a newer XJ to my househould, to avoid the 04s, he said for some reason (maybe first year of a model-rework) they are very twitchy and have alot of various problems electrically. Just saying what I heard, please take it with a grain of salt.

 

I'm working on compiling a PDF document of the checklist I made from my searches on this site.

I should have it ready in a couple of days and will post it.

 

Here's the list of the notes I wrote to myself after scouring this site for a couple of weeks.

Any questions just ask.

Also if anyone has something to add please reply and I'll add it to the list.

Time Needed

2 Hours

Tools to take with you

• Digital Camera
• Inspection Mirror
• Creeper
• Jack
• Jack Stands
• Bright Mini Flashlight and batteries
• Tread Depth Gauge
• Compact Disc with music on it.
• Watch

Interior
Operate all controls in the vehicle and verify they are functioning in every way.

Check all exterior lights.

Check Operation of Mirrors

Operate Air Conditioning and verify outlet temp.

Check all Seat Heaters Front and Rear.

Check Armrest Cupholder and verify it’s not broken.

Operate Wiper and Washer. Check for smooth operation and even delay time. Erratic Operation is a problem to watch for.

Check Headliner. Make sure fabric is not separating.

Check condition of all wood trim. Some clearcoat cracks are normal. Split wood is another issue.

Check condition of seating surfaces

Verify function of power seats and lumbar support.

Verify that both keys Start the car.

Check the function of both remotes.

Verify the radio unlock code is known.

Verify function of CD Player

Turn up the volume and listen for bad speakers.

Verify the clock works and keeps time.


Exterior
Check all painted surfaces and look for inconsistencies in gaps and paint.

Check body panels and note all damage.

Check condition of windshield.

Check Door Jambs for evidence of paint overspray.

Check every body panel for the factory Jaguar VIN tag. Verify last 4 digits. The hood, decklid, doors and bumper beams will have tags if the panels are original.

Underhood
Let Owner know the car must be Stone Cold when you get there. You want to do a cold start and check for Valvetrain Noise. Verify temp of engine, then start. If it rattles it needs Timing Chain Tensioners.

Once cold started turn around imedeately and verify it did not spew a cloud of blue smoke.

Remove Oil Cap and Dipstick to look for sludge buildup. Peer down in valve cover and look at the valvetrain. Is it clean or a carmel brown? Any sludge?

Check Valve Cover Breather Hoses and look for sludge inside or if it’s full of oil.

Remove the Intake Air Inlet Hose and look for sludge or if it’s dripping with oil.

Check throttle body for buildup of sludge.

Check MAF for buildup of sludge.

Check Air Filter for evidence of oil.

For a Nicasil Engine check for Blow By. (Remove oil cap on warm running engine and look for excessive oil vapor or moisture)

Verify Water Pump has been replaced.
Verify Thermostat Housing is Aluminum

Verify Thermostat has been replaced.

Look for Gasket Leaks

Verify Timing Tensioners have been replaced.

Verify Throttle Body Replacement

Verify if Engine was replaced.

If Engine is a Remanufactured unit it should have Blue Temp Strips on the rear of the Cylinder Heads. Try to view with an inspection mirror and the flashlight.


Underbody
Verify tread depth and that tires are worn evenly.

Check condition of wheels. Curbed?

Look at brake rotors. High ridges on outer edge tell you they are worn.

Look for Transmission Leaks

Verify if Transmission was replaced.

Look for Differential Leaks

Verify Differential Service.

Verify Trans Fluid has been drained and refilled.

Verify Wheel Bearings have been serviced.

Look for rust under all footwells.

Look for evidence of car being bottomed out.

Check condition of ball joints and tie rods.

Check condition of shocks.

Good Luck,

Ken

 

Excellent summation. With a little tuning and links to the source threads this could become a sticky.

Example:

Verify that the throttle body has been replaced or ECM reflashed under Service Action S514 (applies to '96 -'98 AJ26 engines).

See link at: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=25334

 

Sinister 1 - wow, thanks very much. Very thorough list! I'm going to test drive the car I am considering today, so I will put the list to good use. Thanks again.

 

Hi Cat lovers,
I have had several Jags in the past, '65 MKII, '68 S type, '75 XJS, so I have had plenty of time attending to the continual maintenance activities they provided, but am looking now at a more current 2001 Vanden Plas. I have seen one locally that has done 218k miles, but seems to be otherwise ok, although not yet done compression checks. I have read about many of the things to check, bushings, tensioners, rust, bushings,....... and will expect to have to do a bunch of things, but would not yet want to do a full engine or transmission rebuild yet. Does anyone think this distance is a 'bit long in the tooth'.

 

Considering the number of much lower mileage cars out there the answer is 'most likely'.

 

That's quite a bit of mileage...unless you're getting it for a song, have a sizeable budget already in place for maintenance and obvious service needs, and have a 'backup' mode of transportation...I may pass on that one.

 

Wow. I'm saving this.

 

Backup transport, yes, always needed that in the past too. One redeeming thought is that the car made it to 218k miles, so it has been reliable for +20k miles/year already.

Thanks for your inputs, I like the friendly nature of this forum, I never had this with my old Cats.
Cheers

 

Not sure if you bought yet, but I have a 2002 XJR, black on black, with 61000 miles, bought in California, now living in Colorado. I just tried to trade it for a Subaru (Snow and hills car), and they only offered me $6,150. I was insulted and left. I can't keep it since it will be my only car and I am old (68) woman. I love this car, the drive is incredible and it gets stares wherever I go. I have photo posted on my link, but could also send your photos and VIN if you are interested. I would like $10,000. best regards,
Mary Pat Power

 

Mary, it was my joy to work with you to buy your Jag and get you safe and sound in the snow. I promise I will look after her and hope she provides me the joy in driving she provided you, and also the fun in maintenance, I enjoy.
Dave

 

Well done on a very good one!

 

Thanks to you too Dave. It is scary to deal online with these sort of purchases/sales. I had an offer from a guy in New York to buy it for $18,000, but he was going to send me a Cashiers Check for $22,000 and I was to ship the car and send him a Cashiers Check for $4,000. I got suspicious, turned out he was a scammer. I wanted the Police to help me do a sting, but they said just ignore him. Makes you mad that bad poeple can get away with crimes.
I will Fed Ex the rest of the paperwork tomorrow. She looks classy and sleek in the garage next to the new big clunker Subaru. I have now totally changed my image to mountain woman from So Cal fast lane chick.
I have had no mechanical trouble and sure hope you don't have to exercise your skills in that regard for a long time. Mary Pat Power
PS Happy New Year to all.