Hi Everyone, thanks in advance for your assistance. I've never owned a Jaguar, so this would be my first purchase. I've been doing allot of research and I've narrowed it down to a 2002-2003 XJR, in either black exterior white/beige interior (black interior second choice), or Zircon Metallic exterior.

From what I've read those years I'm clearly safe from the Nikasil engine, which is what I would like to avoid, just for my peace of mind. So what should I look for in those years that is a known, or inherent issue?

Most cars are nearing 100k miles or past, and I think the tensioners in that year were metal? Am I correct? I should probably have it changed along with the chain and water pump. What would that cost to have done at an independent shop? Would I need to go to a Jaguar specialist to have it done or could I use my regular AES certified mechanic?

I've read that some have discussed valve seals may go bad. I'm not sure if that is a general, inherent problem with everyone though. Do you think I should have the valve seals done as a preventative or wait on that?

Some things that come to mind that I would have done if no service records exist would be: plugs, wires, engine oil and filter change, inspect and if needed replace air filter, replace supercharger oil, brake fluid flush, coolant flush, transmission flush/service. Inspect brakes and replace pads if needed. inspect other belts and hoses and replace if needed. Inspect and/or replace suspension bushings, tie rods, ball joints (If they need it) Typical stuff that would wear out on any high millage car.

I would probably do a pre purchase inspection and if any of the above need to be done, use that to negotiate.

My goal is to keep the car for many years (at least 10, maybe longer) and make sure it is, and stays, in tip-top shape so it can be a fun, and reliable (as reliable as any used car can be) for many, many years.

That said, what else can you think of that I should look at doing right after purchase as preventative maintenance?

How many miles or life can I expect to get out of the engine and transmission? 200k miles? more? I won't be daily driving it all year. Just a summer and good weather car. Maybe 5K miles a year at the most.

Is there any other advice you can provide me that I should know?

Lastly, tell me what you like about your XJR. How long have you had yours?

Thanks again for the help!

 

First point, if you're here in the states, Nikasil was not as much a problem in this region (where the heavy hand of the EPA ensured that for the most part from the 90s on, gasoline was pretty much a compound made up of various petrochemicals rather than gasoline.) as it was in Europe or the AP rim. Since you didn't say in your profile where you are...it's hard to say yeah or nay about whether you should have aggida over a Nikasil motor.

As for the tensioners, pull the valve covers and check to see if you have plastic tensioners. If you do, then replace them; a good foreign indie shop should be able to do them; I'd not trust the job to a local wrench (unless they had experience on the Ford engine, which was also found in lincolns and the t-bird). Or, DIY; there is enough corporate memory on the forums here to give you the skinny on how to do it.

The car doesn't have spark wires, the coils are on the plugs. They should be OK, but, definitely replace the plugs.

Fluid changes? Absolutely, and use the correct coolant. If you have the plastic thermostat housing, now would be the time to replace with the alloy version, as well as the thermostat. Might not be a bad idea to also do the water pump (it's right on the front and a 20 minute job if the system has been drained) with a metal-vaned unit (iirc, the originals were composite impellers which did have a limited life and gradually or not became less efficient at moving the coolant around).

Transmission? You have an eye for the R model, so fluid and filter change (again, using the spec'd fluids) might not be the worst thing.

Rest of the stuff? I/RAN (Inspect and replace as necessary).

200K miles? Maybe. I've found, almost universally, that cars have a cycle of about every 75-80K where major work has to be done that's held through domestics, British, German, Japanese, and other countries of origin. 200K is not out of the realm, but, like all things, previous performance (and maintenance) is no guarantee of future results.

 

You should be out of the woods for Nikasil. I own 2 nikasil cars and have no concerns about it. However, I understand the preference for steel liners.

The rule of thumb to follow with any 4.0 Jaguar V8 is to assume it has plastic tensioners unless proved otherwise. Pulling the valve covers is cheap and easy insurance. Plus, at 100kish they probably need to be replaced anyway lol. To do secondary tensioners, valve cover gaskets, and spark plugs, I'm going to be in $250, with OEM metal tensioners and bolts, OEM VCGs and NGK Iridium plugs. This is doing the zip tie method and only doing secondaries. You should be able to take it to a capable import specialist. It'd be nice if they have experience with this exact engine, but I feel if they're competent and ASE certified master mechanics with more complex engine experience (a lot of german car specialists seem like they'd do fine) they should be absolutely fine.

When you get the tensioners replaced, get the plugs done at that time. It's a while you're there and should reduce costs a bit. These cars are coil on plug so you don't have traditional spark plug wires, so nothing to do there if the coils aren't causing issues. Oil and filter for sure! Replace the air filter, supercharger oil, brake fluid, coolant.

As far as transmission flushes, I have rebuilt a few transmissions and my general opinion is that if you have no problems with your transmission, and it has been regularly serviced, you should be okay with flushing. If you're trying to fix an issue, or the transmission has an unknown past, I'd recommend drain and fill. Filter replacement on both methods of course! This isn't a Jaguar specific thing, just autoboxes in general. I do drain and fill with filter every 30-45k miles on my cars, depending on what I use them for. Others may have other opinions.

The transmission itself is a Jaguar W5A580 or basically a Mercedes 722.6. They are extremely reliable transmissions. In the past there were things stated such as "sealed for life", which basically means don't change the fluid, just wait until the transmission fails and rebuild... 60k mile changes should be good for these units. There are different fluid options; you can buy the Mercedes fluid at the Mercedes dealer for a fraction of the price Jaguar charges for the same stuff; there are Shell and Valvoline options for fluid as well. I've used the Mercedes fluid in XKR with no issue. The dealer who did the change on my new to me XJR according to paperwork used Mercedes fluid as well.

If you don't have receipts for it, I'd definitely replace the accessory and supercharger belts. They're cheap, quick and easy. They're easier to change in a shop than on the side of the road too! If original, they're a minimum of 12 years old and should be replaced on that alone.

What I said about belts goes for coolant hoses too. A lot of reliability can be gained by preventative servicing of the coolant system and replacing of hoses. Overheating these cars can be painful and expensive. I had a coolant system issue last year and had extensive second degree burns on my right forearm to prove it. Luckily the burns healed extremely well, and my car did not blow a head gasket. This was even with having had replaced every hose I could get at! S*** happens, in this case it was a cracked and failed coolant reservoir cap. If you can't prove the water pump was replaced, they're cheap enough and if you're getting it serviced, I'd definitely replace it.

I'm not a high miler, I've owned my XKR (same drivetrain) for 4 years and 24k miles(bought at 67k now has 91k), and I've owned my XJR for 2 weeks(has 80k). These can be very reliable cars that are reasonable to operate and maintain (I'm DIY completely, so really cheap!) and quite reliable!

I have been told I go overboard on preventative maintenance, but doing so has afforded me excellent reliability in cars with a poor reliability reputation.

I recommend:

3-5k mile oil and filter changes (I use Mobil 1 with Wix filters)
Biyearly coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid changes
30k mile fuel filter changes - Also always use good premium gas with good additives (top tier fuel if possible)
30-45k mile transmission fluid changes
60k mile differential fluid changes
Belts every 45k
Coolant hoses every 8-10 years (depends on reliability and my free time)
Vacuum hoses every 10 years (it's surprising how much this can help some cars)
Spark Plugs every 60k (given how long it takes me to put on miles this can be once in my car ownership) If the car has older ignition, cap+points+rotor+wires at that time.
Anything that has a grease zerk gets greased every oil change.
O2 sensors as a group when any one fails or at 100k.

I also recommend seeing your car on a lift every year, even if you aren't that mechanical.

 

While my early 97 A4 has 230k miles, it has felt like throughout it's life it's been more like every 10k miles they need major work(non drive train though, its the other crap that breaks)! I love my Audis but I feel the AJV8 R model cars are cheaper to run and need less time and money from me. At least compared to my A8.

I've seen member like Avos, tberg and some others with 150k+ on their XKRs and it seems the common denominator is religious preventative maintenance.

 

Thanks everyone for your input so far! Keep 'me coming, I'd like to get as much help as possible before I make a purchase..

Another question regarding the 2002-2003 XJR ...

How is the car for tall drivers? I'm 6'2". It looks to me the car is low to the ground. Would you say about as low as a Corvette? meaning that, would a tall driver fall in and crawl out? - Is there plenty of leg room? Would my knees be hitting under the dash?

How is the car in terms of soaking up bumps and driving comfort? Do you feel like you're driving a smooth luxury car, or is it more tuned for performance?

How is the car on twisty mountain roads? Does it fall short like a latter model vette would, or is it fairly tight and well planted like a Z, BMW, or similar?

Again, What do you like about your XJR?

 

Well I'm 6', and the space under the dash is a premium, but at least for me, by no means uncomfortable. The XJR to me, feels like what I imagine a "sporty" luxury car should. A little bit more roll than a dedicated canyon carver but still well planted. To give perspective, my other car is a lowered 3 series BMW. Compared to that, this is a breath of air. It's still good ride quality, not harsh but not overly floaty either. It feels a little longer, but turns nicely into a corner. I think adding a 1" drop with the Mina springs would go even farther to firm it up, but even stock I like it. My only complaint is I like to pull my left knee up between the wheel and door from time to time, but my normal position makes that a tight squeeze. A little narrow to get into, but it's not as far on the ground as most sports cars might be.

 

I've had two XJR. My first was a 190k high miler I bought because it was an XJR-100 and dirt cheap. The second was a 110k 2003 car.

They both had pretty much identical issues. Here they are, I'd say it is a good 'things to look out for/accept' list. Every XJR is going to have or has had these problems. Especially if it wasn't garaged every second of it's life:

• Sway bar end links front and rear
• Shock bushings (top) front and rear
• Front ball joints
• Sunroof need to be rebuilt due to plastic sliders in front /rear /both broken
• Transmission connector at transmission leaking, replace with MBZ updated design
• Transmission over temp and hard shifting when first started after transmission heatsoaked from recent drive - replace circuit board in transmission that connects to aforementioned trans connector
• Speaker near steering wheel for audible alarms no longer working - find cheap ebay speaker, think it is about 29 ohms, about 2"
• Shocks bad, people claim CATS shocks last longer than bilsteins. Not my experience.
• Rear subwoofer deteriorated
• headliner sagging
• door handle seals deteriorated
• plastic end on front of chrome window surround brittle or totally gone (near side view mirror)
• cupholder doesn't like to stay shut as the plastic protrusion that latch closes against on cupholder lid is worn
• center high mounted stop light decomposing
• Wood and seats don't hold up well compared to other luxury makes

Rattles

• Sunroof due to broken sliders- fix sliders
• Front middle of dash squeaking against windshield - stuff some felt in there so it doesn't contact windshield
• Seatbelt adjusters on B pillars squeaking like crazy - pull adjuster toward you and squirt some 3 in 1 oil back there, will give you at least a few months of sanity restoring quiet, I've only had to do it once and noise has stayed away but this isn't a permanent fix. The noise comes from a thin piece of plastic behind the adjuster cracking and scritch scritching against itself
• Other assorted squeaks because the plastic the dash wood trim or stereo/climate control mount to was cracked by a ham fisted stereo installer in it's past life - "plastic welder" epoxy is your best friend here

I love these cars. They are dirt cheap luxury and performance bargains. But there is no bargain to be had if you want a nice car but can't turn wrenches. If you're the guy that enjoys doing a little work on the car on the weekend it is a great car and easy to work on. Only custom tooll I've ever had to buy was for the bizarre method of spring compression they use. Hope that helps. I know my list was long but I was trying to be comprehensive. Any old car will have a bunch of problems, this car doesn't have more than average. Less than average for an old jag actually.

 

CharlzO,
I currently have a '91 Corvette that I restored. A person has to fall in, and crawl out of that. I guess my concern is in a luxury car I don't want to feel squeezed in or uncomfortable. In a Vette, "fighter jet" compactness is nice, in a luxury car, not so much. I have to find one to test drive and see, I guess. Thanks for input.

badktty,
Most of that list doesn't sound unreasonable for a 100K mile car. Most of those components wear out over time, especially suspension components. From my car experience it seems like around 100k miles it's time to start thinking about restoration!


Got a question for all...

Valve ticking sound at start up that goes away when car is warmed up. Sounds like oil not getting to the valves? My 2003 SUV which has 120K miles, that I'm the original owner of, does the same thing, although I was told they are non-adjustable.

So should I worry about that on the Jag? What can be done to fix it?

Another question ...

How do you know if an XJR is a 100 or not? I've read that they can all look different.

Thanks!

 

Ticking upon startup when cold could be as simple as that, or it could be a sign of worn tensioners. Only way to know would be pull the covers and check, if there isn't a documented history of them replaced. If there isn't, assume that they've never been done (I've read the 03 might have the metals from the factory, but I dint know if I've seen a definitive answer on that. I've only had mine two weeks so I can't comment for sure, been too cold to work on much lately, and no garage yet.

As for the Vette feel, it's a little more open than that, and will also depend on your preferred driving seating position. Best thing tho, like you said, is try to find one you can sit in, adjust the seat around and see what makes you comfortable. I don't feel squeezed at all, even though the bolsters are nice and supportive. It's cozy, compared to what you would think a traditional lux sedan might be, but for me ( 6 foot, 190 lbs) it's plenty comfortable, aside from my knee which is eased if I pull the seat back a couple inches, and behind the seat, comfy as can be. Third day I had it, drive 500 miles round trip, not a single ache or pain.

 

The XJR 100 was only available for MY2002. The most obvious visual cues are as follows:

Black trim around the windows, as opposed to stainless on the regular XJR (the only brightwork will be on the tops of the front and rear bumpers)
18" BBS Montreal rims
Red contrast stitching
MOMO leather shift knob (also with red contrast stitching)
Grey-stained Birds Eye Maple wood veneer
And, of course, the obvious "XJR 100" badging on the rear deck lid.


Also, not to get off track, but have you considered a 95-97 XJR? Many people would say the AJ6 is a superior engine to the 4.0L AJ27, in terms of reliability and longevity at least.

 

Okay so I went and test drove a '99 XJR. Here are my inital impressions and thoughts...

First it was missing the hood ornament, exterior neded a wash. But even that walking up to it I was capivated by the exterior lines. The low profile tires and larger wheels look good on the car in person. sporty. The exterior didn't seem too big or to small in person. Some luxury sedans can be land barges, while still others can be compact. I found this one to be somewhere in the middle -A nice medium size.

Getting inside was easy. The only minor isue was the steering wheel doesn't tilt up far enough to clear my knees completly when entering and exiting, but that's minor.

My first thoughts while sitting in the cabin taking in all the interior sights was... Wow, NICE. I like this car. I was impressed by the stately and luxurious appearance inside.

The seat was comfortable and supportive. Could maybe be an inch or two wider, but that may be a good thing being in tight when cornering. I was impressed that the seat was infinitely adjustible, and I was able to find the exact, comfortable position for me.

I struggled for a while trying to figure out how to adjust the headrest. Hummm.. is there a button? I couldn't find how to move it. Then it hit me. Ah this a Jag. Jag owners dont do seats manual! HA! .. I soon found the switch, and up it went. Very cool.

I was very impressed with the power, tilt, telescpic sterring wheel with memory. Never been in a car with that and thought it was nice. Much more refined and elegant than the manual versions I've had.

The car justed oozes opulence and luxury and comfort, but not in a real pretentious, overdone way. Hey, one can't have too much elegance and class in a car, I say, if it is tastefully executed.

Some of the wood acents were cracked and/or loose, so I was wondering if that was plastic or real wood trim with a clear coat. I
couldn't tell. The Sun roof wasnt working correctly, and the headliner was sagging.

Even though the car had those issues, I was still in awe of the cool factor of this model. I could only Imagine how nicer, better condion example would be. Well at this point I was ready and eager to take it out for a spin and experience those 300+ superchared horses.

It started right away from cold. It may have had a fluid leak of some sort, as I noticed a bit of smoke coming from back beind the engine. I was surprised how the cat purred at idle, as apposed to my Vette that growls, and snarls with a low rumble. It was hard to tell the Jag was on. A nice change of pace and what I would expect from a luxary sedan.

On the freeway it had awesome acelleration. I was very impressed. Smooth no lag. In fact I could hardly tell when the supercharger kicked in. However, I wouldn't call it outrageously fast, or scary fast as some have commented. I think perhaps because I'm used
to my vette with 300 hp @ 5000 RPM and 340 torque @ 3600 RPM. I remember the first day shortly after I got my Vette, and when I floored it. In no time I was up to 120.. That was scary fast. Compared to the Jag, the Vette is more visceral, it's lower and you feel the road. The suspension isn't soft like the Jag, and so the sensation of speed is enhanced.

That said, maybe I'm already used to being scared! HA!

The car handled nicely over the bumps, soft but not floaty. Nice luxurious, classy ride quality. The power steering was what I expected for a luxary car - easy, but not overly loose. Definitely not as tightly controlled as the Vette. It was nice though.

I had about two inches of head room to the roof, not bad. The car felt on the smaller side of luxary interior, but not cramped. If it was an inch or two smaller It would be cramped for me. So the interior size is acceptable, and comfortable.

Where the car fell short in terms of room is the back seats. UGH! I tried sitting behind the drivers seat, and It was awfully cramped. I would feel a bit sorry and embarrassed for any passengers. I wish the back seat room was more comfortable. I think if anyone rode in the back seats they would want to ride in it any more, unless they weren't tall, and long legs.

All in all I really liked the XJR. I left very excited to continue searching and find the right one.

There was one other Jag on the lot that I liked too, maybe a little more.. It was a 2005 XJ8 VP. That fit me much better, and the back seat had plenty of room. The only thing is I like more of the squared off design of the back end and rear window of the XJR, versus the more rounded look of the newer XJ8. I wonder if an early XJ8, say a 2002-2003 would have that more square-is body style? That car is bigger, and I would probably loose the sporty edge that the XJR has.

The question remains, which one will fit in my garage? . Probably the XJR.

The test drive was worth it, I only wish I had more time to spend driving it, and getting used to it. The excitment of owning one is definitely there.

 

Might not be valves at all, I had the same noise and in my case it was the supercharger belt.

Spray a little water on the belt on start up, if the ticking goes away, it is the belt.

Vector

 

Glad to hear you got to get out and enjoy a bit of the xjr life! Sounds like you've been able to address some if your concerns along the way. I will say that if you didn't get to experience sport mode, it may be a bit different in your power standpoint. While it doesn't and won't have the same feel as your Vette for power, the 1st great start and higher shift points do give a little more excitement to it. For a 4k lb car, with the goodies and comfort it has, I was greatly surprised (and admittedly, I find myself kicking to sport, turning traction control off and kicking her sideways on a whim for fun lol).

Just need to find the right one for you now

 

Try to find a "Super V8" which is basically a VDP with a supercharged engine. They are rare, but you can find one if you are patient. You will get the extra leg room in the back, but you also lose the sport suspension of the XJR.

The lower, and most say more beautiful body style of the 308 ended with 2003 US delivery. 2004+ cars are aluminum bodied and look more like everything else on the road. They do have more interior room though.

Some say the 308 was the last car that had some of Sir William's design elements, style and grace.

Vector

 

The Vanden Plas SC is neat and all but doesn't address what I consider a huge issue, headroom. I'm not that tall at just under 5'10", but my dad is 6'2" and mostly in his torso. His hair is constantly in contact with the roof and it's annoying for him. I really like this 98-03 body style and it works for me, but if I bought him one, I'd definitely look at the 04+ XJR since for guys like him, not fitting really kills the enjoyment factor. I prefer the looks of the older cars to the 04+ too, but function really matters on a daily car.

The weird thing is that the 97 Audi A4 I bought him fits great and has surprisingly tons of headroom and front interior space. It surprised me. It's not as roomy as my A8 by any means but the two front passengers don't want for space in that car!

 

I'm about 6'2" and lucky I'm long in the legs and shorter in the torso. I have about 2"-3" of headroom in the one I test drove. I'm used to it though, because in my vette I have almost no headroom.

I agree with other comments that I much prefer the body style of the years I'm seeing '02-'03, versus the new look of the '04 and up. I do like the low, sleek look of the XJR SC or XJR 100 SC, the stance and tires gives it a more modern appearance.


Question for all...

What can be done to give the Vanden Plas the same stance as the XJR? lower profile tires I would imagine. Would I need to modify the suspension? and if so what would I need to do? Are the wheel arches the same in the two models?

Also... is the base Vanden Plas without the supercharged engine enough power for that big of a car?

 

The 2001 XJR has 370 HP at 6150 RPM and 390 ft lbs of torque at 3600.

It may weight a bit more than your 'vette, but 0-60 in about 5.2 seconds is pretty impressive for a 2 ton luxo cruiser.

I think the jag does it with such grace you don't notice how fast you are going.

Put some electric exhaust cut outs on it like I did for full sound effects and it becomes a "beast."

I had a few 'vettes with me on the track this day and held my own pretty well.
Vector

Vector

 

I had an 87 Corvette Convertible for 6 years and had excellent headroom and have way less in my XJR.

I don't know anyone who feels like going down to the non-SC having had the SC models. You basically take a second and a half longer to 60 and the SC engines produce more torque at 1600rpm than non-SC models produce at peak.

I don't think the non-SC models are anemic but you have to wind them up more to get the power. One thing I loved about Corvettes was the low end grunt, and I didn't want to lose that.

 

I am 6'4" and fit quite nicely in my XJR with a racing helmet. Recline the seat a bit and move the seat closer to the accelerator pedal so you can get it all the way to the floor.

I could not get in a Lotus Europa like I did when I was 18 now though, lol.
Vector

 

I never felt I fit a car so perfectly as when I test drove a 1991 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE. I think I was the correct height for that vehicle. Every gauge and knob and such fell to hand and sight perfectly. My dad got in and definitely didn't have the same experience. It was BRG with tan interior and is one of my favorite cars.

I would have bought that Lotus had the dealer been able to prove it had just had a clutch done. 51k miles, but excellent service history, claimed a fresh clutch but lost the paperwork and didn't seem interested in talking to the shop he claimed did it to get more paperwork... I bet someone selling a car would claim they did something that costs a lot and raises desireability, especially if its free to lie.

At the time I had a 1987 Corvette Convertible, 2000 Jaguar XKR Convertible, 1995 BMW 750iL, 1995 Suzuki GSXR1100W and 1983 Honda V45 Magna. That was in addition to my daily driver 1991 Lincoln Town Car. I needed another car, especially a 20 year old Lotus, like a punch in the face lol.