Hello all, I posted a little in the introduction a couple weeks ago, but today I finally was able to take delivery (and cleaner pictures!). 2003 XJR, with just over 110k miles on it. Comes with a 2 year/24,000 bumper to bumper warranty, so we'll see what I can break, er, I mean, we'll see if anything unfortunately fails in the meantime.

Photos will attach to the bottom, but here's the quick list from day 1 to fix (it IS a used car after all, and I can't expect the dealer to have rebuilt it to mint condition prior to sale).

• Cupholder (yeah, who hasn't had to fix this dumb design...) - in my case, the one pin on the bottom driver's side has broken off. It stays open fine, and closes if you do it right, but it pops open with little effort again. So, eh.
• Sunroof button - missing. Seriously, how does one lose a button from the ceiling? Controls underneath still work but... how do you lose a button!
• Driver's Rear Shock(strut?) mount. This will be one that I'll have done under the warranty, as I noticed it as I drove to work after picking it up. It's probably very simple, but since I have the coverage, and I know that's something that's covered, I'll have them fix that.

Thought I had a missing indicator, but whaddaya know, I was looking at the wrong part of the dash. There are a couple bulbs out throughout, or dimmed. The rear window buttons on the driver's door are pretty well dim, the 2 and 4 homelink buttons are out, etc. Nothing life-threating.

And.. that's about it for the fixes I've run into. Everything else that I checked seems to be fine. All hoses and belts look to be in fine shape, no noises that shouldn't be there aside from the rear clunk. Everything else works that I can find, clock keeps time, so I can't complain.

Plans for down the road:

I actually do like the factory Asteroid wheels, but I MAY decide to change them out down the road. It's hard to visualize some of the changes (it's not like Tire Rack has any that can show On Vehicle with these models, but maybe I can find another series that it shows, dunno, haven't looked).

I also want to update the audio system in it. I know there's very limited options for the trim plate, but even if I have to mold one myself, it'll make a vast improvement. Honestly, I found the factory Alpine Premium to be quite lacking. And that's coming from my '00 328ci with a stock non-Harmon Kardon system. This thing just has no depth to it. It works, but that's as far as I can go with it. So now it's debating on a standard head unit, or a flip-out DVD/Navigation instead. Ideally I'll go that route, and run rear video out to the headrests for kids to watch in the rear. But, I may forgo that for just one of those systems that slip over the seat backs and whatever. Who knows, that's down the road a few months.

Someday, I'd love to fit the picnic trays from the VDP to the seats, love those things. Dunno if it's easier to fit them and the hardware to existing, or..well hell, did they even make those with a black interior? Lol

I'm also planning on having it fully detailed when the weather breaks (either by a local person who does it, or myself if I get really bored, but...I'm pretty lazy, so...)

More pictures and updates to come as I go along, but this is my starting point, As of Feb 27th '15 !

 

Hi CharlzO,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums, and congratulations on your beautiful XJR!

I know I'm not alone in thinking those wheels are probably the nicest factory X308 wheels, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling them if you decide you just have to have something different.

Cheers,

Don

 

You bought a good looking car, congratulations. The 2 year warranty sounds nice too!

 

That's one great looking XJR...envious.

Maybe some black wheel centres could look good. Have you checked out 'Klearz" site to upgrade those orange reflectors?

Never seen the Jaguar badge on the mudguard where my car a little orange repeater fitted in that spot. Maybe I could go with the badge is it fits. Good Luck very nice and the wheels look great just the way they are to me.

 

I have a perfect set for sale if interested

 

Haven't checked Klearz, but I saw mention of the clear reflectors/lenses on a post somewhere, and it's definitely on the radar. New center caps are also an interesting option, I'll have to look into that. I also am looking into ordering replacement badges to change the V8 emblems on the B Pillars. There's a corner of the V on the drivers side that's missing, just a tiny part, but bugs me lol.

Took it for a nice long drive today (500 miles), in a bunch of snowy junk for half of it. The only issue I found the whole way, was that my windshield washer pump appears to be not functioning. I'm sure I could invoke my warranty, but I figure I'll see how much of an undertaking and expense and probably just do it myself.

I did confuse the gearbox a little, stopping at a store. It was pretty slick, and upon slowing to a stop, the rear wanted to push me a little farther, so I popped it into neutral to stop forward progress, then up to Park. It rebelled and went all Orange on me, until I shut the car off and back on. No harm done, just thought it was amusing (and was also 200 miles from home, so I was like, don't even go there!).

So far though, an absolute pleasure to drive, nice and comfortable the whole way, climate control stayed rock solid the whole way, cruise control nice and peppy, and got just under 20 mpg combined (was about 2/3 highway/off-hwy driving).

 

Congrats on your new cat! Looks a treat.

 

Really sweet looking car. Very clean looking. The opposite of mine, but variety is the spice.

 

Just to keep myself updated down the road on what's happened in the 20k miles I've put on her since I got her.

I did fix my cupholder. It's still prone to popping open if I drop the console lid, or I'm sure if I hit a HUGE bump (haven't yet). But it no longer pops sideways and all that. Basically replaced the broken pin with a tiny piece of aluminum stock that you don't notice unless you look. But at least it now opens normally, and closes.

The shock issue I thought I have, I've narrowed down to the lower front shock bushings, which I just ordered online, should have them later this week I hope. Then to do the install via sockets and bolts.

Sunroof button still bugs me. I hate to have to replace the entire unit, but unless I can miraculously find someone who has just a button... well.. I've lived without it so far.

The climate contol lamps finally died. They're on the radar too.

I also did find that my AC wasn't working properly. Noticeably so when I drove it south in 95 degree weather. Black car, Black interior, no AC. So I took a chance and bought a silly AC Pro while at a Walmart and just wanted to check the pressure on it, and wow, look at that. Low. Now, I know these things aren't the highly calibrated tools that the marketing would have us believe, but I gave it a chance anyway, and brought it to where it should be, gauge-wise. And now I have real, honest-to-goodness, working air conditioning, from all vents. Score one for the good guys, I guess.

Haven't broken anything major yet, and still 300 hp to the wheels on the mobile dyno. I call it a good buy.

 

Latest updates, nothing too crazy.

- Lower shock bushings front & rear replaced
- Rear upper shock bushings replaced
- Front & Rear sway bar links replaced
- Replaced the climate control light bulbs
- Replaced the sunroof button overhead and the bulbs there
- Replaced Vee mounts in front subframe
- Front sway bar bushings

I have replacement upper front shock mounts, but the olds aren't bad so just holding onto them for the time being. Getting there. Many less rattles.

 

Nice.

 

That is one very nice new ride, and I agree on those wheels!

 

Thought I should put a cleaner picture up too, took this one last year:

 

Door actuator went kablooey over the weekend, so attempted to jar it loose yesterday at work with pulling the door card off and whatnot. Unfortunately, did not have a full set of Torx with me so I couldn't get the window rail moved to get the latch assembly out, so that went back together for the meantime.

Today, started removing the rear subwoofer 6x9 on lunch break. Got the seat and back removed, and the sub unbolted and removed. Speakerworks repair kit is waiting at home, so I'll do that tonight and then reassemble tomorrow to see how it works. Actually wasn't AS bad to remove everything as I feared from reading posts. But still quite a chore just for a single 6x9 lol.

 

Reassembled the rear deck with a repaired subwoofer. While I won't win any SPL contests, it's a definite improvement in overall sound quality. And I didn't even have any parts left over afterwards!

Now to prep for a road trip and to put the tow hitch to good use on the way back!

 

That will need some pictures, not often seen on a Jag.
Safe trip.

 

Just some minor updates - here's a couple pictures from when I towed the boat home with the XJR:







Side note, I've since repaired the wooden mast and the boat now tows properly upright, with the mast on a crutch and looks a lot better under tow. The car doesn't struggle at all with it back there, and it's really only noticeable over larger bumps. Wiring with the adapter works flawlessly.

Lets see.. back in Feb/March I had replaced a bunch of suspension bits, but I've got a couple pesky rattles still, and I believe the one rear shock lower bushing that I didn't change is out, it's rattling good back there. Either that, or there was a failure somewhere in the new upper mount, so tomorrow, going to replace all the shocks with KYBs (almost $200 cheaper for the full set than the Bilsteins, I know, I know...). Also means new upper mounts in the front to change over from CATS shocks, but at least that will all be new. That leaves the only suspension parts not tackled will be ball joints, control arm bushings, and tie rod ends in the front, and the rear subframe bushings are all that needs replacing there. Good times.

 

Well, shock replacement went bust. Guess we tightened up the subframe bolts a little extra last time with the impact wrench, so much so that it took me a 4' long pipe on my 1/2 ratchet just to try to get one of the bolts broken loose. Decided that I'd wait until I get my step-brother to find time in the garage to break out the air again.

But on a brighter note, I was able to solve my P0455 error when I found one of the connections on the charcoal canister by the axle was loose. Popped it securely again, reset the light, and as of yet, seems to be all better. Nice to not have the darn light and gas cap warning at my eye level any more.

 

Guess it's time for my 6-month update? Since that seems to be as often as I actually remember that I had this here.

Just about to hit 170k miles on her, which is running me about 30k a year average so far. But I daily the car, and have no bones about driving it wherever and whenever. It's a car, it's meant to be driven!

I did get the new shocks all around, I can't even remember what I used at this point. KYB's probably? But I did buy all new mounts front and rear too. And I still have a rattle in the front, which is probably more likely to be a subframe bushing at this point. I'll get that bugger fixed someday. But on that front, the left front wheel bearing has started making noise, so I parked the car the last couple weeks, driving a Saab 9-3 I picked up for the time being.

So that means I ordered a bearing.. and a press kit.. and bearing splitter kit... a ball joint separator...and the ABS socket.. and some other tools I'm sure I'm missing lol. Was supposed to be delivered today, and I had plans on using a co-workers garage tomorrow night. Apparently, FedEx gave up on the day. I should call Tom Hanks about that...

I did get my Mina intake on the other day though, so that's a good time. Added it to my K&N filter and homemade shroud from last year (that I had taken off before a road trip last April). It makes funny noises now. Actually, that's part of why I want this bearing fixed, is so I can drive it more and enjoy that. I'm aiming for the exhaust over summer, if I can find someone local to fab up an X pipe to replace the center resonator. Hard to find around here it seems.




Mina Gallery intake with K&N filter and homemade shroud

Time to get warmer weather to clean everything up, and get some better engine compartment accents (and find a black boot for the throttle body - why on earth they went with bright blue is beyond me)

 

So I did manage recently to get the driver's side wheel bearing replaced. And the passenger side is where all the noise is. So lucky me, I get to do it again. At least I should be able to pop it all in half the time.

Then, a few weeks back, the car decided to jam the shifter when I went to leave work. I had almost no tools with me, but found a tiny screwdriver that I was able to get the assembly apart with, and enough to get it to wiggle into gear again. Holding it in Drive, I made it home. I tried to move it again, and Gearbox Fault, 2nd gear hold. Turns out the joint at the trans linkage was completely frozen.

Easter rolls around, I attempted to fix it, only to find I had ordered a standard XJ8 cable instead of one that fits a SC Merc trans. Luckily my cable itself is fine, it's just the end so I swapped those, and after a little fiddling and a hard reset (courtesy of the battery almost being dead and having to be unhooked and recharged anyway), she's back on the road. In need of some serious new brake pads, that'll be tonight. And then finding time to do that passenger side bearing that's been sitting on the shelf waiting it's time.