The head gasket in my 2001 Cadillac Deville with Northstar engine blew (like they all do) and I'm not going to spend $4000 to fix it. I've been looking at 1998-2002 XJ8's and am curious if there are any "genetic birth defects (like Northstar head gaskets) that I should be aware of.

Generally the cars I am looking at have between 90,000 to 110,000 miles. Any issues here?

Any advice or direction you can offer will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

 

Hi Ed, and welcome!

The first thing around here is to go to the "New members" and introduce yourself. After that, you go and open Stickies, and read everything pertaining to the model you are interested in, (there is a VERY WELL written guide to potential purchase over there!).

But here are few pointers.

Jags are finicky like all felines. They have their issues. Once you understand this, it gets easier.

#1 issue: Secondary timing chain tensioners! (there are three generations of those, and you want to be sure the car has updated, METAL, 3rd generation ones installed!!)

#2 issue: Transmissions. They say "sealed for life", no need to service. LIES! Needs to be serviced.

#3 issue: Thermostat housing/ water pump. Housing is made of PLASTIC (horrid!), needs to be replaced with metal, and the upgraded water pump installed.

#4 issue: Nicasil engine (search, and you will have a good read)

#5 issue: Electrical. (very broad issue, but there is too much that can go wrong, so no preventative advice here!)

I would much rather buy a high milage Cat with WELL DOCUMENTED service/repair/upgrade history, than the low milage without history. Good combo is low mileage/documented history, but hard to find. Cats like oil! They say to change every 10K. LIES. I want the cat that had the oil change every 5K at least.

If you have no experience with Cats, go for 2002-2003 model (regardless of mileage), get the full history, and learn to wrench on them. They are real fun, once you learn how to work on them, and nip the potential problems in the bud.

In any case,....if you do end up as a cat owner, stick around here. There are MANY knowledgeable cat owners (and some professional cat wranglers) on this forum, and ANYTHING can be fixed by the owner that's not afraid to get dirty.

 

Hi Ed - The XJ8's are wonderful cars with timeless beauty inside and out and they are a joy to drive. Additionally, the supercharged versions are powerful and will eat up highway miles in comfort all day long. They are, however, very complex and incredibly expensive to have repaired at a dealership.

If you are thinking of a 90 -110K mileage car you must either plan to work on the car yourself (recommended) or know a very skilled independent mechanic with excellent diagnostic skills and well versed with Jaguars. This is not a dig on Jags- I would offer the same advice on a purchase of a MB or BMW with high mileage.

I love my car and plan to keep it forever but there is no way I could afford to do so if I did not do all the work myself

 

Hey Ed,

I recently bought a 1998 xjr, after searching for several months for the right deal. I found a very clean and well maintained( with documentation) cat that only had 90k miles. $2500 for it because it needed the steering rack replaced and the owner didn't want to pay the dealer to fix it.

Since joining this site, I was able to replace the rack, verify the cam tensioners were in fact changed, and replace all 4 shocks. I always wrench on my vehicles and this site has all the info you will ever need.

I'm in the Orlando, Fl. area and there a lots of xj8's available. Good luck with your search. I still have a lot to learn about these impressive cars.

 

I'll go with Danielsand on the years. More specifically I'd go with 2003 as with this year you will avoid some inherent issues such as nikasil, plastic secondary timing chain tensioners. However, the trade off will be the price - newer car/higher price. When I went looking for an XJR I avoided dealers, especially non-franchised. I bought mine from private party, with 40+ pages of history indicating religous oil changes and all maintenance performed at the dealer. Also, check for accidents as Jags are aluminum bodied and by far not every shop is equipped to repair them. Look for small tell tale signs such as condition of interior, what works and what doesn't, etc. My XJR is a DD. It's a bit of a thirsty cat but I love it. Driving 60 miles each day puts a smile on my face.

 

One important item to consider very strongly - have a certified tech do a pre purchase inspection. I paid $100 for mine and its outcome was a major factor in my decision to get the car. Also, don't be to eager on the price. Keep in mind that although these are great cars and much more trouble free than other comprable luxo brands, they are also a well kept secret from majority of the buyers out there.

 

In the XJ series, the aluminum body did not show up until the new model introduced for 2004. The X300/X308 are steel bodied.

 

What I have learned in the past few months since I got my 03 XJ8 is that (1) most things that go wrong with the car are fixable by me (and that's saying a lot since I'm not a mechanic but I love to tinker and can follow directions!) and (2) the things that I can't or don't want to fix can be done by a competent mechanic (not, as many here would say, a Jag-certified mechanic, but simply a competent mechanic who is also honest and won't overcharge just because it's a Jag!), and (3) not much has to be fixed!!!!!

My car is about 10 years old, has 79k miles on it, and drives like a new car. I have the oil changed every 3k miles or so, and put gas in the tank -- that's it!

The reason I got a good car is because I looked around for a while, compared vehicles, looked at CarFax reports, test drove some, and most importantly asked questions in this forum.

I have learned to laugh at people when they say "Nice car, but isn't it expensive to maintain?" No, it's not.

 

You are right plums. My bad. Thanks for the correction