I am certainly glad Tennessee has no mandated emissions testing.
The Duchess has no codes which would prevent her passing such
test, however the hassle and time required is ludicrous when you
consider the overall results currently seen in the states currently
under this compulsion. Maybe it's a step in the right direction but
the results do not seem to validate the requirement.

 

I did this

 

I drove mine to work & when I washed the screen on the way I remembered why I'd changed the wiper I fitted out the boot friday. Still it's better than the new* one that'd torn, so it's there till I buy a new one this week.

 

I need to pull my gas tank but it's about 3/4 full.

Will it siphon down if I pull the lower pressure and return pipes off?

If so, any suggestions on the best method to drain the tank?

Thanks

Phil

 

Never mind.


Persuaded the pump to run. Drained 18 gallons of varnishy fuel from the tank.
Added 5 fresh.


Ran well enough to turn the car around. Just.

Phil

 

Took the old girl to Colorado’s “English Motoring Conclave” today. A massive turnout - everything from Morgans and Sunbeams to Lotuses and Rolls. The XJR was entered in the 1976 - Present (non-coupe/convertible) category. Pleased to report a first place victory, though I don’t know how, over a spectacular XJ6 BRG on oatmeal, and another BRG XF sportbrake.

 

I've been chipping away at the XJ8 over the past couple weeks. The stereo now works properly (RCA cables had gone bad and were no longer grounded, causing a bad ground loop.
Bought a replacement climate panel, this one the screen works properly. Replaced bulbs. Learned that the stereo has an RGB setting and matched the interior lighting color.


Camera ate the colors but imagine it's the same pleasant blue-green as the dash dials.
Replaced the handbrake cable and adjusted the handbrake.
​​​​​​

That was straightforward, thankfully. Nothing was seized up. Lightly lubricated the caliper mounting studs as per the manual.


Cleaned out the windscreen washer nozzles and set their aim. Also treated it to new screen wash (standard blue) and a new wiper blade, which promptly thanked me by not wiping the screen properly. Examined the arm and determined years of sitting on the screen had caused it to twist, so the blade wasn't being held perpendicular to the glass. Twisted it a little and now it wipes the screen beautifully.

Then we had a hurricane.

I went out this afternoon and started the car up to give it a little run up to warm to cycle the coolant and oil, and was greeted by an airbag light. Superb.

Phil
​​​​​

 

Air bag light often goes away on a restart; also a hard reset. I think it is moisture . .

 

While I didn’t do the work, I drive her there and waited while she was in this morning for her annual warranteed undercoating and rust proofing indirection and touch up as needed.

She still looks pretty good under there for a 24 year old car:





And they washed her up top as well so that got taken off this afternoon’s to-do list. Also looking pretty good for a 24 year old car:

 

Nothing yet, but I might drive it to the pub this evening.

 

I checked the coolant. It's settled about 1/3" below the lip at the top of the expansion tank, so I guess running low the other week was just it being a mardy old thing & proving it's got a personality.

 

I didn't really want to hard reset the car if I can get away with it, mostly because the radio in it is a pain to set up again. I'll wait and see what it does. Moisture makes sense, it had just sat through a hurricane...


Getting there with fixing things also. New shock top mounts because the rubber on the old ones had disintegrated.
I've got a new receiver-dryer also for when the system gets recharged.
Just bought a set of Goodyears for it also to replace the cracked and non airtight Sumitomos on it right now.

The to-do list is getting much smaller.

To finish, fixed the cupholder (what a horrible design it is).


One for the road. Very important.

Also just knocked (most of) the parking dink outnof the passenger rear quarter. Looks better when it catches a reflection now.


Phil
​​

 

Must've been the damp.


I went outside to record the radio settings, in prep to do a hard reset on the car .. and the SRS light is gone.

While I was outside I decided to do a full deep clean of the front glass to try extend the life of the windshield wiper blade.


No pops and clicks when the razor is dragged backward over the surface now so that's nice and smooth.
Went for a quick drive to the end of the street and back, the shock mounts were the source of the noise, and are now silent. Happy with that.

Phil

 

5th oil & filter change today since I brought it home about 2 years and a couple months ago.

 

Gave it a wash the other day

 

Removed the wheels and brake discs.

 

Replaced the brake discs and wheels.



Phil

 

I drove mine to work. I normally use a bike but off to a pub quiz this evening & I don't go home in between & it's due to pour it down later.

 

Last Sunday I drove my car to winter storage. Summer is over, again. I took the ecm with me. Today I started to poke it to find the issue what I had all this summer season. Running awhile on 6-7 pots after hot start. Engine starts every time with all eight cylinders. But after ecm "sees" faulty coil on cylinder 2 it cuts fuel from cylinder 3. Result is rough runing engine..
What I've gathered so far is one bad solder on lambda heater fet's and traced back coil acknowledgmen via to the cpu number #. That cpu has loose leg but I can not determine is that leg used or not. But where is one loose soldered leg, there is almost always others. We will see..

 

Took the headlights out.

Cleaned them because they were dirty.

​​​​​​Much better now.


Phil