Hey ,
im interested in buying a a 1995-2003 jaguar xj8/6. i have done some reading on the forum and i've learned a small amount about a tensioner problem and a drum problems. how would i be able to tell if a jag had one of these problems what would i look/listen for? its not like i can ask to take the engine apart after the test drive to be sure.

im doing my search mostly from craigslist and i've test drove nearly every xj8 listed in WA. i've noticed alot of delayed gear entry does that mean theres a trans problem? many cars don't have any service records and some owners don't know if the jag has had the tensioner replaced and the lots just don't care.

should i focus my search on 1995/97 xj6? does the xj6 have the tensioner problem?

sorry about all the questions and thanks in advance.

 

While volumes of service history are nice archeological constructs, what I'd be more concerned about was the service history that the current owner had in his hand at the time you went to look at a car.

For instance, if I were to sell mine, you'd find that:
1. Tensioners were the latest and did not need to be changed (I paid to have someone go in there and look, fully ready to upgrade to latest if there was ANY question) and so stated on the repair invoice.
2. Coolant and brake system had been flushed and filled with correct fluids
3. 8 new coils and spark plugs
4. New thermostat (and housing, just by looking, is the upgraded aluminimum housing
5. Tranny was a rebuilt overhaul by a known respected overhaul shop
6. Regular lube/oil/filter changes
7. New OEM mufflers
8. Injector seals and fuel rail replaced

Now...do you really care what owner #1 did in 2001? I don't. What I know is that MY car has had the proper service when needed as needed. What happened in 2001 is incidental to the car at this point, what's happened and documented under my watch is the most recent, and one may say, experimental knowledge (rather than urban legend) about the reliability (or not...these ARE Jaguars, remember) about the car.

So...buy with your eyes open, but don't get too hung up on "there is no service history from 13 years ago, so this car is no good..." if the price is right and the recent history indicates that the car has been treated to the proper level of care. There's no guarantee, but, for the $$$, a 308 is a good choice (especially if the 3 weak areas have been addressed...which, at this point, is still in flux).

 

I've bought two cars recently where they appeared to have no service history, but the entire history was listed, in detail, on Carfax. This includes the XJR I have now.

The first was a Land Rover Discovery that I bought on Ebay. Got a great deal on it. I don't think a lot of the other bidders knew it was a one owner car with full service history as they hadn't looked on Carfax.

Carfax has also identified one with a serious mileage discrepancy, and one with a major accident.

Obviously I'm now a fan.

 

What are the 3 weak areas?

 

From Brian's post
1. Tensioners were the latest and did not need to be changed (I paid to have someone go in there and look, fully ready to upgrade to latest if there was ANY question) and so stated on the repair invoice.
2. Coolant and brake system had been flushed and filled with correct fluids
3. 8 new coils and spark plugs
4. New thermostat (and housing, just by looking, is the upgraded aluminimum housing
5. Tranny was a rebuilt overhaul by a known respected overhaul shop
6. Regular lube/oil/filter changes
7. New OEM mufflers
8. Injector seals and fuel rail replace

1/ 4/ and 5/ Would be known weak areas.

What have you discovered after driving the cars you have so far? You should be getting the 'feel' of any differences of a looked after versus a pig.

 

Echoing Gippsland:

1. Original secondary tensioners were plastic. Putting them in a hot petroleum-soaked environment...well, they crack, the chain skips, and you are either lucky that it's only one tooth, in which case the engine runs rough, or 2 teeth and you're replacing valves.

2. Plastic thermostat housing (again, heat, time, etc) degrades, sometimes in a spectacular fashion, and you toast the engine from overheating when the overheated coolant also roaches the water pump.

3. Known issue with the 5HP24 transmission in these cars, Beemers, and Audis. High pressure valve hangs, overpressurizes and cracks the A drum of the tranny (which is the input clutch pack) and you're in limp home mode.

Luckily, these are well-known, and, if taken care of, are not follow-on issues:

1. There is an update to metal-bodied tensioners that was a running change to the design. Lower chains, primary tensioners, secondary chains, secondary metal tensioners, etc. If this has been done, the engine is probably good for 200k+ miles.

2. There is an update to metal impeller and metal body thermo housing. Check.

3. ZF updated the components; repair of working boxes (or exchange) is in the 2200-3200 for the box and about 600 to yank and replace. Cheaper if you do it yourself.

My wrench has an XK that was (stupidly, by the owner's wife) driven home belching steam and running rough.

Bottom of the engine had no significant amounts of metal nor antifreeze in the oil after lab analysis, 6 valves are bent, and ALL the tensioners had either cracked or failed.

He's working on putting the thing back together; replace and relap the valves, new gaskets, new water pump, updated tensioners, etc. Rest of the car is cherry; so, the only hanging chad would be the tranny.

Moral of the story: there are weak points in any car (ask me about head gaskets in 3.4/3.5L V6 GM engines or tranny problems in the GM series...btdt), but, if you're willing to address them, you'll be rewarded with an excellent ride. But these aren't soulless hondas or kias. They are high-strung performance saloons that reward care and punish abuse.
(and, as a Lotus owner, too, they are, after British. All that implies..)

 

Bryan: nice review

 

My business is taking off a little quicker than expected and I need an SUV so I'm going to casually start shopping the Jag. If you're interested PM me

- tensioners - done
- $2000 in engine seals and a new valve cover - done
- front suspension (bilsteins) - done
- headliner - done
- plugs and coils - done
- Belt tensioner - done
- Thermostat and water pump with metal props - done
- Rear diff seals - done
- ABS "fix"
- New Battery
- New tires (eh 4000 miles on them)
- New front brakes
- fuel pump less than 10,000 miles old
- XJR grill

There is a whine from the transmission which I think is the tranny oil pump. Just to be 100% honest but that and seat heaters not working are the only issues with the car. I'd sell it for $6000 as it sits or $7500 with the tranny fixed (which is probably a rebuild). The car really needs nothing else and I hate to do it but I'm renting vans left and right and its getting really, really annoying.

PM me with interest or questions

Edit - I have the full service history from what I've done as well as the PO who is a dentist in Houston.

 

does delayed gear entry mean its going to need a new transmission?

 

It could. Delayed entry and hard shifts are pretty bad signs.