Yes, NGK (5464) BKR5EIX-11 Iridium IX (gap 43thou or 1.1mm) are available online (eBay/Amazon etc) for around $30 bucks a 4 pack with free shipping.

 

gap the plugs you have to 1.0mm

 

So I changed the plugs and the car got a lot of strength back, I’m not 100% sure if it’s running correct now but I made a video, also with a very scary sound, I hope you guys can hear it, but there is a knocking sound in the area of the Front of the Engine. What do you guys think is this?

 

Get a mechanics' stethoscope and track the source. Sounds likes a tensioner or bad bearing in the water pump, alternator, AC or power steering. Might also check to see if the power steering pump mounting is tight. About five years ago, a member had a loose power steering pump -- much the same sound.

 

Sounds pretty normal except for that clicking/clunking.

Like jhartz I was thinking power steering pump, they can make a dreadful noise if low on fluid or have a faulty bearing. Do the stethoscope thing, even if it is only with a large, long screwdriver to the ear, and try to isolate its approximate location in the engine bay.

Other than that I would suspect timing chains etc, but you say these have been done. Do you know this for sure?

Might want to have the stereo off next time, at least that would eliminate that noise!

 

Hi both of you, thanks for replying.
Sorry for the stereo, that was embarrassing.

I will get a stethoscope. I would say it comes from both sides of the top Front of the camcover. I know that there are cheap chinese chain kits.
I have an invoice for the change and for a timing kit (high price would suspect genuine but you never know), but I don’t think even a cheap timing chain would fail after like 1000km.

What I know for sure is that if there was the first gen tensioners in it, you have to get a little bit shorter screws for the both top tensioners. But I can’t say that, I didn’t had the cam cover off and even then I would only see the upper tensioners and don’t know if the other ones including guides are done.

I will tell if I found out something new, it’s bothering me, cause everything is as good as new on that car, can’t imagine the steering pump because it’s on both sides. But I will surely look for it.

Thank you again guys for that help, can’t tell you how much it helps with people like you that are always so helpful.

 

On both sides. Maybe primary tensioners . . . take the belt off and see if the noise quiets.

 

I was on the car and had took of the belt, and had it run for maybe a minute, definitely not more, I was a little bit fearful to damage something if it would run to long.

The noise was still present. I suspect the tensioners also or maybe the VVT is bad, is there any way to check the VVT. But the noise sounds like something hitting the valvecover or like a socket or something is loose.

I’m sure that I can’t do a chain job with tensioners on my own, as I’m not experienced enough, maybe it’s time to get the car to a specialist.

 

Any VVT problem should set a code?
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Hey Guys,

I was at a Jaguar workshop and showed the noise to them. They told me that would be the mechanical sound of the VVT and it can’t be changed. Is this correct? I’m not sure, because I never heared that kind of sound as I remember correctly on another XJ8.

 

Hello everyone,

to bring this topic to an end:
I have gone trough the whole thing again and checked if the VVT units are are tensioned (is this the right word?) correctly. So I did the whole timing chain job again, also bought new parts for it.

This was the first time I ever had done a thing like that. But it worked out, the car is quiet now and runs fine.

Funny thing: no workshop could find a problem and they always told me thats the normal sound of the VVT when its changing the timing. But as the car is now quiet, I guess the tension of the VVT was the problem.

Thanks alot to everyone that tried to help, I'm happy that everything is done and I hope that I can now drive the car for a long time.

Best regards.

 

There is no vvt unit that is ok when making a noise. Except when engine has been just started and possible not rised rpm rapidly at all. Some VVT units when worn keeps noise until oil gets through the mechanism first time.These still works correctly and are quiet.

 

Appears to have been tensioners, not VVT

 

Yeah that could be, I’m not exactly sure… I’m not an expert, but now the car is quiet and I worked the whole process with the guides from this forum and the JTIS.

Took me a complete weekend, I checked everything twice because it was my first time. I’m just happy that the car is now running fine and there is no noise coming from that area.

The noise was coming from that area and it wasn’t anything belt driven and appeared only when I opened the throttle gently and let it fall back. I couldn’t belive the VVT is going bad at that low milage.

Let’s see what happens next

 

Good job and that was a LOT of work for sure!!
I also think the problem was with the tensioners and NOT the VVT but who knows?
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