I have been looking at this car on craigslist, and it has some issues that I would like you experts to evaluate.

1. This is the one that I am worried about. Could it be an engine issue rather than battery issue.

2. I believe this could be the deteriorating bushings.

3. No idea on this; could it indicate major issues?

Also the seller says the front seats are massaging seats, but I haven't been able to find any references to massaging seats existing on the internet.

In case the ad goes down, the pictures are here.

Thanks!

 

A slow crank could be a few things. Battery, Cables, Bad ends, old starter, poor ground. If the engine sounds fine when running then I would have to say its not the engine.

The front end clunk. The shock bushings are a common failure and will make a lot of noise on any kind of uneven surface. You can see the upper bushings just looking in the engine compartment and if they look bad up top the one you cant see is probably shot.

Ball joints and bushings also could be worn and not to be unexpected on a 20 y/o car but not the end of the world by any stretch. Getting the car off the ground is always nice to be able to do if at all possible.

Revs high when cold. How high is high? Could it just be a engaged fan clutch making it sound loud?

As far as the seats, Ive never heard of this on any of the classic Jags but I could be wrong.

All in all it looks nice to me. The interior looks fantastic, and if all the little bits inside work, Climate unit, Seats, windows, locks lights ect then thats a nice plus. Interior and trim can be a lot harder to sort out than a couple of worn bushings and a high idle.

I'm a mechanic by trade and the mechanical is much easier to fix than track down the interior bits that make driving IN the car a nicer experience.

Personally I'm a fan of this series and that's why I have one. Though I have a XJ6 the V12 holds a mystique to me and I want one. I've had mine for 3 years and still enjoy getting into it every morning and driving to work and if something tragic happened I would look for another one. Any car that's 20 years old will have issues but I think you are getting a lot of car for the money and if you can deal with the issues that pop up the experience is worth it.

 

Great info, thanks. I contacted the seller after posting and he gave me some more information. First off, AC and Heat do not work, which he did not mention in his listing... Could be a myriad of things wrong with that. He claims that the heat might work and he just cannot figure it out, but I don't buy it. He also said that he does not have maintenance records for the car. He said that he purchased the car from a friend who also was a bit of a collector, and who put 3,000 miles on it in the past 8 years.

The lack of climate controls, esp. AC, bothers me. That combined with the lack of maintenance records makes me think that $3400 is not a great price. Thoughts on price? Given that the car was used rarely over a decade, is it possible that the AC just needs recharging? I understand that there are a million things that could go wrong with the AC, but given the circumstances, is a simple recharge an OK possibility to fix it?

I really appreciate all the help!

 

There is a world of difference between the a/c doesn't work, the heat doesnt work and the climate controls don't work.

If the a/c compressor doesn't come on that could be as simple as a low charge in the system and even if it has a leak and it needs to be recharged every spring thats not a big deal. IMHO.

Not to say that if the compressor is locked up its a cheap and easy fix, because it can be expensive to replace everything and clean out the system to get it working again. its just getting clear info as to whats wrong

The climate unit is another story. If the head isnt functional, the blowers don't work (there are 2 fans and the system needs both of them to get any real functionality) , the blend doors have issues, that's another story all together.

Dont let me dissuade you from good buy, but I dont know your skill level or abilities and would hate to talk you out of something. $3400 might not be out of line for the car though based on the info KBB calls it a little high.

I would want a better idea on the A/C to know what I was getting in to but maybe an offer of $2800 might be more in line.

 

Sorry, I should not have said Climate Controls do not work. The AC and heat do not work, but the blower works. Recharging a leak every spring is not a big deal to me. If I am on the brink of getting the car, I would recharge the AC to see if that gets the compressor to engage. Admittedly, I have little experience with cars, but a willingness to learn... From what I have read, a refrigerant recharge isn't out of even my league. I have no idea about the heat. Maybe he actually doesn't know how to use it, if that's possible...

Thanks again for all of this help!

 

I am going to see the car tomorrow. Have some questions about the AC.
Since it is a 1994 Model, does that mean that the system is R134a?

Where is the low pressure port located? I think I might see what pressure the system is at and, if below 20(?) PSI, put refrigerant into it, if the system is R134a.

Thanks

 

yes

the low side is the smaller port


Larry