Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and new to owning a Jag. I just purchased a 1987 XJ6 with 82K miles on her. Purchased from the original owner for 1.7k because they didn't have the time or money to put into the car. I bought it knowing a couple of issues, but there may be more than I realize. Here are a list of problems that I have and maybe someone can point me in the right direction.

1) Oil leaks - I know right off the bat that the valve cover gasket needs to be replaced. I also have a second leak. There are small puddles that appear under the engine only when the car is on. Any ideas of where this leak could come from?

2) Oil Pressure - This is the point that concerns me the most. When I first drove the car the pressure read around 40 while running. Now on hot days when it is started up I will read 10 and it will proceed to drop down to 0 even while it is driven. There is no oil light on and no knocking sound from the engine. Whhat are potential issues that could make this happen?

3) Speedometer, Odometer, Trip Setting do not work - While I drive none of these work. On a rare occasion (mostly at hwy speeds) they will randomly turn back on and work again for a few minutes before dying again.

4) Brakes - I have not pulled the brake off yet or done any investigating but there are definitely issues. I believe the front rotors may be warped. When stopping the steering wheel shakes violently. I am not sure if this is the rotor or maybe a caliper?

5) The handles on the door panels are coming off and are loose. Are new door panels hard to come by for these cars?

I really appreciate any help I can get. I have not yet worked on a Jag and am excited to begin.

 

A couple thoughts. First, oil leaks are a given with these cars. They all leak. I wouldnt worry too much about it but you can replace the VC gaskets to slow it down in that area. Be advised if they are original then prepare to scrape them off because they will be baked on the head or VC itself.

Not sure about oil pressure. It could be a blockage at the pump screen. The only way to be certain its not the gauge is to install a mechanical one and see if it still reads low.

The brakes could be an issue but dont count out the ball joints. I had to replace mine because of pulling/shaking/steering issues. Old tires can also do that. If its simply brakes and rotors then those are not any harder than most cars. Two notes... you may want to replace the rubber hoses at each front caliper and rebuild the calipers if the seals are dry rot. Its a cheap and simple fix really.

If rear brakes are an issue then you have a major job ahead of you. It took me 12-14 hours to do rear calipers/brake pads/rotors.

Other gauge issues sound like a bad ground somewhere. Query wiring issues and you find a ton of help there.

 

if you are new to the old car, first check the basics: Fuses:

the fuses in the driver's side fuse box, located below the steering wheel, there is a small opening with a square cover and a thumb screw; (if too tight to turn the thumb screw with the fingers, use a coin). Remove the cover, on the back of the cover it has a legend which tells you which fuse is for what. Find the fuse for the gauges, remove it and check it. (same for the fuses in the passenger side in the same location).

fuses in these cars tend to go to "sleep" for some reason, maybe it's oxidation in the brass contacts. Removing and replacing fuses tends to "awaken" the continuity. Also some fuses may LOOK fine but they are bad. Fuses fuses fuses. Check check check.

 

You've rec'd some good advice already but I'll throw in some additional tidbits




Multiple possibilities.

Cleaning the breather at the front of the cylinder head will often reduce oil leaks to a tolerable level. Post back for details, if interested




Hard to say without verifying the pressure with a hand held gauge but my guess is the oil pressure sending unit.

It's encouraging that the oil light doesn't come on as it's a separate switch entirely. This suggests (by doesn't confirm) that the oil pressure is OK and you're fighting an electrical problem.


Good advice and cheakcing/replacing fuses.

The transmission mounted speedometer transducer is also a known problem, giving erratic signals to the speedometer




Rotors, hoses, calipers, worn suspension, loose wheel bearings...or any combination. Warped rotors most likely but don't be surprised if the calipers are sticking, etc etc. Probably time for a full brake system overhaul




I presume you mean the armrest/handle used to pull the door closed and not the paddle/handle used to open the door?

These are separate from the door trim panel. I seriously doubt any of this stuff is available new from Jaguar. Used parts abound for these cars, though




What's the overall condition of the car? My gut feeling is that you have a bit of a project on your hands. You might wanna carefully analyze all the work needed before spending time and money on any single area.

The majority of repairs are fairly easy for a decent DIY guy. A few are tricky and/or labor intensive.

Cheers
DD

 

The good news is these cars can be failry easily repaired by a reasonably skilled owner assuming he/she has a good set of tools and a robust trolleyjack and ramps/axle stands. There are one or two special tools needed to tinker with the engine

The bad news is there tends to be an awful lot of work needed to put right what are usually years of neglect.

If you are serious, then first buy the Workshop Manual, and also, if possible, the Parts Catalogue. These are still available on the internet, and are proper books, each about 1" thick