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After searching for years, the exactly what I want XJS finally has been discovered and is now living in my garage! I intend to use this post to tell the story of her life from here on out. 1995 Sapphire coupe, AJ16, 90k miles, full maintenance records, original owners manual, tool kit and was an awesome deal. The only real issues at all is a refrigerant leak that leaks out in about a week, and an ABS light. Both not too bad to fix as we will do all work ourselves and are pretty familiar with these systems (however I am sure I will ask for help somewhere along the journey). It was 350 miles away, went to check it out, bought it, and drove it home this morning....what an exquisite ride it was! My wife, to whom my E-Type left a bad taste, even loves it. I let my daughter drive it and she had that Jag grin the whole time and said "I get it Dad, I understand you car guys now, this is what driving is all about"! I only have the one picture so far, but it looks better than that and actually is in better shape than the sellers pictures led me to believe. First project will be to tackle the A/C issue, I will post as I work my way through it and thank you all in advance for all the great information within these forums!!
On my car the AC issue was the port itself. There is a rubber ball in there to act as the check valve and over time it goes hard and leaks. They are standard GM parts that screw in and are easy to replace. That's a cheap place to start anyway.
My usual method for leak detection is a bit different to others, as I have a hydrocarbon sniffer that is good down to 5 PPM. I put about 10 psi worth of BBQ propane into the system and then run the sniffer over every joint, I can usually find the leaking fitting quite quickly. I have come across several cars where it was the ports themselves that were leaking, so the car would hold vacuum when the gauge set was connected, but not when it was disconnected.
Cool Jag, I love the Blue! Hope the inside is as pretty. Looks like all you'll have to do besides the little things you listed. Is to enjoy it! Good Luck.
Thanks! I love it, it is exactly what I wanted but had given up on finding. Was justifying compromises to myself when out of pure chance, I stumbled on the listing for it. The interior shows slightly more wear than the outside, but is still better than most 5 year old cars you see. I should have time to get it washed, waxed and get some pics this weekend. I'll post them along with the stories of any work that gets done.
I had a leak in the condenser coil when I first bought it. If that's the case, make sure you replace the drier while you're there, as well as the expansion valve.
If it's one of the schraeder valves, yes, they unscrew and can be replaced separately. You may want to buy a UV flashlight to see if you can self diagnose the leak. I had a mechanic find the leak, and then I replaced the condenser coil myself using parts from RockAuto. I may have a post about it.
As for the ABS, you'll need a specialized OBDII reader to pull that code unfortunately. A probable culprit is a dirty sensor. Its more complicated to get to than it needs to be, but straightforward. You will have to undo the ball joint to get access to the 8mm bolt holding the sensor in. It's typically one of the front ones. If you're in the drivers side, then I'd replace the fuel filter while you're in there.
Thanks! The brakes are working fine now for some reason, just has the brake light on. Thinking I am going to tackle the A/C first. I threw a charge in it and it leaked out in 15 minutes, cant find a leak anywhere under the hood and am pretty sure it is in the evaporator (and i found in the service records they suspected a an evap leak). It's my understanding that this involved pulling the entire dash, I'm fine doing it, but am always open to any experience or tips anyone might have to share. Thanks!
Tony
Thanks! The brakes are working fine now for some reason, just has the brake light on. Thinking I am going to tackle the A/C first. I threw a charge in it and it leaked out in 15 minutes, cant find a leak anywhere under the hood and am pretty sure it is in the evaporator (and i found in the service records they suspected a an evap leak). It's my understanding that this involved pulling the entire dash, I'm fine doing it, but am always open to any experience or tips anyone might have to share. Thanks!
Tony
Do your airbag wood trim concurrent with the evaporator job!!
It is a 6. I had a 12 in my E-Type, but was wanting the AJ16 (although I would have taken a 12 if this particular car didnt show up). My youngest is already in college, but after driving it a few times has already informed me that she "gets the Jag thing....." I might be in trouble there!
And the adventure begins! New to me XJS!
