We're getting ready to take our 1996 Jaguar XJS 2+2 Convertible with the 4.0L and automatic transmission on a very long round trip. We're leaving September 8th and the entire trip will last about 10 days and total almost 3600 miles and nearly 70 hours of driving time.

During this time we will be spending time in some of the highest peaks and up/down some of the largest mountain ranges in North America and wanted to know if I need to prepare to do anything different with the car at such altitudes and steep up/down hill climbs and grades.

We're gonna leave Arkansas and drive north to see Mount Rushmore, then over to Casper, WY where we have friends to visit, then on to Yellowstone National Park, down through the Grand Tetons and on to Arches National Park, then turn back east through Colorado and see Maroon Bells Peaks, Mount Evans, Rocky Mountain National Park, and finally Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, and then head home probably spending a night in Colorado Springs or Pueblo.

 

I've been some of those places with my family, and there was no altitude trouble with the car to speak of that I remember. Sometimes at the Very highest altitude the car had less power but that was because it couldn't breathe and it was loaded with a family and all our traveling stuff.

Going from a lower altitude to a higher one might cause you more problems than the car. If you've spent most of your life near sea level you might have unexplained headaches and blood pressure issues.

The worst problem we had was when we went to the White Mountains and the Bristle Cone Pine Forest having left Death Valley only that morning; -200 feet to 6000 feet. The car didn't want to pull the last couple hills but we couldn't spend very long there anyway because we ALL got unusual headaches, some severe. They say that's altitude sickness and if that happens one must get to a lower altitude asap.

If you have heating issues with your car they will be far worse so you'll want to check out your cooling system thoroughly.
(';')

 

keep an eye on tire pressure, it will change with altitude.