On an episode of Wheeler Dealers where the featured car was a 3.6L XJS Coupe, they had to replace a corroded hood (bonnet), for which Mike purchased a nice replacement. After Edd replaced and adjusted the hood, he proceeded to close it. He lowered it, but then he didn't push it down to lock it. Instead, he went inside the car and locked it using what appeared to be the very hood release control, at which time I could see the hood finishing its downwards travel and then clicking locked, Wow! Actually, this is a great feature considering how flimsy and funny the XJS hood locking action tends to be.

I have double checked my '94 XJS owners manual and the only hood closing instructions I see are to grab the hood at near the center of the rear edge and to bring it down slowly defeating the struts' resistance and then to further push it down so it locks, both ends, if necessary. Nothing about doing it with an inside lever (Heck, I wish). Maybe pre-facelift owners have been enjoying this feature all along and I had no idea it existed? Or, is it possible that this was a 3.6L -only- feature?

Cheers,

 

the facelift XJS ( which you have ) has a different way to shut the bonnet

all XJS's up to the facelift have this lever action closing ,

the problems start when you take it to someone who doesn't know how it works, and leans on the bonnet to try and pop it shut, and then proceed to bend and break the latches , even though there is an instruction decal on the scuttle right by the wipers !!

the other thing that annoyed me about the wheeler dealers programme was the mention of the rust on the bonnet from the latches, absolutely nothing to do with the closing of the bonnet,

BB

 

Was also on the early facelifts. Well mine anyway.......great, no slamming. Also lets me open up and close when sitting in traffic from the drivers seat....(not that it cooks when in stop start traffic....lol)

 

cool

I thought all facelifts had it, wonder when the change was ?

BB

 

Mine also has 2 keys, Tibbe for the ignition, glovebox and boot and the flat key for the tank and the older style door handles. I guess its a "use up those last part bins...." very early facelift car.


I fitted the Jag alarm system mainly for the door remote locking....

 

I've seen many a mechanic jumping up and down on an XJS bonnet trying to get it to lock. I wonder why Jaguar didn't just use the same mechansim as the XJ6?
BTW - replacement bonnet close stickers are available on Ebay.

 

Another thing about that episode... When our chirpy barrow boy is doing his initial appraisal, i think it was, he repeatedly slams the hood, which fails to close it, after his engine bay inspection. It makes me cringe!

 

The lever closing on the older cars is superior to the facelift model because if the cable breaks you are not stuck with a closed bonnet as on the facelift style. I can not see any reason for this change except that engineers seem to like to demonstrate their prowess by changing designs that are working just fine. Referring to Jaguar design staff as engineers is a bit of a misnomer, I admit.

 

Thanks for all the informative responses.
Well, lucky you pre-facelift owners and I envy you because it is such a convenient feature to have. If you know my car you know how I feel about conveniences, so missing out on this one... well, it hurts. I'm always very careful when I close the hood on my '94 because the handling doesn't feel nearly as solid as, say, the hood on my XJR, or even my Z3.

Once again, thanks to all for your great responses.

Cheers,

 

Very similar to my take on one of women's strange behavior...

Whenever I see a very attractive woman, including on a movie, or TV news, sooner or later I'll see her again, but totally different and not looking nearly as beautiful as before. Different hair color, hair style, dressing style/wear, make up, you name it and, in doing so, they tend to undo whatever made them pretty before. I ask my wife, don't you guys take into account that you're already looking pretty before you go and change it, many times for the worse, even giving her examples of "remember such and such TV announcer and look at her now"? She responds that women need constant change, especially on their appearance and even if it means destroying what previously made her a knockout. It is a mental thing/need and for many, not doing so may lead in to some kind of despair.

Changing for the worse something that was working beautiful...
Any similarities?

Cheers,

 

Wow! That is something that I don't look forward to. Knowing about this, do you also happen to know how is the hood eventually opened again?
Thank you,

 

Wow, opening and closing from your seat? Awesome.
I wonder if my '94 hood locking mechanism could possibly be retrofitted into pre-facelift design. I wonder if it's been done.

Any tips would be appreciated.
Thank you,

 

i never even noticed that hood latch change .
my 1978 lever is on the left side under dash, while i drive from the right side. i always liked that smooth NO SLAM latch, quiet at night,not to wake the people!

also my trunk/boot closes without a slam, just a light push down,and it clicks!

some of Jaguars better engineering for sure.
and i NEVER let anyone else open or CLOSE the hood or trunk, without thinking they may slam them,doing damage to the latch mechanisims!

 

Forcedair1, There are posts on the opening of the bonnet in case of cable failure. It seems that the hinges can be unbolted to allow the bonnet to be raised enough to access the latches. The grill may have to be removed to do this. I haven't experienced this myself and hope not to. I used a grinding disc to remove the flare on the ends of the latch bars that are mounted on the bonnet. I would still have to get to and remove the hinge bolts but can then move the bonnet forward to get it free from the latches.
I don't know if the pull to lock latch could be put into a facelift car but I believe it could if you had the necessary bits.
Cheers, RagJag

 

Thanks for the info/warning. Man, I'm certainly not looking forward to that situation; there are many other things that I'd rather be doing to the kitty instead and neither am I amused by the mention of the word "grille" because, being a total custom fab and install, my grille removal may just be a total nightmare. I'm going to take a good look at the mechanism, as to prepare myself for the possible event.

Again, thank you and cheers,

 

I do not know when they changed the latching system, but it was sometime in the '94 model year. I currently have 3 '94 4.0L XJS convertibles, with the 6/93 and 7/93 manufacture dates having the lovely smooth lever system, and the 3/94 has the push and bend spring system that I hate.

 

I believe that it changed at VIN 190528 which means that all XJSs built from September 93 have the spring release system.

Paul

 

My 1990 has the lever release system - my "Jag guy" told me about it as one of the first "do NOT ever slam the hood" bits of advice when I took the car in for a pre-purchase (neither I nor my husband do our own work save minor fixes, sadly). I'd very much like to find the sticker, though. Does it have a specific terminology to search for? Not that anyone I don't trust touches the car, but just in case...


I also have two keys for the car. Friends find it quaint.

And, FWIW, as one of the relatively few women on the forum, I'm just as puzzled by the random changes to things as you are, but I totally understand the new hairstyle issues :-). - Gina