Some time ago I noticed a lot of wind noise on the driver's side of my 1989 XJS V12. I noticed that the door had dropped so I took it to the local dealer (Stratstones') who said I needed new hinges for the door and was advised that Jaguar no longer make them. So I managed to track down a pair, a re-conditioned upper and a lower from a 1989 XJR-S. I had them fitted but the door is still not getting a tight shut and the wind noise is still there. Is there any way I can adjust the hinges to pull the door into the reuired closed position.
I'd appreciate any advice or comments please.
Colin

 

Colin,

I've moved this from UK forum to XJS forum for a wider viewing from members with the same model.

Some of the members here have done ground up rebuilds and should be able to advise on door fettling.

Graham

 

Adjusting the door hinges are a right PITA. The bolts to adjust the height and rake are behind RH kick panel below the A pillar in the footwell.

You will need to remove the trim and then the foam from cutouts in the metal panel. The lower hinge bolts are easy to get at the top ones are NOT.

Adjusting the top and bottom of the door in and out is done with the hinge mounts inside the door, you will need to remove the door card.

 

What's the condition of the door seal? I replaced mine shortly after I bought the car and the "wind" noise went away.

 

Further to Warrjon's points, this job is a matter of patience rather than real difficulty. You also will find it is much easier with a friend to help.

Inside the car, remove the lower dash trim (shin level trim) and the moulded trim covering the lower A pillar. Carefully undo and mark the loom connections so the door can be removed when undone.

Place a trolley jack under the door with a bit of wood on it to protect the door, and have a friend steady the door while you are undoing the hinge nuts.

A 5/8 (from memory but might be 9/16 or even 3/4) socket with an extension is needed. Poke this into the access holes in the A pillar (that Warrjon described, pulling out the sound deadening foam) and loosen each of the three nuts on each side of each hinge. There is a spreader plate also below the nuts to reinforce the actual A pillar and door metal. Undo the nuts completely using the jack to hold the door level and lift away the door carefully guiding the loom through the gap. The door is HEAVY!

As Warrjon said, remove the door card and change over the hinges. Remount the door balanced on the jack, and start all of the nuts to finger tight. This is where the patience comes in! Place the door about right, nip up one nut on each side of each hinge, and close and see what is misaligned. Adjust, repeat, adjust repeat, etc etc until is is right. If the door is (eg) out at the bottom edge, open it a bit, support with jack, loosen the nipped nut in the door side of the hinge just enough so a whack on the door bottom with the heel of your hand jogs it in a bit. Tighten the nut, see what it looks like and so on. Fore and after adjustment is important too, and this is adjusted by loosening the hinge nut on the A pillar as there is enough play in the holes to give decent fore and aft, as well as up and down adjustment.

Basically wind noise is because either the top of the door is not tilting inwards sufficiently to nip the seal hard enough, and/or that the catch at the rear end of the door is not holding the door closed tightly enough. To adjust this latter, you need a Torx no. 27 bit to loosen the fixing on the B pillar and just move it inwards a touch. Do not actually undo these Torx screws, or the threaded bit inside the B pillar drops down inside the B pillar, which is grief beyond belief!

Greg