When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
SD, your MPG sounds a bit low, but you may have all sorts of extra stuff on your engine from the emissions point of view? I get a real world 18+ mpg , 14/15 in traffic. I found that replacing the mechanical fan gave me a noticeable improvement, as did disabling the start-up enrichment timer, as did a new Bell exhaust. But my car is lighter than later models, no seat motors, no cats, no ABS etc etc.
Greg
I think the ABS thing doesn't work as it only weights about 5 kg if you remove the reservoir and ABS block and pump But then it has no brake servo so I would assume weightwise it is identical to a non ABS car
My best mpg was 24 mpg on the Dutch and then German motorways. Cruise set at 120 kph and then just rolling. I was amazed as I went through the TC trying to find something to do Got to the next petrol station near my destination and topped up to the first switch off... I had used, from London via Knebworth and Harwich and then via Hoek van Holland, Utrecht, Osnabrück and Bremen something like 430 miles/690 km not as much as I had thought I would use. I had planned very pesimisticaly 3 tankfills... I used a little less than 1 (something like 81l).
So (81÷690)×100=11.9l/100 km which is around 23 uk mpg or 20 us mpg... I couldn't get that in my area though due to traffic. But on a long haul, that should be no worry again...
But then again, I'm with OB on this... The XJ-S is a car to drive, not to economise!
I hope to try a few long-haul expressway jaunts soon. Again, I'm not worried about the consumption per se, just wanting to make sure it's not so low that it indicates something wrong.
I'm surprised how economic my V12 is. I was fearing something like 12 MPG and had decided I could live with that for a car that should only be for fun. The number of smiles per miles would compensate.
I have only had it for one summer season, but the average consumption measured over appr 2500 km has been 13 l/100km (18 US MPG, 21.7 UK MPG), and that does include everything:
Cold starts when people wants to hear the V12 purr, other cold starts just to move the cars around in the driveway, fast motorway driving, urban driving, everything.
My 3.2 L XJ40 is only more economical than the V12 on long drives at moderate speed !
I have no idea if I still have cold start injectors or other fuel consuming systems, but I know I have no catalysts and a relatively light car due to age. Less systems, simply.
It's my plan to do a photo like the one SD has presented in this thread and make a mapping of what is still present.
So far I have found cruise control and the second ignition coil to be missing, and I have located overrun valves and both fuel regulators.
So (81÷690)×100=11.9l/100 km which is around 23 uk mpg or 20 us mpg... I couldn't get that in my area though due to traffic. But on a long haul, that should be no worry again...
Agreed, if the car is dead right, on the cruise at 120kph (about 70MPH) that figure is achievable. Amazing figures, even so Daim. Drops to 20/21MPG at a steady 135 KPH. And once you start actually driving the car, 18 or less is achievable without any effort at all!
Greg
Agreed, if the car is dead right, on the cruise at 120kph (about 70MPH) that figure is achievable. Amazing figures, even so Daim. Drops to 20/21MPG at a steady 135 KPH. And once you start actually driving the car, 18 or less is achievable without any effort at all!
Greg
I always drive on cruise control, even in town... There where possible it is on. The same on the old gal... Only as the bellows were leaking in 2014 did I stop using it. I think, with an extra OD wedged between tranny and diff you would probably just manage to get it down to around 10l/100km (30 mpg!?). I think it revs a tad too high in third for my taste...
OB and I are frothing at the mouth. 30 quid in Florida for a tankful! That is about 30% of the UK price!
Greg
that was with a dollar off dis count mind you.... (limit 35 gallons)
it is most of the time that price + a dollar more a gallon...
so it would have been 39 + 22 = 61 dollars
I still have two more to use before the end of the month
I never use the discount as I can not buy the 35 gallons...
I use it in the wife's Van that uses reg. and buy 35 gallon by fill up 5 gallon gas cans (3) save 35 dollars that way.. but there was no way we could go through 3 discounts at 35 gallons each before Feb... so I used one...
now just 2 left (35 gallons limit each)
So since I just finished copious amounts of effort tearing it down, removing much unneeded wire and vacuum debris and appliances (a/c, smog pump, etc. and rerouted all the harness, I wanted to put my pride and joy out there for feedback.
Now on to the interior!
Let's hope that leather jacket wasn't a fake - if not, you got a hell of a bargain, OB (actually, you should put it on eBay or whatever advertised as the brand name, make XX amount of quid, and buy another 25 quid leather jacket with some of your profit). I buy some things at second-hand shops like that, but not clothes (chances of fitting: somewhere hovering near zero). Just today I picked up a nice white leather sofa for just $100 (or so) for my office at the university. A minor bit of discolouration and a wee gouge or two? Not a worry. I want something I can put my boots on, anyway....
I'm not worried about the cost as such - I waited thirty years until my income levels were high enough to be able to afford both fuel and repairs without blinking (too much, at least). I was mainly wondering if I was getting notably poor mileage or not. It's a given that there's going to be fewer places to let her have her head in Japan than even in the UK (I have fond memories of booting along some lovely rural B roads at 100 kph - a road where the limit would be 40 in Japan), so I knew mileage wouldn't be great. It's just hard to know what a ballpark figure should be. So it's nice to know she's working fine in that respect.
Also my other car (the shopping cart) is a tiny 660 cc thing that is about the size of the Jag's engine and probably weighs less. Not only does it sip fuel like a miser, I don't take it anywhere to stretch its legs, so the fuel gauge barely moves for weeks.
Hi Some Day
Last night I was watching a programme about Japan (I think it was Sapporo) and they had this Ice/Snow Festival with Amazing Ice Sculptures.
So Knowing what an Ace Photographer you are, I wondered if you might have a few shots of this.
As your Road Trip Shots were Awesome! which we all enjoyed.
P.S. The Leather Jacket was the real deal and has the Quilted Lining.
Picked up 3 more leather Route 66 type Bmr Jackets to-day £10 for all Three!
So since I just finished copious amounts of effort tearing it down, removing much unneeded wire and vacuum debris and appliances (a/c, smog pump, etc. and rerouted all the harness, I wanted to put my pride and joy out there for feedback.
Now on to the interior!
Much cleaner. I'm sometimes impressed by restomodded and pro touring cars at the classic car shows for their clean engine bays. As the cars are old enough to no longer be subject to emissions in Texas, they'll remove all related plumbing. They may be running a big cam anyway and so they'll convert many vacuum operated systems to electric. And then whatever's left, they'll hide behind false panels or run more discretely. I also enjoy luxury cars from the 20s and 30s. Back then, the technology was still new and exciting and the first thing people did when they took their new car to the country club was to open the hood and marvel at the machinery. Engineers then actually put some effort into making their engines not only perform, but look a work of art as well. On the other end of the scale, I'm currently restoring a vintage Corvette and the apathy toward detail in Bowling Green was just appalling. Ironically now to get a Top Flight in judging, I've been studying pictures to try and recreate the original "rat's nest" of unbundled wiring as close as possible.
Is that your average MPG? If so, I only wish I could get that. Around town, with constant stop-starts, I'm lucky to average 12 MPG. Seeing MPG averages under 10 is not unusual.
That does seem low, however the V12 uses a lot of fuel when it's cold. If you're mainly doing short trips with lots of cold starts you will see low fuel economy.
When I was using a Series III XJ12 as a daily driver I noticed a huge difference seasonally. Spring and fall was the best economy (minimal AC usage) of about 18 mpg on my trip to work. Summer went to about 16 mpg ( lot of AC) and winter when it was cold, i.e. -20C or colder, it could drop to 10 mpg or less. Imperial gallons too!
I didn't have a place to plug in the block heater at work, so it sat outside in the cold all day. Winter traffic is always slower too and more idling.
So since I just finished copious amounts of effort tearing it down, removing much unneeded wire and vacuum debris and appliances (a/c, smog pump, etc. and rerouted all the harness, I wanted to put my pride and joy out there for feedback.
Very colourful! Looks even more alien than mine.
There's no way I could get past the emissions inspections if I removed parts like that, however, but it's an interesting look at the bare essentials, so to speak.
Last night I was watching a programme about Japan (I think it was Sapporo) and they had this Ice/Snow Festival with Amazing Ice Sculptures.
So Knowing what an Ace Photographer you are, I wondered if you might have a few shots of this.
As your Road Trip Shots were Awesome! which we all enjoyed.
P.S. The Leather Jacket was the real deal and has the Quilted Lining.
Picked up 3 more leather Route 66 type Bmr Jackets to-day £10 for all Three!
Very nice bargains. Glad the jacket was the real deal - it's one I wouldn't have noticed, as I have never heard of the brand and wouldn't even think to check, but lucky you.
I'm afraid I've never been to the Sapporo Snow Festival. It's a long way away from me, and I'm usually pretty busy with work this time of year. It's also one of those events you need to book half a year in advance to get a hotel room, and prices are jacked up - it's the major annual event in Sapporo, and packed with visitors.
Glad you enjoy the road trip pics. It's winter, so less chances to get out driving to scenic areas (also, scenic areas often less scenic sans leaves), but I did do a mini-trip the other day, and could put up some pics from that - got a few nice shots of the car in the sunset as well.
I've just looked at the Photos of your Road Trip and they are Amazing! as well as being enjoyable to look at, especially of a Country that few of us would be lucky enough to visit, let alone be able to live in.
I haven't had my Camera long and as such I am still working my way through the 150 pages of the Instruction Book that I had to download.
So now having managed to turn it on, I can finally start to make progress and will no doubt be asking you that apart from everything what am I doing wrong.
What sort of camera do you have? Sounds complicated....
Japan's very easy to visit (assuming you can afford the airfare) - it's not nearly as expensive as people assume it is. Things like entry fees and underground tickets are way cheaper than London, for example.
So since I just finished copious amounts of effort tearing it down, removing much unneeded wire and vacuum debris and appliances (a/c, smog pump, etc. and rerouted all the harness, I wanted to put my pride and joy out there for feedback.
Now on to the interior!
Very clean bay you have there! Blue cooling, red heads and vee, unique! It looks very serious. Is the fuel rail cover insulative?
And is that a leaper I see? Poised at the front A/C mount?
i adjust idle speed with the throttle plate screws, just like you would do with a lawn mower , or motorcycle.
its a balance of both sides , just fiddle around with them till you get satisfied, i adjust to around 850/900 because i have race cams CRANE , and use a vacuum pump for brakes etc.
But then it has no brake servo so I would assume weightwise it is identical to a non ABS car 
