Hiya
I'm considering getting a convertible XJS.
As a wheelchair user I'm concerned I wouldn't be in a position to fix it if it stopped working.
Does anyone have any suggestions/experience to share?
Thanks
Luke

 

Aye up. I have no first-hand experience on these yet but as a mechanic I will tell you: Reliability correlates directly to the maintenance performed. If you get one: have the motor replaced, have the connectors looked at, fuses replaced, water tightness checked etc. There is no reason for it to fail if you do preventative maintenance and are proactive on replacements. That's how we do things on helicopters and it should serve you well on an XJS.

 

Luke,

I've had my convertible for over 20 years and I've never had a problem with the Hood or rear windows.

A very simple summary of what you have is:

- A Hood rocker switch
- An ECU
- 6 Relays controlling: Hood Up & Down, Left Rear Window Up & Down, Right Rear Window Up & Down
- A Hood pump
- 2 x Hood Struts

The Hood ecu gets a signal from the handbrale switch and the Transmission selector. One problem is if either of these signals are not functioning correctly.
Relays sometimes fail, but certainly no more than any other relay in the car.
Pump seals sometimes seem to be reported as a failure point, but I wouldn't say it's that common. I don't know anyone in the UK that's had to rebuild one.
Again, some people seem to have had issue with rear windows sticking, but tapping them with a hammer often seems to cure that.

I certainly wouldn't say that concerns about the Hood are ever a reason to be nervous about buying an XJS Convertible.

Good luck

Paul

 

Relays are probably the only things that seems to fail with age, but that isn't too difficult or expensive to change. I would have though as a wheelchair user the hardest thing about an XJS would be getting in an out. They are not the easiest ( or most graceful) things to get into.

 

Fwiw, here in the US on our '94, we have changed out the pump seals and replaced one of the hydraulic rams (shop decided to only replace one, for some reason) and will shortly be replacing the other ram - that's in the past couple of years.
I vaguely remember a problem with the transmission selector micro switch that prevented hood operation.
I do wonder if the hoods see more use here in the US - ours was a southern car - and maybe that's a factor in pump seal / ram replacement.