I bought an 89' Jaguar XJS 68,700 miles last summer, seems to be in pretty good shape.I payed 3000 for it hope it wasnt to much. I have a few questions.

The car seems to start and run fine when the weather is warm, was unable to get it started through the winter when it was cold. So ofcourse the battery is dead, but i was able to get it started easily yesterday with a jump and temps in the 40's. So i was going to use some good old uncle sam tax return money to do a tune up.

Q1. What all should i be replacing for a proper tune up? I have a good idea, just want some input to see if im missing anything on my own.

It appears it may have original belts, not sure but they all say Jaguar on them. Im thinking it is a Lucas ignition as i see a red Lucas box on top of the motor.

Q2. when hitting the breaks hard it pulls to the right pretty good. I believe this is a bad left side caliper. But i am able to feather the breaks to come to a normal non pulling stop. Should i just replace the both calipers, rotors, hoses, and pads? Prob about 350-400$ ?

I seem to have the same little quirks as most people here.
Cruise control does not work? Not much worried about.
Passenger side window does not go all the way down and then needs help to go back up if it is taken down to far?
Engine temp gauge nudges up between the N and H, but this seems to be after it has been driven and then parked at idle for a while such as in a parking lot. waitin for the old lady to come out of the grocery LOL.
It has the joystick control for the mirrors they do not seem to work.
The heated seats seem to work just not real warm, but one can feel it.
Cigarette lighter does not seem to work? not a big deal to me.

Any help and suggestions is appreciated

 

@Gweedo

The most important thing is your temp reading. It's too high. You shouldn't go past the "N". Search for Blackjacks post entitled "Top of the N" for a lot of really useful info on how to check whether you really do have a temp problem or merely a gauge/sender problem.

Your other minor electrical gremlins are par for the course. Start with the basics, get the circuit diagrams, check the fuses, etc.

 

seconded on the temp. gotta get that thing down. take a look at the fuel lines and make sure they are pretty fresh. also i've seen alot of people neglect the plugs , wires and distributor. I always replace the fuel filter and crankcase breather valve on every car i buy. A good lube will do wonders also.

 

If you have Lucas ignition (versus Marelli) make sure the distributor advance mechanism isn't stuck. With the distributor cap off turn the ignition rotor and release...it should snap back smartly. Also make sure the vacuum advance cannister works. Both common problems




Could be original, yes. But many suppliers sell a belt kit with OEM Jaguar belts (reasonably price, incidentally)





Not sure about a red Lucas box. A Lucas car has a black, square-ish amplifier bolted to the left intake manifold. A Marelli car has two coil wires going to the center of the distributor cap. There are other identifiers but those are a couple of easy ones




If one caliper is verified as sticking I'd go ahead and replace both, considering age and mileage of the car. Change rotors if they actually need to be changed....which wouldn't be unusual. Don't forget to repack the bearings.

Worn suspension parts can cause a pull as well.




The bellows probably needs to be resealed but I'll find some good info for you on cruise control repairs



The felt/rubber run chanell can wear out and come loose, causing the window to bind. Sometimes the channel and mechanism just needs a good lubricating to make everything right again

Cheers
DD

 

Cruise control repair:

http://www.jag-lovers.org/books/xj-s/16-Cruise.html


DD

 

Thanks for all the help, I have ordered new calipers rotors and pads. Should be shipped soon. Im thinking my temp gauge might be faulty or floaty. I stopped at a auto repair place when the temp gauge was reading slightly above N, It increased to well above N at idle. They used a Infared on it and it was running, and it read at 195 degrees, The right side was a little warmer. When i started driven the temp gauge eventually went back to normal, but stayed at the higher side of the N. So i am feelin a little more comfortable at this point.