Don't Panic We're not Splitting up!

It's just that I'm still a bit traumatized after the Front Caliper stuck on my XJS V12, when She not only lost all of the Brakes but nearly went up in a Fireball!

This was quickly followed by another 'unrelated' problem, where the engine was making a noise like a 'whistling kettle!' (Loose Fan belt)

Not to mention the Wheels were Screaming, like a 'Wailing Banshee' when you took a corner, at almost any speed.

(Shims supplied with the Brake Pads taken out and thrown away!)

Which is all sorted out now, with many Thanks to 'Greg' who told me how to fix these things and having followed his advice my XJS is running like a Dream!

Not to forget to also say 'Thanks' to guys like 'Paul' who pitched in with some very useful suggestions, who all gave me the help and support that you cannot get from a book.

And 'Grant' from OZ who gave me the best piece of Car related advice that I've ever been given: 'Do it once! Do it right! Then forget about it and enjoy driving your Car!'

It was quite an expensive fix, as I renewed the Front Calipers, Brake Hoses and Brake Pads but what I can say is that it was money well spent!

My only problem being that after all of that, I am now waiting for something else to go wrong!

And think that I may have gone over the Top with all the 'Kit' I am carrying, just in case I break down! (or maybe not?)

A massive great tool box in the boot with every size of spanner known to man (That weighs a Ton!)

A gallon of Water!, A Gallon of Oil!, Brake Fluid!, ATF Fluid!, Spare Fan Belts!, Two Fire Extinguishers!, A Nylon Tow Rope!, Spare Fuses!, Two Mobile Phones and lots of other assorted bits and bobs.

Also I've got Break Down Insurance, that I wouldn't bother with on any other Car but if this goes wrong at the Roadside, then you could be screwed!

The long and the short of it being, that the boot is full of Tools which doesn't leave much room for anything else.

Like for instance all the things my GF wants to bring along, when We go out for the day, which brings me back to my question, 'Should I Give Her The Boot!' and use the Compartment behind the seats for Tools?

What would be really useful, would be suggestions of what I should carry in the way of tools and how best to Stow them in the Car, as it would be nice if we could use the Boot/Trunk Space for carrying other things.

So What's in Your Box?

Maybe someone would like include, some photos of the kind of stuff you carry around all the time in case you break down, which could be very useful to guys like me as well as other owners.

As I'm sure I'm carrying too many tools, that I may never need, though on an XJS you never know!

If the compartment behind the seat looks oily, it is because I sprayed it with Waxoil to try and deter any rust.

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In the compartment behind the seats you could keep some nice carpet so that it looks a bit plusher.

 

For me, I have found if I stockpile tools and supplies, I never have trouble with anything Im prepared for.
Its ALWAYS something that breaks that Im NOT prepared for! Just my luck. (Shrug).
Anyway, your cubby looks roomy enough for a lot of the supplies in the boot.
Put as much of the least likley to be needed quickly there. Pack it in.
This will leave things in the boot, but will maximize space for daily items.
Keep the fire extinguishers within reach within 5 seconds max! ;o)
Pete

 

OB,

Good to hear that the car's running well! Get out and enjoy it now!

As Pete says, the more you carry the less likely you are to need any of it! I used to carry enough stuff to undertake a full-scale restoration! As I've got older, I realise that I'm not going to change a rear diff by the side of the road any more! So my emergency kit reflects the fact that if the breakdown is that serious the AA will be taking me home (although that has never ever happened!).

So, I'm sitting here now packing the car for the weekend away and so I've got my emergency kit spread out on the floor. It all fits in a plastic box and contains:

- a ratchet, short extension and socket for the wheel nuts (I don't trust the brace in the tool kit)
- 1 litre of concentrated anti-freeze which can be diluted to give me an emergency coolant topup
- 1 litre of engine oil plus a cardboard funnel to help put it in. If I need more than 1 litre of oil, it's probably an AA call!
- a small 1/2" socket set
- a small torch
- a multi-meter
- a small length of electrical wire
- a small roll of garden wire
- some tie-wraps
- a roll of gaffer tape
- a roll of insulating tape (amazing how many minor problems can be cured with these 5 items!)
- a multi-tool that includes pliers, knife, plain & phillips screwdriver etc
- a tyre pressure gauge and electric tyre inflator that powers off cigarette lighter
- an old T-shirt to use as a rag
- a fold-away plastic overall + some plastic gloves (to protect my clothes & hands just in case I'm on my way to Glyndebourne when I break down!)

That's it, apart from my wallet incl credit card and cash, plus my mobile phone! Yes it ws difficult initially to accept that I wasn't going to need a 3-ton trolley jack, but you get used to it eventually!

I suspect that amongst those things the wallet and the mobile phone are the most useful items!

So, clear out the boot, create a nice emergency kit, pack your DJ and her ballgown in a case and treat the GF to a weekend away whilst wafting along in the XJS!

Paul

 

The fact is, OB, that once these cars are reasonably sorted, and regularly driven, they are extremely reliable. If it lets you down it be due to either (a) your having not done something you knew you should have (eg renewed the hoses and belts) or (b) something so unlikely you will never experience it.

I bought my car in 1997 and we had our honeymoon in it in 1998 and we have done 100,000 miles in it. In all that time we have had two failures to proceed: (i) injector hose shorting out, about the possibility of which I was entirely ignorant at that time and had I known about it I would have renewed it; and (ii) water pump coming a bit loose and coolant coming out of the edge of the casting - reason unknown but it followed a renewal of the pump by me!.

I carry, brake fluid, socket set, spare belts, electrical tape, connectors and wire, jump leads, gaffer tape, screwdrivers, small open ended spanner kit and a few jubilee clips in various sizes. I have never carried nor never needed water, oil, towrope etc etc. believe me nor will you. I mean, if you need a gallon of oil, you have FAR bigger problems that needing the oil! . All my stuff takes up 2 inches across the floor of the boot.

Death to these cars is standing and not being used. Cane the boot off her and she will love it. (No jokes please!)

Greg

 

You never know what the day will bring...It's all part of the adventure(I hate the word journey since everything these days is journey.)
10 litres of coolant(it will get you there,even in Australia),1 ltr oil,1 ltr ATF,small kit of spanners and tools with FBH,tape,wire,cable ties etc. Selection of globes and fuses and an old shirt to throw over my good one...oh,and mobile phone and "gold cover RACQ membership"(roadside assistance)

 

Mmmmm.

I have the factory tool case, in the RH side aperture. A hammer (HUGE) also resides in there.

A SMALL fishing tackle box, with some spanners, screwdriver, pliers, zip ties, duct tape, hose clamps, fuses, tie wire, and odds and ends.

A decent wheel brace, those lug nuts are always TIGHTER than need be.

Small 12v compressor.

This ALL fits in the side aperture on the Left side.

I dont carry oil, plenty of places to buy it, even down here in our Outback. Same goes for trans fluid.

I dont carry coolant, just 5 ltrs of water. It does for the radiator in an emergency, and can be consumed by humans if needed.

I dont carry belts or hoses, WHY should I, they get replaced every 3-5 years no matter what, and doing them on the side of the road in 50c temps is simply not going to happen. OK, belts MAYBE???, but that bottom hose HAHAHA. If a hose does fail (NEVER had one of late) I simply use the duct tape in the tackle box, and leave the rad cap OFF. It gets you to where you need to be without fuss.

Bear in mind that the XJ-S HE involved here, has taken us TWICE around our coast road, or lack of roads in some cases, and NEVER let us down once. A very long way each time, about 15000kims from memory.Longest gap between civilisation was about 600kms.

Only issue on trip 2 was the oil light switch started to weep, so stopped at the nearest parts supplier, Toyota, and got a generic replacement, still in it, and cost $5.

We travel LIGHT, speed and economy are affected by too much junk.

 

Many moons ago I did a return trip to Moscow in my MGC Roadster.
Being a Billy No Mates I didn't have a passenenger so along with fan belt, plugs etc. I took a 12V camping fridge full of beer in the passenenger seat.

 

Now that is the most sensible passenger EVER.

NO arguements, NO yak, yak, yak, just gimme pleasure at MY convenience.

 

Well that will be compared trunk?
Green bag contains some parts like : dist cap and rotor, quart oil and antifreeze, belts.
Black plastic box is a tools. Jack is under amplifier and spare wheel.

and three mechanics, they are not visible, only photos.

No place for a girlfriend

 

LOL!!
(';')

 

My "garage in the boot" is a charged cell phone PERIOD I'm not risking my neck trying to fix stuff on the side of the road, I'll call the tow truck and work on it at the house.

Side note. As a Flight Engineer and A/P Mech there is only one moto, fix it to as new or BETTER and if you can't find the time to do it right the first time when on earth are you going to find the time to fix it the second time! My cars (knock on wood) rarely if ever leave me anywhere or (can't even remember when that happened maybe when I was 16 and I'm now 51) I fix and operate my cars the same way I do Aircraft...as if my life depended on it! ( guess what it does! ) CHEERS!!!

 

Yeah, sorta.


Each of my cars has an emergency tool box. Trouble is that each date way back. OK for simpler cars. For these sort modern FI cars, I dunno.


Each does have a shileleqgh. I used one on my Jeep once. Otherwise, just as walking sticks on steeper slippery slopes.


In a parking lot, my usually reliable Jeep refused to crank. twist he key and all the dash lights come on, then off!! first effort. cleaned the already cleaned battery terminals. Had tools for that. No go. Just as I was ready to call the tow service, I had an inspiration. Daughter was with me. I asked her to crank when I signaled. I whacked the starter a few good ones. Signaled, she cranked, zoom. Away we went. Do not stop do not pass go. Left her off at her house and came home. Yup, rebuilt starter fixed it. At 70 bucks, not worth messing with the old one. A rather nice unit via Autozone. As a lightweight unit of Mitsubishi heritage,it wasn't that bad a job to swap out Yeah, Mitsubishi and Chryser dd have a working agreement at one time.
As I worked, I thought of the infamous WWII Mitsubishi Zero fighter!!


Carl

 

OB, You certainly know how to get people's attention!

Others have given you good advice about what to take as emergency supplies. I'm sure I can't add anything.

The bigger question you have to ask yourself is; how important is your GF(and her feelings) to you?

You already stepped in it by rifling through her professional case without permission, so you might want to consider backing off on your fear of breakdown and taking up the whole trunk space or you might face another, more serious breakdown of a domestic nature.

Although I don't feel the need to take along everything I own when I'm tripping, there are certain critically needed items I'm simply not comfortable leaving home without.

If you value her companionship, then At Least let her have HALF the boot space. Any reasonable girl will be happy with that.
(';')

 

Hey OB!
I have to agree with Elinore,
Hey, you picked a Jag!
You must like the challenge!
If she is high maintenence, fussy, and tempermental, well, so is your Jag!
From what you have wrighten, she sounds like fun!
Just like the Jag!
You seeing a pattern here? LOL
Pete

 

Hi Steve

That's a Great idea! I never thought of that, so I'll look for a nice piece of '**** Pile' of exactly the same era as the Car!

 

Hi Pete

The reason I haven't made use of the 'Cubby' is that I wasn't sure, if it would be strong enough to carry all the weight, of things like tools/oil and water and to be quite honest I've never made much use of it at all.

Namely because the locking catch is only made of plastic and as such isn't very secure for storing anything.

But you are bang on in what you say, as the only thing you ever need is the one thing that you don't have with you!

 

Hi Paul

Thanks!

That sounds the perfect Setup!

As you know I've got an old Merc, which is my daily driver, where in contrast to the Jag, I very seldom carry any tools, apart from a few spanners and a screw driver, as with 200,000 miles on the clock.

It has only broken down twice in the last 10 years!

Fuel pump needed replacing, which was dead easy to do and the second time the heater hose was leaking, so I chopped a bit off end and then put it back on.

But life is not so simple when you drive an XJS because when they break down they really do it in Style!

We had the most amazing day, the XJS was running like a dream!

So I am really hoping that it will stay that way!

 

We call that Percussive Maintenance, Carl.
It works on a misbehaving TV sometimes too.
(';')

 

Hi Greg

The more and more I drive this Car, the more I know you are right in what you say.

We had a really amazing day out and the XJS was running like a dream boat and OMG! can that Car really GO!

When you think about it, It's over engineered! so now She is reasonably sorted, maybe I'm looking for problems, that may never crop up, providing you renew the belts and hoses and keep her well maintained.

We went to a Country House Auction to-day and parked next to an Aston DB9 but do you know what! apart from the obvious difference in Value, I would not have swapped his Car for mine.

The Aston looked blinking awful, in a hideous shade of a sort of purple brown and as for looks, the Jag just stole the Show.