Warren, we seem to have the same taste

 

I was lucky enough to purchase this kit from Marketplace section, it was still new in packaging. The seller from New Jersey had bought it, never installed and sold his car. The manufacturer, V12 Performance from Texas, is notorious throughout the Jaguar XJS world for screwing people, snd never shipping! As the seller wasn't associated with the manufacturer, I jumped on it and installed it yesterday. The kit itself is excellent quality, easy to install and complete with K&N Filters. My car sounds much better and I don't know if the 30 horsepower gain claim is true, but it can't hurt. I recently removed my center mufflers, welded in custom straight pipes to performance rear resonators. My V12 growls as a Jaguar should!

 

Very nice! I think the HP gains along with some good 94 octane (or better) gas are accurate.

 

looks great. good score

 

Looks real purrdy. I was about to contact the seller of those myself, but other things stole my attention so my loss is your gain.

Well done

 

I did the belts on 1994 4.0l this task was invented by the devil himself. The AC compressor belt be damned.

 

Started her for the first time since I brought her home way back in November. Put a new battery in and cleaned up the terminals.

Just sat and listened to it run while doing a more thorough walk-around.

Noted a few more things beyond what I already knew:

Even after 10 minutes, idle stays right around 1000 RPM, so that'll need addressing.

The central computer thing (average mpg, distance, etc) shows 8888 and half the lighted buttons just flicker. Pressing any of them does absolutely nothing.

Heater/AC blower motor doesn't run.

No power windows.

Driver's side automatic shoulder belt is possessed.

Engine temp and charging gauge don't appear to work. I checked voltage at the battery while it was idling. 13.98 VDC, so that works.

I was told the tail lights didn't work and upon initial inspection, it looked like they had been disconnected. Checked turn signals at all four corners, parking lights, headlights...all work. What doesn't work are the brake lights. I know there's a thread here about that, so I'll be looking it up.

There are two wires on each side that aren't plugged in to anything, a black and a red on each side. Bullet style connectors, one male, one female...almost like they could be plugged together.

The windshield leaks, a lot. Which probably explains the interior electric gremlins. I thought I'd replace the seal myself, but will probably leave it to a professional.

For all that, I'm looking forward to the challenge.

 

Hi. Just got my '96 xjs back from my mechanic in Flemington, NJ. Nice Jag mechanic. When I took it out of the garage from the winter it seemed to be guzzling gas at a rate of 6 mpg. I noticed the temp was always on the cooler side of middle. So the rad temp valve was changed. Also, the gas gauge was all over the place. So the sender unit in the tank was changed. Its running temp is perfectly in the center now and the gauge is even. It think we are good to go.

I also gave her a nice bath. I took 2 hours to clean her in the driveway. Amazing how a convertible can take so long to clean right.

She also had some babies in January. I got a new F-pace 20d in red with black interior. What a beast with torque. And my wife got a new XE in dark gray for her commute to the train. Nice pep on it as well. I am getting around 35 mpg on the F-Pace 20d. I am amazed at that. I had an infinite qx60 before and it only got 18 mpg.

We are now a three Jag family. Its nice to have something different in our town than the thousands of MB, teslas and infinities that are everywhere.

Cheers!

 

...today I bought some spare parts… LOL ...3 whole cars.... Now to get them home.

 

Being bored, did some photoshop to kill time and see what my new rims will look like, and maybe a bit of stripe and numbers to add in the future. It turned out so hideous I felt the need to share, haha.

 

My first official repair...fixed the trunk latch catch and replaced the latch mechanism with a new one.

Baby steps...

Started tearing down the console to go after the BFU for the brake light problem and noticed several extra wires that clearly aren't factory and not done up anywhere.

Plastic trim holding in the window and cruise control switches and the cigarette lighter all have broken tabs. Of course parts are all discontinued. Considering either having someone 3D print new ones or having some machined. Just have to work out how I'll fasten them in for easy removal. The ashtrays are just gross and will be removed never to return. Deciding between having blanks made, or having blanks welded in for a nice smooth look.

Pulled the aftermarket head unit which likely didn't work anyway.

 

I've a 94' where did you find the parts? I can't find them anywhere.

 

I found three places that had the trunk latch for my car...eBay, Jagbits and Terry's Jag. I ended up getting from Terry's Jag. It was cheapest at $64, Jagbits was $80. eBay was in between.

I only found two places that had the brake light failure unit...eBay and Terry's Jag. Both used. It came today and just as soon as I can figure out how to pop the armrest lid latch off without breaking it, I'm gonna pop that sucker in.

So far, these are the only two things I've purchased to date.

I've found that eeuroparts has parts for Jaguar (I've used them for parts for my Audi), same is true with FCP Euro. Rock Auto, as well.

I've tried looking for parts at SNG Barrat and XKs Unlimited but their sites need lots of help. They're just painful to navigate.

 

So I removed the right (UK drivers side) blower to replace the vacuum actuator.
I've had the part sitting on my workbench for a couple of years and decided it was time to do something with it!
Had the other side out a couple of years ago to replace the Darlington transistor so knew it was going to be a pain!

So got it out and fitted the new actuator;


Then as I had bought the parts when I did the passenger side I replaced the Darlington transistor, diodes, resistor and circuit board;

 

I would conformal coat the PCB to prevent corrosion.

Also check the motor brushes and commutator. I ended up replacing my blower because the commutator was badly worn.

 

finally got rid of the smell of fuel and the farting about trying to fill it up at the pump,

 

What was it, Rex?

 

I’m putting 5 on “Ran out.”

 

after fitting a brand new tank it still stunk, every pipe exiting the tank was lead soldered into the new tank before fitting, never to be removed and ruling out olive problems, after fitting the tank it still smelled, so
I wrapped every clipped hose joint with plumbing pipe insulation cut to fit just over the clip and left it for the winter, that disclosed a fuel filter pipe leaking both sides, when removed and sniffed. I also stripped the paint and surface rust off the charcoal/vapour canister and it had a corrosion caused split in the base where the dome joins the base so I soldered that up, I got shot of the vacuum that controls that. and it now breaths straight out from the canister by the side of the sump tank.
I only kept the vapour canister to catch and return fuel when fuel is full to the top if that ever happens.

 

Guys
For some reason, last week I became worried about the age of the two main relays in the boot (34 years untouched and counting) the main one and the fuel one. Anyway, a pleasant 30 mins on the web revealed two new OEM Bosch ones for 7 quid each, being about 1/4 of the Jaguar price for the identical item - though strangely, not from the same supplier, one supplier had one dirt cheap, and the other the other!
Anyway, put them in just now. The fuel one came out no bother, but the main relay was REALLY hard. So hard that I disconnected the battery and had to carefully lever it out of its socket with a screwdriver. The pins were pretty corroded with white residue of oxidation of some sort; anyway I cleaned it up and put the two old ones in the boot as spares. Squirted some contact cleaner into the holder sockets as well and pushed the new relay in and out to try to clean the contacts a bit.
Started the car as a test, and while this may be imagination, I feel certain the engine caught more quickly than before. Maybe I have done this just in time, or perhaps the electrical contact to the ECU etc etc is better and it really has made a difference?
Either way, I would recommend it to all V12 owners of cars over 30 years old...