Hi all,

I am thinking of selling my 2005 XJ 4.2 sovereign and buying a 4.2 XK or XKR. My question is what are the main problem areas to be aware of as obviously I want to try and avoid buying a lemon.

Any information no matter how small is very welcome.

Thanks in advance for any replies, Rod.

 

AC draining into interior and leather dash shrinking are the two biggest. You should be familiar with the engine and trans issues. Cracking transmission pan, modules that may flake out... Over all, it's a great car and easy transition. I did the same path as you want to go...

 

There's a whole thread that lists the noted issues along with recommendations on what to do about them. The XK's have been remarkably reliable and the few common problems are nits.

I have both XK and XJ and although the engine is common between the two, you really can't tell. My wife was worried when I told her I was buying an XK, she said, "It's the same car except without back seats"....but it's not, it's completely different.

The ride is completely different; the XK is ride more raw (in a good way), tighter to the road and much more taut. The lower profile tires (both 19's and 20's) provide much better road feedback. The drawback is that those low-profile tires send pothole shock right to the wheels which can be a bit delicate (- more so the 20" Sentas - and expensive to fix/replace). The steering is much more responsive and so is the suspension. Although the XJ has a remarkable suspension for a car it's size, when you turn hard, the opposite side front dips. When you make the same turn in an XK, there's virtually no dip, there's instantaneous redirection without hesitation. It almost feels like you could hit a button and deploy the optional wings and push the gas a little further and initiate the turbofan hidden in the trunk and the car would sail into the sky and into a tight turn to enthusiastically follow your heart's desire.

The fit of the seats is different too. The XJ has thick pads/springs under you, the XK has a much more firm and snug fit. The 16 way optional seats on the XK give you a little more control over the seat. In contrast though, the newer XJ's have "baffle control" which is really cool, you can have the seat elevate and squeeze on the outside of your thighs holding you in more tightly in case you have the desire for an exhilarating trip.

The center display console on the XK is more sophisticated, but less user friendly, for example, since the climate controls are part of the center display console instead of separate like in the XJ, when you have the navigation system operating, you can't see the outside temps or the temperature settings. Then again, if you have a convertible, you probably wouldn't care. The touchscreen is equally slow in both, but there's more functions in the XK center console so you have more functions that are frustratingly slow.

Obviously, you can't carry kids or friends in the back of the XK unless they're 2' tall and have legs that are only 6" long and don't need a kids seat. Those big comfortable back seats in the XJ are a big advantage. I really like both cars.

 

I owned a 2004 XJ8, which I absolutely loved - it did everything very, very well, without a single problem; it was a superb long distance cruiser, very fast, economical with the 4.2 engine, simply a great car. Then I saw the XK I have now. It was love, no....lust at first sight. The XJ had to give up its garage space. It was that simple. The XK has been entirely trouble-free, very, very comfortable (but a firmer suspension than the XJ8); it is also a super long distance cruiser with every possible comfort, it is even faster than the XJ8 and the paddle shifters are wonderful - it may be that the XK simply encourages me to drive more aggressively. It also gets more attention, much more attention on the road (sadly, also from the police). They are both wonderful cars, but very different in feel and in behaviour although they have essentially the same engine and transmission.
Problems? you MUST have a fully charged battery at all times. If the car is not a daily-use car then a battery maintainer such as the CTEK is a MUST. If the battery voltage drops all sorts of random and apparently unrelated symptoms will appear. There is a thread running here now about an XK with multiple issues starting with the electronic differential. I am willing to bet anything that the entire problem stems from sub-optimal voltage from the battery.
Apart from the voltage requirement, these cars are extremely reliable. You will not have the leather dash problem in Oxford - that problem seems to happen primarily in high heat areas. The AC drains, yes, if you buy a pre 09 car you might have the drains clog, so having the hose end clipped or simply removing the hose (which is what my Jaguar dealer here does) is the solution. Other than that, there is really nothing - but do, please do take note of the battery voltage requirement. My XK is "plugged in" when not in use - the result: no problems of any kind.

 

Yes, I forgot about the battery thing. What he said is exactly right. I keep mine plugged in when I'm not using it frequently.

The proximity key is another thing that's different. It's kind of cool. You can lock your car and go into the store, come out, leave your key in your pocket (maybe with an armful of bags) and simply grab the handle, hesitate for a moment, and it unlocks itself. The push button start is nice too. The drawback is that you have to store the keys more than 30 feet away from the car.

I keep my keys for the other cars on a rack inside the hallway near the garage. I put my XK keys there when I first brought it home and when I tried to start it the following weekend the battery was dead. Jumped it, drove it for a while, took it to the store to get a new battery, they tested it and said it was still good. I learned from these boards that you have to lock the car to "close it" and terminate some of the lingering electrical operations.

Confident that I'd solved the problem, I locked the car and hung up the keys. Next weekend, dead again. Bleh. With the car locked and the keyholes a bit frozen it was a challenge to get inside. Eventually I got it open, jumped it, drove for a while, came back, read the forums and learned that I have to keep the keys 30 feet away. That worked and I haven't had a problem since.

Since I sometimes leave it for 3 or 4 weeks I also bought a charger/maintainer to be safe.

 

Thank you one and all. Very interesting information. I shall continue in my quest with less doubtful mind.

 

Well how excited am I????

Have bought myself a 2008 xk and collect it later this week.


I have another question however in relation to some earlier comments:- how long can you leave the car standing before the battery goes flat and if it does go flat is it simply a case of recharging the battery/jumping the car and everything is back to normal or does it play havoc with electrical systems?

Thanks again for any replies.

 

Gorgeous car, congratulations and welcome to the club.

 

The car looks great. I've never seen a dark blue one (it is blue, right? not another one of those dress things where it ends up being gold?). And I love the ivory interior, had ivory/oyster in my first XF and thought it was very classy.


I've used my jags as daily drivers, but leaving them for between 2 to 3 weeks when I am OS has never been an issue, start no problem. That might be different in cold climates, because the cold tends to flatten the batteries faster.

 

A few quirks here or there with the XK But when its on its the best car there is... just check my sig line mate... I GOT 2!!! WHO BUYS 2 OF A CAR WHO DOESNT FLAT OUT LOVE THE THING TO DEATH!!!

 

Congrats, mate - nice car.

I'm in London, so a similar climate - I think the guys who live in places with more extremes have more battery issues. I drive mine once or twice a week, on average, and usually only short journeys across London (under 15 miles round-trip). I've left it up to 2 weeks and had no real issues. However, unless it gets a slightly longer run from time to time, I occasionally have the touchscreen fail to boot correctly; it just shows the "R" logo. If you have a garage, the suggestion to use a battery maintainer, especially if you know you'll be leaving the car for more than a few days, is probably a good idea. I don't have that luxury, so I use a 6W solar panel to keep things topped up if I'm going away for more than 2 weeks.

It isn't a good idea to let the battery go flat - the car memorises a bunch of parameters about the way you drive, the fuel you use, etc., and all that information will be lost without the battery to maintain it (and of course there are things like the seat/mirror settings and radio presets). The car will re-learn those parameters, and you can reset the other stuff, but it's not ideal.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. All very interesting and yes it is dark blue, I'll post the exact colour when I know it.

 

Indigo blue.

It looks really great. Congratulations.

 

Indigo Blue and Ivory. That looks a familiar colour and trim combination to me!

Don't jump late model Jaguars - too many sensitive electronics as several members in other model tech forums have found out to their cost.

Graham

 

Beautiful vehicle. Enjoy it. If you have access to a garage, get yourself a CTek 3300 battery tender and leave the car hooked up to it when not in use. That way you will not have to worry about electrical issues due to a weak/low/discharged battery. It is cheap insurance.