hi all;
I,ve had a black 98 convertible for 9 years now. I recently got a low mileage 01 carnival red xkr coupe. Excellent dealer service record. It gets attention everywhere where often the ragtop barely gets noticed. Not that I,m going for that, it,s just notable. Thing is, car doesn't impress me. Where I feel comfortable and solid in my 98, in the xkr, I feel like I'm riding in an overstuffed lounge chair riding atop a unicycle. The seats, while having brilliant headrests, offer no support, and I guess the steering is different, and it would have the adjustible suspension. The engine doesn,t seem to have more usuable power in the rural, suburban setting I drive in. If the power is mostly there at highway speeds, its not much use to me. I do like some of the 01 features. the trunk button, rain sensing wipers, and backup beeper are really useful. I like the coupe but think I may sell and get an older, non supercharged coupe. any thoughts?
Don

 

I don’t think you can blame the supercharged version (XKR) for all of your issues. The dissatisfaction with suspension and engine performance are likely due to the need to address worn out parts, not any inherent poor design or engineering.


For example, just adjusting the slack out of the throttle cable often does wonders for low speed performance.


Z

 

thanx zray;
I will look into the throttle adjustment. As for the rest, I had the car checked out and it's in really good shape. The steering is a different, it seems twitchier, and the seats are just not supportive. It seems you sit more on top than in. I know it,s not really a sports car but clearly they felt the need or opportunity for better seats or they wouldn't have offered recaros on some. I,m saying recaros should have been in more of the xkrs. Every once in a while factory recaros will show up on ebay. Quite pricey, I,ll save my pennys.
Don

 

I would go to a different shop for a second opinion. Someone who knows the typical suspension wear items.

The seats sound like they have been “fixed” by someone who was overly zealous is taking out the typical sagging.


Power-wise, there are several issues that could be overlooked by a technician in a hurry. Like the intercooler pump not working, or the cable adjustment, etc.

A new set of knowledgeable eyes on the car could be all you need to move forward

Z

 

Hi Don,

Mind if I ask what you mean by trunk button?

Thanks,
John

 

I presume he means the boot release button on the plinth on the boot lid which the early cars didn't have.

One thing to check on the XKR is that the CATs suspension is working correctly and isn't stuck in hard mode. A voltmeter connected to the wires on one of the shock towers will tell you if they are in hard or soft mode - 0V means hard mode. They should switch to soft mode over 5 kmh. The system can be faulty without displaying the "suspension fault" message, so a multimeter is the best way to check what it is actually doing when you are driving it.

One thing to bear in mind about the 4.0 XKR versus the 4.0 XK8 is the gearbox - you are likely to have fewer problems with the Mercedes unit in the XKR.

Having owned both the coupe and convertible XKR

 

The engine has power down low, the problem is the throttle response. You have to move your right foot more than you are used to!
I did not like this on my 2000 XKR either, but after an upgrade to a bigger lower pulley on the supercharger I am now very pleased with the power and throttle response.

 

If the steering feels "twitchy", you may well need a front end alignment. My 2000 XKR was also twitchy when I acquired it years ago, but after proper alignment it steers very solidly, and tracks well.

 

Thanx all;
For your input. Yes, I did mean the trunk open button in the plinth. Very useful. I will have the alignment checked. For the rest, I am still searching here, north of philly, an independent shop that is willing to do deeper diagnostic work and repair on a jag, let alone, be competent at it. There are 3 dealers in my area, I hold them out as last resort. I have learned to do much on these cars, but there is much beyond me. As for the seats, I am pretty sure they have not been touched. I think that, oddly, the older design seats are just better. I do appreciate the merc trans. I recently had to replace my sealed for life zf in my 98. Trust me, right away, I changed the oil and filters in the trans in our other cars.
Don

 

I meant to add to my original comment that I've owned both the XKR coupe and convertible. The coupe had the earlier seats with the built in headrest, and the convertible has the separate headrest. I didn't notice a real difference in comfort between the seats, but I did notice that the convertible with the CATs suspension was noticeably softer and has the better ride of the two. I wouldn't swap back.

 

been very tough by me to find someone who will do a deep dive on these cars, in the states. I got laughed at multiple times trying to find someone who would look at the tensioners on an XJR. Ended up getting an XK8 with a replaced engine as an end run. Agree with others, bushings/suspension/etc probably could use a once over from someone quite familiar.