Last week we bought a 2000 XK8 with 9,817 miles on the OD to replace our 1999 XK8 coupe that was recently totaled after nearly 140K miles of reliable service. (I was run off the road into a concrete barrier by a complete jerk.)

The 2000 XK8 is completely pristine but for a few stone nicks and a tiny scratch. It's been kept in a heated and carpeted garage for the past 5 years and 8 months and was driven only 1,156 miles in all that time. The oil was changed 12 months ago and looks bright and new on the dipstick. The coolant is also bright orange and extremely clean. It has a new pair of Pirelli tyres on the front, with original Perillis on the rear.

I'm quite positive that everything else on this car is completely stock otherwise.

What precautions should I take at this point to ensure that this car remains a reliable ride? Or should I just continue to sweetly break in the engine and just enjoy myself?

Thanks in advance for your kind advice.

 

ditch the original rear tires...at 10 years old they are a definite area of concern regardless of tread.

 

I'd change the oil. It's old and close to the 10K mark. It holds 8 qts.

Now you can break the engine in.

 

I'm jealous, great find!

I would change all fluids as age takes it's toll. Treat it like you don't know anything about your new XK and just do all the basic maintenance. The only thing I might not do is the transmission, others with more knowledge of that model may have better input.

 

I agree with all fluids...including the old gas that is in it (if it is > 6 months old; could clog the fuel filter, and cause all sorts of running problems, foul your plugs, injectors, who knows.) Get it siphoned out as much as possible.

With age, and no circulation (heating) etc to maintain the viscous nature, most will have thickened. That's bad for every system as it has to push it harder thru the lines/parts, lubrication properties may be severely damaged or it won't reach some critical parts as quickly.

That includes - oil, brake fluid, steering, coolant & transmission.

Not sure about the top hydraulics, I bet it should also be added to the list, along with the pressure reducing valve Gus & Walt designed and manufactured.

Tires on the rear are a good suggestion, age kills rubber.

Have the brakes and calipers checked for operation. The piston in the calipers not being worked, depending on the environment its stored in (I know you said heated/carpeted) but corrosion could be an issue and needs inspected carefully.

 

Personally, I'd change the oil and just start driving the car. Plan on a pair of new rear tires before you go to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Don't worry about gas, it can survive way more than a year w/o problems... Despite what the Stabil ads try to convince you, gas is fine after a year or more as long as condensation in the tank is not evident. You'll know if the gas is bad from the first time you start it. I've gone more than 18 mos and the car started w/o issues and ran great. Anything rubber is susceptible to UV, but since it was stored indoors the UV is less, so the deterioration is less. Rub everything down with a good protectorate/preservative.

 

Thanks for the great advice, everyone.

Matt, can you please point me to the thread/source for the pressure reducing valve you mentioned? Being a newbie on this forum, I don't know where it is, but suspect I need to, given the stuff I've already read about top hydraulics.

 

I will replace all four tires before winter comes. I was running Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus on the 99 XK8, which I liked for the ride and wet-weather handling. Also am considering the Yokohama Advan S.4. after reading good reviews. Opinions welcome. Thanks.

 

You bet Ed, here you go. There's a thread also dealing with the install of this valve, its very straightforward.

 

I would change the secondary tensioners. Ultra low mileage but the plastic body is 10 years old.

 

Thanks, Matt. On my way to the garage to check out the existing system with the help of my 7 year-old son. Given this car's stock condition, I expect to order the LSI valve this afternoon. Cheap insurance and it looks very easy to install.

 

You are wise beyond your 8 posts Ed.

 

Agree on all points, especially the life of gasoline.

Ironically, the shelf life of a bottle of Stabil is less than that of a closed container of gas.

 

Congratulations on a great find!

Welcome to the forum!

You are going to love the car!

 

Change the timing chain tensioners for sure. The sooner the better. Otherwise you might find yourself driving a 12,000 mile car with a 70,000 mile replacement engine.

And change those rear tires, too. They are destined to blow out. Age is hell on rubber.

 

As for the tires, I replaced mine with Riken Raptors. 4 friends have also used the Riken and all are very satisfied with them. Riken is owned by Michelin. Just remember that these tires are summer tires and are no good on snow.

 

At least there are a few of us who haven't drunk the Stabil koolaid. The company has done a wonderful job of convincing car owners to use their product in spite of published evidence that gasoline has a much longer storage life than most people think.

 

I can't express my gratitude enough to all the wonderful help and considered opinions I have received to my first post here on JaguarForums.com. You all have boosted my trust level enormously in this group, and I have been prowling (like a cat, you know the kind!) through lots of interesting stickies, links and posts. Among all the expert free advice, Gus and Brutal rule, IMHO!

I had the oil changed on NCE KTY today and will change out the coolant and brake fluid after next payday (I have two kids, so go figure!). I'm going to stick with the orange DEX-COOL specified on the reservoir cap, since it meets Jag requirements according to the WSS M97B44D spec code on the cap. (Jaguar wants nearly $68 a gallon for their "pink" coolant; the most expensive parts store in town sells DEX-COOL for $15!)

Opinions seem to vary on the "the rest of the story." I visited Monte Shelton Motors in Portland yesterday. The Jag service rep said not to worry about replacing the secondary cam chain tensioners unless/until they start making noise. Also, he kind of sighed when I talked about swapping out the thermostat/housing and water pump due to their having plastic parts and being prone to failure. I'm willing to wait on the cam tensioners for awhile, but am considering the thermostat/housing/water pump swap sooner rather than later, because the coolant will need to be replaced when those happen anyway, so why pay for it twice?

Before winter rains come to Oregon, I will probably pop for a set of Yokohama A/S tires because I have driven the Pirelli tyres in the rain and they are not, IMHO, reliable at all in the wet. I ran the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tyres on the 99 XK8 but they were noisy and wore more in the middle than the tyre shoulders. I'd like a quite tyre now that we have a convertible.

I know you all will have opinions, so feel free if you will!

PS After weeks of cold, wet spring weather, summer is finally here! In the 80s yesterday and 75 today. Looking forward to the Cars and Coffee meet-up from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Keizer Station on Saturday, June 26! Come join the fun if you are near the area; you'll get to meet NCE KTY!

 

Tires!...another dartboard of sorts (all over the place, at least the way I play). You'll find threads with thumbs up in favor of Riken Raptors, Falken 452s, the Michelins, Yokahama (s-drives are very good), and hancook Evo V12s <- my personal recommendation.

 

Welcome!! Same scenario as yours! 9 weeks ago bought a 1999 xk8 w/ 16,000 miles,pristine condition and garage kept. Problems early on, but covered under 1,000 mile warranty by dealer.[ steering loose, sway bar links and cleaning of throttle body]. I had no confidence in this car until this forum put me on the right track. Instead of waiting for the next problem I decided to go on offense!! Since then I've reduced voltage of rag top motor, cleaned and conditioned my seats,cleaned and conditioned my rag top, exchanged my rear view mirror, replaced my secondary tensioners,my waterpump,thermostat and fuel filter. I plan to clean my wheel sensors next week. She may have broke me but I trust her now!.....By the way my car is the exact same color as yours. Maybe there related?......Best of luck!!!