wow! my 8k MI 2004 XK8 Engine Light just came on ...the gauges all show normal range.
I jys vought tha car lasr weekend and wasnt expecting this on an 8k mu car!
I have a OBD II tester but dont know where to hook it up.
any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

JAG8GUY, if you look under the steering wheel, you should the OBD port there for you to plug your unit into. Of interest, you will need to have the car off before plugging in the unit. You will plug in the unit and then start the car (can have the engine running or just in ON with everything on but the engine not running. From there you can read the code(s). I would venture to guess that you are going to get a P030X code where X is the cylinder that is misfiring. On low mileage cars like yours, unless a lot of care is taken with the fuel, misfires are easy to get. But, before we just start taking guesses at what is wrong with the car, lets get the code(s). Post them here and we can look up what the possible causes are and give some options as to what needs to be done.

 

thanks for your quick response Chris...i truly appreciate the help and advice.
Its late today so I will check codes tomorrow or Monday and post here.
Regards
TD

 

Everything is 18+ years old so all the rubber hoses need replaced. These will start leaking at some point.
How old are your tires? They are dated on the sidewall.
Battery been replaced?

You might have the lowest mileage 2004 XK8!
Are you going to drive it or keep it low miles?
.
.
.

 

Thanks for your response clubairth...tires are new...i am semi retired and only drive about 1500-2000 and have worked from home for many years
..I get unlimired uber rides to my dr's appts and get my groceries delivered ..I sold a mint 90 Cadillac Fleetwood with only 52k mi and wasnt even going to buy another car
..until i found this 8k mi XK8 that popped up on my facebook market place sheerly by accident , as I wasnt searching for a Jag...it was only an hour away on back country roads and my neighbor drove me,,,it was a great ride home. ..I mainly drive only a few times.mnth about 15 min to my sons home ..so this Jag will be super low miles for years to come,,, ;>)

 

Welcome to the forums JAG8GUY,

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to XK8/XKR forum. This is the place to post technical questions about your model.

Please read the guidance for new members ( https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/n...ned-up-241802/ ) which answers many of the most frequent questions about getting started.

Graham

 

FWIW, these cars do not do well when left to sit. Some 20 year old cars with low mileage may be assumed to be trouble free due to the low mileage. Not the XK8 and XKR. There are numerous posts on this forum about components that were working just fine when the car was parked over the winter, etc. But refused to start or had trouble codes a few weeks or months later when the first drive in a while was attempted.

Our fuel pumps are notorious for failing when left for an extended time unused. There are other fuel system examples as well.

My advice is to drive the car as much as possible. It will give much better service if the usage is frequent.

Uber may have some attractive aspects. But none outweigh the benefits of driving your XK daily if possible.

Additionally, you will find far fewer electrical issues of you take the basic step of leaving the car on a battery tender when it’s not being driven, overnight or longer. Quality brands of tenders are CTEK, NOCO Genius, and the Delran Battery Tender +. The reasons for needing a battery tender on a car with a functioning charging system are varied. But suffice it to say that a 20 + year old Jaguar does not respond well to having a battery that is less than 100%. The wiring is complex, and there are many points where the wiring has developed mild to moderate resistance to current flow. A 100% battery can handle this, a 85% battery is likely to elicit some electrical gremlins. Having a battery tender is the easiest way to keep the electrical system trouble free.

Z

 

ZRAY...thanks for the info and advice. I did purchase a new battery tender today and will be installing it tomorrow,
I drove it a short distance today -about 10 mi round trip..and will drive to my sons home and back tomorrow .Sun.
But typically as stated I do not drive anymore than I have to for various reasons...1, I have 5 major health issues including neuropathy in my feet
so my limits on driving are not by choice ..2 as stated I have free uber rides and due to traffic in the area i no longer enjoy driving in the conjested areas
Im turning 70 soon and drove all over the USA circling it 4 times in my youth and dont mind being "chauffered" these days...and i have no where to go on a daily basis...I probably should not have bought thus car ,,,but its been on my bucket list since i was a kid who was consumed with model building..I had assembled two 1/8 scale cars ..an XKE coupe and a Corvette split window coupe . I managed to fulfill the Vette dream ..loved it for 2 yrs then it began to be a challenge to shoehorn my old carcus in and out of it...the I found this XK8 and could not resist...

 

I’m much in the same boat as you.

Approaching 72 YO and suffering thru many of the aggravations of having lived a very full and adventurous youth.

Perhaps you can find a willing driver for the XK on those days you need to be a passenger.

there’s a lot that could be worse than being driven around in an XK8 or R.

welcome to this forum. You’ll find many knowledgeable voices very willing to lend a hand . I’m just a novice, having owned my
XKR only 5 years / 60,000 miles. But I’m learning the nuances.

Not at all like my 60’s era e-types, but these days I need more cushion.

Z

 

You are only 72 WTF I am 75 and still crawl under the thing. I have worked on everyting from the water pump to the fuel pump and all in between /brakes/steering /starter. Am fitting new springs when it warms up .

72 just a pup.

 

Get in the habit of driving the car on a regular basis. Your car will stay happier and healthier as a result.....

 

ZRAY,,,
good morning and thanks again for your response! I will have to consider doing a neighbor hood drive more often.
he main road here , a state hgwy , has gotten very busy so I'm not enthused about driving unless Im making a trip on a Sunday like today to visit my sons family.
This will be an ongoing dilemma for me...other than the check engine light the XK runs fine for now...i will check in soon with more info
Have a great weekend whats left of it
TD

 

What is the color combination?...coupe or convertible?
just curious and would like to see a pict or two.
WJ

 

WJ..its Zircon Blue w/ ivory interior.

 

Beautiful, thanks.
wj

 

What is the code? Have you connected your OBD-II reader and checked the codes? They should start with P and have 4 digits.

 

The OBD-II port is in the left (drivers side) kick panel and it's pointing downward, so you have to get down there to see it. You'll need to find out why the check engine light is on.

 

thanks for your response
I connected the OBD yesterday ,,could notget a clear result ...left to go to my sons,,,,the light went off,,,then came back on on the way home
frustrating...I will check it again later today

 

thanks WJ!

 

I had similar and it was the garage that washed the engine...The cover on the RH side was not fully watertight and water got in around the plug base. Intermittent.