Wet weekend – got bored – wrote this. Might be helpful to somebody. Some is anecdotal, some is personal opinion, and some is “cut ‘n paste” from a bloke onthe internet. However, it’s a fair summary of what to think about when considering a Jaguar XK8 / XKR. Some of this stuff can be checked before purchase, but no seller is going to let you take the car to bits to check (for example) a leak in the valley hoses. A full service history, with matching receipts for parts and work done is a good indication of whether a car has been well maintained, or neglected.

I’m happy to be contradicted or corrected – I’m not an expert, just an enthusiastic owner who did a bit of research before deciding to buy. All guesstimate prices are£UK. US may be slightly cheaper as there are more sources for specialist and generic parts. SNG Barratt do a fantastic parts catalogue – printed on real paper and superb diagrams (no connection or affiliation) but some parts may be cheaper elsewhere. Workshop “manuals” for installation on PC / Mac are “downloadable” here and elsewhere, and a quick search on the interweb will easily get you wiring diagrams, magazine articles and a huge amount of fantastic information. My spelling is English as are words like “boot” and “bonnet”. Trunks are found on elephants, hoods go with Robin, and shops are where you buy stuff, not mend it !

The internet is your friend and your enemy : Friend, because there’s a huge amount of information here and on many other sites – have a google and you will find enough reading to keep you occupied for several weeks. Enemy, because forums are, almost by definition, places where owners ask about problems. If you post the question “Should I buy a Jaguar XK8” on a TVR forum, you’ll get the answer “No – because we like the suspense of not knowing if the car will start in the morning, and even if it does, will it get me to end of the road ?” Mercedes forum ? – “No – because we think it’s great that the brakes are totally fly-by-wire and are designed to be replaced after about 17 miles. Aston Martin Forum : “No, because we expect to pay £1700.00 plus tax for a wing mirror. Volvo forum : “No – because we think that the fact that every electronic module is coded to one specific vehicle is fantastic, and we would rather pay gazillions of pounds for a new one, plus more gazillions for dealer-only software integration than buying a replacement for £not-much from a breakers. Ferrari forum : “No – we think it’s better to remove most of the front (or back) of the car to change the oil filter”. Mustang forum – “No, because we like the fact that the back wheels are joined together by a girder so we can’t go round corners”. The list is endless – all cars have issues and problems. I exaggerate to make the point, but you know what I mean !!

Nobody will say “Don’t buy it because it is just toooooo lovely to look at, to drive,and to attract young / old ladies / men (delete as appropriate to your age and gender and/or gender orientation). For what it’s worth, mine is a “grannymagnet” !!

However –if you are thinking about buying a car that originally cost something north of £50k for around 10% of that amount. There are things you should look out for :



Early XK8s had cylinders lined with a “Nicasil” (a sort of chemical) coating which suffered from bore erosion due to a combination of high Sulphur content fuel and repeated short trips. Sulphur maximum allowable limits in petrol were lowered (in the UK) considerably in Jan2000 so any pre 2000 Nicasil coated V8 engine that's still OK now should be fine forever. Several Nicasil lined engines were changed under warranty so you may find a pre 2000 car with a later steel lined engine fitted - identify this by the presence of a green tag on the head buried at the back of the RH bank and the engine change should also be recorded in the history. Symptoms of bore erosion and loss of compression are poor cold starting, a lumpy idle and heavy oil deposits in the breather system and air intake. Crankcase pressure will be high too – a quick check for this is to slightly lift the oil filler cap at hot idle. There should be little or no internal pressure or fumes escaping. Jaguar dealers can perform a blow by check to determine engine condition. A good condition engine will show less than 25 l/m, anything over 40 l/m will make a good Top Gear coffee table.
Impellors on AJ26 water pumps can disintegrate giving a loss of efficiency leading to overheating and potential head gasket failure. An early pump can be changed to the later version with a metal, not plastic impellor. The temperature gauge and oil pressure gauges are software driven and are not an accurate reflection of actual coolant temperature or oil pressure – think of them as either “off” ,“on” or “call thebreakdown truck”. It’s possible and fairly inexpensive to modify the gauges to display accurate information – do a search on “realgauge” or put that term into this site’s search option.
For an indication of water pump efficiency, remove the coolant header tank cap when the engine is STONE COLD, start up and gently increase engine speed. If the water pump is healthy you should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin return pipe that runs back from the front of the engine.
You may be able to identify the later type of pump by the presence of a black plastic, not metal gasket, but the only certain way is to remove the pump and have a look. Spring type coolant hose clips can lose tension and allow pipes to blow off and some plastic parts on the hoses, unions and thermostat housing are delicate. Check all over for evidence of coolant leaks, particularly around the thermostat/filler cap tower and coolant (valley) pipes underneath the inlet manifold.Heater pump failures can lead to no heat output in the cabin at low engine RPM.– carbon brushes seem to wear out at around 120k miles. Messy and time consuming but not difficult to replace. Cycle the whole climate and a/c system through all vent operations and temperature range. Two types of coolant available for the XK - don’t mix the later orange long life one with the earlier (yellow)type.

Throttle bodies on early engines can be a problem and may have been changed to the later design under a factory safety “campaign”. Some of the early bodies suffered from failing actuating motors causing to the engine to cut out completely on the overrun. (Been there, done that at 90 mph on the M5). The later design should have been factory fitted to all cars from VIN 043775 onwards.

The only REALLY major engine issue is the secondary timing chain tensioners.These were revised to a mk 2 version around the same time as the rest of the1999 engine revisions but the mk 2 type still had a plastic body which, like the mk1 type, can crack or break up leading to slipped or broken chains. Mk 1 tensioners are actuated by engine oil pressure and failure can often be identified by a sharp rattling noise similar to a bicycle chain dragging on the chain guard on a cold start. The mk2 type is permanently tensioned by an integral spring instead which means it’ll usually fail silently.
A permanent solution is to retro-fit the later mk3 version tensioner made with a metal, not plastic body from the later 4.2 incarnation of the V8 engine and the only way to be sure of which tensioners are fitted is to either have a receipt with tensioner part numbers C2A1511 and C2A1512 which are the metal bodied type and the required 4 new bolts to fit them on it relating to that particular car or remove the RH cam cover - the LH is a PITA to get off - and have a look. A reddish/orange (mk1) or cream (mk2) plastic tensioner body is bad news, a grey aluminium metal one (mk3) is good. If this is identified then a full chain and tensioner replacement is required costing up to £1000. If the chains/sprockets and guides are OK then it’s a wise precaution to fit the mk3 secondary tensioners which is a fairly easy DIY job. Tensioners cost around £75 a set plus a couple of quid for new bolts –important as lengths are different. Special tools can be hired or purchased. Secondary tensioners can also be changed without any tools by removing the exhaust cam whilst preserving the timing with a tie wrap holding the chain on the ex cam sprocket and easing the tensioners out of location.
Exhaust cam chains slipping one tooth – usually on a cold start - will give avery rough running engine, more than one tooth slipped means exhaust valves will meet pistons.

All XKs / XK8s have a so-called “sealedfor life” gearbox – ZF unit in the n/a cars and a Mercedes one in the supercharged cars. Loads have failed now - just look on ebay in the non runners or spares and repairs section. Any car that hesitates or engages Drive with a jerk or thump as the engine speed rises has a potential gearbox failure looming. Gear changes should be seamless and quiet. A very faint gear whine may be heard in intermediate gears. An oil and filter change may be all that’s needed to cure a gearbox malfunction but that’s never guaranteed.
Ideally the gearbox oil and filter should be changed at 50k then at 25k intervals; it's not a simple drain and refill on the ZF box as the final fill has to be done quickly with the engine running and within a narrow temperature range. There is no conventional dipstick for checking oil level.
The ZF 5 speed box on the n/a cars requires Esso/Mobil longlife LT 71141 fluid also known as Lifeguard Fluid 5 and not conventional Dexron 3. The Mercedes gearbox in the supercharged version is also sealed for life but the same change requirement apply although you can use Dexron 3 in this box and once you’ve fitted a temporary dipstick it’s a much less complex job to do. Some transmission specialists offer a flush and change service done via the rather fragile oil cooler pipes in the radiator which also gets the oil otherwise retained in the torque converter out.

The same applies to the rear axle. Oil should be changed but there’s no drain plug. Old oil has to be vacuum extracted out of the filler plug. Refill with a API GL5 75 or 85/90 oil. Noisy diffs can be quieted down quite a bit with EP140or 250 oil.

Rust is a major issue (particularly) for UK cars. Look for corrosion round therear wheel arches, round the front and rear screens especially underneath the screen rubbers in the bottom corners, bottom of the front wings and sill closing panels. There's a reinforcing plate (part of the assembly process) on the underside pretty much below the seats which serves no purpose other than to attract water and encourage inexperienced garage mechanics to put the trolley jack in the wrong place and some cars have corroded badly here. Corrosion around the same area may also be visible in the engine compartment on the top of the body rail around the heads of the bolts that retain the top ofthe V mounts. It's an MOT fail and a welding job. Another area to check is the joint between the rear of the front inner wings and the bulkhead. Body and paintwork is otherwise pretty good however some darker coloured cars suffer from peeling lacquer. Bumper corners are susceptible to damage and rear bumper mounting brackets can corrode due to the close proximity of steel and aluminium.

Interior is always leather with different levels of trim and seat design. Woodtrim clips on and is easy to change to different type. Driver’s seat back and steering wheels tend to suffer from wear.

Cupholders are a bit fragile and are OK providing you don’t use them to hold cups !


XKs are hard on suspension and brakes, listen and feel very carefully for any clonking or knocking over bumps and make sure the car comes to a straight judder-free stop under both light and hard braking. A sharp rattle heard and felt through the steering over bumps combined with a little free play in the steering wheel may be a worn crush joint on the lower steering column.

Feel round the tyres for uneven wear patterns; any suspension wear or bush failure giving incorrect geometry will cause tyres to feather badly and heavy wear in the inside edges is a symptom of excess negative camber from wishbone bush or ball joint failure. Slight and even feathering is normal on the fronttyres.

Top bushes are made of “degradeagunge” and crumble after a few years – can be seen from inside the engine compartment.

17” wheelswere fitted to early cars – choice of tyres is limited and expensive. 18”wheels were fitted on many cars – front and rears may be different widths. Other sizes are available but reckon £500+ at least for new rubber all round

CATS suspension has electronically controlled valves in the shocks to vary the damping rates depending on driving style. Identify CATS by the presence of a plastic cover over the top of the front shock absorber with a wire going into it.

The electrical systems on these cars are complex and, as with any old car, you might have the odd problem so check absolutely everything works. Even the earliest XK is OBD2 compliant and a £20 code reader plugged into the socket in the driver’s footwell will help diagnosis a lot.Electric aerials are vulnerable, (and actually look a bit silly) there are occasional O2 sensor, airflow meter and brake light switch failures.



XK’s need a strong battery to avoid random error messages appearing on start up. If you get one – usually TRAC FAIL – the battery is on its way out or needs several days on a trickle charge to bring it back up to full capacity.



Toys are fun but beware ……..electrically operated steering columns, seat headrests, seats etc. can, and probably will, start to go wrong after 10/15 years. If you are fairly practical, these irritating problems can be sorted at little cost. If you need a main agent to change a light bulb – buy something else or win the lottery. Convertible hood mechanism is complex – make sure it works properly. Early models used a green fluid which can leak and dissolve your dashboard – search on “green shower” – not helped by the fact that some early hydraulic hoses are not up to the high pressures involved –this seems (anecdotal evidence to a certain extent) to be more of a problem in very hot (think Florida) climates.

Generally the XK8 / XKR is a strong car and capable of big mileages if maintained well and not abused or neglected. It's mostly easy enough to DIY and parts are reasonable and in good supply from several independents and specialist breakers. I can change the oil and filter in roughly half the time it takes me to do the same job on my Peugeot 207 at not much more than the same cost.

Expect around 26/8 MPG on the motorway, 20/4 round town and mid teens or less if you nail it everywhere

It’s difficult to “thrash” an XK8, XKR. First time you do it, you’ll have a very big smile. Second time, you’ll have your license confiscated. Neglect and/or lackof use are more likely to be the cause of concern. These cars MUST be driven regularly, they don’t like not being used !

Shortening intervals between servicing and using a genuine fully synthetic oil is worthwhile. It’ll help protect the timing chains and give improved fuel economy. A thorough rust proofing and full fluid change is a benefit too if you want to preserve the car.
One last thing. Never start an early XK8 from cold and then switch off again straight away before allowing the temp gauge to move off the cold section of the scale. Chances are it’ll flood when you next start and wash all the oil of the bores and it’s a right PITA to get it running again.



You will find very few posts on this forum saying “I had a fantastic day in my car today– drove down to the yacht, varnished a bit of teak, had a small Chablis (Chateau Grenouille ’47), met a supermodel who, having seen my car, demanded that I drove her home and had inconsequential but energetic sex on the bonnet …(have some scratch remover handy in case this happens) and wants to do the same again every day next week.

You will find more posts that say “Crap day today– my octopus hose is leaking again” or “My ABS light is on again”. That’s what Forums are all about, and there’s a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise here and elsewhere to help diagnose and solve any problem you may come up against. The best news – I have the original sales invoice for my car which, with a few optional extras, came to £53k in 1997. I paid under 10% of that in 2013 having spent a fair amount of time looking for a good example. I suspect that with a sensible amount of preventative maintenance and TLC, it will be worth at least that in 15 years time when I will probably be too weak to floor the loud pedal and decide to part-exchange it for a colonoscopy.

Be realistic – then go for it. You won’tregret it !

 

Thanks David, looks like a very good quick summary of the breed.

Now about that supermodel...

 

Thanks, David.
Pmsl and a brilliant synopsis of banana skins! Brightened up my day, but would recommend you don't ever apply for a Jaguar salesman's job

Mike

 

Thanks - probably wouldn't be much good with TVRs or Mercs either !!

 

Excellent post, every potential buyer should read it.

With the help of this forum I now know my bonnet from my boot.
As far as the super models, my wife was concerned that my jag would draw too much female attention. After a year of ownership she realized the only crowd it draws is 50+ year old men and I can take it out alone once in a while.

 

Thanks for that excellent read David, I think you covered most of the concerning parts of ownership and will be a great help to others who are new to XK8 ownership. Would do well as a stickie I would think, save others asking the question of what is good and bad about the cars.

 

Thanks David, I recently bought a 2004 XKR so this is good info for me.

 

Excellent post. Love all the blue cars