Hi Guys

This is my first post here so HI , I am based in Australia where Jag's seem to be three times the price of anywhere else on the 2nd hand market.

I am looking at purchasing an XK8 Coupe MY2001 and have found a nice example but it has a few problems that I would like to get accross before making a final decision. I have owned an XJ40 before and currently a Lotus Esprit - usually I do all my own maintenance work and not much puts me off. This list consists of small niggly unkowns, so if any of the items below sound familiar, i would be happy to get your opinions.

The car is mechanically sound, no rust and runs very well. I am aware of the tensioner issues and am not concerned ( yet ) as the engine has no rattle and runs very smoothly with 80,000 miles on the clock.


1. Sometimes there is a continuous chime from the warning system
that can be stopped by pressing the A/C EXT button and holding it
for a few seconds. The P/O reckons its an external temp sensor
fault but it doesn't seem to effect the car's preformance at all.

2. The dashboard trim around the main instrument cluster is loose
and I'm not sure whether this would easy to secure properly, it must have have been removed previously and not put back correctly.

3. The XJ40 badge on the rear that has a hole in it for boot
release access is missing. Also the 'JAGUAR' badge on the rear left hand side is missing also, so I suspect the rear panel may have been replaced at some point. Also maybe related if panel was replaced - the reverse parking warning feature doesn't seem to work - the owner tells me this wasn't fitted as an option but I thought it was a standard feature on XK's ?

4. Electric aeriel doesn't work - is it easy to get at to fix/replace?

5. Headlining sags a bit over the drivers door area - easy to
remove / replace ?

6. There's a small oval shape trim on the lower half of the
headlights missing - is it easy to get replacement trim ? I think it includes the headlight washer jet.

7. Cruise control doesn't work properly. It 90% works OK but throws up a Failsafe Engine Mode error when the + button is pressed which clears after a restart. ALl other CC controls work OK.

8. Car pulls to the left when braking, could be suspension or brake issue.

9. There is only one key and the remote fob doesn't work. I
imagine this is going to be expensive to replace as the car might
need re-coding to the new key and fob ?

As this is a 'fixer-upper' I'm considering making an offer, but
comments on the above would be appreciated. the car is over a 100
miles from where I live and I only had an hour to look around it,
so some of the faults I found are a bit vague.

Any words of wisdom are welcome.

 

I can answer a couple of your concerns, I think! The dash trim is held in by two tabs at the top, and two screws at the bottom. You access it easily by removing the two 8mm headed screws under the dash (just above your feet) and pull that panel loose at the bottom. The top of the lower dash is held in by tension clips. You just pull them out on either side of the steering column. What may have happened is that the wood cluster trim panel is attached to a thin plastic, which the screws go through to retain it to the dash. My guess is that the plastic may be broken. On the headlamp washer trim; probably going to require a used headlamp. The brake pull could easily be due to a worn bushing or bushings. They are pretty easy to replace. The ball joints are not cheap to replace. I think there is an exchange program on the arms through a Jag specialty place on the internet if you have to replace them. I understand that the OEM antenna is discontinued. I haveseen them on Ebay. I have also installed replacement aftermarket antennas on these with success. The plastic bezel for the fender tends to be smallish compared to the originals. So you have to carefully center it to cover the hole correctly. But they look ok and work fine. Getting another key will be pricey. As for the remote fob, Ebay has new or used ones at relatively reasonable prices. Like $40 to $80. I'll leave the rest of your questions to those that know better!

 

Thanks for the quick answer. I need to find out if the reverse parking sensors were standard on all models, or if they were a customer option to order. Also the EXT button cancelling an alarm is a worry.

cheers

 

Welcome to the forum Spuddyo,

I'm getting a sense of deja-vu here. Oh yes, I read the same post on Jag-Lovers earlier this morning!

Parking Aid (reverse parking sensors) were not standard on all models. If it's fitted, you'll have four sensors visible in the rear bumper.

The missing keys (should be two Black headed master keys and one Green headed Valet key) are expensive as they have to be setup on the dealer diagnostic system. Remote fobs are regularly available on eBay etc and can be programmed yourself.

Pulling to the left could be just a sticking brake or indicative of anything up to a full suspension rebuild required. Just pulling or any worrying clunking noises?

Graham

 

Yes I did post on jag-lovers, but there seems to be more action here for xk8. There is no sign of any round sensors at the back, so you might be right, maybe it was an option. No clunking or strange suspension behaviour, just a slight pull to left so may be just brake pads. The missing keys might be an issue.

I have made a reasonable offer so I have to wait and see now. The car seems to be quite solid mechanically just jiggly bits to worry about.

Cheers

 

The main snag with an XK8 is it's NOT an XKR!

 

Hey Spudyo--I was intrigued by your Item 1 wherein you reset something by hitting A/C and EXT. Where did you find out about that? I wonder what other interesting button combinations exist.


Doug