Brand new to this forum, My wife came home with a 1998 XK8, Beautiful looking car, it`s her first Jag, Yes ,I know about the nikasil cylinders on the year of engine, I`m a sucker for her eyes. I have a manual coming so I can see how to check the cam tensioners out. Yes, I have a little oil in the intake tube from the air cleaner, I have checked the load valve,Car has 106000 miles on it, but it looks very good and clean, It will only be summer, weekend driven and maybe a 2000 mile trip this summer. After checking the cam tensioners, I May run some Lucas in the oil to try to put a bandaid on the engine,
But, Here is my question,
We started the car tonight , There was a noise in the front of the engine, that went very loud , CLICK,wait a second, then CLICK, wait a second, Click wait a second, Lasted about 30 seconds then quit, By the time I got out of the car , open the hood and grab my flashlight it was gone. Engine sounded good,Ran good, We drove it about 50 miles with no troubles,

Did I take a chance driving this car,? Is that the sound that a cam tensioner makes?

I hope not, at least not , We love the looks of this car
Best place to by parts also?

 

Welcome aboard . . . and to the wonderful world of Jaguar!

First guess on clicks is the Variable Valve Timing units, which are oil pressure operated, sensor switch controlled and do make a clicking noise. Normal operation if that is what it is. Located inside and at the front of the valve covers. Not a tensioner 'rattle'.

Try any of the on line parts suppliers for price. Coventry West in Atlanta is very good at tech support on a phone call and is also a Jaguar wreaking yard for used parts. No connection, only a customer.

Look on eBay for a JTIS CD. That is a full maintaince/repair/electrical manual on one disk. Many are trying to get big bucks for them but occasionally find them real cheap. Think I paid about $10, including shipping for mine.

 

Thanks , Test point
Wow, the clicking noise was very LOAD. Thanks for easing my mind
I have a CD coming I hope it`s the one I need,
I will give Coventry West a call.thanks for the contact,
I know this has a plastic thermostat housing that I should replace, Can I see if the water pump is updated by just looking at it?
Any heads up on this car would be great,
great car great ride
thanks again

 

Rev,

Note that I suggested 'if' that is the problem. You can certainly hear VTT clicks but I would not consider them as LOUD.

If you do not have any documentation of earlier replacement, I would suggest that you change the thermostat, the thermo tower, the serpertine belt and the waterpump. Less than $200 in parts and a couple of hours of labor. Plus it requires the replacement of the unknown age corrosion protection coolant. Best money you ever spent.

Replacing the thermostat tower is not hard, just requires a custom made $2 tool. Search the forum, good practice. Do not loosen/remove the intake manifold to remove the thermo tower.

 

Greetings Rev,

The first recommendation for a parts supplier on this site should go to the JaguarForum's sponsor, Motorcars Ltd. Following close behind are those individuals who devote their time and effort to helping Jaguar owners solve their problems, even when they don't make a dime for the investment.

I recall spending at least three hours researching and writing about a particular transmission problem, and solving it, when hands-on Dealer tech diagnosis and advice from a mechanical engineer all pointed down blind alleys. The owner relented and fixed his car for $90.00 after finally taking my advice.

Please drop me a message if I can assist with any new or used items for your Jaguar that Motorcars can't help you with. Best wishes with your new Jag!


Andrew Bernstein
British Auto Care
Powell, Ohio 43065

 

Thanks
All ready been searching motorcars Ltd website

 

Rev, I often call Ken (he's ken@britishparts on here), as the database isn't always complete. He has been able to get me almost everything that I needed, at considerably less than dealer cost on new parts.

Andrew has this magical 'used' parts inventory that seems endless, so if you need pre-owned parts, he is most likely your best bet.

Both are great to deal with and communicate extremely well, based on my personal experience.

 

Does the VTT sound like a A/C compressor clutch kicking in and out?, like a megnectic clutch kicking in and out, but very noticeable even from inside of the car, it does not stay with the engine speed when you rev it, but almost at a constant speed. I do hear a slight change of the engine rpms with it also at idle.
Is the VTT oil pressure operated or electric, could it be sticking, I just can`t believe its normal sound

 

Matt,

Thanks for the props, I really appreciate it!

Rev, I don't understand the repeated cycling you mentioned in your first post. You're description is quite right, the V V T operation is very loud and similar to an A/C compressor clutch noise. It's an electrically operated solenoid extending a plunger which opens a poppet valve which opens oil pressure to the V V T unit which rotates on its center hub. You can hear it activate and deactivate, but not repeatedly in 30 seconds and any fault should have an associated Diagnostic Trouble Code stored.

 

I second h20boy in plugging our own Mr. JagTechOhio. He is always here; always giving sound and knowledgeable advice; and asks for nothing more than a fair shake at doing what he does best; and that is fixing Jaguars.

If members have an opportunity to support the participation of any of the Jag Techs on this forum, it is money well spent for all the rest of us who benefit from their contributions. Gordo

 

So Gordo, I guess that means you got the check??

Seriously, thank you for your very gracious compliments. And I echo your appreciation for the efforts of Brutal, jag_genius, and Real_Tech, each of whom have taught me a handful of valuable tidbits.

 

Yes, it is constant,not like a clock,but repeats often it does last 30 seconds or more. it does sound like it`s coming from the drivers side cam cover in the front. Vtt make some since. The engine does idle different in between clicks, it does not throw a code . it would show up on the speedo, right? I need to pull the covers to check the cam tensioners, can i see the VTT then. and can I change them at the same time,
Also can i reuse the cam cover gasket,
I have read your post JagTechOhio,I told the wife if the motor goes, I will tow it to you, don`t know how far you are from Indianapolis, hopefully I will never know. but just in case,

 

Greetings Rev,

There's a lot of ground covered in your brief post. Let's see:

You can reuse a cam cover gasket, but it is definitely not a preferred way to go. Biggest problem is the seals for the spark plug bosses under each cam cover, which have a nasty habit of leaking oil down the holes even when they haven't been reused.

You can see the V V T assemblies with the cam covers off, but you won't see anything wrong with them visually and cannot remove them without first removing the engine front (timing) cover.

The primary chains can slap if the primary tensioners are sticking, but the way you describe the noise doesn't quite fit. Still, this is a possibility given the mileage, and not knowing if the engine has ever seen previous updating or regular service. You may not know what weight of oil was used, since you just got the car.

Here's a couple of ideas: remove the fuel pump fuse, in the boot fusebox. Crank the engine over and listen for the noise. With starting disabled, the engine is turning at like 150 RPM and you will hear a rythmic slap if the primary tensioners are not holding the slack out of the long chains. Don't worry about hurting the starter, you can crank it continuously for a minute if you need to.

Whatever the outcome, get some fresh 5W30 oil in it and see if the situation changes after some miles. I wouldn't be jumping to any conclusions without having a listen firsthand.

By the way, Indy is three hours on the button...and worth the trip if you can't find an experienced mechanic locally.

 

This is what i will try, I will video tape the noise, don`t know if I can post it here. if not I will post to youtube and provide a link, Maybe we all could hear the noise.
Do you have your own shop? major problems 3 hrs not bad,