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just picked up new to me 1999 XK8 convertible with 34k miles. I’ve been reading from this forum non-stop since picking it up and appreciate all the expertise you all have!
I’m hoping you can offer advice on a few issues:
Yesterday I had a few issues where the transmission seemed to be stuck in 1st gear. It seemed to happen after restarting the car and went away when I moved the transmission stick to manual. This is the first and only time I had this problem. I drove the car for several hours yesterday and it shifted smoothly. From reading this forum I discovered that I have no dipstick, so how do I tell if I am low on fluid?
Also, the car seems to drive smoothly until I hit 65 mph, then it is tougher than I would expect. No real shimmy but just seems like the road is rough when it is not. Car is obviously almost 20 years old but only has 34k miles on it. I’m assuming it may be an alignment issue or an unbalanced tire? Could also be the upper strut mounts? Is there an easy way to see if these have deteriorated? I’m assuming shock are okay based on mileage but maybe this is a bad assumption?
Yesterday I had a few issues where the transmission seemed to be stuck in 1st gear. Could also be the upper strut mounts? Is there an easy way to see if these have deteriorated?
This is likely your brake switch. It "thinks" you have your foot on the brake, so there is no upshift (check if your brake lights are on, even if your foot is off the brake pedal). You can try and adjust it, but it is likely a bad micro-switch at this point, they are notoriously prone to failure. The adjustment is a ratchet mechanism on the trigger part of the switch, the part that the bar attached to the brake pedal pushes on. You will have to find good picture online, but the trigger has a built-in slide/ratchet that can collapse and cause the switch to believe you have your foot on the brake when you don't.
For the upper mount, check the vehicle spec book on jagrepair.com for the proper ride height. If it is low, the mounts are likely collapsed, leading to negative camber and uneven tire wear. These original (and stock replacements) are junk parts that deteriorate unexpectedly.
Regarding your transmission, the only way to check the fluid level is to raise the car on jackstands or a lift, bring the engine and transmission up to normal operating temperature, then pull the transmission fill plug (NOT the drain plug) and see how much of a stream of ATF you have dripping out. This is a very involved process and I recommend that you read all about it on the many transmission threads contained in this forum before you actually perform the procedure. Be prepared to add the proper ATF as necessary....
Regarding your suspension, unless your car has already had its many bushings, shock mounts, sway bar links, tie rod ends, etc. replaced, it is long past time for a suspension refurbishment. Miles are not as much of an issue as age is. 20-year-old suspension rubber is now turning to dust. If your suspension components are original, they are flat worn out, period. Plenty of reading here on the forum for that job as well....
The shop manual outlines checking the transmission fluid as follows.
1. Bring the transmission oil up to operating temperature.Take a short drive.
2. With the vehicle elevated and the engine running. Remove the transmission fill plug.
3. If there is a trickle of oil coming out then it is at level. If there is not then add fluid until it trickles out and the shift the transmission from P to R to D back to R and then to P.
4. Continue adding until it is a small trickle for about 1 minnute and then refit the plug.
I have attached a picture of the plug for your convenience.
Ride height is the quickest way to check for a worn shock mount. Measured from the center of the wheel to the lower lip of the fender should be 14.5 to 14.75 inches, Anything lower than that distance and the shock mount is wore out.
You can also visually examine the mounts for bits and pieces flaking off. The best route is to get it on a lift and visually check the condition of the tie rod ends, the sway bar links and the upper and lower control arm bushings.
05-17-2018, 07:37 AM
Issues with new Jaguar
