the more I am growing to like it. As a kid I was all about American Muscle cars. I had a completely rebuilt and custom 79 Z-28 Camaro that would pull low 13s in a quarter mile. And then I grew up a bit and got an 84 Corvette, which wasnt really that fast but it was a nice ride with some power.

And then I grew up some more and got a Porsche Cayman, which was the fastest by far. That car just hugged the road like no other and accelerated faster than even the Camaro.

Now Im even older and was just "given" a 2002 XKR convertible. As Ive posted before, it needs some interior work but Ive been driving it more and taking it through its paces, getting a little more darling with each drive.

She doesnt seem to be that fast but she's much smoother than the Porsche, even at 86000 miles and 14 yrs on the road.

On the highway though there seems to be some shaking and shimming at 80+ mph and I dont know if its the bad roads or something coming from the car.

Is there a routine schedule maintenance list somewhere on this board for when different mechanical systems should be checked and repaired/replaced ?

I have 0 information on what's been done on this car...

There are no Jag specialist near me so she's going to a local mechanic for a check up before I really start to drive it more.

 

If the car has sat for at least two weeks or more without moving prior to you receiving it, chances are the tires are flat spotted. First, get them road forced balanced, then drive the car like 100 plus miles (distance, not speed) on the highway and they should be round and smooth again.

 

Check for a bent rim, my 03 has one and on the HWY will have a a ever so slight vibration that at this point down not bother me.

 

No the car hasnt sat.

And I will check for the rim damage. I plan on taking them off and powder coating them a satin black... so it will be the perfect time to check and fix if necessary.

 

The schedule of service is linked here:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...et-jtis-80268/

It is for the 2003+ MY but I don't believe it was meaningfully different for 2002.

If you don't know the history of the car, the one thing you absolutely must check are the cam chain tensioners. Most of the 4.0 engines+ had plastic slippers that would crack with time and let the cams skip time. It is a pretty easy check by pulling the valve cover, so better safe than sorry.

Other than that, maintenance for these cars is pretty typical, fluids, filters and such.

The rubber bits in the suspension are rather to the soft side, so I would be suspicious of them for their age and your hot climate. Might be contributing to your shimmy.

 

YEA, GET THAT TIMING CHAIN STUFF CHECKED, since you don't know the history of the car.

 

This thread is from the DIY sticky this has been discussed on several occasions, I'd suggest spending some time in that thread learning about the car and what issues might arise
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...001-xk8-10043/

 

I had the same problem on my XKR. Had all the wheels rebalanced and the problem was still there. Sent the wheels to a company for refurbishing and two of them were damaged due to potholes or similar, resulting in oval shaped wheels.

All wheels were then controlled and retrued and the problem was solved. While the wheels were off I had other minor damage (curb rash) sorted out and they now look like new.

This would be a good place to start as I suspect that it is the cheapest potential problem to fix.

Good luck.

 

Just a note on the shimmy and soft bushings up front. I had a pretty bad shimmy - almost a tail wag - develop on a trip to Iowa last summer. The car, though only at 60,000 miles, took new front control arm bushings, and more importantly, driver's rear hub and bearings. I was really surprised that these items wore out so quickly, though I admit I sometimes drive the car hard. I would have all suspension components checked out and replaced as needed, even if from more of a preventative standpoint.