Hi all i'm joel. just bought an 01 xk8 convertible this week. i got the car for 8 grand however the convertible top would not go up and down because it needs a new hydraulic line. upon changing the oil and putting the car on a lift i found that it has a slight rear main seal leak. i was wondering the cost and labor of both of these problems. i did get the car for cheap however it was 8g and only has 94k miles. other than these two problems the car runs like a top and is much smoother than my old lexus. Thanks in advance joel.

 

Welcome Joel!

Usually it is the hydraulic hoses that operate the top latch that fail. It is about $200-$250 in parts if you DIY or in the neighborhood of $1200 to have done by a shop because a good deal of the interior need to be removed to route the new hoses.

If the rear main seal link is very slight, you may be able to live with it for a while...see how much oil is really dripping on your driveway.

Please check out the FAQs in the XK8/XKR section.

On a 2001 you may or may not have upgraded secondary camshaft chain tensioners. Removing the cam covers to inspect them should be in your plans also. Replacing them is about $200 DIY and $800 by a shop.

 

Hi Joel,

Welcome to the forum. This is the best place to absorb information on your new ride, including more details on the very valuable recommendation given by WhiteXKR - check your tensioners!

Look forward to hearing more from you, and post pictures!

Steve

 

Thanks for the replies! I checked the leak today and had a drop on the cardboard in the garage. So I guess I'll Put that off for just a bit. The guy I bought it from told me the plastic tensioner had been rreplaced with a metal one. Guess I'll have to open her up and see. Stripping down an interior and running a line doesn't seem to hard to me. I used to do car audio and have had my share of removing interiors. I would like to know why my back two windows won't roll up. It's rainy here in FL so I need to get them up ASAP. Sorry for all the questions. I haven't had much time to explore the site. I really love this car though. Everywhere I go I get compliments on it. Ill post pics as soon as I can.

 

Morning Joel!

Welcome.

We recently had a hydraulic rebuild company join the forum. They do a rebuild for $150 per cylinder. Jaguar - Top Hydraulics, Inc

I would like to join the chorus to advise that if you cannot verify that the tensioners have been upgraded to the metal version that you immediately pull a valve cover for an inspection. Many an engine has died due to failed plastic tensioners.

The rear quarter windows only roll up when the top has completed its closure. There are micro switches at the top latch and at the top of the right ram that advise the body processor module to raise the windows. Try unlocking and re locking the top latch with the Allen key found in a clip next to the top pump. There are relays in the trunk that can be jumped to raise the windows if that doesn't work.

 

Do you mean a crankshaft rear oil seal leak?

Graham

 

Ok I will try to pull the cover today. I have a paid day off tomorrow so I might wait until then. Which relays in the trunk can I jump? Its the rear main seal where the motor connects to the tranny. Thanks for the replies and the warm welcomes! Everyone at church loved the car!

 

This thread explains the process:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-closed-71304/

 

Again, welcome to a great Club.

I just went through the hydraulic hose replacement, and there are great links in the FAQ section. I ordered replacement hoses from Chic (ctrent@colliflower.com) in MD, and they are great people to deal with. Their product is a HUGE improvement over the OEM stuff. Yes, you will have most of the interior disassembled, but you will never have to worry about that job again. You will LOVE the car.

 

Welcome to the forums and the XK club. Both are great places to be.

 

I appreciate the advice on the new line. I was wondering how you take out the relay. i didn't want to yank on it or break it. the relays on my lexus i had to take out from the bottom and remove the wires. do these just slide out?

 

Those small relays have a plastic catch on one side. It helps to pry the catch gently away before pulling.

 

I'm fairly new here, too. These guys have been mega-helpful and I check the forum out daily.

I chose to have my $8600 XKR revamped by the indie mechanic next to my factory. My struts/mounts/bushings were shot front and rear. I have had ALL of the suspension replaceable parts replaced (including one lower control arm) with all-new and had the ENTIRE coolant system purged and replaced all hoses with new, including the hoses UNDERNEATH the supercharger. The cost to do this much work is around the same price that I paid for the car, but it should be reliable for a while.

I feel lucky to have been able to get the car at such a low price so that it was easier for me to perform major maintenance and know what is new and what isn't.

 

Welcome to the forum. I know you will enjoy reviewing the forum. It is great fun, at least for me. And I am constantly learning something. I did my upper tensioners myself with no real problems. If you find you need to do them I posted a fairly good post with pictures of the whole. That one along with others would be useful.

Good to have you aboard.

EZDriver.

 

Thanks again for the warm welcomes. I appreciate the info. I was able to get my back windows up. I couldn't work on it anymore because the power went out. Don't feel like messing with anything with no light. Yes I understand due to the cars age things will wear. That's why I sold my Lexus. It was dollaring me to death every other week. I read great reviews on this car and my insurance rates were even cheaper. I will check the tensioner when I have light. Tried posting a pic but it said it was too large. Idk how to resize the image. Thanks again. Glad I can drive in the rain now!