Hey everybody,
Just bought a 2003 XK8 Convertible yesterday.
47,300 kilometres, great condition. Question?:
I understand there will be cowl shake on bumpy
roads, but the front end feels so tight that the cowl
doesn't so much shake as makes the car feel like a
Ford F-150 extended cab long box with heavy duty
suspension option, with an empty load, if you know
what I mean? Like a giant tuning fork, is what
I'm saying.
Can anyone educate me a little here?

 

Hey again, thought I'd add that it handles way
better than I thought it would. I also have a 2011
335i, and the Jag is like a go kart around corners.
My 335i without the run flats feels like an 80's
Mercedes compared to the Jag. Did not see that
coming.

 

And finally,
The reason I never even test drove it is because my
Father in law said he'd chip in $5000 if he could find
and pick the car, (which is supposed to be our 16 yr
old daughters first car, whole other story). So after
6 minutes he comes up with the Jag, wife and daughter
go get it and here we are. These things are so rare
here in Vancouver that it never occurred to me to
even look for one. At this point I like the look so much
that I'd like it for a month even if it didn't run.
Back to my original point, being I like it so much
I'd be willing to put some money into the front end.
Should I just bring it to a good Jag mechanic and
ask him?

 

If you can find a good one and not dealer, that would be the way to go.
I take it you are not into looking at the problem yourself?

Wayne

 

Hey Wayne,
I'm willing to poke around and diagnose easily visible
Bushings etc. But no, I've haven't done my own
work for awhile and hoping to never skin my
knuckles again.

 

Sounds obvious but let me check: have you checked tire air pressure with an accurate gauge? I find these cars are quite sensitive. 2 or 3 pounds makes a very noticable difference in the ride.

Not 100% sure I understand your comments on the feel, but from here it sounds like she may be overinflated?

Hope you do get lucky and find that the simple solution fixes her for you. The specs are inside the center console. I like 32lbs front, 34 rear.

John

 

What tires do you have? I find the same thing on mine. I've got big wide Sumitomo HRZ IIs, and the mechanic told me that super high performance tire designs with the sharp square corners will grab every road imperfection and cause quite a bit of shake and vibration. On top of that, the rubber on my fronts has gone hard, which doesn't help.

I'm planning on switching to proper sized Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus's and I'm expecting the ride quality improve and cowl shake to reduce.

 

Ok, I'm back. First thing, thanks John. I looked under the center consul and saw suggested tire pressure was 26 psi front, damn can't recall exactly now, but I think 28 or 9 back. These pressures good for driving under 160km/he. Anyway mine were 34'ish all the way
around. So, I drove the car from Vancouver to Whistler and on and on until I was hungry
And then back to Whistler. I'm in love. Tire pressure was way off, shoulda guessed that myself. I now get the love for these cars.

 

Heh Silver_fox,
I have Michelin Pilot something(not SS). They're on 17 inch wheels. The pressure was so high that the suspension and shocks couldn't handle it. I switched pressure to 27 front and 29 rear. Really don't know how accurate my gauge is, so results may vary.
Ps. Tires stock size for 17inch wheels.

 

At the suggested pressure the rears will wear the center quickly, run 26-27 in the rear for better tire life.

 

Welcome to the forum Gary,

Michelin Pilot Sport perhaps? Michelin are "Jaguar approved" and can be run at the recommended pressures.

The tyres may have been set to the same pressures front and rear by the PO misunderstanding the advice in the Vehicle Care Handbook for the 1997 MY and setting them for "other than recommended":


(click on the image to enlarge it)

I expect you will get accelerated tyre wear on the rear by dropping them below 30 psi. 28 Rear/26 Front is sometimes referred to as "comfort setting". It does give a softer ride but at the expense of reduced tyre life.

Please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some information about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see. In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.

Graham

 

Following suggestions on here some time back I run 30 psi front and rear (Pirelli P Zero) and have not experienced any uneven tread wear. No issues with vibration or handling at UK motorway speeds (plus a little occasionally).

 

I have Michelin Pilot Sport A-S Plus on 17s. They run fine for me at 32 front and 34 rear on the mountain highways of BC.

 

The owners manual also seems to suggest a much higher pressure for tires other than Pirelli ?

 

My wife's 2006 XK8 with staggered 19-inch wheels performs best at 31 to 32 psi in the front and 28 to 29 psi in the rear. Those year-round tire pressures typically deliver around 48,000 miles out of the front pair and around 33,000 miles out of the rear pair. I have run nothing but Yokohama YK580 tires from Discount Tire on her car for more than five years now....