I just bought a 1997 XK8 Coupe with 52k miles. It should arrive after the first of the year.

I'm an American car guy so a foreign car is a first for me, but I just love the look of the coupe.

Looking forward to learning more about Jags.

 

Search: Tensioners, water pump, Thermostat housing, front wheel bearings, front suspension rubber bushings, part load breather, ABS, brake switch, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what is in store. Do not be intimidated. Once fixed, great and dependable car.

 

Nice...what color is that?

 

Looks like Anthracite Mica to me.

 

Ditto what Gordo said. And all of that stuff you can do yourself if you're the least bit handy. Hopefully some of the major things have already been corrected, such as the timing chain tensioners. Personally, if I wasn't absolutely certain that the timing chain tensioners had already been replaced, I wouldn't drive it more than a few miles without taking off the covers and checking. That's just about the only thing that can completely trash your car in a matter of seconds. If the tensioners haven't been replaced and one of them breaks, you'll be lucky to get away with a complete engine rebuild. And there's a good chance you'd need a whole new engine.

 

Thanks for the replies. I did read up a little on this forum before buying so I asked the guy (a Jag dealer) about the tensioners and he said they were done by his mechanic and that he would put it in writing.

So with that done, I'll look at the other things Gordo mentioned. This seems like a great site for info.

The color is indeed Anthracite black as KW said.

Should get it after the 1st of the year so I'll post more pics.

 

Welcome to the site & the JAG fraternity.... nice car....

 

Michigan in January...brrr! Welcome to the forum! Where is yours coming in from?

 

My brother has a silver on black 2001 vert and lives in Beverly Hills. Say hi to him, if you see him... in the spring of course.

Otherwise, open your wallet and join us for your own personal auto love / hate relationship.

 

Welcome to the Jag owners forum.

I think you'll find the people on this forum as knowledgeable as any group of car owners on any auto forum. Their dedication to Jaguars is incredible, and they've closely documented any common problems experienced.

When running right, Jaguars are a very comfortable ride. And to think that what you're riding in cost $25K more than a Corvette when they were new--versus what you paid for your car.

 

Welcome to the forum! I , too, am a newbe to the site. Great response and help from all. I do not know about the tensioners at this point and am looking into removing the covers to take a peek. But, did talk to the local Jag dealer who said that the entire chain tensioner problem was overdone. They have been servicing Jags for nearly 40+ years and with the 97-2002 cars have never had one come in w/blown engine. In fact , many have over 100,000 miles on them and still looking good. Remember, like surgeons who do not operate , they go bankrupt!
Best thing is to pull valve covers and look at secondaries, but primaries can still be bad ( 4 in total) . Since these operate on oil pressure and cleanliness of oil....best to change oil every 3000 or so (again from Jag dealer).
Good luck w/your new JAG!

 

Most of us here, who have done tensioner replacements, have seen firsthand the condition of our tensioners when they were removed. At 60K miles, my secondaries were showing advanced wear and breakage. So much so, that I felt compelled to pull the oil pan to retrieve quarter inch chunks of the plastic debris.

Maybe your dealer is correct. But, I'd love to have him explain to me how numerous chunks of plastic breaking off my timing chain tensioner and guide components would be of little or no consequence on an interference engine. Better safe than sorry. As you say... At least pull the cam covers and look for yourself.

 

Well, he may not have seen any, but several secondary tensioner failures have been reported here, and at least two come to mind where the whole engine was toast as a result. Primaries, no failure reported that I can think of.

You won't be able to tell much about the condition of the secondaries by inspection ... unless they're removed first. The cracks tend to start in a hidden spot.

Pretty cheap job, especially DIY. The consequences of a failure can be gawd-awful. Just saying ...

(Who's the dealer? If you don't mind my asking.)

 

I would love to know what dealer also. Here in AZ, when you look at Jaguars for sale on Craigslist, 1/3rd have broken tensioners and need repair, 1/3 have already been replaced or had an engine swap and the other 1/3rd dont know. I have to believe most of them, especially in cold weather states, have or have had issues. I took my 99 XK8 apart and they were changed already. I checked my 99 VDP and they are original with one side cracked and I have yet to check my 2000 XKR which I will. Just for peace of mind I would check them. YM2C

 

The dealer is Bennett Jaguar in Allentown, Pa. They seem to have an excellent reputation for their service department.

I am following this forums advise but .....as w/Ferrari belt issues, sometimes owner maintenence falls short.

 

I to love the look of the coupe's... Mine is an '03 coupe. Trust me you will love it. You can save alot of money if you're a DIY kind of guy... stay in with this forum, there are ALOT of BRILLIANT people on here that are very helpful... with that occasional issue the jag might have. I am sold on the way the English build things... I 'm a trained TRIUMPH motorcycle tech and I love them too.

Enjoy your new JAG!

 

Wow! This seems like a great site. Well, as I said, the tensioners were done and the dealer is putting it in writing. Now I just have to check the water pump, Thermostat housing, front wheel bearings, front suspension rubber bushings, part load breather, ABS, brake switch as Gordo mentioned.

Gordo, your brother lives in Beverly Hills, Michigan?

 

My Brother lives on Riverside Dr near Southfield. He has had his silver on black vert
for about six months or so.

 

WELCOME TO THE CLUB. I ALSO HAVE A 97 VERT. WOULD BE INTERESTING IF SOMEONE START A POLL TO SEE HOW MANY AND IF VERTS OR COUPES OF Y's 97-06 ARE IN HERE. I WILL BUT DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

 

Ha ha! Just drove by his house 5 minutes ago coming back from Christmas shopping. Small world.