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Hwy 132, South Shore St. Lawrence River. Fantastic drive for 100 miles.
I just returned from my 2400 mile (3680 km.) trip fromLondon ON. To Gaspe’ Quebec in the 2004 XK8 and as was suggested I should do by many on this forum. Am glad I no longer sufferfrom Jaguar Nervousness Syndrome. The car ran like a dream, was a pleasure to drive and though I had several days of torrential rain driving the top neverleaked a drop of water and I discovered the DSC system works wonderfully during hydro planing. On the whole trip I averaged 34.9 mpg. in US gallons is about 27 mpg. The trunk was roomy enough for a weeks’ worth of duffle bag type luggage. I also found that ours is a unique car at least in Eastern Canada, never saw another XK8; and at our hotel, the owner asked me to park it his spot which is lit at night so it would be safe, as long as he could get his picture taken with it. I didn’t use any oil or other fluids on the trip, so now can hardly wait for the first of September to head off to Myrtle Beach. Great Smokey Mountain National Park for a detour.
<p>awesome to hear - and a great pic! To many more happy driving miles!</p><p>when you're in Myrtle Beach, give a shout if you care to meet up for a bit. I'm about a 90minute drive from MB and always up for a drive.</p>
Tail of the Dragon is nice but to many squids on crotch rockets. Many nice roads in that area, a little further north is Little Switzerlad, not to be missed.
Nice ride and keep us informed when you get to the beach. I will be there for some golf and sand in September. I have seen a few XK8's the last trip in May. One white one with California tags had a bad leak in the radiator and I couldn't find the owner. We were leaving so I had to let it go, always thought I should have made a better effort. Hind sight!
Have fun. Wayne
Great Post.
We need the good tails as well as the worried tails in this forum. When new owners join they can be put off by the long lists of problems. Having a good experience written up is something we do not often see. I think its like the newspapers. Bad news rises to the top. 'Bad News on the Doorstep'.
A note to all. When I first joined I was worried at the vast amounts of problems that are detailed. But after reading more and more posts I have begun to understand that there are a handful of recurring themes. Most of which are basic issues such as a good battery, solder connections in the brake control module, good hydraulic lines to your convertible top. But most of all if you own a Jaguar you must also own a OBD II scanner.
Love my XKR and have more and more confidence every day.
TIP...... Keep your scanner in the car;;;;;;
That amber warning can turn into Limp mode if you are on a long trip. The system will not let you ignore it forever.
Nervous Syndrome so that is what that feeling is .... about to take the 1999 XJR on a 12,000 km run to BC and USA, and back.... only had it a few weeks, and so far .. have put 400km on it.. and it purrs like a growling little kitty should... it be nice not to have that nervous syndrome no more.... that and a cup holder that works....lol
I had my ELM327 pluged in all of the trip, as much as a live thermostat as anything, but now I have uploaded the trip to Google Earth from the ELM and it has its bad pert, when my wife says how fast where you going on that downhill it is pretty hard to hide. I think I need to figure out a way to put a 20 MPH negativer bias into there software. The calculated costs from the ELM that are displayed are also very accurate.
I had my ELM327 pluged in all of the trip, as much as a live thermostat as anything, ...
You know the Jag Wrangler (aka whitexkr on the forum) sells a nice little upgrade that will turn the Jag temp gauge into a real working module. It's called RealGauge. He has it for the oil pressure gauge as well.
Works great and SWMBO won't see the speed on the downside of those hills.
Returned, about two weeks ago, from a nearly 3,000 mile round-trip in the XK8 with absolutely no real issues (will come back to that!). From Memphis, northeast through Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and southeast Michigan into southern Ontario then east to Niagara Falls. Spent 5 days around the Falls, then east to Watkins Glen, NY (drove the track in the Jag). After 3 days at Watkins Glen went southwest through Pennslvlania and across West Virginia, western Virginia, then the length of Tennessee to home.
On state highways and back roads all the way except from West Virginia homeward, and around Detroit in Michigan. A great way to travel - really makes the journey the destination.
Only car issue - in WV began to hear a rhythmic 'tock-tock' from the front. At first though a pebble in the tread, but soon realized it wasn't. Twisty, windy, hilly roads had me a bit anxious about front suspension issue.
Spent the night and went to a small town Ford dealership next morning. Technician couldn't replicate the sound, and neither of us could find anything with the car on the lift. Hate to have an issue 'just go away' because you never know when it might come back and bite you. Anyway, went to see the service manager to pay for the service when the technician called for me to come back - he had found four of the five lug nuts on the front driver side wheel loose, one almost all the way off. I had had the tires balanced and wheel alignment just before leaving home and remembered the shop using a pneumatic wrench to tighten the lugnuts. Guess he failed to get them fully tight.
The Ford agency charged me a bit less than $7.00 for a million dollars mental relaxation.
Went back to the tire alignment shop when I got home and we had a brief amicable discussion.
Great story Jim D. Huh? $7.00 for tightening lug nuts. Who does that anywhere? Cost that much to raise the lift!
I've used a gun to tighten, but, followed with a torque wrench to 92 lbs.
You know the Jag Wrangler (aka whitexkr on the forum) sells a nice little upgrade that will turn the Jag temp gauge into a real working module. It's called RealGauge. He has it for the oil pressure gauge as well.
Works great and SWMBO won't see the speed on the downside of those hills.
I have the Real Gauges and the remote top module being sent to my brother in laws in Myrtle Beach so I can pick them up there and avoid all the customs stuff here in Canada. They will be part of my winter projects.
07-27-2015, 09:13 AM
No Jag Nervous Syndrome anymore.
