I've bought a 2000 xk8 with 85000 miles, well taken care of. Question; another member mentioned putting the top down and up with the ignition off.Also to do this in the shade. The reason for this is...?

 

There is a slightly lower pressure in top latch hydraulic system when it is operated on battery only (using the center console switch with the engine off & ignition on, using the door key, or using TheJagWrangler.com Remote control top), due to the lower voltage with the ignition off. This may slightly reduce the stress on hoses and seals, and slightly extend the system life.

Since the hoses are a plastic and soften a bit in the heat of the sun, reducing sun exposure and operating out of the sun might also slightly slow the inevitable top latch hose failure.

My personal opinion is enjoy your car, and don't get get obsessed with the top latch issue. When the time comes to replace ths hoses there are now two superior aftermarket alternatives.

 

Don't forget the manual latch option also.
Not everybody's cup of tea!

 

nothing to add here

 

Indeed it's not. Nor is hose replacement, nor is remote top operation. We're very open-minded around here!

Another thought on engine-off operation. Peak pressure is one aspect of the pressure pulses that kill hoses. Rate of pressure rise during a pulse is another. We really have no data to say how important each is, but both are considered in hose-testing standards. The point of all that being ... engine-off gives a slightly slower pressure rise as well as a sightly lower peak pressure.