After 11 years of tooling around in a C4 Corvette, I just made the switch to a 98 XK8 with 55,000 miles. I knew what to carry with me in the Vette for emergency roadside repairs (ie, belt, tire repair kit, fuses, etc) but am wondering what I should keep in the trunk of this beauty? Any suggestions?
Thanks!

 

Scott, do you have any history on the car. If you have read the average things that go wrong with these machines, of which there is a good bit, what has and has not been done will lead you to your next project.
The DIY'ers have done most everything and will help or lead you toward answers.


Welcome and Happy New Year.


Wayne

 

AAA card...

Seriously though, the cars are pretty reliable so you shouldn't need anything extraordinary. Similar things to what you are used to having in hand will seve you well. There should be a spare tire and changing kit (jack, wrench, etc) possibly even a full size spare depending on the wheel size you have.

If you are new to one of these cars, and don't know the history, it is best to start first off by checking the cam chain tensioners. Early 4.0L had plastic tensioners which can crack and let the cam chains jump time. Easy to check, no too bad to fix and VERY expensive to ignore.

Welcome!

 

Not really!

The vehicle already has spare wheel with changing tools and spare fuses. Drive belt breakage is a rarity but I'd consider replacing cooling system hoses as preventative maintenance if they are over ten years old. Overheating is a regularly reported cause of excitement on the road.

I find I carry less emergency repair kit now than I did years ago. The most useful item has to be a scantool. I have TorquePro for Android in the glove box for troubleshooting fault codes. Electronic modules/sensors are more likely to give trouble than mechanical breakdowns.

Graham

 

The car has been maintained by the local Jaguar dealer for the last 10 years. Previous dealer replaced the steering column tilt motor at 26,000 miles and replaced the lower control arm bushings at 29,000 miles. Records show all oil changes on time, Antifreeze flushed/replaced every two years, brake fluid flushed/changed three times in the last ten years, drive belts changed in 2009, idler pulley changed at 50,000 miles, fuel filter changed at 52,000 miles. In talking with the mechanic at the dealership, the lady that owned it was pretty fussy and had every little thing checked. I asked him about the infamous timing chain tensioner/guide issue and he didn't seem concerned about it. he also said something to the effect that some dealers just went ahead and changed them in the early 2000's. I don't have many records from the first dealership and the current dealer doesn't know if they were changed or not. How hard is it to pull the covers and take a look?
Thanks,
Scott

 

[QUOTE=GGG;1130502]

Not really!

The vehicle already has spare wheel with changing tools and spare fuses. Drive belt breakage is a rarity but I'd consider replacing cooling system hoses as preventative maintenance if they are over ten years old. Overheating is a regularly reported cause of excitement on the road.

I find I carry less emergency repair kit now than I did years ago. The most useful item has to be a scantool. I have TorquePro for Android in the glove box for troubleshooting fault codes. Electronic modules/sensors are more likely to give trouble than mechanical breakdowns.



lol just drive her. It's just a car. Nice car but a car. AAA is all I need just like my other cars.
Graham[/QUOTE

 

Welcome aboard--a kindred spirit. I made the same journey as you except 14 years in the C4. Hardly a day goes by that I don't miss the car but having the Jaguar generally makes up for it.

Doug

 

As you will become aware, the tensioner issue is a MUST to have resolved. It is almost a certainty that the plastic tensioner will ultimately crack and fail and there is a very good chance that that will lead to pistons hitting valves and other such things that will completely destroy the engine. Do some searching on the forum about the issue, you will find a great deal of information about that particular issue, which, I would say, is the primary concern about these cars.

 

Scott,

The car has clearly been regularly serviced to Jaguar schedules with any failed items also replaced so it sounds like you've found a good one from a careful owner.

There's three common issues on the early XK8/XKR's:

1. plastic tensioners
2. so called 'sealed for life' transmission
3. water pump impeller failure / sticking thermostat

Jaguar Dealers are too complacent about the tensioner issue because it isn't included in a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) / Recall Notice from Jaguar. They will eventually fail. Perhaps the best evidence of the problem is it took four different designs before Jaguar finally got it right. It's not difficult to remove the covers for inspection but a new seal kit will then be required to avoid oil leaks.

Transmission fluid changes don't appear in the Jaguar service schedules so it is unlikely yours has ever been changed. You can very effectively prolong the transmission life with fluid changes.

Very early water pumps had plastic impellers which were known to break causing overheating. An improved design was soon introduced and I'd expect a '98 to have this improved type.

Graham

 

GGG,
Laughed my A-- off---- (LMAO)---when I saw your answer to his question. Great post.


Uh, by the way. I just checked and that could be the roll I lost on my recent trip to the UK. If you still have it, I'll pick it up on my next trip...... ;-))

 

Although I am pretty sure that a lot of us here thought the same thing (I know I did) but GGG was quicker on the draw

Doug

 

If that's $4,000.00, then thats the roll I lost in Hyde Park two years ago......for sure.

 

I'm going to start following US tourists around if you all drop rolls like that when you're over here. My next Jaguar could be arriving sooner than planned!

Graham

 

LOL! Stop it

 

What a great bunch of replies. Love you guys!

The roadside assistance is definitely a good idea. And have the number for Enterprise Rent-a-Car in your phone. I've had to use these these a few times in my life and it just makes life easier to be prepared.

*Pull over to the side of the road as soon as you know there's a problem (pushing it could be quite expensive!)
*Call for a tow.
*Find a mechanic while the tow is enroute.
*Call Enterprise and have them pick you up at the mechanic.
*And you're back on way (just a couple of hours lost).

I'm not trying to make you think the car's unreliable though. While Kitty "has" been towed off to the hospital once, I've put 55K miles on her in less that 2 1/2 years and she has 155k miles her total. Plus I've needed to use this plan on a BMW 635 (once) and a 280ZX (once) as well, so the Jag's doing OK in comparison. They were all high mileage cars too. It's nice to have a plan.

I always keep miscellaneous tools in the spare tire compartment as well, but to tell you the truth, they're still brand new - I've never needed them for anything on the road.

Enjoy the drive!