Hello everyone,

I am seriously looking at a 1997 XKR Convertibel and am trying to do some due diligance on it.

Selling and local dealers are very reluctant to give me any info because of privacy laws.

Car has 65k miles on it.

Car was sold new on May 21 1997. Local dealer tells me the engine was changed on Oct 1 1999 at 16,321 miles

Is there any chance that the new engine would incorporate the metal Chain adjustors? Does anyone have any ideas how I can determine this info?

Thanks for your help!

Preston

 

There is "0" likelihood that the '99 motor has metal tentioners .. If the dealer (sounds like an actual Jaguar dealer) is withholding ANY maintenance info what so ever, I would just walk. Especially a '97 model .

 

The change was not made until late 2001, so unless the previous owner had them changed at the very least the secondary tensioners should be replaced.

The way to tell is to remove the cam covers to inspect.

 

An engine change in 1999 after only two years has either been a catastrophic failure (such as chains) or more likely a Nikasil remediation issue.

It won't have had metal tensioners fitted at that date but may have had them fitted as an additional piece of work at a later date.

If the dealer is being uncooperative in releasing a simple piece of information like this which can have no impact on anyone's privacy, assume this means 'no' and adjust the deal accordingly.

Graham

 

Thanks for the response

The car was traded in for a Beemer in Illinois last year. The car in turn was sold to an individual in Halifax NS. I am buying it from him.

The local dealer will not give me much data but I was able to get the build sheet and i was able to determine the engine change (from warranty records).

I talked with the original selling dealer in Ill and he said he is hamstrung by recent Illinois law that provides for big fines if he releases any workorder info. He did say that there was no indication of engine change and that car had undergone normal warranty activity and scheduled routine maintenance

Because car was placedon a transport (Thor????) and shipped to California each fall and returned in the spring, work was also done in San Diego. I am waiting for the west Coast to wake up before I call that dealer.

My best option might me to spend a couple of hundred dollars and have local dealer remove the left valve cover and use a scope to determine if adjustors are OK - I do not want to be paying 4 or 5k to have those repairs done immediately.

P

 

There have been cases of one tensioner replaced and not the other, so both covers must be removed to be sure.

Also, this does not need to be a 4-5K job, especially with your low mileage. Just have the secondaries done, which runs about $1K (much less if you DIY). It is secondary failure that can cause catastrophic engine failure.

The primaries and chain guides are MUCH more labor intensive, but the good news is they usually give audible warning before they fail and normally do not cause catastrophic engine damage.

 

I just had mine done at a dealer and it was about $2k including a new chain and both side tensioners. One plastic guide was actually broken and rubbing metal to metal(chain), and both plastic spring housings were cracked waiting to go. 2001 my 64k miles. I think this was a little premature, but don't know.

 

So my XKR is a MY2002, but was manufactured 6/01/2001. Do you think the tensioners are the plastic ones or the metal ones? If nobody knows I will open her up and take a look!
Thanks in advance if anyone knows what the cutoff date is.

JimG

 

The changeover date was engines manufactured after August 18, 2001 have the metal tensioners. When you open her up, you might as well have the parts at hand!

 

Thirteenth, eighteenth, close enough for tensioner repair.

Whatever, you have plastic tensioners and they are going to fail tomorrow.

 

Thanks Guys, I knew when I bought it that I would probably to change the tensioners. I just wanted to confirm it. You guys are a great resource. I will order the parts this weekend.

JimG

 

Are you taking that date from the vehicle label?

The engine number gives the exact date and time the engine was completed. For example, the Engine No on my 2001 XK8 was NB0108171611

Ignoring the letters NB, the next six numbers represent YY MM DD and the final four numbers represent the time HH MM.

This engine was completed at 16:11 on 17th Aug 2001

I don't have this car now but it always bugged me it was completed the day before the metal tensioners were fitted as standard!

Graham