Just joined and looking for thread about XK8 convertibles. Am interested in buying one and want to hear about the items to look out for such as timing belt chain tensioners and hydraulic top hoses. Any years that are considered better than others or years to avoid.
Thanks for any assistance.

 

Welcome to the forum, QCMC ... you may have some homework ahead of you first. Go straight to the XK8 / XKR ( X100 ) 1996 - 2006 in the "Forums" drop-down menu on the header. Or simply scroll down this page to "related threads" and start poking around. The X100 series, in my opinion are one of the most beautiful renditions of the Jaguar marque. I have a 2003 XK8 convertible and have been fortunate to have owned and driven this car for over 10 years. Before I purchased it I scoured the countryside for just the right one, as you are wanting to do. In my case, I wanted to be sure to snag a 2003 or later solely based on the improved 4.2 liter motor, which incorporated many improvements over the original 4.0, leading to better reliability. Also the 6-speed ZF transmission was new starting that year. Good luck in your search - many cars out there looking for a good home, many of them needy for some TLC and new parts!

 

Thanks for the welcome. Preliminary research matches exactly what you say. It seems you might be okay if you happen to find a well maintained pre-2003 that has had the various well known problems corrected. However, I like the idea of spending more money on a 2003 or later and getting a better car without the inherent problems of the earlier models.

 

Q, don't know where you live but boy I'd sure miss heated seats up here in the northeast USA. Not much weather that'll make me close the roof. The heated seats allow roof down in 25 degree weather!

Later yrs come with dark dashboards. The lighter ones like Oatmeal in my 98 reflect some sun inside the windshield. Of course that's moot with polarized sunglasses but . . .

I got lucky to get a cat with Trac Off button instead of DSC button.

Only other thing that comes to mind: if I had it to do again, I'd have bought an XKR. Yes, for the time period these were quick cars, but after a while if you're like me you think what would another 100 horse feel like. . .

Oh, almost forgot keep an eye out for the premium stereo.

Hope it helps.

John

 

I have a '99 XK8 and love it. The two big issues with these early (4.0) cars were the Nikisil (sp?) cylinder-bore linings, and the timing-chain tensioners. If the car has been in the US since new, the Nikisil bores are not a problem. Sulphur in the gas is hard on them, but the US has had none of that since before these cars were built. You MUST make certain that the tensioners have all been replaced with the latest all-metal ones, but then you are good to go.

Really NICE examples of these are getting hard to find, so you might not want to unnecessarily limit yourself in your search.

Bob Frisby
Boise, Idaho

 

By this time in history, many to the pitfalls that plague the 4.0 cars have already been fixed. A car that comes with repair documentation, whether a 4.0 or 4.2, is going to be your best bet regardless of the year of manufacture.

As a potential buyer, you need all the information possible regarding the cars history. A low mileage garage queen will not necessarily be a better buy than a well serviced car with more mileage. These cars do suffer more than most when left to sit unattended to. Fuel pumps in particular are prone to giving trouble when the car sits for long periods of time.

Once the minuses of the 4.0 cars have been addressed, then they are equally desirable as the 4.2 in most respects, imho. Cam chain tensioners, fuel pumps, & plastic impeller water pumps are two of the more glaring issues one finds with the early cars.

Also, don’t overlook the XKR’s, the supercharger does add some complexity , but the 4.0 R’s do come with a more stout transmission than the 8’s , which kind of balances out the equation as far as potential repair costs are concerned.

Z

PS just start with a Google search of “known faults of the Jaguar XK8 / XKR” ; Doing that will give you a good overview of potential issues and how expensive it might be to deal with the maintenance.

 

Thanks to everyone for your helpful comments. My search continues and hopefully a proper car will be found.

 

Take your time and find the best car. There are a LOT of cars out there. Best of luck.

 

Some owners have mentioned on this forum that the electronics on XK8s can misbehave if the battery voltage goes outside a critical range. Connecting the battery to a battery tender when it's not in use seems to prevent problems. It's worked for me on my 2003 XK8 convertible. Have fun with your search. They are beautiful cars.and reliable if taken care of.

 

^^^^ this !

the importance of religiously using a battery tender whenever the car is sitting unused, overnight or longer, cannot be overstated.

Z

 

QCMC......

The first thing to remember. is......The newest X-100 is now 16 years old! You can still find a few really good ones but it won't be easy unless you are really lucky! The second thing is: What is a "Really Good One" worth? It's hard to find what you are looking for and if you do....Are you ready to pay? They are reaching the age where they start to become "Classics" and the Cost starts going up.....If you don't know much about the X-100, you need to find someone close by that can help you with the purchase, as if you have to do a lot of repairs it could take away any savings you might have counted on....They are an expensive Car to repair and if you don't know much about them, they can eat you up! In other words, Buy the best you can find, and Good Luck to you!

Keep us Posted!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

As others have advised, take your time and find the best possible car for your particular needs. Remember, there ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box (RIP Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman)....

 

You have found the best forum for good information. There is a pretty nice looking 2004(?) on www.bringatrailer.com. Up for auction. Check it out.

 

My 2001 Xk8 felt slow from the get go. My 2004 XKR felt instantly much more powerful across all revs.

 

Considering a 1997 with less than 55,000 miles registered in Michigan. Cam tensioners original,and will have to listen to cold engine start up. Question arises about hydraulic hoses for top. Any idea how long these last?

 

1) a quiet cold start-up won’t reveal how much lifetime the tensioners have left before failure. Could be one year , could be one minute.

If one does hear a racket at start up the damage is already happening .

2) if still original, the hydraulic top system is already way past it’s intended lifespan.

 

^^
What he said. If they're the original 1st gen tensioners you may get a warning rattle before they let go. Or you may not.

 

I have my grandfather's 2001 convertible, my dad got it after my grandfather passed in 2018. The top has never worked since we had it. We took it to the dealership said the whole hydraulic system needed to be replaced for more than $2,000. We didn't do that because the problem they stated didn't make any sense and being in Chicago we didn't know how often we would lower the top. The top is now manual which only takes a couple of minutes to raise/lower.

 

QCMC,

A 1997 XK8 with 55,000 Miles is probably about 30,000 Miles overdue for Plastic Tensioner replacement and the Hoses, no matter whether Hydraulic Pressure Hoses, Water Hoses, or Air Conditioning Hoses....including Oil Cooler Lines are all several years past their replacement time....If you buy it, do not crank it....Haul it to someone that knows what to do with it and get ready to spend $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 to update the Car into the 2020s! .

If you don't, it will cost you twice as much! I made this mistake with my 1998 XK8 Coupe! @ the cost of a new Piston, Rod, 4 Valves and two sets of Tensioners! Oh Yeah! I forgot about the Labor....! You must do this one way or the other because it is going to happen.......

You need to work a deal with the current Owner, as He knows what is about to happen!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

When I started looking, I set 2003 as the earliest model for numerous reason. If you read thru this forum you will find any reasons for this. Take your time, look around. There are cars out there, just look.