New Arrival Coming Soon

[RRoller123]

Pulled the trigger today, after months of research and looking all over the country. Should be here in a week or so, coming in from NC. Dealer is arguably the most prominent used Jaguar specialist in the US, also is branching into Maserati, has a few of those in inventory as well. Not a scratch on it, or any leaks at all. One owner CA since 2005, was in AZ beforehand.

[RRoller123]

V8, 32 valve, ~300 bhp, ~300 Torque.

[RRoller123]

Was near supercar status back in 2003, still very fast, about 6 secs or less 0-60.

[kilrwail]

Nice find! I hope you enjoy it.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Awesome! But you'll have to change your forum name to "R-R-R-RRoller" or the like.

But seriously, my wife loves these. For me, any car that has a working defroster is a modern car.

-Bryan

[aj81spider]

That's a beautiful car. I love the color. Jaguar always had great styling.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Jaguar always had great styling.

Agreed, and my other (non-Fiat) car is a '93 Jaguar XJ6. You can quibble with the engineering design all you want, but the styling is very distinctive.

-Bryan

[RRoller123]

Agreed, this is my second Jaguar, had a 1986 XJ6 that was very distinctive, very comfortable, and the inline 6 was very reliable! Loved the car but sold it a couple of years ago. This is the first design out under Ford, who bought them in 1992 and started the V8 development. The XK8 ran 1996 to 2006. They had Nikasil cylinder problems and timing chain tensioner problems that were fully solved by 2002, hence I bought a 2003. LOL. I know it may be a challenge, but as a toy car, seeing maybe 2000 miles a year, should be fine. It is essentially perfect starting out here, we will see how quickly I can screw it up. Most of the code problems seem to be due to low battery voltage, so that is something to work on. A/C in a toy car will be much appreciated next July and August.

[baltobernie]

Good score! Very pretty car.
Yes, even a slightly low battery causes all manner of weird things in modern Jags. And ... the newer they are, the more finicky! By the time start/stop entered in 2013, they became ultra-sensitive. I keep my smart key in a shielded bag, and a CTEK float charger attached.
Do you have a scanner specific to the Jag? For your X100, the Autel HT200 is a good one. You might need one to reset the service reminders.
You probably already know about this great Jaguar forum: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xk8-xkr-x100-17/
If not, check it out. I have found their X351 sub-forum invaluable for my XJ.

[RRoller123]

Got a trickle charger, (ordered today a Foval 2 pack smart set for only 36 bucks on Amazon, if it sucks, I haven't risked much. Then all 4 toys can each have their own trickle and float charger).

Looking at the ICarsoft LRv2.0 for the diagnostic dongle, that is highly recommended by every one on the XK8 page on FB.

And still need a car cover (indoors of course) and a good shop manual! Yes they are VERY susceptible to battery voltage, I hear this over and over. You probably have seen the YouTube series "To The Garage", with the Brit fellow "John"? Very good info there, lots of videos. I suffer no illusions of keeping the car running without wallet drain, which is why I bought a nearly perfect one from the best specialists in the US, ValEurosport. A little higher than market, not much but he is shipping it free and has gone all through the car. Everything, literally works, no codes. No rust, and not a single leak anywhere. Fingers crossed, I am not a wealthy man. (I would like to know how to disable the Valet feature, though. I think this is nothing but trouble).

Pete

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Good luck with it Pete, and let us know how it turns out. I can't speak for "newer" models, but my '93 XJ6 has been surprisingly reliable. The only real issues were a worn differential output shaft bearing, which I replaced myself, and a few minor electrical issues such as $10 relays that got flaky. Otherwise, fairly reliable, although I don't put a lot of miles on it.

-Bryan

[baltobernie]

Got a trickle charger, (ordered today a Foval 2 pack smart set for only 36 bucks on Amazon, if it sucks, I haven't risked much. Then all 4 toys can each have their own trickle and float charger).

I can't tell from their description if the Foval is a "trickle charger" or a "tender". I would be nervous leaving a charger continuously connected. Also, some charger/tender types, particularly the inexpensive ones, will quickly drain the car battery if AC power to the charger/tender fails. I guess they're too cheap to include a 10-cent diode in the circuit.

No, I haven't seen "To The Garage". Thanks; I'll check it out.

I would like to know how to disable the Valet feature, though. I think this is nothing but trouble.

Looking at the owner's manual, I don't think there's anything to fear from this feature. It appears to be no more complex than a reduced-feature ignition key. The valet key has a green head; the regular one is black. The green key won't open a locked trunk, glove box, etc. My wife's Lincoln has an identical feature, and it's very handy for hotel trips. Just keep it separate from your "normal" key ring.

The British never quite learned how to make a reliable car, but they sure know how to make a pretty one.

[RRoller123]

Hey Bernie, What year and model Jaguar is that ? Looks great. Modern Jaguar styling. It is said that the 2006 year was the last year of the "old" or classic styling for the brand. I believe that since 2007 they are aluminum (?), to resolve the obvious rust issues that owners face in Great Britain.

We will see regarding the chargers. Thin money, so worth a try. With the Spider, I just throw a big box charger on it every few months and bring it back.

Check out "John's" "To The Garage" YouTube segment on the Valet mode. It can be an absolute disaster, locking you permanently out of the trunk in certain circumstances. Have to be very careful. I will never give the car to a Valet, so it is all moot to me anyway. Just don't want a guest to sit down and say "hey what's this?" and push the button, especially without you knowing it. Can cause havoc. LOL I suppose could pop the switch, disconnect one lead and heat shrink it to cover the contact.

Pete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikSSGXGfvXc

[baltobernie]

Oof, I watched the video Yeah, maybe you should disconnect the switch and hide the green key with the title somewhere in your basement.
I must remind my wife to put her black key and fob in her purse, and arrive at her hotel with the grey (green in your XK) key in the ignition. That key ring, BTW, only has the grey key and a tag with her name and vehicle description (no remote). As long as she takes both keys on her journey, she'll be OK. Thankfully, we anticipate our infrequent patronage of valet parking!
NOW, should you own a 2012 XJ like mine, you really must fear the valet mode. No special key, only a virtual button on the touch screen. If a prankster touches this button and enters a four-digit code, the car goes into valet mode. Only by entering that same 4-digit number can the valet mode be cancelled Otherwise, a visit to the dealer is required
For a truly breathtaking example of British electronics, one must only pause at the Valet Conundrum, and go straight to the Locked Trunk Dumpster Fire. There's no "secret keyhole" like your XK. There are positive and negative emergency terminals in the engine compartment, where one can introduce outside 12v into the system, usually enabling the remote trunk release to operate (assuming you can access the cabin and the remote hood release). If Murphy is feeling especially playful that day, she will present you with a shorted or otherwise incapacitated main battery, in which case one must remove both the rear seat bottom (no biggie) and the seat back (big biggie). There our intrepid owner will unravel a secret section of the wiring loom, exposing a particular connector. Applying external 12v to this connector will release the latch. Otherwise, there's the angle grinder Johnny espouses

Yes, the 2011-2019 XJ has an all-aluminum body and quite a few Al Lew Mini Umm suspension bits, as well. The XJ is several hundred pounds lighter than the S-class or 7-series. Despite the electrical gremlins (including an infotainment system that must have been engineered by a bloke who worked on both Windows 3.1 and 95), it really is a lovely car. Good luck with yours.

[RRoller123]

Ah those Brits! Love 'em, but they do create some logic challenges. Overly complex solutions to problems that don't really exist, or are minimal at best. How many of us worry about the Valet stealing the flares or the beach chairs and miniature spare tire out of our trunks?