Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself. I am Regina Swann from Decherd, TN and I own a 1998 Jaguar XJ8. The car was leased to the Jaguar Corporate folks when she rolled off the assembly line and then I purchased her in 2003, so I am the first person to actually own it. I love the car and it is the best riding vehicle I have ever had. I am having some transmission issues and I have been told that with the amount that it will cost me to fix it, I should probably just try and sell the car and get something else. I am so confused that I don't really know what to do. I love the car and everything is in great condition with the exception of the transmission (don't really know what is wrong) and the headliner needs to be replaced, but other than that, the car looks almost new. It rides and drives so good that I hate to get rid of it, but at the same time, I really can't afford to repair it either and I desperately need a car to drive that gets good gas mileage. I was hoping I could get some feedback on this forum about this.

I'm also looking forward to talking to other folks who own Jaguars. They are so awesome and nothing else out there compares to them in my opinion.

Thanks for reading and responding,
Regina Swann

 

Hey Regina, welcome to the site

Great place here with some top techs, great members, plenty of info and some good craic too!

Upgraded you to full forum access so you can enjoy all the sites features

Hopefully some of our guys can help

 

Regina:

We know how difficult sticker shock is when a shop discusses rebuilding your present transmission or installing a new transmission. It's especially difficult when shops assume all Jag owners have bottomless pocketbooks--or that they have no common sense about automobile repairs.

The absolutely least expensive way to get your car on the road is to find a salvage yard with the same transmission--hopefully with less miles than your car had. Then you would just pay a local shop to swap the transmissions.

LKQ Parts is a very large national salvage yard 20 miles from you (in Manchester,) and they have access to Jaguar parts. They're also suscribe to Car-Parts.com, which is an internet site linking together salvage yards. Their website: LKQcorp.com, and they're @ 3055 Hillsboro Hwy.-- phone 931-728-6900.

Best of luck to you.

 

Welcome to the forum Regina,

I'd suggest that you head over to the XJ8 forum and ask the experts what they think, they are going to want some details on the problem and what checks have been done so far.

 

Welcome Regina, its sad to see new members find this great jag online community when dealing with troublesome mechanical issues. We do sympathize, and try to help when there is hope.

In this case, you may be in time. As I am unsure of your actual existing condition, the transmission in your year jaguar has a common internal part failure, the A-drum. What many have done around here when they diagnose it in time, is to locate the company on the internet (google them) that rebuilds/reconditions this part to higher standards, and thicker material...and replace it. Getting the transmission fluid, the filter, and the pan changed at the same time is critical to accompany this successful job. You may spend $1000 when you are finished, but it will ensure many more miles for the transmission. Definitely find a independent mechanic who works on jaguars, and they shoudl know about this weak aspect of the ZF5hp24 transmission.

Also, your year jaguar has an 4.0 engine that contains an internal part that has caused engine failure if it breaks - it is called the 'secondary timing chain tensioner'. There is one on each side of the engine. Your car, being a lease up until 2003 may have had this part replaced if serviced regularly - new parts were available and changed at the factory on the 2002 model years, and you should do some research to determine if it has...dealer records, etc. A mechanic can take 15 minutes, remove a cover on the engine and visually determine if that part was replaced with a more reliable one. If it hasn't...then it is highly recommended that be taken care of if you plan to keep the car for any amount of time. Again, it may be another $1000 for these if a shop does it...the dealer will be 50-60% higher than that. Many owners do this themselves, and only spend $400 on parts. Any mechanic could do it...if you know the right person. We even have a pictorial do-it-yourself instruction on the forums for him to follow.

We wish you luck! For better reliability, if you get another jag...get the 4.2 engine ZF6hp26 (2004 up XJ) or find an XJR in 2002 or 2003...they have a mercedes transmission that has been much more resilient, and you get the newer tensioners in the 4.0 engine, plus the classic jaguar style as your 1998. It might be a good 'upgrade' for you.

 

Welcome to the forum!

Oh one other thing you need to put your car details in your signature. I am speaking of the Year, Make & Model. Without it you may not get the input you are looking for.

Please take a moment and read the information provided to you explaining the rules. Be patient and enjoy the site.