G'day legends.

I bought my XE-S about 12 months ago with 100,000km/60k miles on it and began some preventative maintenance alongside its scheduled logbook servicing - so far I've done new ATF fluid, new brake fluid, new air filters, and new diff oil. I still have the aluminium cooling pipes, supercharger oil, and plugs on the list (probably all done as one big job), but I'm wondering if there's anything else I should be doing. I'm a backyard mechanic with a well-kitted workshop who loves to learn new things and keep my cars in absolute tip-top shape, so this is a passion project and the cost isn't really a concern.

If there's a nice clear thread with a list of 100,000km maintenance items for the 3.0SC could someone please link me to it? So far I'm picking up little bits and pieces here and there but a concise list would be awesome.

What about chassis/body stuff.. bushes, strut tops, stuff like that? I know other models have specific issues, are there any in the XE I should know about?

Cheers

 

The only problematic item I can think of that you haven't mentioned is the supercharger coupler AKA torsion isolator. If not already done this is a must do (as in replace) at 100,000 km, especially as the SC needs to come off anyway for some of the other items on your list. Also consider replacing the whole SC snout not just the coupler and replacing the SC bearings (front and back) "while you are in there".
If you really want to go the whole hog on engine maintenance then replace all the timing gear - chains, tensioners, guides, cam sprockets etc - but this is a big job beyond most back yard mechanics and the labour cost to get a good shop to do it will be yuuge (I have been quoted $7,000 plus!).

 

Awesome, snout or coupler added to the list.. will probably do the full snout and bearings, I don't like half-arsing jobs Is this what causes the often-talked-about 'sewing machine noise' in these engines? I feel like there's a little bit of a rhythmic ticking at idle that doesn't really bother me but it doesn't sound all that elegant.

Nothing is beyond me as long as I have a clear and detailed process to follow.. I've got a full VIN-specific workshop manual so I'll do some reading on the timing equipment and see if the instructions make me feel comfortable. If the job relies on feel e.g. you have to adjust something until it makes a certain noise or feels a certain way and you can only know that from 20 years of experience, then I'll usually defer to my workshop.

 

A worn SC coupler makers a distinctive rattle sound, like marbles in a tin can. Very irregular and erratic and not at all rhythmical like many other ticks and rattles on this engine. Most noticeable on cold start then gradually dies down as the engine warms up but never goes completely away. If/when badly worn it is usually accompanied by a distinct loud "clonk" on shut down - the sound of the coupler spring rebounding in it's worn/damaged coupler housing - but not every time, in my experience 1/3 to 1/2 the time.
The spring from a badly worn coupler can also wear big grooves in the SC shaft (pictures scattered around this forum) which in turn can unbalance the SC and lead to serious failure.
The sewing machine noise is often the ticking of the fuel injectors which is quite loud and normal on this engine due to the very high fuel pressure (because GDI). Other causes can include worn lifters/tappets and worn timing chains.
Replacing the timing chains etc requires a fair number of factory tools to do properly and they are not cheap or easily sourced, especially in Oz!

 

Also check out the linked pdf - the AJ133 (V8) Technical Training doc from April 2009.
Get it from my Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8y4iax9hm2...%20V8.pdf?dl=0

The AJ126 V6 is based on the AJ133 and pretty much everything on the front of the engine including all the timing gear is virtually identical.
The special factory tools are listed on pages 1-12 and 1-13, you won't need all of them to work on this engine but there are four or five you need to do the timing gear replacement properly.

 

Great, thanks man. The specific tools will probably push me towards the mechanic, although at those sorts of $$ I'll probably let the next owner worry about the timing system 😂 No clunks or rattles yet but if the snout is easy to do while the rest of it's apart then I'll most likely do it.

Thanks for that manual, I looooove stuff like that. I can read instruction manuals like they're romance novels hahaha

 

Forgot to add, you want to replace all the problematic coolant system pipes and hoses and not just the usual culprits of the two front cross-over pipes.
The main other problematic one is the rear heater/manifold pipe, and the most problematic item of all is the coolant (water) pump.
EuroAmp sell a fairly comprehensive kit including alu versions of the front pipes, the water pump and the rear pipe, see here: https://euro-amp.com/products/jaguar...charged-engine

 

All over it, will go the full kit with the metal rear manifold 🤙