That was my dilemma. I think the salesman needed depends on my test drive, it was fast and felt like AWD although it was not. I had mine picked out in BRG with caramel interior too. But I spend a lot of time staring at the car from all sorts of different angles, I even laid down in the floor to try to somehow find the Jaguar in there, but all I kept on seeing was a Lexus GS. In hindsight it was probably better that my situation changed and I did not get the car because paying a heavy car payment for a car I am not totally on love with is not something I want to do. But then again as I write this and remember that drive.....well, perhaps when I get stable employment I will revisit the XFR again. Maybe in a year or two they will throw a couple of crumbs at traditionalists and add a fluted bonnet and a modern interpretation of four individual headlights.



Oh yes, I am quite aware. A few things that where going to go in my XFR where a leaper in the bonnet, and Mobil 1 or Redline in the engine and that was going to be replaced every 6k miles. I could never figure out where the drain port for the transmission was, but that was going to be drained out periodically too.

 

In their defense, I think that Bars in the United Kingdom is totally different tha ours here, nevertheless it seems ridiculous that such a suggestion would be found in a car manual, but there it is. All manufacturers are trying to do is cover their behind for the warranty period, as its been said before. They could not care less if your drive train implodes 2 miles after they are no longer responsible.

 

Since this thread has derailed a bit from oil........ I too tested an XFR, black, with orange/black interior. LOVED the power, the road holding, beautiful engine note, the comfortable but precise ride. But, the styling didn't do it for me either. Then I glanced over at an XJ-supercharged: drool!!! The new XJ has the most spectacular interior of any car I've personally seen, including a Bentley Continental GT Speed. And 470 hp? And now the 542hp new XJ-R.? Sigh.......

But then I look at my old girl, the leaper, the classic Jaguar lines, the BRG paint, the classic English interior, and the fact that I'm into it for a fraction of a new XJ-R, and I smile in a completely different way. I'm content.

 

I am content too.
i wander out at night to look at my X300.
I park it where I can look at it out the window at work.
I actually clean it, too.
And although only a 3.2, it goes OK, and is now well-sorted in terms of ride, handling, and better power with Andy's crank sensor bracket, and a K&N pod filter.
So, a happy owner, with a classic-looking Jag for about $12,000 bought and sorted..

..and to get back to oil, it has just had another 8 litres this weekend (Castrol Magnatec 10W-40), plus a half-change of Synthetic ATF (3.5 litres)

 

I take mine to Ray Catena Jaguar and they always put in 5w-30 full synthetic every 10,000 miles. I still think that seems kind of long in between changed though

 

I use mineral oil in my X300 XJR leave it in for 10,000 k,s no problems thought about synthetic but its a 95 model my new X350 XJ8 will be synthetic has always been from new going to keep it like that

I have started adding a bit of TC-W3 to the XJ8 hard to tell if it makes a difference unlike the X300 XJR its engine is super smooth already

 

My $.02. Regardless of what interval manufactures or mechanics say your oil is exposed to blow by in the combustion process. Frankly I don't want continuious soot and deposit build up flowing through my bearings. I'll run my syn oil 6K MAX. Sure the oil viscosity and properties may not break down but that filter is done filtering byproducts of combustion at that point. If you're running a long lived oil then consider at least stepping up your filter change interval....cheap insurance if you ask me.

 

I am using 10/30 mobil super5000 oil and 3 qts. syn.100 %, and changing it about 4000 , busch filter I don't drive it a lot--- or every 7 to8 mo. time wise. does anyone mix their oil ? Satterfield 1997 xj6 vdp 102k

 

My attitiude too.
Even the most expensive oil is cheaper than an engine rebuild.
And I love a good tinker..
So I do it when it's getting dirty, which in this case was 3000 miles.

 

Another $.02....Bars Leaks is the same product world wide + the U.S was one of Jaguars biggest markets and those instructions were delivered with the car and to the dealer at their service intervals.....I trust the manufacturers "recommendations" about as far as I can throw their corporate headquarters building. In closing I'd suggest once again if your going to run oil over 5k to 6K I'd throw a new filter on it at about that point, viscosities and properties are much improved but ridding of the soot is not. Don't even get me started on oil filter choices....that's a whole nother thread!

 

What about putting additives in the oil. I have used slick 50 in previous cars. Some people swear by it, some don't like it. Haven't used it in the jag yet. Maybe at the next oil change I might use it.

 

It is not "science". It is evaluation of available data to make a rational choice. Just like an engineer might look at spec sheets and consult with vendor application engineers at design time. That is not science, that is practical materials selection giving due recognition to available data.

After going through the type of exercise alluded to above, I am comfortable with both Rotella and Valvoline HD oils in my vehicle. I am comfortable that there is less opportunity for gamesmanship in the specifications they meet when they claim that they variously meet specifications of Cummins, Cat, Mack, Volvo, Mercedes, etc. Lubrication is a highly visible concern in the transportation industry. People in the trucking industry have far more access to engineering data than every day motorists.

I am also comfortable with stating a preference for these oils, stating that these oils meet both spark and diesel engine ratings, and letting readers take it from there.

Automotive enthusiasts by definition believe that one car might be better than another. It must have something to do with the constituent components. Well, oil is another component.

If one believes that all automobiles are the same, and that the owners' manual contains all that needs to be known, then what purpose is there in participating in an automotive forum? They may as well curl up with their well thumbed owner's manual, a highlighter and a cup of cocoa.


Hmmm .... that sounds exactly like what Brutal has recommended in previous posts in addition to Engine Restore. Yet, no one seems to have a bone to pick with him when he posts the same thing.

Just because someone has not heard of something does not mean it is automatically a bad thing. It's just tribal knowledge that has not been picked up by that person in particular. Some of that tribal knowledge has been lost. Think beeswax and seized fasteners. Everyone automatically says PB Blaster, even though the lowly Liquid Wrench might be just as good.

 

Yes ... but the design engineers are perfect creatures according to some and car owners are not to attempt to out-engineer the engineers.

Have no clue why there are factory recalls then, because according to the theory the design engineers have it all covered before the car leaves the factory.

Don't know why Jaguar quietly replaced a whole bunch of V8's when they blew up either. Shouldn't have had to replace anything that was so perfectly engineered at the factory.

 

Exactly ... follow the money.

CAFE and oil is a case in point. Part of the motivation in thinner oils is CAFE.

The bit in the manuals a lot of people miss is "for better fuel economy we recommend ...".

What you don't find is "for best engine protection".

So, you get to trade 0.10 mpg at the price of increased engine wear. No skin off the manufacturer's nose.

THEIR goal is to get through the warranty period and not pay a CAFE penalty. Saving a couple of bucks through a refiner branding affiliation deal and cheaper oil would be nice too. If in doing so, your engine blows up at +1 miles past coverage ... too bad, so sad. Happy to sell you a replacement.

It's the similar deal with the sealed for life transmission ... the included maintenance would cost a lot more if a fluid exchange was part of the maintenance schedule. And again, the same reasoning applies to a brake fluid exchange, or a power steering fluid flush. All of these things used to be part of the maintenance schedule when the owner paid. But, once included maintenance became a marketing ploy ... umm, you don't need those any more.

The technology did not change, as a matter of fact they became more finicky. For example ABS brakes which are much more affected by corrosion and particulates. But all of a sudden, they don't need maintenance any more. At least not when it is on the manufacturer's dime.

Instead, you can pay through the nose after the warranty is over. And then you can buy the overpriced replacement assemblies. Not rebuild kits ... assemblies.

It doesn't hurt the manufacturers because most original buyers/lessors are planning to dump the car at about the same time as all the free maintenance terminates and repeat the whole cycle. No skin off their nose either. If the car doesn't make it, it's still under warranty. So, the two contracting parties are relatively happy.

Where it hurts is when the denizens of JF pick up the car afterwards and have to deal with the effects of the factory sanctioned neglect.

 

Ahhhhh! Now we're getting down to the heart of the matter!

Cheers
DD

 

plums:
Thats a pretty cynical view of how car manufacturers approach design. According to that theory, car designers have no motivation to buld a car that will last past the 30 k mile warranty, and they are grossly inept and they build too much into them so they go 250,k instead. I just don't buy that.

And if I get the best "bang for the buck" with fuel and car maintence costs vs replacement costs, I can afford to buy a new car from time to time and enjoy the advantage of new designs and engineering practices. Zoom, zoom.

 

I certainly agree that car builders' primary goal is to look out after #1. Themselves.

As it stands, though, and intentional on manufacturers' part or not, engines seem to be lasting as long or longer than they ever have, even with extended service intervals and owners who are totally indifferent to brand/type of motor oil.

How many engines are known for a notoriously short lifespan and, of those, how often is it related to lubrication/oil type? I'm hard pressed to think of any, off hand. I find it much easier to come up with many examples of engines purring happy at 150-175-200k miles with owners who are only casually concerned about routine servicing and wouldn't know "Rotella" or "Amsoil" any more than a hog knows it's Sunday!

So, while the car builders are naturally most concerned with #1 they are doing a pretty good job at giving us long-lasting products. It really isn't in their best interest to intentionally give us engines that crap out at warranty expiration +1 mile. They'd probably like to. But they can't.

Customers want long life with minimal expense. For the most part that's what they're getting....at least with respect to engines.

Cheers
DD

 

Wow! "Don't get me started on filters..." answered by "What about additives?" I expect Mikey will be along soon!

Rotella seems to be a preferred brand on the Ford Diesel boards - and My Ex has a 15 qt capacity. X300 holds 9 qt, so those facts, coupled with recommendations from both Motorcarman and Brutal that the AJ16's are well-suited with HD dual-spec dsl oils, AND T-6 being about the cheapest available synthetic locally, it was an easy decision for me. One I'm happy to pass along to anyone bold enough to initiate an oil thread on an automotive forum. IMHO, when it comes to Jags...you are sitting in tall cotton indeed if you find yourself on the same side of the fence as both Motorcarman and Brutal.

And he's given examples of before/after situations for the recommendations if you look carefully for the posts. His recommendation on the Engine Restore runs deeper than just, "Hey, I heard this stuff works.."


Haha...although not lube-related, some say Jag's intro of the V-8 was just such an engine......

My own personal belief is that the electronic engine controls have contributed to engine durability. No data to back that up, and certainly advances in materials (in both construction and lubricants) have helped.

TrueDat! The razor's edge for the OEM is "which customers?" and why Jaguar is such a good fit for me. Although principally concerned with those who buy NEW cars, if they fell apart reliably at the end of the warranty period, the new-buyer would be unable to unload it in such fashion as to be predisposed to return to the brand for his/her next new purchase.

Enough of a "troubled" reputation to wreck their resale value, but enough beauty and panache' to retain a sufficient base of "buys new" customers. The fiddly-bits are normally either not game-changer's (ok, I have a luxury car sans memory seats) or the multi-Thousand$ repair has an economical DIY workaround (think ABS Modules) The problem when they get too close to the warranty edge on the mainframe items - Drivetrain, suspension, etc. is that they are hard for the new-buyer to unload in the used market - couple of cycles of that and no one is buying them new anymore, bye-bye brand. So from my perspective, Jag has it about right. X350 air suspension and fugly new (XF and subsequent) styling direction notwithstanding....

oh...SNAP! it's an oil thread....keep it in the "operating range" according to the dipstick at all times, change it AT LEAST as often as the manufacturer recommends with an oil that meets or exceeds the manufacturer's spec, and whatever happens to your engine will very likely not be the oil's fault.

 

Oooooo- I like this. 'Engines that already outlast the rest of the vehicle given reasonable service. No special elixirs needed.'

How true.

Yes, but simply to let the menagerie out for some air. Haven't seen much of them lately.


There's an immensely strong and widespread belief that standard oils need improving on and that tangible gains can be achieved by selecting the right combination of small bottles of elixirs with shiny labels and exciting names. More expensive means better also.

This can best be demonstrated by going to any hardware type store and seeing the staggering array on the shelves and seeing how many owners wander up and down the aisles trying to narrow down their selection to one or two. Some head straight to a certain brand because their buddy swears by it.

I observed this just last night in my local store as the snake oil aisle is right next to the fishing lure aisle. I picked up 2 new lures, one promising to help me catch more fish and the other stating that every fish I caught would be at least 10% bigger. It was right on the label, so it must be true. I might put both lures on the line at the same time. That way I'll catch more fish that'll be 10% bigger.

 

Ah yes. "The tyranny of choice".



The cure for "The tyranny of choice"




Cheers
DD