I'd been looking for an XJ40 for some time, and had seen a few real dogs, when I came across a scruffy but rare (at least in my part of Canada) 1996 XJR. I've had it about a week now and I have to say I'm very impressed with it, in spite of a number of flaws.

The car has 270,000kms, which is a lot by any standard but my last XJ40 had over 400,000 and I know of at least one other locally that racked up a similar number. I'm thinking forced induction will severely reduce engine life, but this one doesn't seemed particularly clapped out. It has knackered seats as you'd expect and some wheelarch damage, and some bad spots on the paint, corrosion on the wheels and a few other scratches and chips. And annoying things like the cup holder latch springs open at the slightest jolt.

I know the shock mount bushings need attention too, but I have the feeling - and I may be entirely wrong - that the car is a little more sluggish than it should be. Yes, it's twenty years old and is approaching time for an engine rebuild, but considering that there is nothing obviously wrong with the motor I'm wondering if something somewhere isn't working quite right.

The reason I think this is as follows. This is a 322hp car that weighs about 4,000lbs. My wife's Volvo is a 325hp crossover that weighs about 4,000lbs. It has a Polestar chip and a turbo but it really throws your head back when you put your foot down. It feels like it weighs nothing. In contrast, the XJR advances nicely from rest, but it doesn't go nearly as well. Again, I might be comparing apples with oranges here. I've ordered an 'Andy bracket' since I know a guy who installed one on his XJ40 with great success.

Anyway, complaints and expectations aside, I'm enjoying the car and look forward to tackling some of its issues.

 

congrats on the new jag! i have a xjr6 as well with 170,000 . its truly one of the best looking cars out there but it does have its down side. enjoy your stay here

 

With all due respect to the Andy bracket (which I have fitted, and am pleased with) it isn't marketed as a transformational device, so I would try to manage your expectations. That said, the Xjr is not often described as under delivering on acceleration, and whilst many modern cars can post a better 0-60, the Jag still gets your attention! Do you have any more detail or diagnostics about your car, as the mileage shouldn't be a barrier to thrills, and the people on here can help to ensure you are enjoying them.

 

the XJR is quite a tall-geared car
it just keeps going and going. I have stopped accelerating at about 200km/h in a legal setting.
I occasionally get surprised by modern cars that can just keep up with it when accelerating from lights, etc - I can beat them, but not by huge margins, but the XJR has the legs
I think it just reflects the fact its 20 yrs old and time marches on


the Volvo you have is hybrid? those electric motors have full torque from zero revs, just like steam engines, whereas petrol torque increases with engine speed

 

I would start with the obvious things: New air filter and O2 sensors. NGK are the best, get them from Rockauto, even with the shipping to Canada it's cheaper than buying locally. I always get the fedex option, comes out about that same price all in as ground unless it's something really heavy.

At that mileage I would be starting to suspect the catalytic converters might be plugged. I had that happen to a 1992 Series III V12 and it seriously impacted performance. Do you have to go through AirCare? You could always keep the cats in the downpipe and remove the underfloor cats

 

Thanks for all the welcomes to this section of the forum!
No more details yet, I'll have a go at some basic service items and see if there is any improvement.

No, its a T6, 3.0 six cylinder. It may be geared differently, which is maybe not what I'd expect from a crossover-type vehicle. My Land Rover has the non-turbo version of the same engine and it still takes off fairly well but nowhere near as quickly as the Volvo.

Thanks, I found the sensors on Rockauto, will they still work if the underfloor cats are removed?
Am I right in thinking that NGK plugs are also the best for this car too? I see BKR6E listed for it, but another site lists a BKR7E. I doubt very much the dealership bothered to change the plugs or oil in the three months it sat in their yard.

AirCare here finished up last year, so no worries about removing the cats.

 

Are u in bc by any chance?

 

Surrey. You?

 

Richmond! finally someone to talk car with that lives sort of close to me.

 

Excellent!
This XJR used to live in Richmond, I was told.

 

Nice! we should totally go for a cruise or something after i get my car fixed. currently waiting for some parts and hopefully when i put everything back togather it will cure the problem. Give me a shout if you ever need help i might be able to help you out too.

 

Here's the info on spark plugs:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-plugs-121820/


Spark plug threads can rival oil threads in their ability to elicit strong opinions, but we have a fair amount of evidence that the Champion plugs are the right choice for most applications. Fortunately the Champions are dirt cheap, and are so easy to change that it really seems a "no-brainer" to just use the Champions and change them every year or so.

....speaking of which, it's time for mine, and to replace my valve cover and plug well gaskets

Some use NGKs successfully too though.

.

 

Yes. The X300 engine management is unique, in that the downstream O2 sensors are the main ones that affect fuelling, and the ones closest to the engine are the check. They are also a unique type compared to most other cars, so "universal" sensors won't work.

The underfloor cats are after the last O2 sensor, so the system will never know if the cats are present or not.

The connectors are all the same type and same wire colours, so change them one at a time so they don't get mixed up.

 

Are you speaking of the NTK 25018 O2 sensors? Rockauto lists at $65 each. Price seems too good to be true.

 

Did you mean "NKG" or "NTK" O2 sensors are best?

I only see "NTK" at Rock Auto for the XJR6.

.

 

You're correct, I meant NTK. That's the O2 sensor division, NGK is the spark plugs.

 

Yes, that's the ones. NTK is the OE sensors that Jaguar used.

RockAuto is a great place for parts, if you google around you can find 5% discount codes too. Typically after you make an order they send you a discount code for future orders.

I used to have a Lincoln Mark VIII and needed a set of spark plug wires. My local parts store was $400, Rock Auto was $53. Same brand. Wires worked perfectly from Rock Auto. I even splurged and bought "premium" wires, I could have bought a set cheaper at Rock Auto.

 

Thank you for the NTK clarification, and many thanks for the Rock Auto tip!

 

It's very difficult comparing cars subjectively but in the end that's what's important, not raw numbers. My XJ6-Sport is acceptable up to 60mph between 8.3 seconds and 7.5 seconds depending if I launch using the handbrake to get the revs up.

What I notice is that the revs don't really get into the serious power until you're over 50mph. You enjoy this ever increasing push which seems to be pushing harder at 80mph than it is at 40mph. It just keeps on pushing way past 100mph.

I think this is how these are are meant to drive. You have power when other cars have run out of power. With the Supercharger the power starts lower down in the rev range and powers all the way through. However the XJR is higher geared which tends to smooth out the extra power.

Having said all that no harm in optimizing your car ;-)

 

The best thing you can do for freshening up these cars are new plugs, oil change, fresh tranny fluid and filter, and check for cracked ignition coils. The two underfloor cats in my car mysteriously lost all their ceramic elements. The 2 dowpipe cats are highflow metallic core from the factory.

I find acceleration from a dead stop in Normal can be sluggish. This seems to be more of a gearing issue. Now if I put it into Sport mode and give it some gas, this baby can take off. Wonderful highway acceleration too. The powerband on these cars are great too.