Hello,
Thought I would start my write-up here after my initial intro for newbies.
Currently have 3 cats all in need of some love but we'll start with the X300 sport as I think it's going to be full of surprises. I've always said that you only really bond with a car when it has drawn blood, however, this one is now connected on a psychological level having put myself and my wife through mental trauma getting him home.
I am a pushover for the neglected Jaguar and this one fitted the bill perfectly.
Had been left stood for over two years although I was assured the engine and gearbox were fine but the rear bumper was hanging off. We duly set off to collect the car laden with,oil,water,ropes,battery pack,jumper cables and anything else we could think of, it was only 35 miles away so a Sunday afternoon out was planned.
The seller had kindly put a battery charger on the battery for about half an hour prior to us arriving. Started up and....sounded like a tractor, straight six was probably more like a straight four. Battery gauge was at about 9-10. Still not to be put off we set off hoping the engine would warm up (charge would go up) and run proper. Petrol light was on so we headed to the nearest station and then to a KFC to use the loo. Click,click,click...nothing. Put he jumper pack on and away we went. I'd opted to follow my wife home and instructed her not to use the motorways as I didn't think we'd be able to do more than 40mph....so through the middle of Birmingham we went...( 2nd in size only to London in the UK) much the city centre roads are fat moving two or three lanes and it was in the middle lane of one of the three lane carriageways that the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and the car died....luckily I still had the power pack in the boot which I connected back up and left connected as by this time I had come to the conclusion that whatever the battery was doing it certainly wasn't taking a charge. After a few more stops ( the sat nav had decided to use an alternate route that landed us in the middle of a housing estate no closer to home.) and after a 3 hour journey we arrived within our city limits at which point the power pack had also drained itself....daylight was leaving with a snigger...so we hooked the jump leads up and sat for 10 minutes whilst the battery quenched its thirst and then I high-tailed it home (about a mile) hoping that the dusk held out for mew with no lights...
I bought a second alternator of Ebay and fitted it the other..(not overly difficult but I did disconnect two of the water pipes that go into the back of the water pump, which made access much easier) I had a spare battery on charge for a couple of days (to scared to try it in case the problem was still there) Anyway....connected it all back up yesterday....result. Running on all six, a bit lumpy to start with so I changed the spark plugs and now we're nearly there...
When problems arrive there are many possible solutions some of which can be expensive and time consuming...there were probably a number of things I could or should have checked before deciding on the alternator but after trying a newer battery and still seeing no more than 9-10 on the gauge on the dash I just went for it. The worst would have been having a spare alternator...Still haven't looked underneath..exciting.

 

Well done for saving another cat from possible extinction. Do keep us posted on developments and isn't it nice when you make some progress and begin to see the dream becoming a reality!

 

Thank you Sogood for your encouragement.I will continue to post here at various intervals. I also have two others on the go at the moment and shall post in their respective Forum slots in due course. Thanks again.

 

Well done! They can be a pain, but they are worth it eventually.

 

My apologies, as I have been remiss in updating progress. So after sorting out the alternator it was time to make an effort to get back on the road. The rear bumper has been held in place with an orange strap since the day be bought the car....which does take the enjoyment out of driving and looks naff to boot.
I managed to secure a slot at my local garage (also very good friends and very patient) to see the extent of the work needed to secure the bumper and put an MOT on. A new bracket was duly fabricated and welded into place and the bumper returned to its rightful position without the aid of strapping. It went through the MOT with a few advisories but considering it had been off the road for over 3 years it was a result. The underside had been well protected.
There are a few jobs still to do and a couple I have done, I shall put fingers to keyboard another day to fill in the blanks.