Top of the mornin' chaps,

I'm in the market for my next car and am seriously considering 1995-2003 Jags (X300 and X308). I've test driven one 1997 Jaguar XJ6 and liked everything about it except for the lack of head space. I'm 6'4". Here are the specifications I want in the Jag:

• Price $7,000 give or take a little.
• Ample head room for my 6'4" frame.
• Reliable enough to be my daily driver.
• Under or close to 100,000 miles.
• Black on black preferred, green on tan acceptable.
• Luxurious and quite comfortable in commutes and tours.
• Located in the Los Angeles area.
• Manageable with a $12,000 budget for the near future.

After sifting through craigslist and AutoTrader, it seems that there are quite a few more X308s on the market than there are X300s.

Does the X308 have a more accommodating interior? (I watched Jeremy Clarkson's review of the '98 XJR when it first came out on YouTube and he seems to fit in it just fine).

Besides the semi-common Water Pump issues with the '99s and '00s and the Mass Airflow Sensor issues with the '98s, are there any other common repair items I should be aware of when I check out some of these used cars?

Also, cars.com, edmunds.com, autos.msn.com, and others all list the '01-'02 X308 models as reliable cars without even any occasional problems in the engines (or any other part of the car). Is this true? If not, what are the common/semi-common problems I should be aware of when looking at some in the market?

Thanks ya'll. I really loved the feel of that X300 I drove yesterday despite its lack of head room. Maybe I just have to adjust the seat better. I hope I can pick up a Jag as my next daily driver.

Matt

 

I have a 98 and I love it. Mind you, I am only 5' 10". Do a seearch on tensioners and cylinder wash and you'll have lots of reading to do.

 

Definitely. I found BB's DIY post on how to change your timing chain tensioners. That looks like a doozy! I haven't searched for "cylinder wash" yet, though, so I'll have some reading on that to do.

Anything else I should be aware of in terms of maintenance items?

 

If it is an XJ8 (not an XJR) the transmission will fail for sure, check the records to see if it has been repaired. Search for "5HP24".

 

I drive 98 VDP. I am 6'3" and 190lb. Fits me just fine, and I am very comfortable in it. Nobody ever sits in the back, but being that it's 5" longer than the regular X308, one could sit comfortably in the back. I test drove a regular X308, and nobody can sit behind me, when my seat is adjusted the way I want it.

As far as "issues",......learn to distinguish the VVT noise from Tensioner noise (Youtube). Start the car cold, and LISTEN carefully. Buy yourself an OBD scanner, and check for codes, put the tranny through it's paces, and you should be good to go. All other "issues" are relatively easy to address.

 

It is a little "cozy" if you are tall. I'm 6' and it's "cozy". On buying an X308, most folks agree that the 2002 and 2003 are the best years. Search on Nikasil. And believe it or not, many folks say the XJR is more reliable than the XJ8 due to the absence of VVT, the stronger tranny and aluminum thermo tower - I believe.

 

With you budget I would get a 2001-2003 XJ8 or XJR ( I have a 2001 XJR Blk/Blk) The secondary tensioners are not that difficult is you can turn a wrench, the lowers are a bit more time consuming but not difficult. The secondaries are what kills these motors. The transmission on the XJ8 has a weak point (the A-drum) which is again easy to fix if you can turn a wrench and have the time.

I am in Orange County and would be happy to discuss the pros and cons as well as what is required to repair etc. We have a local club that meets off the 405 and Harbor blvd in Costa Mesa and our next meeting is this Saturday if you are interested in stopping by- I would be more than happy to bring both my XJR and my 1998 XJ8 (both blk/blk) if you would like to pour over them to get an idea of what you are looking at as far as repair work, fit, look, feel etc. I spent about 6 months to a year finding what I was looking for- if you wait for the right one, it does take a little time but is worth it.

 

That sounds great! There is actually one 1999 Jaguar XJR S with 84,000 miles that I'd like to check out in the Newport Beach area. Maybe I can schedule a meeting with him after the club meet.

What time do you all meet? I live in the Rancho Palos Verdes/Torrance/San Pedro area so I'm about an hour away from Costa Mesa.

 

I found this possibly controversial article regarding Jaguar's Nikasil-lined V8 on Popular Mechanics. It regards Jag's Nikasil engine as one of the "top automotive engineering failures" because of "low compression in the cylinders." Apparently, the Nikasil lining tended to "fail", allowing the rings to score the cylinder walls and reduce compression. The main perpetrator was sulfur content in the gasoline. English gas was low in sulfur but once the Nikasil-lined V8 hit other markets with sulfur-ridden gasoline supplies, the engine's reliability was compromised. Thankfully, the EPA restricts gas companies from having more than 30 average ppm of sulfur since 2004. The sulfur content shouldn't be a problem for a Nikasil-lined V8 today, but I'm wondering about whether some engines of the '98 and '99 model years may have reduced reliability because of this problem.

From sifting more through the forums, it looks like the Nikasil-lined engines' assembly was halted on August 18th, 2000. Some of the engines assembled after that may still have been Nikasil-lined until the supply line units were exhausted. Thus, it's probably best to look for '01-'03 models to avoid the Nikasil-lined engine.

Regarding the VVT, stronger tranny, and aluminum thermo tower: thanks for the heads up.

I wasn't mistaken when I said this is the best Jag community on the web. Thanks for all of the thorough help and assistance!! It is much appreciated. I'm not so nervous about getting a Jag anymore... especially after I do even more research.

Thanks again ya'll.

Matt

 

Hey, thanks for the reply. I'm 6'4" and 175 pounds. If you fit, I should be able to also.. haha. My friend can lend me an OBD scanner to use.

 

I am 5 10 and quite comfortable in my UK X308 XJR
I have a UK 350 XJR which will have much more headroom, and adjustable pedal box

 

Hey Odds,

We meet around 9am- that gives you time to go to Irvine Cars n Coffee beforehand if you like. Let me know if you want me to bring both cars for you.

 

XJR has the stronger Mercedes gearbox, the metal thermostat housing & no VVT to worry about.

Sweet spot in the range is 2002/2003 XJR, as these will also have the metal secondary tensioners as well.

2001 XJR has steel-linered engine & most probably plastic secondary tensioners. The important thing is the manufacturing date of the engine, not the date the vehicle was registered with the authorities etc.

My own 2001 XJR was registered in the UK in October 2001, but the engine was made in June 2001 so although it was steel-linered, it still had the plastic secondary tensioners.

Don't be afraid of high mileage on these cars-especially on the XJR. I have 150k on my XJR & I have a friend in Cincinatti with 217k on his XJR

With the standard XJ8 the autobox is different & has a weak spot on the earlier models with the infamous 'A' drum failure. I believe that around 2001 the issue was addressed by ZF on the 5HP24 transmission.

The XJR never had this problem due to using the stronger Mercedes gearbox.

The safest bet is to go for as late a model as you can find-at least late 2001 & preferably 2002/2003 if you can find one. If you choose an earlier model year car, then read up on here about all the issues you might have with it-if the previous owner hasn't had them addressed.

The X308 is 'cozy' & no different to the X300 in that respect. I'm 6ft 2" & 200lbs and there isn't a great deal of headroom, but it's certainly not uncomfortable & the seats in my XJR are the best I've ever had in any car-soft & relaxing on long trips.

XJR is a complete giggle & will humble many challengers at traffic lights, delivering a velvety-smooth 2 fingered salute in the best possible taste

 

Hey dsnyder586, the '01 XJR will be sufficient. As I mentioned, I've already test driven an X300. No need to hassle yourself! If you want to bring it though, I'd be more than happy to check it out!

 

In addition to everything said above, I would recommend arranging a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) on the car you are serious about. That's exactly what I did when I bought my 01 XJR. I used the plastic secondary tensioner issue as point of negotiation and got the seller to split the cost of PPI which was $100.

Look for previous body and paint work. Misaligned panels or difference in shades (especially visible on silver metallics) is an indication of previous repairs. Carfax helps but is not the "end all" on the car meaning it may not reflect the entire vehicle history. Many shops don't report accidents and sometimes the accident reports don't get sent to the DMV as required. Look for service doc's/history on the car. Best to go with a car that had all its major services done either at the dealer or an independent specializing in jaguars.

Condition of the interior is another indicator of how well the cat was cared for.

2001 is probably the year if you are looking for an XJR at $7k... unless you go for a high miler which I don't necessarily recommend.

Basic rule of thumb is buy the best one you can afford. Remember, there's nothing cheap about these cars so don't fall into the trap of "its not going to cost much to fix".

I plan to be at the OC meet as well. Look forward to meeting everyone.

 

Thanks for the salient points. I'll be happy if I can get one for a decent price and, after addressing a few initial service items, have the car be reliable as a daily driver for years to come.

Re: the OC Jag club meet. Will someone please PM me the exact location? I'm planning on checking out the Irvine Cars and Coffee meet beforehand as well.

 

Last meeting was held at 2000 Harbor Blvd. Costa Mesa 92627. You can check under the regional threads - Western region.

 

Yep- that's the spot.

 

Definitely go for an XJR. Not that the 8 isn't nice, but for such little outlay, may as well get the "velvet hammer" experience

Although mine is an '00, it has almost 220K on it (Red October mentioned my car in his post). The Mercedes 'box is damn near bulletproof and any issues with them are well documented, especially on the Merc forums. One point of contention I'll leave you with is that if the car has over 100K miles on it (XJR we're talking about), it is best advised to leave the transmission fluid/filter alone. I was a mechanic for Mercedes-Benz for 12 years and during that time I witnessed many cars begin to have transmission problems if the fluid had never been changed until the car had quite a bit of mileage on it. If you find a low mileage car, say 50K or less, do a transmission service on it and then keep it to a 50K interval for fluid/filter replacement. These were "sealed for life" transmissions, and of course "life" sometimes meant very few miles!

 

I have 86k on mine. So you feel it's best not to go for teans fluid/filter change?