Greetings,

We’re new owners of an old Jag. 1998 XJ8-L. Base model. Bought online and sight unseen! A bit of an impulse buy…. 100,000 miles.

Good news: The car runs very well. I detect no driveability challenges. And it really looks good. New dark red paint job. Interior needs some TLC (needs a good detailing to start). There are a lot of repair receipts in the trunk! The car has only been driven about 5,000 miles in the past five years (the only years that maintenance receipts are available). I think the primary driver passed away about five years ago. Even though the car hasn't been driven much during the past five years, there has been extensive repair work done during that period.

Bad news: I am not particularly mechanically inclined, and I have never worked on cars. I know – why did I buy a 1998 Jag? I recently retired and I’m ready to learn.

I took the car to the local Jag dealer and asked for a full inspection ($200). Got the results today. Here goes:

MECHANICAL:

Thermostat housing cover,$370 labor and $350 parts (evidence of “old dried”leakage

Rear shock joints, $482 labor and $245 parts

Repair radiator mounting, $275 labor (apparently the car has been in a wreck (the former owner didn’t tell me that. As a result of the wreck, the radiator is not properly supported).

Fuel filter, $199 labor and $41 part.



COSMETIC:
Inside mirror about to fall off (per dealer) $76 labor and $476 parts (mirror is loose but works fine)

Cup Holder Kit – The holder is fine, but the “catch” that hooks it in to the console doesn’t “catch”, so it pops open. The storage compartment with the old phone wire in it also is loose from the console base under it

Wiper blade - $36 part

Turn signal right front - the bulb is good, but it doesn’t work. The dealer wants $199 to trace the electrical problem. All other turn signals work.


The dealer also recommended valve cover gaskets and seals, but interestingly they have been done less than 4 years/4,000 miles ago! Dealer recommended spark plugs while they were in there doing the gaskets and seals. And secondary tensioners have been done (but not water pump, as best I can tell from receipts).

Brakes are brand new – as the receipts indicated

That’s it! Overall I’m pretty happy – even though the entire list of cosmetic and mechanical “suggestions” totals $4,491! A lot of the costs are cosmetic, which I can think about at my leisure and maybe learn enough here to do some stuff myself. And this jag is not my daily driver.

So I’m thinking I’ll go ahead with the rear shock joints $744 total, and the radiator mounting ($277), and sit on the rest. There is a “freelance” Jag repair shop in town that I haven’t visited, and I have a longtime trusted mechanic as well. I plan to talk with them

Any advice?? I'd really appreciate it. If any of you are in SW Michigan, maybe we could connect in person

Wesley

 

Hello,
XJ8 is a one pretty machine to run. It is wise have the vehicle inspected by mechanic but somethin seem not right here in my opinion.
The prices are little odd to me. I am living in Finland where they charge about 100$/hour labour, dont know your area charges. Even in here with high prices, cost would not be that hi.
For examble changing your fuel filter is charged so hi, that it really makes me wonder they are pulling your leg. Really over 100$ to change fuel filter....I would got my self a second opinion cause those prices dont seem real to me.
Regards

 

Before I followed through on any of these repairs I'd have someone else look at it. Seems like a lot of things that might or might not be wrong. Look for yourself. Check the valve covers. Are they wet? Leaking oil? Thermostat housing look bad? How does the car drive? Any noise coming from the rear? Radiator support does it look like it's not right? Radiator loose? Look to see where the fuel filter is located. Probably an easy job. Windshield wiper at auto zone. Try tightening the rear view mirror yourself. When I first got mine the alternator was bad. Rebuilts or new ones were 200 to 400 dollars and labor was at least that much. With the help of this forum I removed and replaced it in about 1.5 hours and had it rebuilt for 75.00.

 

Was that the red one out of Valley Forge/King of Prussia PA?

Sounds like one I looked at a couple weeks ago. Not too bad, considering; if you nibble at the important stuff a little at a time, it will work out ok.

Plusses: tensioners done. Paint (when I saw it) looked pretty good.

Thoughts? Since the cooling system is very important, take care of the thermo and rad mount right up front, suspension bits next.

Rest? As you find the need to. If cam covers are leaking, take care of that...maybe throw a set of good iridium plugs at her.

And enjoy the ride, and welcome to the Jag family.

 

Welcome to the forum. You said you're ready to learn, but then indicate you are going to have others do the repairs. The first thing to learn is not to have a dealer repair an older Jag. Find a good independent, perhaps going to the regional forum and asking for recommendations. Buy a code reader, you will need it.

Try to do some of the work yourself. Replace the thermostat tower with an aluminum one, lots of info here on the forum on how to proceed. The water pump is a fairly easy job also, and check the idler and tensioner bearings while doing so, then replace the serpentine belt.

There will be many others with suggestions on how to proceed.

 

There was a good post just recently on here about changing the fuel filter apparently the fuel filter is readily available and costs about $12. I replaced mine a couple of years ago. There is a lot in the archives of this forum. Start a new hobby !

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...riving-143439/

 

I think your $200 was money well spent and confirms you have a pretty reliable ride. NOW, find an independent repair guy to do the necessary work: as noted, the Jag dealer is not the choice to work on an old car. Second, with eBay and Amazon, you will find most of the parts a lot cheaper than the dealer (maybe one third!), or any of the reliable suppliers (Welsh, MotorCar, Gaudin, Barrett, et al).

The TST, housing, water pump, and radiator mounts come first -- these you could learn to do yourself - lots of threads and YouTube videos. And the wrench sets are a good investment. Any parts store will replace the wiper blades for you if you buy the blades. Any glass shop can rehang the mirror for peanuts. Let your friend or a local independent do the shock mount and fuel filter -- working underneath a car is not a job for non-mechanics - tough, rusted fasteners on each - even if you are strong enough (at 72 I am not), you could get killed.

The turn signal is going to take some effort to trouble shoot -- local auto electrical shop if you bring the wiring diagram (find it up in the Stickies on this forum); but that might be the one task you give to the dealer's tech (he probably knows which wire or ground is bad, already).

And do buy a good OBDII reader -- helps trouble shoot future issues so you know what to tell the mechanic. And read a lot on this forum. Look up RobertDIY on Youtube: he has loads of informative videos aimed at your car.

 

The cup holder is an easy do-it-yourself repair if you're just replacing it, though your pulse rate may flutter when you see the cost for the replacement. (Sometimes broken ones can be repaired, but putting in a new one usually seems to be the best course.)

It's hardly the most important one on your list, but if you're looking for a straightforward one to get under your own belt after the windshield wiper it might make a nice option.

 

Congrats on your XJ8! I would get a second opinion as well. I take my Jag to Mieneke and they're very good. My specific one specializes In Jags, however, I'm not to sure if all of them do. Anyways, the dealer prices seem a bit much; I would look for parts off of ebay or auto part stores either online or in your town. For example, I replaced the stock wiper blade with one that won't streak, and lasts a long time; cost me $20.00 and after tinkering around for a few minutes, I replaced it myself. Same with my headlight; it was only $3.00 and a few dollars shipping and replaced it myself. In all; I'd say get a second opinion and make a list on what you think you can replace/ fix yourself to "save your wallet".

Have a good day!
- Pilotman

 

Hi from Grand Rapids, MI. So West but not really SW MI. That seems like a lot for several of the repairs. I recommend learning to do at least some of this DIY like the thermostat and housing, and the fuel filter are good starts and you'll definitely save some cash!

A wiper blade for $36?!? I went to NAPA and you can get some very nice Bosch or other wiper blades for the neighborhood of $5-8 and an install time of 5 minutes OR many will do it for you even. Definitely not hard work there!

I'm a DIY girl from brake pads to transmission rebuilds (yay my 97 A4s went out yesterday!) and am curious what are you referring to as rear shock joints?

These cars are actually quite simple and often have very straightforward designs. There are tons of tutorials for things on here, like the secondary tensioner how to would give you all the info you need to do valve cover gaskets and spark plugs. Just don't touch any of the camshafts or tensioners when you get to that part. Same goes for the thermostat housing; of which it's highly recommended on the 8 models to upgrade to the aluminum R model housing; excellent guide for that.

I don't pay stuff out, so I'm far from an expert on fair prices; but a lot of that seems super high. See what your local mechanic says for price. Honestly, these aren't any more complex than the majority of cars on the road in terms of repairing mechanicals.

 

Welcome to the Jaguar family!

Since you never worked on cars you may wish to start the DIY repairs slowly & pay an independent shop to do the more urgent, repairs rather than learn everything at once. You will need to buy tools. You will need ramps or jack stands. Maybe a floor jack. Learn where the 4 jacking points are! I recommend a crawler or creeper board. Do not crawl underneath the car supported only by the Jaguar tire jack!

Sears.com


If the T-Stat locks you may have all your coolant leak out when a radiator hose blows off. This happened to me requiring a tow & immediate repair. I would see how much your trusted mechanic charges to replace T-Stat & housing. I would use genuine Jaguar parts. Jaguar had told me they now make the T-stat housing out of “better” plastic than the original plastic ones that cracked. Many people here recommend aftermarket aluminum ones.

I would get a 2nd opinion from your independent ship re:
Radiator mounting (WHY does it need to be fixed? Is this in any way urgent?)
Rear Shock Joints (Are they really bad? Doesn’t seem this is needed ASAP)
Fuel filter (How did they know it needs replacing? This may be a good DIY project).

Wiper blade (Buy replacement & try to put it on yourself in the parking lot of the auto parts store & if you have trouble let the store employees do it for free)

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...acement-47387/

(Hint: keep your old one in the trunk in case you don’t like the new one & need to examine the old one for reference)

DIY for the cup holder when you have time. Search this forum for help

Ignore the b.s. About valve cover gaskets & seals UNLESS you see a leak. (You may smell a leak)

You can (later) replace the spark plugs yourself.

You can change the oil & filter yourself. (Search for tutorials photos since you are new to this) It is fairly easy. Hardest part is lifting the car.

Mirror:
Look at the link below for photos & instructions on fixing a loose mirror. Even though this is for XK8, it was same with my 2000 XJ8. I had to replace my 2000 XJ8 mirror 2x due to defective mirrors. B4 I was willing to bend the clip as stated in this link, I wanted to source a replacement clip in case it broke. I was unable to find one so, was not willing to chance bending & possibly braking the clip. I did put locktite (Blue medium strength) on the clip & the mirror has been tight & has not moved in years now!

JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource


Good luck!

 

The price list you have been given is a rip off. The newer metal thermo housing can be bought new, on UK Ebay for £47.50 (Probably about $70 or so) This includes all seals, gaskets, and a new thermostat. They will ship worldwide.
Most other parts can be found in a similar fashion, including compete sensors at prices way below what you have been quoted. I do not know postage costs but probably still way below your quotations. Try these, but be quick, they say they have only one left.


jagspares_international on eBay

 

Oh- and fuel filter, same place, different seller, brand new £14, about 20 bucks