hello, my profile pic shows a pic of the jag i just bought. can someone tell me what model do i have? thanks!!

and where the heck can i buy a turn signal relay? i keep finding 3 base rather than 4 base relays =/

 

I don't see a pic.

You probably have a Series III XJ6 or Series III VandenPlas. Send a couple pics to me: dougdwyer1@comcast.net

Try a Jag specialist for the signal flasher. Motorcars Ltd, Coventry West, etc. Or...Rock Auto has 'em!

Cheers
DD

 

I'd be interested to see what you purchased too...
Send me a photo... david@everydayxj.com

Flasher Relays are here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jagua...ltDomainQ5f100

Cheers!
David

 

i took my car to a two mechanics. first shop gave me a price of 4k to replace all kinds of oil gaskets, ball joint, suspension and for a tranny flush. the 2nd guy actually said suspension is great, brakes are great but do need a tran flush (275.00), gaskets (600.00) and has to lift the car to check the rack and pinion to see why it pulls to the left. are these prices reasonable? can the oil pan gasket and valve gasket be replaced at home rather than in a shop?

 

Thanks for the photos...

Your car is a Series 3... either a Soverign or has had the 7" headlamp kit installed.
No interrior photos so I can't say exactly which model, but it really doesn't matter, all the mechanicals will be the same...

As far as oil leaks... Is this for state visual inspection, or is it just annoying? Are you adding excessive amounts of oil?
I think I'd be safe to say that "most" of the XJs have some sort of oil leak. I have to add maybe a quart in a month to mine. I get some coming from the head covers, and some blow back out of the breather... Not really much of a concern (for me) at this time...

If it is the head cover gaskets and oil pan gasket... Head covers could be done at home with just a little experience needed, pretty easy job... The oil pan gasket would be a tough one, best left for the shop unless you have a lot of experience and tools...

Having tranny problems as far as shifting??

Ball joint work is fairly simple, but does require a little knowledge... I did mine myself this year (mine was pulling too)... and the total cost was less than $100 in parts (from Coventry West)...
Pulling could be the ball joints, or sticking brake caliper... If the shop is saying ball joints, no reason not to think this is correct...

If I were choosing which to do first... I'd definetly get the steering fixed... and keep an eye on oil and fluid levels...

4K is some crazy pricing.... I'd probably never go back to that shop, IMHO.....

David
EverydayXJ.com

 

hey david,
no probs at all when shifting. the guy just said the tran NEEDS a flush. he based it on the color of the fluid, a brown color.
my brother works on his honda, he's learned with his car manual on how to fix stuff. can someone who has some experience like my brother do the ball joints and head cover gasket? and when you say head cover gasket, do you mean valve cover gasket?

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

 

Most things are these cars are DIY-able. If your brother has replaced ball joints, replaced cam cover gaskets, or changed trans fluid on any other car he oughta be able to do it on your Jag.

Rear brakes and climate control systems can get tricky but most stuff is pretty straightforward.

We'll help if he gets stuck :-)

Cheers
DD

 

Hi

I had a car like yours for 14 years, and I can tell you, (based on my experience), is that there is virtually nothing on these cars you can't do yourself. Having said that, you will need a comprehensive tool kit and also heavy duty hydraulic jack and axle stands and ramps to do the jobs properly and safely.

As for your points of concern:-

1. fluids - depending on what service records you have got, I would replace them all if you dont know how long they have been in the car. This is brake fluid, engine oil, and transmission fluid as a starter. Tranny fluid is an easy job with the Borg Warner Model 66 box, (unlike the later Jaguar boxes !!). If the fluid's brown instead of red, replace it, its knackered !

Rear diff, and power steering fluids are less critical.

2. Ball joints - found on the front suspension, and those for the wishbones are backwardly compatible to the Jaguar Mark 1 of 1955, Yes, really !! Cheap to buy and easy to fit, allow about 1.5 hours a side. if your steering is pulling to one side swap the wheels over and see what happens, it can be that simple.

3. Rack - lateral movement is normal, but if you dont like the steering feel you can get polyplastic mount bushes to replace the Silentbloc rubber ones. This will make the steering more precise but more "nervous". You lose that boulevard-cruise feeling of the old car. Rack mount has nothing whatever with steering to right or left, by the way.

4. Inner wishbone bushes - top ones are called Slipflex and seize up from corrosion over the years, Replace these as they are cheap. Just replacing all the balljoints and bushes will save you spending a fortune on tyres.

5. Cam cover gaskets - will leak if not replaced when the covers are lifted. People try to save money on the most stupid things ! Be aware that at the rear end of the cam boxes are two half-moon plugs to seal up where the line boring tool went. These can go hard and leak. Also the copper washers under the domed stud nuts need annealing before replacing or they will not seal thus letting more oil out. Anneal by heating each washer to red heat then dropping on a bucket of water, then re-use.

Just don't worry too much, just fix each job as it comes up, and there will be a few believe me.

Do remember it is now an old car and needs tender loving care.

 

RE #5 above, to anneal a part heat and let air cool naturally. Heating and then qeunching is how you harden metal.

 

True for steel, but it is the opposite for copper

 

thanks Frasier and Bigdog =)

i am getting excited to own this car now. at first, i was too scared how much $ i would have to put into it and under my circumstances that would not be possible but now "i think i can, i think i can, i think i can" now being a girl, i will need some extra muscle, hopefully i can do most of it though.
i want to drain the trans fluid, run it, and repeat 3 times like David recommended today. i don't have a manual yet so i assume, like my Honda i had, i add the tran fluid where the dip stick is at, right?
Frasier, i'm told i have 3 major issues, many oil leaks (oil pan gasket, tran gasket, valve gasket), need a tran flush, and replace rack and pinion and ball joints.
what i think i have to do now is keep an eye on fluids, drain the tran fluid, and slowly replace fluids like you suggested. just need to order the manuals from David.
wish me luck guys! i'm gonna put it up on the ramps! (hopefully, i don't go over!, lol)

 

You'll need a big wrench or an adjustable wrench to remove the filler pipe/dipstick tube from the transmission pan. It takes a bit of ooomph in some cases.

On the oil leaks...well...as mentioned, some are easy to fix, other very hard. Cam cover gaskets, oil pressure switch, breather gaskets are examples of some easy ones. Unless you've got a really intolerable leak (or one of the easy fixes!) I'd move one to other issues....like ball joints...which can be a safety factor.

Speaking of breathers.....order two new breather gaskets (which may well be leaking) and remove and cleaner the breather screen and the breather pipe. A clogged breather will increase crankcase vapor pressure and make oil leaks much worse. This is a DIY job for sure :-)

Post back if any details are needed.

Cheers
DD

 

hey David, i went back to your ebay store and can't find the manuals. please lemme know how to order em, i would like to order today so i can get started on this baby. just found out the wiper blades don't work either, sheesh! need the manual to see where the fuses and relays are for this.

 

Thanks .... Sent you a PM via email....

David
EverydayXJ.com

 

Hi Saustin1974

The good news is that you can buy a hard-copy workshop manual, a real book, no less, for your Series 3. They are still available on the internet, and are about 1" thick, of A4 size with a dark green cover. Here is one supplier, there will be others. Some manuals may be used, of course, so a could be a bit dirty and oily, like mine got.

http://exciteautos.com/jaguar-parts/...p_Manuals.html

Here's another

http://uk.ebid.net/for-sale/jaguar-x...l-35792120.htm

Believe me the people who wrote this manual were experts, now all either retired or dead !

Oils sump on the engine can be a nuisance as I think you have to drop the front subframe out of the way and as the engine is mounted on this it can be a problem, unless you can rig up an engine bridge which holds the engine up. I made one for my car around 1991. (sold car in 2002).
Workshop manual will tell you how to do all these gasket jobs.
Cam cover gaskets are easy-peasy to do, just use new copper washers underneath the chromed dome nuts if you can get them.

Regarding suspension ball joints, these are as cheap as chips, (well, almost). You use the ones for the XJ40 model that came after yours, they last forever and are backwardly compatible with most of the saloons back to 1955, except the huge Mark VII/VIII/IX saloons.

Steering rack may just be the outer balljoints on the trackrods, again very cheap, but could be the inners, and the seals, in which case an exchange rack could well be cheaper. And dont forget the rack mounts, they purposely let the rack move left to right, and fool some mechanics who are too young for these cars. If you don't like the feel, use replacement polyplastic bushes to harden it up, but the steering will become a bit more "nervous" afterward.

Its an old car, so there will no doubt be lots to do ! Get that manual, (and a few tools too) !!