I have a situation I would really like to get some help with. The best tool would be a global database of historical repairs for all 1998 XK8s from 1998 'til the present (currently it's the end of 2014 if you are reading this in the future). Here's the situation: I have a pretty well abused 135,000km XK8 in the Middle East. The mechanics here are generally pretty awful, and it's extremely hard to get parts. There is actually a Jaguar dealer here. But if you thought the US is expensive at the Jag dealer for parts, how about USD$7,400 for a new windshield? That's how much this dealer gets for a windscreen for my car. They also don't stock many parts. They have to order them from the UK and they take a month or two to arrive. Occasionally I make trips to the US to get parts. Sometimes I try to get OEM parts instead of going to the dealer but I've been burned in paying 1/2 price for the OEM parts which in the end weren't an exact fit. And when you add in the cost of the trip and luggage overweight fees, in my case it's often better just to buy the stuff at the Jaguar dealer. So I've resolved myself that I have to buy at the dealer most of the time, unless it's a patently obvious thing like spark plugs. I even spent $380 per shock absorber recently. Remember I said the mechanics were generally awful? Well, as an example, in the US if you have let's say a loose control arm in your front suspension, a decent mechanic will just replace a few bushings and call it a day. The mechanics here will not deal with any of that and instead they just replace the whole control arm. Except instead of a few bucks for new bushings (even bought from the dealer) it's about $700 for a single upper control arm that has new bushings in it already. You just have to accept that in this environment. This is not a place where people work on their own cars. You can't really buy tools, and there are no places like Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, O'Reilly, NAPA, etc. So you're beholden to the culture.

Now here's the specific scenario.

I have poured money into this car. The car is more valuable here than in the US, despite being abused so it's more worth it here. Despite looking rather like it's had a storied past of accidents and repairs and bad body work, it's probably worth $40,000 vs. maybe $4,000 in the US. I have spent about USD$25,000 on parts and labor in the lat year, rebuilding the engine and trying to get the suspension and steering, etc. reliable. The problem is, it's still not reliable! I am willing to spend another $10,000 - $15,000 to get it to be reliable. But the question is, is it possible?

My mechanic is relatively pretty good...not perfect, but pretty good. He's pretty honest. I know cars myself, but I just don't have the time time to work on it. But I also don't have the patience to keep going back to him every week.

He rebuilt the engine and for example did the timing chain/guide/tensioner work and did a great job. But it doesn't end there. I got it back and a week later I had an oil leak. I brought it back again and in 5 minutes he had it on the lift and showed me the oil level sensor was crumbling and leaking. I can't blame him for that...it's a an old sensor. He replaced it for free in another few minutes using one that was the same for some other make of car. I want to know something like that will go bad in advance...you should be able to see it's suspect.

Another time a similar thing happened with the coolant. I got the car back from him doing something and the coolant was low. He should have checked it before letting me take the car. I came back. He filled it but then told me the Octopus Tube had to be replaced. I got the original from the US dealer and brought it to him. I understand a lot of the Octopuses go back because Bubba Mechanics are rough with them and put undue stress on them. I am not sure whether he's the one to put undue stress on it or another mechanic was, but it doesn't matter.

I want a comprehensive list of everything that can go wrong with this car and just want to take care of it once and for all.

Can anyone help me?

I'll bet Jaguar itself (or Ford) has a database of all the repairs that have ever been done by them to all of these XK8s. If they don't they are really stupid. Could they be that stupid? If they aren't that stupid, will they share the list? They probably have to have the list for liability purposes. I would just proactively do all the repairs that have a 99.99% likelihood of failing based on the global database of repairs.

I asked the mechanic to inspect the whole car and give me a complete list of anything potentially problematic. He said that's impossible. He said it's like driving a Fiat or Alfa Romeo from the 1960s, you'll always be chasing problems practically on a weekly basis if you want to keep this car. Is it true? It's a such a POS that I can't make it into a reliable car? If true it's hard for me to accept that. It's not that old of a car.

I called the dealer in desperation, thinking maybe they can do a complete written diagnostic analysis on the car. I hate going to the dealer for service here because in the past they've just said you have to replace the engine even there's even the slightest issue with it. When I called the dealer I asked them if they could do a US-style 400 point inspection, like a PPI Pre Purchase inspection. They said they don't do that. You only come to them when you have a problem.

I want a complete, 100%, total, thorough examination. I want a written analysis report that checks everything on the car. I don't just want them to do an OBDII test. I don't have any warning lights on right now.

How can I be on top of everything that may happen to this car to make it a reliable car? I just want to be able to go a few months without getting something done to it. Is that not possible? I put very few miles on this car but it's like I can't go a week without showing back up at the mechanic.

It seems impossible!! Somebody please help!!

 

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to XK8/XKR forum. Members here with the same model will be able to help.

Jaguar will undoubtedly have analysis of component failures but there is very little chance of any manufacturer sharing this commercially sensitive information unless it is a safety issue and they are legally obliged to initiate a recall.

The example you quote of upper wishbone bushes. Bushes are not listed by Jaguar and the factory approved method is to replace the wishbone. Franchised Jaguar Dealers anywhere will do the same although the cost would not be as high as it is in your country.

One question i have to ask. Is there a problem or restriction on importing spares from the UK (almost certainly the lowest cost source) or USA?

Graham

 

I guess I could list all the predictable repairs I had to do on my 1997, but you seem pretty set on limiting your questions to th e1998 which is almost identical. BUT....how about this solution to your long list of work needed: sell that car and buy a nicely updated and well-preserved 1997-2004 XK8 from here in the states, then ship it to yourself over there. That would have to cost less, and there are plenty of XK's like mine that have been brought back to almost new condition AND have upgrades that guarantee long and trouble free driving.

 

It's illegal to import a car more than a couple years old but less than 35 years old.

Yes, there are restrictions on importing from the UK. It's not legal to import many parts or the extra fees and duties and taxes make it prohibitive. Sometimes you need a special license to import via shipping but bring in via airport customs is allowed.

 

Why is it commercially sensitive for Jaguar to release an analysis of component failures?

 

I'll drive one over from the UK, you get all the useful parts stripped, then we arrange for it to have an 'accident' writing it off.

(joking of course )

 

Love, I'm guessing you have a coupe, if you have the convertible, you are opening a whole new can of worms.
Just by following the forum for the last few months will give you a good idea what some things go belly up. You will notice a lot of sensors and you could just buy a couple of pockets full of knock, oxygen and such, plus a mass air flow and throttle body, OH and the tube that goes between them.
Sounds like you might have done shocks, so that takes care of a few big items.


Wayne

 

The XK8 is a fairly complicated car for its vintage and given your's age and mileage by nature it will be unreliable. The Jaguar history on my car shows also that it has had a lot of expensive work done on it too by previous owners.


So in my mind I classify this car as an unreliable car, especially taking age and mileage into consideration. I have run middle of the road cars up to 200k miles in the past without any major failures and still running on original suspension bushes etc.


Luckily I enjoy working on this car in order to minimise costs, but even so I still classify the spare parts here are relatively expensive for what they are, and only just scrape though my limit or tolerability.


If I was in your circumstances with the high repair costs, tool availability and workmanship issues, then this would not be the car for me.

 

This is a not complete list if what I have had to do.


Diff oil seal
Rear offside Hub carrier bearing
Nearside track rod end
Nearside steering rack gaiter
Nearside rear shock bush
Rear sill/wheel arch rust proofing
Window down driver door clatter fix
Rust repair around boot lock
Trim touch up paint, Dorchester grey
Missing engine trim ECU cover
Headlamp fixing bracket repair
Alien washer repair
Oil cooler replacement
Boot release button
Dash bulb replacements
Repair to reversing sensors
Replacement of rear bumper mount
Repair to rear bumper stiffener.
Replaced leaking coolant expansion tank
Replaced leaking cam cover gaskets
Repaired rust in tyre well
Auto lights on failure repair, new mirror.
Strut brace rust repair
Aerial mast replacement
New brake calliper
External A pillar trim replaced
Wiper spline refurb
Complete front suspension overhaul, all bushes, ball joints and wheel bearings due to poor handling
Front suspension turret welding repairs
Offside CAT converter welded up.
Evaporative emissions canister bracket replaced
Repaired broken door card plastic support
Replaced corroded earth strap
Placed transmission oil and filter/pan
eater pump repaired
Nearside upper O2 sensor replaced
Lower offside O2 sensor replaced
MAF replaced
Steering column up down repair, failed
Steering rack replaced
Both rear wings welded to remove rust.

Front Shock over hall
Front shock upper mount replaced.

 

L.U.O.,

It sounds like you're in a tough spot. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Jaguar had some sort of master database with the information that you're looking for in some shape or form, I would be surprised if they'd be willing to divulge that info.

I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but perhaps I could help out a bit? Just like any company that has a warehouse of parts, a large part of what Jaguar parts vendors such as ourselves do is analyze what parts we regularly sell so that we can keep them in stock. While it wouldn't be a complete list of everything that could go wrong, I could forward you a spreadsheet of our top 100 or 200 or so fastest moving XK8 parts. This would basically be a compilation of new and used parts that we commonly get calls for. Some of the descriptions might be a little vague, and some of the parts might not necessarily be applicable to your specific year XK8 (certain electronic items come to mind), but you'd at least have part numbers and a basic description to go by. Would that be helpful?

 

I would not own this car over there based on all the obstacles you will deal with.

 

I have to ask, what country in the Middle East do you live in? I find your circumstances a little unacceptable . Living in Hawaii I am use to very high parts cost due to shipping but at least I can get them. In your situation only a rock solid Japanese import would be the vehicle to own. With that being said I still understand your love of the XK8 but as others have said at your cars age and condition/mileage it will never be trouble free.

 

Can you drive the car on a "vacation" to a nearby country with cheaper, more available parts and better mechanics?

 

For the kind of money you are talking about you could afford to fly out a mechanic from the UK who knows these cars inside out. I'm sure they would be happy if you covered the flights and they got a holiday out of it. Once they've diagnosed all the problems you could get a list of parts, buy them in the UK, ship them out and then get the mechanic to come back and do the work. You'd just need to arrange a garage where there are tools the mechanic could use.