Hey everyone! Just wanted to introduce myself as I'm new here. I just bought a 2004 XKR with 27,000 miles on it. I am 22 and in my last year of undergrad in the Boston area. I am a daily commuter -- about 40 miles each way, each day... and will probably be driving it through the New England winter. Needless to say, it was not the most practical choice in car for someone in my shoes, but I just couldn't help myself! This model has been my dream car since Junior High School, and I absolutely love it so far... BUT, reading this forum makes me extremely nervous. Every time I pull it into the garage at the end of the day, I feel a huge relief! I'm just waiting for the problems to start... and well, they actually already have.

First, there is a rubber seal around the outside of the rear window on the soft top. At the top of this seal, the rubber has started to come out. I tried gently pushing it back in, but it doesn't want to stay in there.

Second, my alarm has been spuriously going off! On both occasions, this happened after the car got wet (once after a wash, and last night several hours after driving it in the rain). The alarm stopped once I unlocked it, but would go off again if I re-locked it. Leaving it unlocked in the garage made it stop, at least for now.

Do you think these two issues could be related? I.e., could there be a sensor that is getting wet due to this seal coming out?

I'll be taking it to an experienced Jag mechanic next week... but just thought I'd rant a little bit on here first! I will continue to read through all of the other [horrifying] posts on this forum before posting my own... but, you know, there's something relieving about getting personalized advice. So thanks in advance!

-Matt

 

Welcome mate,👍don't panic, one of the main reasons we have a forum is to help with the problems that may arise and we all like to save a buck or two ,,but no matter what car you drive or what forum your on its the same o same o not just the xks,all cars have there ups and down days,whatever the problem you can guarantee the guys on here will work it out for you,😊👍

 

Well welcome I guess.

It seems like you are not going to maintain the car yourself. So I hope you have deep pockets.

For your own safety please buy a beater car for the winter. The combination of RWD, excessive power and fat tires is not going to fare well on snow and ice.

I am curious what you have been reading that was so horrifying.

 

Welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of great people here who are always willing to lend a helping hand.
One of the moderators will be by soon and direct you to the New Member area. An introduction there is mandatory.
Now to the problems. First the piece popping out isn't a seal but a bead to apply pressure to the window seal. Get yourself a tube of black trim adhesive and put a little in the groove and then reinstall the beadl. It should then stay in place. If doesn't you will need to have it replaced. The bead isn't causing your alarm problem.
Now for the pesky alarm. The SCLM (security control locking module) is located in the boot (trunk). Pull out the 2 covers in the boot and see if there is evidence of water. Next look and see is the drain plug in the center of the left side area where the battery is mounted is in place. If there is signs of water or the plug is missing it is possible for the SCLM to get wet.
The SCLM is mounted underneath the fuse panel next to the battery. You will need to remove the fuse panels mounting hardware and unmount the SCLM and disconnect it so the the terminals on the module and the connector can be cleaned.
If you find a lot of water you might want to do a visual inspection of the boot seal for damage. Water off of the car flows under the boot lid and around the sides and then over the bumper.

 

Hi Matt, and congrats on the new Cat.

Graham pretty much sums it up. Forums, by nature, focus attention on things that fail rather than the good times. By 2004 most of the problems have been resolved, so you're left with the usual ongoing maintenance that any 14+ year old car will need.

Enjoy the ride and the double-take you'll make as you lock up and walk away.

Pics, please.

 

Welcome.....and don't be scared. I have a 2004 XK8 with 200,000 km on it, and this summer did a 9700 km road trip from Nfld down through New England , west to Indiana and back through Ontario, Quebec and the maritimes to home. The best GT car in existence IMO.

I would second the advice to buy a beater for the winter. bags of power, wide tires, RWD and low ground clearance are NOT good in winter. PLUS the road salt will rapidly cause rust to this great automobile.

 

Boston and SNOW, these cars are HORRIBLE in snow. Get a beater!!!!

 

Is the experienced Jaguar mechanic at Samuels Jaguar Motors in Brighton? Also, if you're really intent on winter driving (and for the sake of preserving your XKR I'd strongly suggest picking up a beater Saab as I have done), I'd recommend getting a set of dedicated snow tires on its own set of wheels. I'm not sure if the standard XK8's 17-inch wheels would fit on an R, but if so, I have a spare set of those that I'd be willing to sell for fairly cheap. I briefly used my old XJR in the winter, and even with those snow tires on, it struggled with situations that a Saab would have effortlessly plowed through.

 

Neuromancer:

Rather than getting a "Beater"....Move to Houston, We have schools down here too....Rice is a pretty good one, they tell me.....That way you can be like me and drive your XKR every day and enjoy all the young Ladies checking you out! That alone would Beat having a Beater!
I hope you will enjoy your XKR...Just service her regularly, use the best products and remember; It's FAST! Not as fast as some of the new 550 & 600 HP cars like that,,,,Let them go! Your XKR is nine times better looking and it is fast enough...It's not a Drag Car, It's a Road Car!
I know it's your "Dream Car" as it's mine also!

Good Luck to you!

Billy Clyde in Houston

 

 

cars are meant to be driven and the mileage as long as the roads are of good quality will not damage the car. as for winter, it is just frozen water. the problem is the garbage that we add to it, namely salts. since you are in the more northerly parts of the country, there are very good corrosion prevention services around. this is something to be done when the car is still pristine. if you do this, you might be enjoying the car forty years from now and impressing your children's friends with it. my personal preference is the corrosionfree product as it does not ruin the car with sticky, brown glop or paints that change the looks of things.

my first driving experiences in snow were in a RWD car. however it had narrower tires, more ground clearance and was lighter, a 67 Firebird. with a little weight in the boot and snow tires it was acceptable. there is one other problem, other people. you can master this beast in the snow, however people with stability assist and 4WD do not get the feedback that they are in a lower traction situation and learn the hard way that their vehicle cannot compensate for everything. when it is a telephone pole or some other hard object, no problem for you, but you will often be in their path. if you have the resources to purchase this car, add three thousand or less to your bills and get a nice older Honda CRV or similar for the snow days. if your XKR is still housed in the winter wonderland, consider rustproofing anyway even with a winter beater as the salts are everywhere and can accumulate.

 

Congratulations on your new dream car. I would strongly agree with most of the other posts on getting a beater to drive during the winter. A few years ago I had to go to Rochester, NY for a job. I was there from November until the middle of January. Snow so deep I had to climb out a window instead of using the front door due to the piles of accumulated snow. Coming from Southern California it was shock to the system. I was supposed to be there for only about 3 weeks but turned into months. One of the things I could not help notice were all the cars that had rusted out panels. Some of them were not even five years old. To save money on rentals I purchased a beater Bronco for $500. That was one rusty car, had to replace the exhaust system one it. If I lived there there is no way I would drive a car that I cherished in the winter there. When I left, I sold the Bronco for $1 to a family who needed transportation. My rust bucket was not impressive, but most of the time it was covered in snow, so not that noticeable.

 

Welcome neuromancer! I too am a college student (dental school) with an X100, currently on my second one, an '04 XKR coupe. So far I have found that this car behaves more than the '00 XK8 convertible I used to own. By that I mean, I have not had a problem yet. So far, it has all just been maintenance items and damn reliable.

Word of caution, you do not want to take your XKR to school. In my experience, it attracts much unwanted attention. When I was in undergrad, it became too obvious that other students don't give a rats *** about other people's property. Many students will be envious. My XK8 was keyed and door dinged too often. After I got it resprayed, I bought a Jeep Renegade for the purpose to keeping the Jag showroom new. Lo and behold, no one has yet keyed the Jeep and I get less door dings, and generally care less about them as well on the Jeep.

You should also pay attention to the advice the others are giving you about buying a beater for winter. The salt that is sprayed to the roads to melt snow can and will rust away your XKR, resulting in expensive rust repairs. My advice, buy the beater and use it both to go to school and to drive around in the snow. Get something all-wheel drive. A used Saab, as was mentioned is a nice choice because values on those have bottomed out. No one wants to buy them because Saab has gone bust.

Enjoy your Jag and drive safe! It will give you a lot of smiles per miles.

 

Wow! Thank you all very much for the warm welcome and all the helpful advice. I really appreciate it! I am definitely considering getting a beater for the winter time. I did drive an '08 Miata for the past two years (same commute), and the only issue I had was driving it once in an active blizzard with several inches of unplowed snow on the back roads near my house. With winter tires, though, it was a real trooper! I wonder how the XKR with some winter tires (not the P0's on it now) would compare to the Miata... but, then again, that doesn't solve the rust concerns...

Primarily the so-called "green shower," window delamination, fuel pump failure, among other things...

Labcoatguy: Yes, it is Samuels! I hear that's the place to go. Would you agree? I have also been looking around for a place to have it professionally detailed. I have a little (~0.25 inch) dent on the driver's side that I'd like to have repaired, and was also curious about buffing. I wouldn't be comfortable buffing it myself, but I think tomorrow I will try using a clay bar and waxing it. Does anyone have any recommendations on exterior detailing? Or know how expensive it usually is?

giandanielsxk8: Thank you for the reassurance! I'm glad to hear these cars have been good for you. I'm not too concerned about parking it at school, since I'd say on a "niceness scale," my car is around the 90th percentile of cars there. It really hasn't gotten any looks amid the many Maseratis and Bentleys rolling around. Then again, if I decide to get something along the lines of a Saab, I will probably start using that for the commute simply for the mileage.

WhiteHat: Thanks for the recommendation. A family member mentioned to me that in his experience, rust proofing can sometimes block the water drains in cars and make matters worse. I don't know if I buy that, though, and will do some more reading on the topic here.

avern1: Thank you for the tip. I will definitely check those things out.

Rothwell: I don't have deep pockets by any means. Hah! - My net worth is actually quite negative... but as Oscar Wilde said, "anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." I'd like to start learning how to maintain the car myself. I unfortunately don't have any experience in mechanical work; but I have to start somewhere, so I will definitely be doing a lot of reading here.

Bcprice36: I completely agree! I've got one more year of undergrad to do, and then hope to be heading to medical school. I haven't seriously looked into med schools in Texas or neighboring states, but maybe I should!

Thank you all for the reassurance and valued advice!
Attached, a couple of pictures (sorry about the bad quality), including one of the seal issue I mentioned on my rear window. I think it just needs to be popped back in and maybe sealed with some kind of adhesive.

 

Yup, Samuels is pretty much the only place to go in the Boston area, which also means they've been extremely busy over the summer taking care of all the garage queen classics. They work closely with J&K Auto Body a short distance away in Brighton, and they can help with dents and body work, probably detailing too if you want to splurge.

 

If you have access to a standard issue garden hose, and don't mind doing a little work, Chemical Guys make some great detailing products. If you decide to clay the car, be careful, use lots of lubricant. Find something like a waterless detailer since they are nice and slick, avoid anything with dish liquid.
Not sure how your state is about winter and salt, but salt eats these cars up, you can use the rubberized undercoating on it, however my experience has been that salt water gets under it, between the floor and the rubber coating over time and destroys the metal from underneath. In the long run it is cheaper to get a beater for the winter, not to mention you don't want to ruin the fabric of the top, not to say that these cars cannot reasonably be driven in the snow, for longevity of the vehicle it's best not to. Haven't owned one that new, however from what I understand most of the kinks have been worked out, given the vehicles age it's probably high time to start getting ready to replace bushings, ball joints, strut mounts, and other rubber bits-- not a Jaguar thing per say, since rubber parts eventually break down over time, may not seem like it, but replacing them really does make a big difference even if the parts look fine; also things like coolant, brake fluid, fuel filter etc. Basic maintenance items that are often forgotten about with all cars. These cars are not particularly difficult to work on, not as easy as an XJ (due to the XJ having quite a bit of room in the engine bay). Between a little research on here and plenty of YouTube videos should be quite simple to keep up with

 

Welcome neuromancer! Your car looks great and I hope you enjoy it for years. As one who has owned his '98 coupe since new in late '97, I can tell you that, treated right, they can be very reliable. At almost 21 years old with 47500 miles on the clock, I've had very few issues. In fact, the first time it was ever towed (actually flatbedded) was last week when the power steering pump failed. While it was in the shop I had the front brake pads and rotors changed and replaced my 11 year old tires. Other than that it's mostly just oil changes. Driving on Boston's lovely boulevards will most likely have you doing front end bushings before too long. Between the abuse from the potholes and the probably dry rotted foam bushings you're likely to hear a lot banging around down there.
I too went to school and lived in Boston and had a beater, a 1970 AMC Hornet that was egg shaped when I sold it, for winter driving (or I just rode the T). My solution was to move to Los Angeles and much later to Honolulu where I bought my XK8. When I moved to Houston I found the roads there to be just as bad as Boston's and had to do the bushings after a few years. Now I have the car in Florida where the roads are outstanding and both the car and I are enjoying retirement - well, semi-retirement for the car! I have a choice of very nice & newer cars in my garage but the XK8 is hands down my favorite one to drive. Again welcome and enjoy your new ride!

 

 

Yep!

 

I realize that this is an old thread, but I thought I'd say hi since I'm close to being in the same boat. Graduated college in the Boston area (er, Newton) in 2017, took ownership of my late uncle's 97 XK8 a few months later. Indeed the 2004 models are pretty reliable, as far as I know, much more so than early X100s such as mine. I too use mine for a long daily commute, and it has never left me stranded despite a plethora of issues. As long as you stay vigilant (as with any car) and nip things in the bud, I think you'll be fine.

As far as winter driving, I am lucky to have access to other cars that I can use in the winter. Very little snow so far this winter, though, so once it's out of the shop, I may actually just keep driving it. Not much salt anywhere.

Send me a pm if you have any area-specific questions. If you see a blue coupe with an "Enjoy Every Sandwich" sticker on the rear window, that's me.