I'm a new 01 XKR owner just not new to Jags. This is my 5th one. The question I have is the top seems to take about ten seconds before it starts to move in either direction. Can these tops get low on hydraulic fluid? Is there some type of maintenance that I can do before some thing get worse?

 

Yes they can, this is probably one of the highest thread topics on the forum. Look at the DIY sticky thread and find the entries on them. Or do a search but be prepared to read you'll have many results. A guy here has a good site to check also, JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource it has very good information on the tops.

 

That is slow. Should only take a couple of seconds before the top moves. There are a number of fittings from which the hydraulic fluid can weep. For starters, pull the carpet panel from the passenger (right) side of the trunk where the CD changer is (the panel is just held in place by friction) and look for wetness from the pump connections. You will also be able to see the fluid level in the reservoir atop the pump. If you top it up, make sure you have the correct fluid. As suggested above, check out Gus's site, jagrepair.com. Tops are sort of a speciality for Gus.

And as far as maintenance goes, if your hoses have not leaked and been replaced in the past, they likely will eventually leak, often from the overhead light. Very messy. The hoses, especially their fittings are not able to withstand the unnecessarily high pressure the pump puts out. Don't know if any of our convertibles escape it, although I think some early cars may have had better fittings. The best preventive maintenance is to install the pressure reducing valve you will come across in your reading. It's no guarantee. My top latch connectors still sprung a leak at 100k miles even after installing it, but maybe it was already too late when I put it in. You might also operate the top with the engine off. Yes, it taxes the battery a little, but I believe the pump's pressure is reduced a bit when the engine's not feeding the battery. However, I may have imagined that.

 

+1

Based on feedback from this forum, I seldom operate mine with the engine running.

However, that does not solve your too slow to start problem. Good advice on checking the fluid level. Easy to do and no cost to check.

Be prepared for heavy reading once you search on the threads suggested.

 

Gents, the load on the battery when operating the top with the engine off is not significant. It's a small fraction of one amp-hour (the battery holds on the order of 100 amp-hours). It's about the same as turning on the headlights for the period of time required to raise or lower the top.

Operating this way reduces the peak pressure by only a small amount. It does make the pressure pulses a little less steep, which is good. Overall, not too much help; but it couldn't hurt. I run this way too.

 

Thank you everyone for the great info and the inks, very helpful. Know I have information to be dangerous.