1991 Jaguar XJ-S

[AKROVER]

Problem#24
Status: Open
Description: Cruise control not working

The cruise control system, like many accessories on this car, is tucked into the valley of the V-12 where it is bathed in heat. Have not noticed anything visibly wrong but haven’t really begun troubleshooting.

[AKROVER]

Problem#25
Status: Open
Description: Passenger mirror does not heat in defrost setting

There is a defrost button for the rear window and both mirrors. When activated, I could feel heat on the driver’s mirror. The rear window was less definite, but I am reasonably sure it was heating. The passenger mirror remained cool. Not too important because if there is ice on my windows and mirrors, I probably am not looking to drive this car.

[AKROVER]

Problem#26
Status: Open
Description: Passenger door rust spot

I really did not want to be dealing with body work, particularly rust, yet somehow I missed one small ugly spot low on the passenger door. Surprisingly, the edge underneath the door is clean so it is just an anomalous spot that will need cleaned up, likely filled a little, and then touched up.

[AKROVER]

Problem#27
Status: Open
Description: Rust under lip of trunk lid



This is another bit of rust that I missed and it is pretty ugly, but at least it hasn’t yet found its way around the corner or through to the visible side. The lip on that lid is way below eye level and overhangs the trunk just perfectly to cause me to bang my head on it repeatedly so there will likely be a dent problem soon. This should be easy to clean up and touch up good enough for something no one will ever see.

[AKROVER]

Problem#28
Status: Open
Description: Paint issues

There are at least two paint issues that fail the ten-foot test. The worst is on top of the passenger fender. Touching these up will be a bit tricky for this amateur. Perhaps I should talk to a professional.

[AKROVER]

Problem#29
Status: Open
Description: Hood poorly aligned

The gap on the passenger side is a lot narrower than the gap on the driver’s side. I did try to adjust it but quickly found out that I might be expecting too much in trying to get Jaguar gaps to be even. The hood hinges introduce all sorts of alignment problems and the new hood struts had to be removed as they were fighting me. After fiddling around for an hour, I was happy to get it back to where it was. I think this might require more disassembly and perhaps an assistant.

[AKROVER]

Problem#30
Status: Resolved - see 10/28 and 10/30/24 posts
Description: Gasoline smell in trunk

Don’t you hate it when you notice something really strange and start typing a search that autocompletes exactly what you were about to type. How did google know to finish “XJS gasoline smell” with “in the trunk”? Common search, common problem. There are a number of possibilities and none of them are particularly good. The fuel system lacks integrity in some way, possibly the tank itself. This is a common issue for new purchasers because they are often doing the first significant filling of the tank in years. I might have to drop the tank. For now, the smell seems to stay in the trunk so not a big deal.

[AKROVER]

Problem#31
Status: Resolved
Description: Passenger side fuse panel clip broken

There are two fuse panels under the dash, one on each side of the car. The passenger side panel had a quarter turn plastic retainer to hold it up. It was originally a screwdriver slot, but half of it had already broken off so when I finally felt a need to get into that panel, I had to use pliers. I was successful in opening the panel, but the head of the clip broke completely off. The only replacement I could find was on eBay. The seller indicated that this part hasn’t been available for years and this is the only one they have. Consistent with their claims, they were asking $88 for a tiny cheap piece of plastic that will likely break on its tenth use. The plastic piece that this slides into has a round hole that is only slightly smaller than a 5/16” bolt and soft enough to self-thread. I even had a nice short allen bolt with a wide flat head that I have probably been carrying around in a jar for decades (hoarding does pay off). A black bolt would have been better as that would match the original retainer, but the silver head is barely visible unless you stick your head under the dash. The short bolt only threaded in a couple turns so it is only slightly less convenient than a quarter turn. I also tossed an old allen key in the glove box.

[AKROVER]

Problem#32
Status: Resolved, see post 12/2/24
Description: Passenger outboard vent not blowing air

After my wife complained, I took a closer look. The vent duct is disconnected and has dropped down. This is buried in a small corner of the dash between the glove box and the passenger door, so it is likely an easy fix, but a painful disassembly to gain access.

[AKROVER]

I am now up to date with what I know. The car continues to be a joy to drive. We took it to a couple stores today. The car isn't driving perfectly so there are a few more things to investigate and I am sure more problems will show up the more I use it. None of the remaining problems are really urgent and the car seems to be reliable (and enjoyable) transportation. I can now just slowly work off this problem list.

[MostMint]

Problem#22
Status: Open
Description: Steering lock not working in all positions

With the ignition key out, the steering column does not lock in any steering wheel position near to center. With the steering wheel turned to a nearly upside down position, there are at least a couple lock positions that work. This is probably not a problem I will ever work on since I now understand that I can lock the column just be turning the wheel far enough. If I ever tear into the column, though, I should figure out what is going wrong.

Seems like the manufacturers got away from locking the wheel at all. If I understand correctly there was too much damage when cars were getting stolen that it became counter productive to have it.

[MostMint]

Problem#29
Status: Open
Description: Hood poorly aligned

The gap on the passenger side is a lot narrower than the gap on the driver’s side. I did try to adjust it but quickly found out that I might be expecting too much in trying to get Jaguar gaps to be even. The hood hinges introduce all sorts of alignment problems and the new hood struts had to be removed as they were fighting me. After fiddling around for an hour, I was happy to get it back to where it was. I think this might require more disassembly and perhaps an assistant.

Is the hood aligned front to back? Look at the fit at the back edge of the hood and the fenders. Also does it align with the bumper (left to right) and is it parallel with the bumper?

It is possible the tops of the fenders need to move. If the bigger gap is consistently bigger than the small gap you can center the hood between them, or consider if the fender on the big gap side needs to move in just a little.


Also - I assume you are moving the hood latch along with the hood

[AKROVER]

Is the hood aligned front to back? Look at the fit at the back edge of the hood and the fenders. Also does it align with the bumper (left to right) and is it parallel with the bumper?

It is possible the tops of the fenders need to move. If the bigger gap is consistently bigger than the small gap you can center the hood between them, or consider if the fender on the big gap side needs to move in just a little.


Also - I assume you are moving the hood latch along with the hood

The hood on this car is backward, hinges at the front, latching mechanism at the back. The bottom of the hinge where it attaches to the structure of the car is where there is slop in the connection for alignment purposes, but the primary bolts are barely accessible behind the bumper which adds to the challenge. With such a long hood, it is as much a challenge to get the angle right as the side to side. Front to back was the problem with having the struts attached; as soon as I loosened the bolts, the hood slid forward. The latch is not a problem as it is nothing like a traditional latch. There is a retaining hook that looks like most cars, but that has essentially infinite room to move sideways. The latch hooks over two horizontal rods on each corner of the hood and as the lever is pulled into the closed position, it hooks over and pulls down the back of the hood to retain it. Those rods have sideways movement available so the latch really isn't a factor (although it requires good front to back adjustment to line up). It seemed like a simple task, but it is possible that those hinge attachment points are already as far to the driver's side as possible. The fender idea might have some merit. If you stop by this afternoon, I think we could get this squared away in about an hour. I need to find some mechanically inclined friends here. Artists and musicians don't seem like the right assistants for this job. Without an assistant on that long heavy hood, I risk contact with the fenders. There is already some missing paint on the passenger fender that suggests that someone else struggled with this problem.

[AKROVER]

I pulled the trigger on some orders. The ignition key was $30 from a guy in Virginia who can cut these Tibbe Keys. It looks like the key even comes with a Jaguar logo. I also ordered a couple of key blanks for $8 each. There were lots of key blanks available, some for less than a dollar, but these have the same head on them with the leaper logo so I am hoping these match the thin flange of my universal key so that I won't have to grind it down to get it to fit in the trunk and glove box. This is a lot of money for keys, but at my age, I really should have a spare set.

[AKROVER]

With it getting dark earlier, it was starting to seem likely that I could be driving after dark. I was able to clean up the contacts on the light bulbs and they work. The assemblies were hanging by the wires as plastic assemblies had broken off the screws. I cut and drilled pieces of clear plastic to hold the old assemblies in place by the original screws. I am searching for some cheap LEDs to put in there instead. The original lights are available for about $50 each and that seems like a lot for license plate lighting.