1991 Jaguar XJ-S
Moderators: MostMint, wxo, Fred32v, Basement Paul, ttamrettus
1991 Jaguar XJ-S
My car arrived yesterday evening. I am back in the game. I haven’t maintained a classic car since I gave up on my 1968 Lincoln back in 1995. My 1991 Jaguar is older today than my Lincoln was then, my Jag was almost new back then. I am looking forward to the mental and physical challenges of working on a car. I am looking forward to having something that drives entirely differently than any car on the market today. I am excited to finally own another of my longstanding favorites in the history of automobiles. This first post will capture the general information about the car I bought.
The XJ-S was produced from 1975 through 1996 in three generations. Mine is the last year of the second generation and nearly the last unit of that model year. My manufacture date is 2/91and the 92 MY began 3/91. My VIN is 417 less than the first VIN of the third generation. The visible differences between the generations were relatively minor and the trim changes from year-to-year were almost nonexistent. As a result, they all look very similar, but an enthusiast can immediately tell the generations apart.
The car is long and low with a hood that goes on forever. The roof line is less than 50 inches off the ground, quoted as low as 47.8” in some sources (mine currently measures at 49.25 inches). That makes it quite distinctive in comparison to modern vehicles (my ‘sporty’ VW roofline is nearly 58” and looks like an SUV sitting in the garage next to the long low Jag). The C-pillars are buttressed out onto the flat rear deck, a distinctive styling that people either love or hate. It looks like a combo notchback/fastback. It is also a heavy car at over two tons. This is a luxury grand touring car with an original MSRP starting at $53K in 1991 (equivalent to about $125K today).
Over the three generations, about 115,000 cars were produced for worldwide distribution of which just over half were coupes. The convertible wasn’t even available until 1989, so it outsold the coupes significantly in the last few years of production. Coupe production peaked in 1986 and then began falling rapidly. In 1991, only 1008 coupes were sold in the US. If market prices only depended on production numbers, these cars would be considered very rare and priced a lot higher. For a number of reasons, there are very few enthusiasts, so prices are very low compared to other classic cars.
The engine is a 5.3L V-12 that was rated at 263hp and 290lb-ft. The US compression ratio is 11.5:1 (it requires premium fuel). It is an overhead cam design, 2 valves per cylinder, with port fuel injection. The transmission is a General Motors TH400 three-speed automatic. The car has an independent rear suspension with a 2.88:1 limited slip differential.
In 1990 and 1991, Jaguar had a “Classic Collection” package. The package at a minimum included contrasting piping on the seats, a gold emblem on the hood, elm wood trim, and they replaced the V-12 emblem on the back with a Classic Collection badge. I haven’t located anything more definitive about this package, but my serial number indicates that mine had this package and all the details above match.
All XJ-S’s were perhaps nicely equipped for 1991, but not extravagant. The leather seats are manually adjusted merely for/aft and seat angle (kind of chintzy for an expensive car, but a relief when buying an old car). There is a power lumbar, though, on both seats. Both seats have seat heaters (bottom and backrest) that only work at interior temperatures less than 59 degrees. The seatbelts are ordinary retracting shoulder belts and there is a driver side airbag which allowed Jaguar to end the ‘87 thru ‘89 automatic seatbelt tracks above the doors. It does have a back seat, but it is completely useless. Power windows, power locks, tilt (no telescope) wheel, and automatic climate control are a few of the expected yet more routine features. There is a digital trip computer mounted in the dash that tracks time, distance, and fuel economy in a laughable 1980’s sort of way. Jaguar is famous for using real wood trim on the dash, doors, and center console. Wood is a stupid material to use in an automobile but certainly luxurious (more on that in later posts). The gauges include 160mph speedometer, tachometer (5800 redline), six-digit odometer, trip odometer, voltage, oil pressure, fuel level, and coolant temperature.
My exterior color is Brooklands Green (Code HFB) which is a nonmetallic finish. There have been a number of dark green colors, both metallic and non, that have been casually called British Racing Green. Brooklands is the name of a famous British racetrack. The interior on my car is called Doeskin (Code AEE). This is the classic British Racing Green/tan interior combination.
So far, everything on my car looks correct, although far from perfect. All of the stickers under the hood and on the doors appear to be original and in good condition. The owner’s manual was signed by the original owner noting “accepted delivery on 12/16/91. There is also a gold sticker with the original owner’s name embossed on the front of the paper manual. There is a card inside the leather cover that indicates the salesman was Jim Kempthorn of Kempthorn Motors (Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, Jaguar, Volvo) in Canton Ohio which isn’t far from where I found the car. I think I have a true original low-mileage car (46,527 as it arrived in my garage), not that it makes it worth anything and not that my intention is to keep it that way. It does make me think about my path forward, but for now, there are things that need attention.
First updates
My first two updates weren’t done by me. During our strange one-sided negotiations, the dealer offered to install new hood struts as the old ones were too weak to hold the hood up. That has been done and they work.
The second is a brand-new battery. According to the dealer, when preparing the car for shipping, he thought the battery seemed weak, so he put a new one in at his cost. The dealer informed me that the new battery was dead when the shipping company showed up a couple days later, although he didn’t have a definitive reason for that. I wasn’t surprised that the shipper jumped my car to get it off the trailer. The car drove home fine and the voltage gauge was high enough to suggest that the alternator was charging the battery. I had the shipper meet me at the truck stop five miles up the road as my dead-end street is a bit tight for a 53-foot trailer. That five-mile drive wouldn’t be my choice for trying to charge a battery. The battery didn’t have enough juice to restart once I was home so I put the battery on a charger overnight. Hopefully since it is a brand-new battery, everything will be fine, but I do wonder if some electrical device is drawing power even with the car turned off. Hopefully it was just a mistake at the dealer in leaving a light on or a door open.
So my tally right now is new hood struts and a new battery for a total cost of zero.
The second is a brand-new battery. According to the dealer, when preparing the car for shipping, he thought the battery seemed weak, so he put a new one in at his cost. The dealer informed me that the new battery was dead when the shipping company showed up a couple days later, although he didn’t have a definitive reason for that. I wasn’t surprised that the shipper jumped my car to get it off the trailer. The car drove home fine and the voltage gauge was high enough to suggest that the alternator was charging the battery. I had the shipper meet me at the truck stop five miles up the road as my dead-end street is a bit tight for a 53-foot trailer. That five-mile drive wouldn’t be my choice for trying to charge a battery. The battery didn’t have enough juice to restart once I was home so I put the battery on a charger overnight. Hopefully since it is a brand-new battery, everything will be fine, but I do wonder if some electrical device is drawing power even with the car turned off. Hopefully it was just a mistake at the dealer in leaving a light on or a door open.
So my tally right now is new hood struts and a new battery for a total cost of zero.
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
I wonder if the V12 is a BOP or Chevy bolt pattern, or if the TH400 was made with the Jag bolt pattern?
My 89 Vette that is half converted to a race car only had 61k on it. I sense that a lot of performance cars of the day were not daily drivers and so what you get here 3 decades later is a direct result of what happened to the car along the journey. From the pics, this Jag looks like it has been living in a garage its whole life.
My 89 Vette that is half converted to a race car only had 61k on it. I sense that a lot of performance cars of the day were not daily drivers and so what you get here 3 decades later is a direct result of what happened to the car along the journey. From the pics, this Jag looks like it has been living in a garage its whole life.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
-BP[/quote]
Evaluation Phase
Yesterday was mostly an evaluation day. I started with a long list of items that I generated by simply going through the owner’s manual. Some of those were easy, turn a switch to see if it works. Some required driving the car. Some couldn’t be tested (e.g., the seat heaters by design can only be turned on at interior temperatures below 59 degrees and it has been warmer than that in the car so far. The good news is that more things are working as designed than not.
We took the car for a 25-mile drive yesterday and a 75-mile drive today. On today’s drive, we even drove through a couple of herds of bison (none licked my car, but there was some unavoidable crap on the road so I might have applied some undesirable undercoating).
The car mostly drives as I hoped. It really feels unlike anything I have ever driven. Everything feels smooth, although the shifts feel a bit crisp by today’s automatic transmission standards. The car feels heavy and floaty, but it goes where you point it, at least once you get used to the steering ratio. It is a fun car on the curvy roads through the hills and it is a pleasant car at speed on the straights. I have had it up 80mph and I was confident and comfortable. This thing will still easily motor at triple digit speeds, but I was already a bit over the limit doing 80. Acceleration is what one would expect from 263hp directed through a 2.88 rear on a 4,000lb car, not much push in the back. The car never feels as fast as it is going, although by appearance, sitting lower to the ground than I have in years, things look faster. Since I don’t drive much with my eyes closed, I shouldn’t have to worry too much about accidentally speeding.
The car does get attention. It looks like nothing else on the road. Two of my neighbors have already asked me about it.
We took the car for a 25-mile drive yesterday and a 75-mile drive today. On today’s drive, we even drove through a couple of herds of bison (none licked my car, but there was some unavoidable crap on the road so I might have applied some undesirable undercoating).
The car mostly drives as I hoped. It really feels unlike anything I have ever driven. Everything feels smooth, although the shifts feel a bit crisp by today’s automatic transmission standards. The car feels heavy and floaty, but it goes where you point it, at least once you get used to the steering ratio. It is a fun car on the curvy roads through the hills and it is a pleasant car at speed on the straights. I have had it up 80mph and I was confident and comfortable. This thing will still easily motor at triple digit speeds, but I was already a bit over the limit doing 80. Acceleration is what one would expect from 263hp directed through a 2.88 rear on a 4,000lb car, not much push in the back. The car never feels as fast as it is going, although by appearance, sitting lower to the ground than I have in years, things look faster. Since I don’t drive much with my eyes closed, I shouldn’t have to worry too much about accidentally speeding.
The car does get attention. It looks like nothing else on the road. Two of my neighbors have already asked me about it.
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Consider this a warning. There will be a lot of words and a lot of posts coming your way. I really want to document this car well. In this long post, I will document the good things that are working as originally designed with some commentary on some of the features of the car and the specifics of my car at this time. In subsequent posts, I will be posting one problem per post to help me track resolution. I currently have identified 29 unresolved issues. Some of these issues might not ever get my attention as they are not really important to my ownership. Some of these will get extensive updates as I work through what might be more than I hoped for in buying this car. I have already been having a few waves of angst on a couple of these issues. Now on to the good stuff.
One positive when I looked at this car was that the tires on this car are nearly new (date code 3923). One issue in looking at low mileage classics is that the tires could be ancient, even if they have a lot of tread. While tires are a relatively minor cost for most classics, when purchasing a car for less than $15K, the cost of a set of tires starts to be significant on a percentage basis. I think it also says something about the seller’s opinion of the car if they bothered to put new tires on. One problem with tires for this car is that the original tires were 235/60VR15. No one makes a V-rated tire in this size anymore. Mine are Hankook Kinergy ST and they only carry a T rating (118mph). I think that will suffice for my purposes. According to the owner’s manual, the tire pressure should be set at 36psi, but can be dropped as low as 28psi for comfort as long as the car is kept below 100 mph.
The car has a digital electronic trip computer. This is a radio-sized box mounted in the dash with a 7-segment LCD display and a row of buttons. It provides trip gallons, mpg, distance, and time. It also provides instantaneous mpg. It was probably a really cool feature when this came out, but the execution of this limited functionality looks silly today as most new cars have this same information and more showing on a digital dashboard with sophisticated color graphics. I was so thrilled to see on our first couple of drives that the device was showing rational numbers. The fuel economy was right in range with what should be expected. The trip distance was spot on. This is a real piece of history and it appears to work perfectly. As an electrical engineer who designed a device similar to this as my senior project in college, I apologize for geeking out on this.
The seats in my car are very nice for their age. Leather doesn’t usually survive 33 years, especially in a low car with bolstered seat backs. The contrasting piping still provides a little interest to the interior. Down low on the bolsters, that piping is worn badly, but the underlying stitching on the seats doesn’t look pulled and the leather isn’t yet ripping at the stitches. The leather feels a little firm, but it is still flexible. The controls are primarily manual and very limited, basically slide and tilt. Those mechanisms work well and are actually a relief to have in an old car as power seats can be a headache.
Other interior parts are excellent, too. The dash cover looks perfect. The headliner is slightly imperfect, but so good that I think it might have been replaced. The back seats on these cars are always perfect as no one can actually sit back there. Steering wheels also tend to look bad after 33 years, yet this one is very nice with no noticeable wear on the leather or stitching. The carpets look good, although I thing there are sections missing in the front that are currently covered by fitted floor mats that might not be the correct color. The gauge cluster, switches, and controls look nice for their age, too, although there are a few wear spots on some of the switches.
These cars are known for excessive heat under the hood. The catalytic converters are way up front on this car and one major source of heat. The low hood and compact packaging of the accessories for the giant V-12 add to the cooling challenge. The real issue with that heat is the hoses, belts, and wires degrade rapidly. I was happy to see a lot of newish hoses under the hood. I was also happy to hear an electric fan running after one of my cruises. To my surprise, there are two fans on this car, one electric and one belt-driven. I was also quite happy to hear that fan stop running after a few minutes. It appears that the thermostatic control on that is working correctly. There is a lot of heat when sitting still and I have been opening the hood when I get home just to help it dissipate.
The car has a useful set of gauges, although electric gauges are sometimes untrustworthy. The set includes oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltage, and fuel level. While I have not verified the accuracy of the pressure and temperature gauge, they appear to be providing reasonable numbers. The voltage gauge reads slightly low compared to my voltmeter, but it works. The fuel gauge appears to be quite accurate. It was sitting at a quarter of a tank and I intentionally added just 12 gallons which would be half of the 24 gallon tank. As expected, the fuel gauge went up to three quarters.
When I inspected the car on the lift at the dealership, there was wetness and drips from the oil filter, oil pan, and transmission pan. It also appeared that there could be oil in between the transmission and engine, a possible rear main seal leak. Since arriving home two days ago and with the dipsticks showing good levels, there have been maybe a couple drops on my garage floor. It is possible that driving the car is helping with some of the leakage, but more likely that the leakage is just minimal.
Most of the basic functionality works perfectly. That includes taillights, high beams, low beams, turn signals, hazards, brake lights, backup lights, side marker lights, wipers, power windows, tilt wheel, light switches, and horn. Anything not mentioned will likely show up in subsequent posts about the problems.
The radio works, as well, although it might not be original. There is a plastic card in the owner’s manual with a radio security code, but then there is a handwritten code in numerous locations that actually unlocks the radio. The radio isn’t anything special, but radio theft was a big thing in the early 90’s so as a deterrent, anytime the power to the radio is lost, it requires a code entry to unlock it. I think it is just a four-speaker setup and the balance and fade functions work well. The volume potentiometer is likely a little dirty and so it cuts in and out as it is adjusted. That will probably clean up with use. I couldn’t test the cassette player as I have no cassettes.
Overall, the items highlighted above, along with the general driving experience, are the manic elements of my short ownership experience. The posts that follow will document the depressive elements. Most of the issues really are minor and I am formulating my plans for correction, but there are a few that have me asking if I bit off more than I can chew.
One positive when I looked at this car was that the tires on this car are nearly new (date code 3923). One issue in looking at low mileage classics is that the tires could be ancient, even if they have a lot of tread. While tires are a relatively minor cost for most classics, when purchasing a car for less than $15K, the cost of a set of tires starts to be significant on a percentage basis. I think it also says something about the seller’s opinion of the car if they bothered to put new tires on. One problem with tires for this car is that the original tires were 235/60VR15. No one makes a V-rated tire in this size anymore. Mine are Hankook Kinergy ST and they only carry a T rating (118mph). I think that will suffice for my purposes. According to the owner’s manual, the tire pressure should be set at 36psi, but can be dropped as low as 28psi for comfort as long as the car is kept below 100 mph.
The car has a digital electronic trip computer. This is a radio-sized box mounted in the dash with a 7-segment LCD display and a row of buttons. It provides trip gallons, mpg, distance, and time. It also provides instantaneous mpg. It was probably a really cool feature when this came out, but the execution of this limited functionality looks silly today as most new cars have this same information and more showing on a digital dashboard with sophisticated color graphics. I was so thrilled to see on our first couple of drives that the device was showing rational numbers. The fuel economy was right in range with what should be expected. The trip distance was spot on. This is a real piece of history and it appears to work perfectly. As an electrical engineer who designed a device similar to this as my senior project in college, I apologize for geeking out on this.
The seats in my car are very nice for their age. Leather doesn’t usually survive 33 years, especially in a low car with bolstered seat backs. The contrasting piping still provides a little interest to the interior. Down low on the bolsters, that piping is worn badly, but the underlying stitching on the seats doesn’t look pulled and the leather isn’t yet ripping at the stitches. The leather feels a little firm, but it is still flexible. The controls are primarily manual and very limited, basically slide and tilt. Those mechanisms work well and are actually a relief to have in an old car as power seats can be a headache.
Other interior parts are excellent, too. The dash cover looks perfect. The headliner is slightly imperfect, but so good that I think it might have been replaced. The back seats on these cars are always perfect as no one can actually sit back there. Steering wheels also tend to look bad after 33 years, yet this one is very nice with no noticeable wear on the leather or stitching. The carpets look good, although I thing there are sections missing in the front that are currently covered by fitted floor mats that might not be the correct color. The gauge cluster, switches, and controls look nice for their age, too, although there are a few wear spots on some of the switches.
These cars are known for excessive heat under the hood. The catalytic converters are way up front on this car and one major source of heat. The low hood and compact packaging of the accessories for the giant V-12 add to the cooling challenge. The real issue with that heat is the hoses, belts, and wires degrade rapidly. I was happy to see a lot of newish hoses under the hood. I was also happy to hear an electric fan running after one of my cruises. To my surprise, there are two fans on this car, one electric and one belt-driven. I was also quite happy to hear that fan stop running after a few minutes. It appears that the thermostatic control on that is working correctly. There is a lot of heat when sitting still and I have been opening the hood when I get home just to help it dissipate.
The car has a useful set of gauges, although electric gauges are sometimes untrustworthy. The set includes oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltage, and fuel level. While I have not verified the accuracy of the pressure and temperature gauge, they appear to be providing reasonable numbers. The voltage gauge reads slightly low compared to my voltmeter, but it works. The fuel gauge appears to be quite accurate. It was sitting at a quarter of a tank and I intentionally added just 12 gallons which would be half of the 24 gallon tank. As expected, the fuel gauge went up to three quarters.
When I inspected the car on the lift at the dealership, there was wetness and drips from the oil filter, oil pan, and transmission pan. It also appeared that there could be oil in between the transmission and engine, a possible rear main seal leak. Since arriving home two days ago and with the dipsticks showing good levels, there have been maybe a couple drops on my garage floor. It is possible that driving the car is helping with some of the leakage, but more likely that the leakage is just minimal.
Most of the basic functionality works perfectly. That includes taillights, high beams, low beams, turn signals, hazards, brake lights, backup lights, side marker lights, wipers, power windows, tilt wheel, light switches, and horn. Anything not mentioned will likely show up in subsequent posts about the problems.
The radio works, as well, although it might not be original. There is a plastic card in the owner’s manual with a radio security code, but then there is a handwritten code in numerous locations that actually unlocks the radio. The radio isn’t anything special, but radio theft was a big thing in the early 90’s so as a deterrent, anytime the power to the radio is lost, it requires a code entry to unlock it. I think it is just a four-speaker setup and the balance and fade functions work well. The volume potentiometer is likely a little dirty and so it cuts in and out as it is adjusted. That will probably clean up with use. I couldn’t test the cassette player as I have no cassettes.
Overall, the items highlighted above, along with the general driving experience, are the manic elements of my short ownership experience. The posts that follow will document the depressive elements. Most of the issues really are minor and I am formulating my plans for correction, but there are a few that have me asking if I bit off more than I can chew.
Problem#3 - Battery Draining
Problem#3 (#1 was hood struts, #2 was battery replacement)
Status: Resolved 10/14/24
Description: Battery Draining
The dealer put in a new battery for me in preparation for shipping, but two days later when it was about to be shipped, the battery was dead. The delivery driver jumpstarted my car to get it off the trailer and I was able to drive home fine. I immediately hooked up the charger. On Saturday, the battery was fully charged and we drove 25 miles. On Sunday morning, the battery voltage was very low again, 11.3 volts IIRC. I hooked up the charger and began contemplating the troubleshooting procedure for finding the errant power consumer.
Backing up to Saturday, as I was finding all my individual problems, I was also doing a bit of internet research. While researching the power antenna (which will be Problem#23), I read a long thread about all the connections and relays and noticed one small comment that one user had experienced battery drainage due to their faulty antenna. I made a mental note of that, but really didn’t put much stock in that as I didn’t yet know that I actually had a battery drainage problem (the dealer could have left a light on), and I know that there could likely be dozens of problems that cause the battery to drain, anyway.
While standing there thinking on Sunday morning, watching the numbers slowly move on the charger, I decided to at least get an idea of the size of the power leakage. I pulled the negative connection and then touched it to the battery, watching to see how much of a spark I would get. I was also thinking that I might hear something that might help me find the culprit. The spark indicated that it was what I would call a moderate consumer, but I also heard a click, right next to me. There are some electrical devices right next to the battery box in the trunk, but further back on that side is the power antenna. I touched the negative to the battery a couple more times and clearly determined that the click was at the power antenna. I pulled the carpeted cover off the power antenna and on a cool morning in a cool garage, the antenna assembly and much of the wiring felt warm. I disconnected the power connectors and this morning, after fully charging the battery yesterday and driving the car 75 miles, the voltage read a solid 12.7 volts. This problem is resolved.
My plan is to use this forum to document each problem identified and then document the resolution in a later post with a simple edit on the status on the original problem description post. This one was luckily resolved before I even documented it. I also have a spreadsheet where I am tracking my hours and costs for each problem. I charged 1 hour to my fiddling around with the charger, troubleshooting, and simple fix.
This picture shows the very nice looking trunk with the battery and the location of the power antenna. The carpets are pristine, but don’t let all the good news fool you about this car.
Status: Resolved 10/14/24
Description: Battery Draining
The dealer put in a new battery for me in preparation for shipping, but two days later when it was about to be shipped, the battery was dead. The delivery driver jumpstarted my car to get it off the trailer and I was able to drive home fine. I immediately hooked up the charger. On Saturday, the battery was fully charged and we drove 25 miles. On Sunday morning, the battery voltage was very low again, 11.3 volts IIRC. I hooked up the charger and began contemplating the troubleshooting procedure for finding the errant power consumer.
Backing up to Saturday, as I was finding all my individual problems, I was also doing a bit of internet research. While researching the power antenna (which will be Problem#23), I read a long thread about all the connections and relays and noticed one small comment that one user had experienced battery drainage due to their faulty antenna. I made a mental note of that, but really didn’t put much stock in that as I didn’t yet know that I actually had a battery drainage problem (the dealer could have left a light on), and I know that there could likely be dozens of problems that cause the battery to drain, anyway.
While standing there thinking on Sunday morning, watching the numbers slowly move on the charger, I decided to at least get an idea of the size of the power leakage. I pulled the negative connection and then touched it to the battery, watching to see how much of a spark I would get. I was also thinking that I might hear something that might help me find the culprit. The spark indicated that it was what I would call a moderate consumer, but I also heard a click, right next to me. There are some electrical devices right next to the battery box in the trunk, but further back on that side is the power antenna. I touched the negative to the battery a couple more times and clearly determined that the click was at the power antenna. I pulled the carpeted cover off the power antenna and on a cool morning in a cool garage, the antenna assembly and much of the wiring felt warm. I disconnected the power connectors and this morning, after fully charging the battery yesterday and driving the car 75 miles, the voltage read a solid 12.7 volts. This problem is resolved.
My plan is to use this forum to document each problem identified and then document the resolution in a later post with a simple edit on the status on the original problem description post. This one was luckily resolved before I even documented it. I also have a spreadsheet where I am tracking my hours and costs for each problem. I charged 1 hour to my fiddling around with the charger, troubleshooting, and simple fix.
This picture shows the very nice looking trunk with the battery and the location of the power antenna. The carpets are pristine, but don’t let all the good news fool you about this car.
Problem#4 - Loud clunk going over bumps
Problem#4
Status: Resolved (page 3, 10/18/24 post)
Description: Clunk going over bumps
Now we get to the first disturbing part of this car. There is a loud clunk when hitting bumps. It was there during my test drive of the car, but I thought at that time it was coming from the rear and for whatever uninformed reason, I wasn’t too concerned about rear suspension problems. Now, after driving the car extensively, aiming for bumps on both the left and the right, and listening for the timing of the clunk, it appears to correspond primarily with the driver front. Research so far suggests the most likely issue is front suspension, but there are a lot of bushings up there and reading up on the rebuild procedure has me worried. I have pulled the driver front and don’t see anything obvious, but none of the bushings look great. I have rocked the car heavily at each wheel and tried to bounce the car by hand, but I can only generate the clunk while moving. There doesn’t seem to be any play in any of the wheels and certainly none detected when lifting that driver front. I have ordered an inspection camera to help me see into the dark tight areas of this car so perhaps I can set that up to video certain pivots while driving. I suppose I can’t rule out engine or trans mounts so perhaps the inspection camera will let me see those. Rebuilding the front suspension could be a good winter project, but it requires lifting the car relatively high and removing the entire subframe. It also involves dealing with dangerous springs and what will likely be very rusty very large bolts. I am picturing myself with a case of PB Blaster and a long piece of pipe stressing my wrenches to their limits.
Status: Resolved (page 3, 10/18/24 post)
Description: Clunk going over bumps
Now we get to the first disturbing part of this car. There is a loud clunk when hitting bumps. It was there during my test drive of the car, but I thought at that time it was coming from the rear and for whatever uninformed reason, I wasn’t too concerned about rear suspension problems. Now, after driving the car extensively, aiming for bumps on both the left and the right, and listening for the timing of the clunk, it appears to correspond primarily with the driver front. Research so far suggests the most likely issue is front suspension, but there are a lot of bushings up there and reading up on the rebuild procedure has me worried. I have pulled the driver front and don’t see anything obvious, but none of the bushings look great. I have rocked the car heavily at each wheel and tried to bounce the car by hand, but I can only generate the clunk while moving. There doesn’t seem to be any play in any of the wheels and certainly none detected when lifting that driver front. I have ordered an inspection camera to help me see into the dark tight areas of this car so perhaps I can set that up to video certain pivots while driving. I suppose I can’t rule out engine or trans mounts so perhaps the inspection camera will let me see those. Rebuilding the front suspension could be a good winter project, but it requires lifting the car relatively high and removing the entire subframe. It also involves dealing with dangerous springs and what will likely be very rusty very large bolts. I am picturing myself with a case of PB Blaster and a long piece of pipe stressing my wrenches to their limits.
Last edited by AKROVER on Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Problem#5 - Emergency brake is weak
Problem#5
Status: Open
Description: Emergency brake is weak
One of the “quirks and features” of the XJS (google Doug Demuro XJS if you want to see his sometimes funny video about my car) is the emergency brake. The lever is on the left of the driver’s seat and to prevent the lever from blocking entry and exit, it has a sort of ratcheting feature. The lever works, but the brake is not strong enough to hold against putting the car in gear at idle. The spring return also seems a bit weak as it takes a little jiggling to get the emergency brake light on the dash to go out.
Status: Open
Description: Emergency brake is weak
One of the “quirks and features” of the XJS (google Doug Demuro XJS if you want to see his sometimes funny video about my car) is the emergency brake. The lever is on the left of the driver’s seat and to prevent the lever from blocking entry and exit, it has a sort of ratcheting feature. The lever works, but the brake is not strong enough to hold against putting the car in gear at idle. The spring return also seems a bit weak as it takes a little jiggling to get the emergency brake light on the dash to go out.
Problem#6 - Tachometer reads low
Problem#6
Status: Open
Description: Tachometer reads low
The tachometer responds to changes in engine speed but reads very low. Research suggests that it could be a grounding issue or a connection issue on the instrument panel. The grounding issue typically also causes problems with the speedometer and yesterday I passed one of those radar signs at 56 mph on the speedo and the sign read 55 so good there.
Status: Open
Description: Tachometer reads low
The tachometer responds to changes in engine speed but reads very low. Research suggests that it could be a grounding issue or a connection issue on the instrument panel. The grounding issue typically also causes problems with the speedometer and yesterday I passed one of those radar signs at 56 mph on the speedo and the sign read 55 so good there.
- Basement Paul
- Posts: 3489
- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:27 pm
- Location: In the dirt.
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
Any chance the clunking is just simply old shocks/struts not bounding and rebounding as designed? All the bushings on my Vette look like dried up turds, and there's zero clunks with my newer shocks.
-BP
-BP
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
Absolutely, but I am in the worst-case fretting and worrying phase of ownership. The car seems properly damped on all four corners doing a traditional bounce test, but thanks to your question sending me to some videos, I see some hope. I will take a closer look and perhaps that will be a smart thing to try first.Basement Paul wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 11:58 am Any chance the clunking is just simply old shocks/struts not bounding and rebounding as designed? All the bushings on my Vette look like dried up turds, and there's zero clunks with my newer shocks.
-BP
- Basement Paul
- Posts: 3489
- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:27 pm
- Location: In the dirt.
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
You need to lift up your spirits on this thing, you're bringing me down with your half empty energy. You already solved the battery draining issue and have put more than 100 miles on it without needing a wrecker to get you home. I'd say you're off to a good start. The leaks may be solved by driving, and if not, I recommend a high mileage oil for the engine and maybe a simple additive to whatever other system is weeping. I've solved multiple small leaks on cars by using that. It swells the gaskets and you're gold. My Vette small block used to leak in the winter when it sat and was dry all summer when it was being run.
-BP
-BP
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
Driving it 100 miles is a good start. This to me means its a running project car.
Old cars need work - and making them better is an ongoing process. And it does not all need to be done at once. When I bought my first C3 Vette I was gridlocked for days since I didn't know where to start. You are already organized and don't need this as a daily driver, so take them on one per week or one per month.
I'd change the shocks up front before I got into anything else in the front suspension. My Challenger was fine the first time I drove it but after sitting almost two years and a few hundred miles the struts up front are no good and clunk over any significant bumps. It sounds like parts are going to fall out. Those shocks are probably original.
If not already on your list, the brake hoses are also probably original and should be replaced along with the fluid.
Old cars need work - and making them better is an ongoing process. And it does not all need to be done at once. When I bought my first C3 Vette I was gridlocked for days since I didn't know where to start. You are already organized and don't need this as a daily driver, so take them on one per week or one per month.
I'd change the shocks up front before I got into anything else in the front suspension. My Challenger was fine the first time I drove it but after sitting almost two years and a few hundred miles the struts up front are no good and clunk over any significant bumps. It sounds like parts are going to fall out. Those shocks are probably original.
If not already on your list, the brake hoses are also probably original and should be replaced along with the fluid.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
-BP[/quote]
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
No half empty energy here. It is an alternating energy that goes from completely full to completely empty with very little time spent in between. One minute I am thrilled with the car I found and the next I am wondering if this was a mistake. I shouild reach a more even temper in a few days. I am obsessed and lacking focus right now, but I am organizing my thoughts and deeply evaluating everything that I can. I have done a ton of research and watched a ton of YouTube videos in the last couple of days. I am starting to notice that the cars being worked on in the videos look worse than mine.Basement Paul wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 4:05 pm You need to lift up your spirits on this thing, you're bringing me down with your half empty energy. You already solved the battery draining issue and have put more than 100 miles on it without needing a wrecker to get you home. I'd say you're off to a good start. The leaks may be solved by driving, and if not, I recommend a high mileage oil for the engine and maybe a simple additive to whatever other system is weeping. I've solved multiple small leaks on cars by using that. It swells the gaskets and you're gold. My Vette small block used to leak in the winter when it sat and was dry all summer when it was being run.
-BP
Re: 1991 Jaguar XJ-S
All good thoughts. I am trying to decide which front shocks to order. The front brakes were worked on. Pads and rotors look great. I will check hoses next time I pull a wheel. Rears are a weird inboard configuration and haven't been addressed. I will probably have to pull the independent suspension assembly to get at struts and brakes. Probably do bushings with that, as well. That could be a good winter project.MostMint wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 4:35 pm Driving it 100 miles is a good start. This to me means its a running project car.
Old cars need work - and making them better is an ongoing process. And it does not all need to be done at once. When I bought my first C3 Vette I was gridlocked for days since I didn't know where to start. You are already organized and don't need this as a daily driver, so take them on one per week or one per month.
I'd change the shocks up front before I got into anything else in the front suspension. My Challenger was fine the first time I drove it but after sitting almost two years and a few hundred miles the struts up front are no good and clunk over any significant bumps. It sounds like parts are going to fall out. Those shocks are probably original.
If not already on your list, the brake hoses are also probably original and should be replaced along with the fluid.