Common Failures
Common Jaguar Failures
I hope this will help you understand a little better how your car works and what you can expect in the future. Please understand that there is a difference between parts that are made to wear out, like brake pads, belts, hoses, etc... and something that just fails for one reason or another. In the following articles, you will find information on the most common Jaguar failures and/or repairs.
Timing Chain Tensioners
This article concerns all Jaguar cars with the 4.0-liter V-8 engine from the 1997 through 2002 model years. The original upper timing chain tensioners are made of a type of plastic that can split apart, allowing the upper timing chains to slip and/or break. This usually results in serious engine damage, requiring several thousand dollars in engine repairs. This problem is avoidable by replacing the tensioners with an updated version made of aluminum. This is a relatively simple repair with a typical cost of about $2,000.00. "IT'S NOT IF YOURS WILL BREAK, BUT WHEN."
Coolant Leaks
The Jaguar V-8 4.0 & 4.2 Liter engines are very prone to coolant leaks, due to the use of many plastic components. The most troublesome parts are the thermostat housing and the water pump.. We replace the 4.0 Ltr plastic housing with an aluminum version that solves the problem. We also replace the factory water pump with a metal impeller version that solves the over-pressurization problem in the cooling system, which leads to many of the premature coolant leaks. The Jaguar V-8 4.2 Liter engine has the same plastic pump, but the thermostat housing is only available in plastic. The replacement of the pump is a repair that should be carried out asap in order to prevent over-pressurization of the cooling system, which will cause leaks and swollen hoses.
Coolant Leak Update
The newer Jaguar cars that have the 3.0 Ltr Supercharged Engines have plastic cooling system components. Each time these parts go from cold to hot, then back to cold (Which is called a heat cycle) they lose some of their natural properties, and with enough heat cycles, the parts become brittle. They have a 100% failure rate... Mileage is not the primary factor for part failure. It's the number of heat cycles. So if someone makes a lot of short trips, they will have a high number of heat cycles with low mileage. The opposite is also true for someone who drives long distances. High mileage with a low number of heat cycles. We have found that around 65,000 to 85,000 miles is the average mileage for failure. As soon as you have to add coolant to your car's cooling system, it is time to replace all plastic parts. If one part is brittle, then all of them are brittle and need replacing. We replace most of the parts with aluminum parts (as part availability allows), which greatly improves the durability of the cooling system. "IT'S NOT IF YOURS WILL LEAK, BUT WHEN"
Why does my 2004 and newer XJ8 say suspension fault on the dash and the front or rear may be low?
The 04 and newer XJ8, as many of you know, has an air ride suspension. These air springs are prone to leaks, causing the front or rear to drop down, making the car very difficult to drive. The compressor, which supplies the car with the air to raise and lower the car, is overworked trying to maintain ride height when there is a leak. This results in compressor failure. We have found a great solution for this problem. We install a conversion kit on the car that replaces the air springs with a conventional shock absorber and spring kit made by Bilstein. The result is a car that will never have the problem again. The great things about the conversion is a fantastic ride, and the cost is about half of the original equipment repair. We have done many of these with nothing but pleased customers! Contact us today.
