I bought a Jaguar XK8 coupe off Ebay recently.
I flew to Southampton,
was met at the airport by Martyn ,
the vendor in the Jag.
After a minor panic
as the funds hadnt been released by the bank
we concluded the sale
and I drove up to the Midlands
to stay with my Dad In Staffordshire.
Apart from some of the electrics not working
The car ran like a dream.
It was very very smooth and responsive
a very civilised and comfortable car.
(the reason for the electrical problems
appeared to be the result of disconnecting the battery
to recharge it,as it had flattened through non usage
-1000 miles in the previous 12 months.
I am advised that one NEVER disconnects the battery,
or if forced to change it
-complete the transfer within 2 minutes
or the computer loses its memory.
All the settings have to be reset by a Jaguar dealer
-the only one with the software,of course!)
Stayed with Dad,drove down to the Tunnel back to France
crossed mid afternoon and reached Honfleur in Normandy
where we stayed for the night.
Beautiful artists town with great restaurants and great atmosphere
To top it all the weather was perfect.
Next morning started with a light frost.
I put the car into reverse
and the “gearbox fault ” warning light appeared on the dash…..
I switched off,restarted the car and drove off.
No problems for the rest of the trip.
400 comfy miles doing 30plus mpg at a steady 80MPH.
Arrived home with no problems.
library picture-same model,colour etc
Next morning the car would only move off in 4th gear
-the computer had detected a gearbox fault and put the car in “limp home mode”
I arranged a visit to the local Jaguar dealer in Limoges,
being assured the car was safe to drive in 4th gear
(great at 80mph but disastrous at road junctions and traffic lights!)
After an hour or so,the service was done;
The central locking now worked,the electric seats etc.
The gearbox fault was down to a failure of the “hydraulic block”
The hydraulic/electrically operated valves
that open and close to allow the passage of oil
into the next chamber/gear ratio
were showing a fault on the computer.
There was no specific information as to which switch was causing the fault.
But it was “no problem-we can just change the block complete”
With a new sump gasket,filter and Oil
-just over 4000 euros plus labour!!!!
I ONLY PAID £5000 FOR THE CAR!!!!
After several hours communication with the Jag specialists
all of whom tried to sell me a new or reconditioned gearbox,
I eventually happened on “Crucial Automatics” in Titchfield Hants.
Very helpful people who are autobox specialists.
“Yes, the hydraulic block can be repaired”
Probably a sticking valve,or a faulty switch
-send them the unit and they can repair it
for a couple of hundred quid
rather than the thousands quoted by others.
It seems that the industry assurance
that modern boxes are “sealed for life”
is a misnomer.
Everyone I spoke to said the gearbox oil
should be routinely changed at 50000 miles.
An expensive job,as it involves dropping the sump
relaceing filters ,gaskets etc
not to mention 6 litres of oil at £16 per litre!
With no dipstick etc
the job requires professional knowhow
as well as access to a hydraulic ramp.
It seems a common fault on some modern auto boxes.
I was told of a guy in the UK that buys up automatic Volvos
that shut down with”gearbox faults”
He buys them cheap,drills the “sealed” box,
fits a drain plug,
drains and replaces the oil-Hey presto
fully restored car!
What about new Mercedes that have
NO oil filler holes,not even a dipstick…..
Youve got it….
Main dealer facilities only have the technology?????
“Oil change and filter-that,ll be 600 quid please”
Do we really need all this sophisticated technology?
A mechanic friend told me that Some Peugeot brake pads
are now equipped with sensors which
allow only Peugeot main dealers to “wind in” the caliper pistons
The computer stops mechanical intervention.
(presumably by non peugeot staff!)
DONT GET ME STARTED…..
I think that part of my cars problem is lack of usage.
The car has done 83000 miles in 13 years
only 10000 miles in the last 5 years.
Last year,just 1000 miles
Probably rarely getting up to temperature
the oil must surely degrade and sludge up ?
I took the car to my local garage
who dropped the gearbox oil and removed the block
(the old oil was in fact, very dirty)
I parcelled it up and sent it to “Crucial”
and am now awaiting its return.
I will let you know if the repair was successful or not.
