Cost of spares (not directly Stag related)

[XFSTag]

Thought I'd share this as we are often moaning about the costs of spares for our older motors. I also run in the fleet a mid 95/6 Jaguar XJ6 4 litre which was previously my Dads, we rarely use her and I have managed to get her insured for next to nothing as a classic now, so in reality she is a cheap motor to run, apart from the obvious thirst for fuel. But recently the idle speed has been playing up and the throttle sticking slightly so after a few weeks of putting it off I decided to strip things down and see what's causing the problem. This model is well known for the throttle body to gum up or in some cases go slightly out of shape causing the throttle to stick.
So I took the throttle body off and cleaned it carefully and removed the years of residue. Butterfly now works a treat and no sticking. Put it all back together and the idle was still high. No air leaks after the sensors or around the throttle body so it leaves (imo) the stepper motor which controls the idle valve. I removed this and again it was covered in gum and muck. Cleaned it up and stuck it back in and the damn thing was worse! So I am assuming it is this little beggar which is to blame.
Anyway I have just priced this up from Jaguar today £185 I nearly fell off my perch!!! How do they justify that?
I am now trying to track one down from a breakers etc. best offer so far is £35! Shouldn't moan as she has been totally reliable for the last three years I have owned her and not spent a penny other than servicing. Prior to that My Dad hadn't spent a lot either, the biggest job was suspension bushes on the back end and sorting out a leaky diff! But the price of spares is going mental especially the electrical bits like this, where they are hard enough to diagnose anyway. I can see many of these "modern classic" never making it to 40 years old despite the fact the bodies are in good shape unlike those of 40 years ago Cheers Glyn

[m9fdb]

try this place http://www.jaguardismantlers.com/ i have used them a few times for parts for my Dads 4ltr Jag Sov
That i hope to own one day too as i have a soft spot for Jag's

Cheers

Darren

[mjb67]

My brother has a Jeep Grand Cherokee and he therefore thinks that my Stag is a cheap car to maintain lol. I don't know how they manage to make these modern cars so cheap, yet they're so expensive to maintain. Something doesn't add up.

[XFSTag]

try this place http://www.jaguardismantlers.com/ i have used them a few times for parts for my Dads 4ltr Jag Sov
That i hope to own one day too as i have a soft spot for Jag's

Cheers

Darren

Thanks Darren I'll give them a shout and see. Just had another spares suppliers quote me 180! I have a link to a spare place which lists it new for 50, I think it may be an after market part but if it does the job... so am checking if it is the right part as I would prefer new if possible as they appear to be a common fault when they are now getting on in years. My Dad gave up driving a few years back and first off I used the car to take Mum and Dad out and about but it was more often left in the garage. So I bought it off him as I couldn't see her sold off for next to nothing when we have known it from nearly new and she has done just 80K with all the history, even the wheels aren't marked after 17 years !!. Still drives lovely (when the idle is fixed) and on a run can give near 30 but an average of low 20's is more honest! Thanks for the advice Glyn

[m9fdb]

No problem Glyn

I just had my dads jag repainted for him this year - It had a bare metal job as the paint on it was rough and i wanted it to last as your right they do drive really well.
His one has the switchable sport box as well which makes it shift

I also managed to pick up a set of same (Celtic) wheels as your one has on eBay the other week for £40!! I am getting them refurbished before they go on it.

Here is a couple of pictures of it below

[XFSTag]

Lovely colour Darren I think they are a lovely looking motor and incredible value for money at the moment. Mines got the sport box on too and she lifts up her skirt and go's!! All without too much noise and fuss. My next job will be to change the back boxes as they are getting a bit flakey and one is sounding like it's leaking now. Not bad though they are the originals!

[Mike Stevens]

I have one too! It's been mine since 2005 and been pretty good.

The electronic switchable 'box is standard on the 4.0, but the 3.2 has a simpler mechanical 'box with no 'sports' switch.

I wish I could get low 20's out of mine coming to work! Mind you, it's only 6 miles.

Lovely cars. As are Stags too of course!




Cheers,
Mike.

[XFSTag]

Nice Motor(s) Mike I have just managed to get a complete second-hand but guaranteed working throttle body with both the throttle pot and the Stepper/idle valve for £60 delivered so hopefully she will be back on the road by the weekend. My wife is always nagging me to sell the Jag and reduce the fleet but I dearly love her (the Jag) and as she was my Dads I am attached. He is 84 now and I think he still likes to see she is kept in good order and around. But I sense she may need a few quid spending on her now Cheers Glyn

[Phil]

The Guy I work with's Grandfather has a V plate Sovereign. It is immaculate and only done 24,000 miles, not for me but I can appreciate its appeal.

Phil

[Mike Stevens]

Nice Motor(s) Mike I have just managed to get a complete second-hand but guaranteed working throttle body with both the throttle pot and the Stepper/idle valve for £60 delivered so hopefully she will be back on the road by the weekend. My wife is always nagging me to sell the Jag and reduce the fleet but I dearly love her (the Jag) and as she was my Dads I am attached. He is 84 now and I think he still likes to see she is kept in good order and around. But I sense she may need a few quid spending on her now Cheers Glyn

Thanks Glyn. That picture was at the eldest's wedding last year. He drove the Stag on the day.

Good luck with the throttle body. I think there's an alignment procedure that might need doing. 'Stagsongas' in one of his other guises wil be able to advise!

I've been very lucky with my X300 (4l Sovereign). I've had it over 8 years and apart from service stuff it's been very good. Now, am I going to regret that statement?

Cheers,
Mike.

[XFSTag]

Cheers mike
haven't received the new throttle body yet so she is still sat waiting !
i did find a procedure on another site for the 4 litre engine. I think I may just try and change the steeper motor first and keep the original throttle body and hopefully the throttle pot settings.
the procedure I found for setting the idle is as follows:
Run engine until fully warm.
Switch off ignition.
After 5 seconds switch on ignition - wait 5 seconds - remove connector from stepper motor.
Switch off ignition.
Wait 15 seconds then replace connector on stepper motor.
Repeat operation sequence 3 - 5 twice - on the last occasion do not reconnect stepper motor.
Start engine and set base idle to 550 - 600 r.p.m. via air bypass adjuster.
Switch ignition off and reconnect idle stepper motor.
Restart engine - idle speed should now stabilise around speed shown below.
Check idle CO as for 3.6 (if non-cat).
NB each step was numbered but it didn't paste in !

Hoping this will do I don't have the gear to set the co so might have to discuss with my local garage who is always willing to give a hand for some folding stuff !!
i will let you know how I get on with it when it arrives
cheers
glyn

[ChasR]

Fingers crossed it fixes it.

Those spares are cheap in comparison to modern cars. My modern 2006 VW Passat (B6 variant) (which I have just scrapped) had some crazy pricing on bits.

If they do not start/turn over (quite a common problem), it can cost anywhere from £400-1k to fix depending on how many modules have been taken out (Google Passat convenience module failure...)
Rear brake calipers seem to go as do the electric handbrake motors. £210 a side for OE quality items (many change the motors with little sucess (they break again until the caliper is changed)).
Injectors can go on the 2.0 PD engines (these are covered under warranty by VW since VOSA forced their hand here (the car can cut out completely with the injector issues)).
Non working horn? Most likely down to the clock spring (a little cheaper at £50!).

Anyway, XJ40s IMO are great cars. It is a shame that they rust before your eyes (although to my horror, the X300s seem to have the same rust traps after looking at a friend's mint XJR V8). I really enjoyed ownership of my JaguarSport XJR 4.0 . The standard bodykit may upset a couple here (it was one of the very first XJ40 XJRs fitted with the modified 4.0 engine), although it was a great handler with not much of the comfort lost. It was a shame to see the car go .

[m9fdb]

I like the XJ40 too Chas but i think the X300 looks better as it has the classic jag lines like the earlier models.

My dad has had a 4.2 Series 3, XJ40 and the X300 all Sovereign models

Glyn what Jag forum do you use ?

[XFSTag]

Hi Darren I use http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/forum.php
but got the setting up procedure from

http://www.jagweb.com/aj6eng/fault_codes.php

let me know if there are any others worth a nose !

I love driving the jag there is a sense of occasion my daily is a 350 Merc diesel which whilst probably one of the more smooth powerful diesels drives me mad with the noise it makes, I love a good petrol engine and would dearly love to go back ten years when they were affordable with a good 6 or v8 under the bonnet but when you rack up the miles the d makes sense and I turn up the sounds
the other great jag feature is the way they waft along so comfortable.
from what I have seen the main rust traps seem to be the wheel arches mine are just slightly crusty so are on the to do list but I will have to take it somewhere to get it painted as matching that colour will be a specialist job.
here's hoping I get her sorted soon
glyn