Hello,

I own a 1995 XJS Convertible, 4 Liter engine. I purchased it about 6 months ago. It runs like the wind and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It has 51,000 miles on it. As far as I can tell, the previous owner has not done any major maintenance on it. Since the car is getting used more now than it has been the previous 11 years, I was wondering what kind of preventive maintenance I can perform. The one thing that was recommended to me by more than one person was to change the fuel filter which I have done. Is there anything else I can do at this point? Or at a certain mileage down the road? Then again, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Any input is sincerely appreciated since I am slowly learning about this special cars.

Cheers,

Martin

1995 XJS Convertible

Submitted by y2kgolf@hotmail.com on Mon, 03/12/2007 - 15:26

Don,

Thank you very much for the tips. I will follow them as instructed. Is changing the oil every 3,000 miles with synthetic oil sufficient? I was also told to drive the car in 'sport mode' every now and then. Would it hurt the car to drive it in 'sport mode' all the time? The car responds much better that way. I don't worry about the gas consumption too much. Do you have a recommendation for tires? I live in South Florida and therefore only need to worry about summer tires. I would like a tire which is suited for 'sporty' driving.

Thanks in advance,

Martin

1995 XJS Convertible

Submitted by dcamburn@nc.rr.com on Mon, 03/12/2007 - 14:57

I am a bit late to the discussion but because I have owned a 1996 XJS 6-cylinder and still own a 1993 XJR-S 12-cylinder (both of which made it successfully beyond the 90,000 mile mark without engine problems) I want to share my own view on promoting drivetrain longevity in XJS models.

I believe the two most important areas that you should watch most carefully are oil and water. Regular oil changes at short intervals with good quality oil and filters are crucial to keeping these wonderful engines running smoothly.

Related to this is the absolute need to keep the cooling system in perfect repair through regular flushing and maintenance. You also need to be keenly aware that the radiator on both the 6 and 12 cylinder engines is going to need to be replaced around 80K mark. This is not cheap ($650-$850 at a good shop; I do not know about replacing them yourself) but do not fail your engine in this matter. Watch the temperature guage closely and pay attention when the regular operating temp starts to rise ever so little. These engines generate lots of heat and are sensitive to heat induced wear and damage.

Don Camburn
1996 XJS Convertible (formerly)
1993 XJR-S (currently)

Submitted by dougdwyer@adel… on Sat, 03/10/2007 - 19:11

Italian tune up = use wide open throttle to 5000 rpm or so, repeat several times.

You can tell the police officer that you were just "blowing ou the carbon", which wouldn't be a lie

Cheers,

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1995 XJR

Submitted by y2kgolf@hotmail.com on Sat, 03/10/2007 - 18:38

Dear Maynard,

Italian tune up for a British automobile? Sounds interesting. No, I have not even heard of such a thing. Then again, I am the new kid on the block. Please elaborate.

Martin

1995 XJS Convertible

Submitted by david@daviddew.com on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 09:50

If you haven't checked or changed the air filter, I would do that. Also, I have used a high quality injector cleaner on occasion for rough idle. Seems to do the trick, especially if the car has not been driven for a while. Also, do a check for any loose or disconnected lines. There is one coming off the bottom of the air filter assembly that seems prone to getting pulled off.

Submitted by y2kgolf@hotmail.com on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 09:41

Thank you Doug and David for your recommendations. They are appreciated. It will have all these points checked out soon.

I do have one concern that I would like to address. The car idles a little rough when in park. The rpms are at 700-800, which seems okay. I don't think that was the case when I first purchased the car. It runs fine otherwise. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Martin

1995 XJS Convertible

Submitted by dougdwyer@adel… on Wed, 03/07/2007 - 21:48

At 12 y/o and no records indicating otherwise, I'd certainly consider all new fluids: transmission, differential, coolant, and brake fluid.

A front wheel bearing repack would be a another good consideration.

If the hoses and belts are all original I'd think about replacing them... especially if your journeys take you far from home where a failure would be doubly inconvienent.

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1995 XJR

Submitted by david@daviddew.com on Wed, 03/07/2007 - 17:10

Don't get me wrong, I wish you the best of luck and would not want you to have problems! Especially since we have the same car. I myself have had no "major" problems yet - at about 68K now. I am having some issues with the climate control venting mechanics that I will be digging into when the weather warms up. Other than that, in the 3 yrs I have had the car, I have had to replace the washer pump, the window switches/bezel (convt probably use these more than most), and a few cosmetics. Hopefully the venting doesn't turn out to be major.

Have fun with the car and make sure to take it to the slalom!

David

Submitted by y2kgolf@hotmail.com on Wed, 03/07/2007 - 16:43

Dear David,

Thanks for the tip about checking the plugs. I will take care of that during my next oil change. Hopefully, the car will prove you wrong and won't encounter any major problems on its way to 500,000 miles.

Cheers,

Martin

1995 XJS Convertible

Submitted by david@daviddew.com on Wed, 03/07/2007 - 11:57

Swap or take a look at the plugs (be careful with the coil packs!), keep the oil changed and the car will let you know when it wants something fixed! :) I promise that won't take too long.

David Dew
95 XJSC 4.0