[Funkyboy]

Hi Guys,

My 06 2.7d is currently on 75k my travel to work is about to increase to 14k annually (70 mile round trip daily)
Am I asking for trouble or can these cars handle the extra mileage subject to ensuring the car is properly maintained?
Its mostly motorway mileage and at a steady 60-70 the car does 50 mpg so fuel cost is ok its the extra wear and tear that concerns me.
I was thinking of getting something else to do the daily commute but I would miss the comfort of my XJ?
Anyone else do the sort of mileage i'm looking at?

Thanks

 

[Corbeliere]

I've done 26,000 in the last year. Mileage at present is 106,500 and it runs as sweet as a nut.
These cars are built for long distance travel so I wouldn't worry too much.
The main wear and tear complaints seem to be about suspension bushes wearing out but motorways should at least be a bit smoother to drive on.
Also, the bushes are now available without having to buy the complete arm, which was once the case, so less expensive to do.
I bought something else last year for my commute to France and instantly regretted it and sold the car to a friend. I'm back in the Jag now and wouldn't change it for the world.
Enjoy!

 

[BuckMR2]

Its barely run in stop worrying

 

[jerry]

Hi. I've seen figures of around 200,000 not being unusual and some with even more.

 

[Fraser]

They will go to Mars and back, but as posted here, can wear out suspension bushes fairly frequently. Once this was a major PITA due to the price Jaguar charged for the parts, but the ever-active aftermarket now makes them affordable. Only other "known unknown" is the life of the air springs. In the USA these seem to give trouble, but in the UK this never seems to come up on this forum. Puzzling !

 

[Cambo351]

Not an XJ, but my mate Thomas had a 2004 2.7D S-Type that put away more than 240'000 miles, he eventually took it off the road because the brakes needed overhauling (again) & the rear wheel bearings, so he couldn't be bothered. He bought a 2007 2.7D X350 instead. I've mentioned it a few times.

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f49/anyone-know-car-any-thoughts-42398.html#post417049

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f70/my-high-mileage-cars-reading-35412.html#post387790

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f38/how-old-how-many-miles-has-your-jag-done-26359-2.html#post401748

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f32/highest-total-mileage-x350-41753.html#post411818

Wow, after searching for those posts, I realise there are so many threads on this forum about highest mileage.
Seems these cars will go forever if you look after them....

The motor & transmission in that S-Type are still going strong. However the ancillary stuff started to go.

- Welch plug in the block corroded away, needed to lift out the engine to change it.
- Went through a set of injectors.
- In the 120'000 Thomas put on it, it went through three sets of brakes
- Heater valve & remote climate control needed replacing
- Cambelts done twice (as precaution)
- Webasto auxillary heater caught fire, but only once....
- Rear wheel bearings were so loud in the end, you had to turn the radio up

But that was it. Nothing too serious....

 

[25622003]

Dont know if a thread has been started about this , but it may be of interest to anyone else worried or having problems with air suspension , this is taken from the Honest John website on the XJ .

Latest Update 13-4-2012: BILSTEIN has announced that it will make its OEM-quality air suspension modules available to the independent aftermarket with immediate effect. The latest application is a direct replacement for all X350 models of the Jaguar XJ, offering owners with failed units the chance to replace them at substantially less than main dealer prices. Fully TUV certified and complete with 12 months warranty, the units retail at £650 + VAT each.

 

[25622003]

BILSTEIN, the respected German suspension manufacturer has announced that it will make its OEM-quality air suspension modules available to the independent aftermarket with immediate effect. The latest application is a direct replacement for all C350 models of the Jaguar XJ, offering owners with failed units the chance to replace them at substantially less than main dealer prices. With the development of this new Jaguar fitment, BILSTEIN has responded to the increasing market popularity of air springs. The high performance B4 air suspension module is now also available to the independent aftermarket thanks to BILSTEIN applying its unparalleled OEM production ideology and methods to this important market sector. In addition to offering OE quality, the numerous product benefits are obvious. Just like the factory original, the BILSTEIN B4 air suspension module guarantees quickest ever reactions to road and vehicle conditions. The result is excellent comfort and benign driving characteristics, with high power reserves for maximum safety. The BILSTEIN gas pressure technology provides constant damping power under any axle load. Air suspension systems allow the recipient vehicle to adjust to different vehicle height positions by varying the air pressure in the bellows. This advantage is particularly notable when levelling extremely heavy loads. Various aerodynamic and terrain positions are also possible with this system and he B4 unit integrates seamlessly with all factory electronics. The high quality air suspension modules are produced and tested to OE specifications, including the usual endurance and cold-impact tests and BILSTEIN engineers have subjected the shock absorbing system to road trials at the Papenburg industry proving ground to ensure that it complies and surpasses all OE series requirements, as well as providing class-leading ride and handling. The shock absorbers are produced at BILSTEIN's Ennepetal plant in Germany in a production area specially created for this purpose, by dedicated personnel assigned for specifically for these applications. Fully TUV certified and complete with 12 months warranty, the units retail at £650 + VAT each. For more details, please visit BILSTEIN COM <http://www.bilstein.com/>or call the UK office on 0116 2478930

 

[TonyXJR]

Don't Bilstein make the air suspension units for Jaguar anyway?

 

[Cambo351]

Bilstein for £650+VAT each (£3120 for a set of 4 incl. VAT)

OR

Arnott for $875 a pair (£1140 for a set of 4, plus VAT, plus shipping, call it £1600 all up)

The people will vote with thier feet....

 

[Tony Swash]

Dont forget that you have to ship the old shocks to the US to get the price break so remember to factor that in. I paid around £510 each from Jaguar. I am stripping them as the local Bilstein guy wants to see if he can replace the internal bladder.

 

[Cambo351]

Good point Tony

According to the Arnott site, if you buy thier new shocks (not the remanufactured ones) they will refund you the $100 core charge. If the shipping costs you $100 then it's obviously not worth it. So in truth it's $975 a pair.

But that's still a hell of a lot cheaper than new OEM ones or these new Bilsteins.

New FRONT Air Suspension Shocks (PAIR) for 2004-2010 XJ Series XJ Series

 

[Tony Swash]

In SA the Jag dealers wanted GBP 1350.00 each!!!!!
I bought them on a trip to the UK and put one in a suitcase and the other as hand luggage. I got some dodgy looks as I was boarding with this mortar look alike sticking out of my rucksack.

 

[Corbeliere]

Arnott now also do a coil spring/shocker mod' for the X350.

 

[Cambo351]

.....which has had mixed reviews on the US forum.

Arnott Coil Conversion Kit - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

Arnott coil springs - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

Who has installed the Arnott Coilover conversion? - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

Installing Arnott Coilovers X350 - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

Why is it that the yanks have a million threads on thier forum talking about air suspension that fails (struts & compressors) but there's only a handful of threads on this forum, and most here seem to accept that a shock absorber is an item subject to wear & tear?

Arnott also missed the opportunity to make them height adjustable. Why make a coil-over shock that's not adjustable???

I think they would be an option for the drag-racers amongst us, to get the weight transfer to the rear, make the car squat on launch and improve traction, but for a street car...hmmm...i'm not convinced yet.

 

[I_MNL]

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f70/my-high-mileage-cars-reading-35412.html#post387790

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f32/highest-total-mileage-x350-41753.html#post411818

Indeed they can go far, but there will be repairs to be done

To update you

My seafrost with 178,000 miles now has had light stalk changed twice, radiator and water hoses and expansion tank changed and is going now for a water pump. Not to mention one wheel bearing, shock bushes and the usual suspect of air suspension fault light (intermittent though). It's been trouble free for the last year though(!) and only needed servicing with brake pads plus tyres

My zircon blue with 221,000 miles now has had radiator, water pump and water hoses with expansion tank changed (...), a/c module changed and also regassed every two years (as there is a small leak due to a small hole on the ac condenser...), gearbox reconditioned, all bushes (front and rear) changed once (ready now for a second round...)

 

[Corbeliere]

Hi I_MNL.

I don't know if you saw my post about a year ago regarding the Radiator/Leaves.
It was when I took the plastic cover off to check an earth that I noticed a large amount of leaves and other debrise had accumulated in front of the bottom of the Rad'. A cause of damp building up if ever there was one.
It's well worth checking out.

Regards. Les.

 

[Cambo351]

@ I_MNL

To be honest, in my non professional, guy off the street opinion, most of what you've listed there seem to be wear & tear items and, based on some of the "worn-out" cars I had in the past, a vehicle with 300'000kms (seafrost) or 350'000kms (zircon blue) will go through those things!

 

[I_MNL]

Oh yes, I don't complain at all.
sometimes I can't stop thinking though that the BMW 316i with 290.000km that my parents have in Greece has only had a fraction of these issues: just two electric door switches, a fuel pump and two batteries (the latter because the car is hardly driven nowadays...)
It had a fan replaced and that after an accident

 

[Shaun Grudgfield]

Just passed 80k on my 09 plate and all seems good, running sweet and excellent MPG. Can see this taking me well up to 200k no problems