Recommended spares to carry.

[Doherto]

Hi all, I am new to this forum as I recently purchased a 2003 X350 on a bit of a whim. In 2003 we attended, in our Japanese import 13k miles Xj40, a fantastically well organised and supported tour in France following the adventures of Richard the Lionheart, along with 20 other Jags. Unfortunately in 2024 I had to have planned open heart surgery so sold the XJ and work on my Mk2 restoration stopped, and of course we could not attend the 2024 tour following the Crusaders. I, thankfully am recovering well now and almost ready to resume the restoration of my Mk 2 but was invited on the 2025 tour titled 'Chocolate and Fizz' to Belgium and the champagne region of France in June. My Mk2 will not be ready but the lesson of major surgery is easily learned, do not put things off, do everything you want to or planned to. So, I decided that I would buy a suitable car for the tour and then probably sell it afterwards and we are booked onto the tour, happy days. Our X350 has completed 96,000 miles but runs like a dream. So far we have put 800 miles on her and have been amazed by the ride, reliability and the fuel efficiency. So fingers crossed she'll be fully serviced in May and we're off to France, again. So as the topic suggests, I would be grateful if people with a greater knowledge of this model could advise me what basic spares to carry, as I learned on the XJ40 it was fuel relay, crank sensor and fuel pump. Any advise sincerely appreciated. Tony D

[mike020150]

Hi Tony,
Glad you are back firing on all cylinders again! The X350 has proved to be a durable model but, like most cars of the past 25 years it is also a complicated beast. Consequently, it is difficult to recommend a sensible list of spares for touring that wouldn't fill the car! As you know, you already need a few extra items to comply with French requirements. It's far better that the car starts a tour having had a recent full service and inspection, paying particular attention to ageing components, like engine belts, water/fuel hoses and brake components. SNG Barratt has stores in France and Holland so any other spares required unexpectedly will not be that far away during your 2025 tour. Enjoy the trip. Mike.

[Doherto]

Thank you Mike for your reply. Thankfully the tour is supported all the way by an English couple who live in France AND a French mechanic so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. A full service and fingers crossed I guess. Thanks again. Tony D

[Thixendale]

Good to hear you are improving.

If you haven't got one I would take an OBDII code reader like the iCarSoft for reading codes and resetting. Hopefully you won't need it.

Also you will probably be aware that these cars are sensitive to battery issues so make sure yours is tip top or treat it to a new one.

Cheers
Tony