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Well, after nearly a year away I am back with another classic Jaguar. This time it's a 2003 X350 4.2 sc XJR in silver with a natty two-tone 'charcol and magnolia'....at least that's what I think it is?

The car is in pretty good condition with 106k miles and a fsh (mainly Jaguar main dealer), however it has some 'issues' with the bodywork...mainly front edge of the boot lid and some wag has now 'keyed' my rear wing from the rear light along to the filler cap bless them...and in sleepy Dorset!

I've been to the body shop today to get a quote for this plus a few other naughty bits...I'm not expecting a small bill but fortunately I did get the car for a bit of a steal so there are a few pennies left in the purse.

Expenditure so far has been restricted to fitting my personal plate', two new Dunlops on the front, a new battery (always fit a new one on every used Jag I've bought), a set of new wheel centres and lots of fuel So far I've covered about 1300 miles (mainly on my commute to Dorset from Sussex) and owned the car for just over 3 weeks. I'm averaging about 25mpg which isn't bad.

Jobs on the list include a bit of brake wobble, a gearbox oil change, a thorough clean up and suspension bush upgrade. Apart from that lots more driving.

When I can remember how to upload the photos, I will do!

Regards

Jon

Jon,

Welcome to x350 ownership!

As you've already realised, they are great distance commuting vehicles. Tks also for updating your membership record with the car details. I think the seat colour combo looks really good.

If you trawl through the last few months of posts here, you'll see that Mike Kennedy has bought an x350R and also become the new Forum Co-Ordinator. In fact, you could just copy all his recent ( & future!) upgrades for your vehicle!

Cheers

Paul

Jon,

Welcome to x350 ownership!

As you've already realised, they are great distance commuting vehicles. Tks also for updating your membership record with the car details. I think the seat colour combo looks really good.

If you trawl through the last few months of posts here, you'll see that Mike Kennedy has bought an x350R and also become the new Forum Co-Ordinator. In fact, you could just copy all his recent ( & future!) upgrades for your vehicle!

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul,

I stalked Mike on the S type register and we kept in contact whilst I played with my X308 Sovereign! I will track him down for advice again especially regarding the gearbox and brakes...oh and suspension and steering and supercharger and, and ono and on zzzzzzzzzzzzz poor Mike

Glad you are back, Jon.

Definitely good cars and better built than an S-type. The only corrosion is really on the undertray fastenings and on lower front suspension joint bolts.

Was your car the one on Trovit recently? Good history, owned by a wife for two and a half years and up for grabs at around £5600? That seemed a bargain to me.

Mike

Glad you are back, Jon.

Definitely good cars and better built than an S-type. The only corrosion is really on the undertray fastenings and on lower front suspension joint bolts.

Was your car the one on Trovit recently? Good history, owned by a wife for two and a half years and up for grabs at around £5600? That seemed a bargain to me.

Mike

yes that's the one Mike...and not what I paid either

Nice car, Well done.

New Year certainly seems the time to get one of these cars at a good price. Your one had a good providence and the sellers write up was most impressive.

You must be passing my door on your commute. Drop in sometime.

Mike

Nice car, Well done.

New Year certainly seems the time to get one of these cars at a good price. Your one had a good providence and the sellers write up was most impressive.

You must be passing my door on your commute. Drop in sometime.

Mike

Yes, I do plan to Mike...journey runs from Dorset along the bottom of England to Pompey, then off to Sussex!

I have a few £££'s to spend on it to get it to where I want it to be...but would like a chat with you first before I get too deep.

Regards

Jon

I`m here most of the time.

J11 to Fareham Tesco roundabout. Turn left under the Victorian railway arches onto the A32 Gosport road. Simple to get to me after that. Good pub and food a few yards from me. Parking available. Give me a shout when you are ready.

Mike

Might just give mine a run that way when I retire later this year. Loving my X350 and of to Scotland with it for a week at Easter.

Gordon

I`m here most of the time.

J11 to Fareham Tesco roundabout. Turn left under the Victorian railway arches onto the A32 Gosport road. Simple to get to me after that. Good pub and food a few yards from me. Parking available. Give me a shout when you are ready.

Mike

May be possible next Thursdayeve (day before Good Friday) as I am in Yeovil that day? How does that work for you?

Had my first Jaguar moment on the M27 tonight...on cruise at a steady 80mph minding my own business when the temp needle leapt from one line above 1/4 way on the gauge where it normally sits straight to the red...and I mean jumped immediately, not a gradual climb; with the accompanying red light, eml and restricted performance message.

Fortunately a convenient parking place was in sight so I gently eased into it and shut down. I powered the ignition immediately and the needle was back below half in it's usual position. Again fortunately I had my trusty code reader but it would not read the engine module but did allow me to reset the eml which cleared the restricted performance....

Journey home from there went without event...i tried everything to replicate the issue, but nothing - everything as per normal.....which I guess means here we go again Jaguar style...been here before with my previous XJ40, S type and X308 so I shouldn't be surprised.

I haven't been through the car yet..so I guess now would be a good time to start!

*** Quick edit as follow my leader with you again Mike...just read your posts on the same above issue with your car (I think I now know why the PO might have been so desperate to sell as the battery was shot and various random warnings were being thrown up!).

If you can now suffer brake judder on your car and sort that out I would be eternally grateful!

Might just give mine a run that way when I retire later this year. Loving my X350 and of to Scotland with it for a week at Easter.

Gordon

Worth the run Gordon...if only to catch up with Mike. The roads and views around the Jurassic coast are stunning...and so much better from a X350

Thursday anytime is ok by me,Jon. I think you have my phone number..

Have the temp sensor plug off and clean up. Thats a good place to start. See how that goes and follow up (as per Robs suggestion to me at one point) with a replacement thermostat and or new sensor as later options. The stat replacement made a good improvement to my car although seemingly unrelated. Testing in hot water is one thing but under gun fire in an engine...well that appears to be quite another.

Also worth cleaning the MAF hot wire and plug connector.

If you have the time, nip off the upper plenum and ensure the small rubber pipe to the lower pressure plenum hasn`t expanded and has become a loose fit. If ok, then stick a small cable tie around it at the plenum stub pipe as a belt and braces measure.

I`m also considering changing my battery. The car gas a tenancy when cold to drop the glove box open, switch on the console light and open the petrol cap if short journeys have been done. Certainly these cars are voltage sensitive.

Mike

Done it! Had enough of the gremlins.

A new battery ordered from ebay for just under £56 with three year warranty.

Despite a good run yesterday, I had a slowish crank this morning accompanied by the usual glove compartment flap , drop, the centre console light illuminate, the petrol cap open and valet mode. I can`t be doing with any of that. Cold weather finds the chinks in a battery condition.

Perhaps fitting a new battery will also help with the parking sensor issue when selecting reverse or forward. Peeeeep...with the red light on on the roof console switch. This shows on my iCarsoft as a circuit malfunction, NSF and OSR sensors. Oddly the system sorted itself out during the quick snap of warmer weather the other day, but dropped back to fault again in the cold this morning.

As we all know, these cars are terribly sensitive to a lack of stable voltage platform. So out with the old battery and in with a known new quantity. £56 is a small price to pay for decent reliability and peace of mind.

Mike

Mike can you pm me your number, cannot find it!

Battery is the first thing I change on my Jaguars..learnt that from bitter experience with the S type.

Not a happy bunny at all at the moment. I put the car into the garage for 4 wheel alignment (made a big difference to the way the car feels, much more positive now) but whilst the car was with them the nsf wing gained a 2 inch long gouge from the headlamp back.

It's cut into the alloy of the wing to a depth of a couple of millimetres...to say I am pi55ed off is an understatement. The garage have accepted full liability and will organise the repair...but it still doesn't help my mood I've now worked out how to resize the pictures so here are a few of the car in my ownership:-

...and some more