Aircon 1995 4.0l Celebration.

[l.grainger]

Re Graeme's Message,

I have the same model , & have heard of some fairly horrific (£3000+) & unsuccessful bills, for Aircon faults. Main dealers do not pretend to be able to deal economically with this, on classics.

Per the CD, the electronics seemed very complex & I was apprehensive about the risk of major dismantling leading to lengthy delays re unavailable spares - or worse!

Generally, there seems to be a reluctance for independent Jaguar specialists to get too-involved in this area - but mine warned me that dismantling the dash could cause many other collateral problems & directed me firstly, to the following.

Renewed Airdryer & condenser. As they all corrode, because of location. He was right. C£450.-, then-

Re-gassed - partly successful. Got me through Summer, 2004.

Regassed in April 2005 - Unsuccessful - only lasted a few weeks.

He suggested a general refrigeration specialist & the car was pressure tested with diagnostic fluid - Found another leaking joint.

Now seems to be working reasonably. but I have been warned that my car must be run, weekly, during the winter, or the seals dry out, & the gas leaks away.

I wish I had had the diagnostic pressure test done, earlier & before regassing, after the winter of 2005- It would have saved me a lot of trouble & If my aircon is not working come next April, that is what I'll do- first.

As I recollect, the aircon on the XJS was not all that brilliant, when I drove them as new cars (1986-91) & as long as it works raesonably, I'll not be seeking pefetction!

[greeban]

Unfortunately for me I had a specialist check mine by pressurising the system with Nitrogen and the leak is audible from the evaporator with a listening device.

I am going to try and get to the XJS seminar in December and see what the general opinion is there - I cannot justify spending a fortune on the car for air conditioning so I am going to have to do it myself. I'll let people know how I get on. Perhaps I could write an article in the JEC mag - the project XJS seems to have gone very quiet!