Hi, I'm a new joiner to the club with my XK8

[peterbayleyuk977]

Hi, all,
I've just bought my 11th Jag and my first XK8.
It's a 2004 XK8 Premium Pack in Platinum, with walnut and ivory sports seat interior.
I collect it after PDI work in a few days.
It's in amazing condition, with just 49,000 on the clock and all the services since new.
I think it will do me just fine after my 2009 XF 4.2 V8 Premium Luxury.

It will do around 5,000 a year - including the granddaughter school runs (squeezing one in the back!) and live a cherished life, as have my others.
The one thing I took for granted and realised after buying it that I got wrong, was that the rear seats don't fold down. I have to get a 6ft English Longbow in there once a week, so I need to make that work!
I'll also investigate how to blue-tooth enable my mobile, as I know that it doesn't have a 12v socket. I thought it would have - like the electrically similr 2003 S-Type I had - but see that it doesn't. I need to figure that out, too!

Glad to be a member (previously a 20+-year JDC Member) and looking forward to meeting folks, perhaps at the Brands Britannia Meet at Brands Hatch in August, for the first time.
Cheers
Peter B.

[JimMann]

Hi Peter, nice machine and welcome to the wonderful world of Modern XK Motoring.

I would be most surprised if there is not a 12V socket in the tray of the centre console or indeed the glovebox, but you may be surprised to find that there is Bluetooth enabled within the car and you simply connect pair your phone to it - others, more knowledgeable will be along shortly I am sure.

As for the Longbow, then it should fit front to back through the hatch, but probably above the parcel shelf.

Jim Mann

[Astromorg]

I've just been out to take a few measurements of my XK8 for your info. but it's not very promising. Widthwise the interior is limited to no more than about 40 inches, but on a diagonal line from rear corner of the parcel shelf, through the gap between the front seats towards and into the passenger footwell, 6ft plus is no problem if that intrusive method would suffice. The longest dimension in the boot is again about 4ft,

As Jim says, you may be lucky and find Bluetooth already fitted as I think it was an optional extra by 2004, becoming standard in 2005 for the run-out models. Note that it's a limited B'tooth system. It only pairs with one phone and does not cover streaming in any form. It can also be fussy about which phones it will recognise and often takes a few goes to achieve initial pairing. Crack all that and it's OK

There will be a 12v supply socket under the spring loaded flap in front the central storage box, but if you're at all handy, fitting another socket in the glove box is provided for by the provision of a spare power connector secured to the lefthand side of the glove box, accessed by removing the glove box; a simple task, Details available if required. Fit a USB charging point at the same time!

I'm not sure to which hatch Jim is referring Maybe in the X150 models?. My coupe certainly hasn't got one. Help please Jim

[MarkX]

Hello Peter,

Congratulations on your entry into XK8 ownership and welcome to the club. Your car looks like it's only just been run in!!

Some great suggestions from my fellow forum friends here.

This may be a step too far but I wonder if there is a possibility to create a ski flap. This would require a bit of butchery of the rear seats but looking at my convertible there is a potential hole behind the boot liner into the cabin, the only thing in the way is the seat. I'm not sure if the coupe is the same but if it is then structurally your car would remain. Then my thinking would go along the lines of sourcing a separate second hand seat back and seeing if there were scope to modify it to create a ski flap. Probably not that easy to achieve and likely to need a combination of some light soldering on the seat frame and some good leather upholstery skills.

By using a second hand seat back if it doesn't work out you still have your existing great condition seat to revert back to.

Very interested to hear about your ultimate solution.

Mark

[JimMann]

Hi folks, tray = spring loaded flap, which in days gone by may well have been an ashtray!

Jim Mann

[peterbayleyuk977]

It turned out to be a clunker!
Thanks for your helpful and friendly replies, gentlemen, but the car never made it to my garage (see other forum thread)!
My search for my 11th Jag and a good XK8 /XK goes on!

[peterbayleyuk977]

Hooray, I'm back in a Big Cat!
I have a 2006 Frost Blue Mica / Caramel XK (X150; 2007MY).
It's a beauty. One owner; 73K; EVERY service stamp; not a mark on it, except that it needed a new headlining, which the dealer has done.
Not the exact shade, but near enough to be good enough!

Now I find that the CD player will not recognise discs, and the BlueTooth phone search does not work , so in discussion with the dealer on those two.

Drives like a dream, though.........

The new cat

[MarkX]

Well that didn't take you long!!!

I notice you have moved from X100 to X150 in the intervening period - how are you finding the experience?

Congratulations and wishing you many miles of great motoring.

Mark

[peterbayleyuk977]

No, I was lucky in finding this one, though the price was what the dealers call "toppy". I do regret paying £95 for a month's insurance on another family car to drive while I looked, then needing it only for 3 days!
Much more solid feel to this car than the test-driven XK8 clunker. It feels a lot like my memory of my XJ-S TWR 3.6 from a few years back.
A bit jumpy on takeoff, but the gears are smooth, both flappy paddle and auto., as is the essential cruise control.
Current avg. MPG is showing just over 25.
The ride feels less harsh than the XF, which I always found disappointingly harsh (forums show that this is common).
A bit concerned at just how little room the +2 seats have. Got to get a teenager in one of them!
Annoying to not have it again, but at least the dealer is being very good, collecting the car today and saying THEY may have to replace the CD player. Non-searching Bluetooth function is probably just a reboot fix (I hope)
Everything else seems to work, though the response to the (battered) key fobs is slow, so they may need new batteries.
The tailgate seems very heavy. Perhaps the struts need looking at.
I miss the XF's sunroof, but the XK does fit better in my garage, with a couple of inches all around, after the mirrors are folded.
It's also not too difficult for an old boy to get out of, despite being lower!
Overall I LOVE IT!

[MarkX]

Yes the X150 has a much stiffer body, also ride dynamics are more tuned to handling than X100.

MPG sounds about right but I live in hilly area.

Good luck in getting a teenager in!! The rear seats are more a case of beautifully trimmed luggage storage.

May be the actual Bluetooth unit is failing as a few folk have reported that as a problem .

Boot is just plain heavy but worth checking the struts. The Jag dealer who sold me mine apologised for the boot weight and that it was not electric.

[peterbayleyuk977]

Thanks, Mark, for your replies. Much appreciated.

[JimMann]

Hi Peter, nice new car - actually my preferred colour combination this time. I hope you have many happy miles with it.

Sometimes the interplay between the car and the phone, depending on phone model, can get confused and it takes several attempts to get the phone to pair with the car. I think it best to open the Bluetooth on the phone first, then go via the car's touchscreen to add a new device and set the phone to search for the Jaguar. Once you find it, there should be a tab on the phone to say "connect", hit that and then confirm the pairing numbers once they come up.

CD player, not sure why that may have failed, but they are usually quite robust, although most folks I know plug an iPod into the centre console socket and run with that.

Incidentally, you may wish to edit the title of your thread now, it is not an XK8, but a New XK.

Don't let minor niggles spoil the enjoyment of a new Jaguar, enjoy it with its foibles.

Jim Mann

[peterbayleyuk977]

Jim, thanks for your post.
Yes, I know about the title - it's a story! I started with an XK8 that never made it home to me.

The dealer has now agreed to replace my CD unit and Bluetooth sender unit, so although I'm without my sleek blue cat for a few days, they are doing the right thing for me.

Foibles, yes, I get foibles........this is my 10th Jag.