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I like my X308's upmarket Haran Kardon sound system, but its 6-CD changer is stone-age to an iPod owner. I want my iPod to talk to my XJ8's stereo, dammit!
It turns out there are three ways to do get the two communicating. Possible solutions are nicely summarized in this Crutchfield article: http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-wFBnej9Vvq4/reviews/20031230/- ipod_car.html?page=1
In increasing order of complexity, you can:
1) Plug your iPod into a cassette adapter via the headphone outlet
2) Connect to your car's FM radio via a wireless mini FM transmitter
3) Hard-wire to your car's FM radio via an FM modulator
Being the simple-minded type, I'm going for the first option. According to the reviews, Sony's CPA-9C MiniDisc/Discman Cassette Adapter is a great-sounding solution, and at $11 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005T39Y/103-843- 6965-9487058?%5Fencoding=UTF8) the price is right!
My older (20GB) iPod lacks the new model's docking port, so I'm going to get XtremeMac's iPod Car Charger (Firewire version) to keep the iPod's battery fresh during playback. (They also have a car charger for the new iPods.) See http://www.xtrememac.com/foripod/car_charger.shtml
Will it be possible to get iPod's fantastic sounds to my X308 for a pittance and with no wiring required? I'll know within a week or so. Will post my findings here.
John Mulvihill, technical writer, San Francisco Bay Area
1998 XJ8, Anthracite/Charcoal
If you have an older car and aren't sure when the last service was done, it's not a bad idea to dump a can into your fuel tank.
My Cadillac has been to this point very reliable and only repair has been replacement of an alternator. I like the Jaguar body style better than Cadillac but have heard that maintenance costs are higher for Jaguar.
Any comments by those with experience with both Cadillac and Jaguar sedans much appreciated.
The Jags are reliable, not prone to breaking down, yet there are "things" that need attention probably more than with the Cadillac, and they may cost a bit more to fix too.
The trade off is in the fun. If the Jag moves you, it's worth the bother. If maintenance is your first priority, get a Lexus.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Bill A Dallas
I'd appreciate any info about them.
I took it to a reputable Jag repair shop in West Holly wood and they cleaned out the throttle body. They told me that many times it just needs to be cleaned out. He ran a diagnostic test on the car and found two "codes", both relating to the transmission. I then took it to a transmission shop and they are quoting me $4200 to replace the trans. They said that it can cause the car to "turn off" while driving. It's happened to me 3 times, all while I was on the freeway, the latest time en route to Palm Springs going 80....had to coast to the shoulder where I had to let it sit for 10 minutes before it would start.
I'm frustrated as I still dont know exactly what is wrong with the car.
Let me know if you have shed any light on the situation.
darylolson@aol.com
Hopes this helps some.
TCD has a large inventory of Jaguars and sells via the web, eBay and the old fashioned way. The only difference is there is no high pressure, no tricks and everything is as stated. Quite a refreshing difference.
I vetted TCD through Google searches, e-mails to eBay purchasers (12, 7 responded), Car Fax and eBay's SGS on-site third party inspection. Also I had several telephone conversations with TCD's staff. Everything was positive. On May 14 I wired a deposit on the car, a 2002 Vanden Plas with 11,600 miles on the odometer, 21 months/50,000 miles left on the warranty. Then I flew from New Jersey to Dallas and took possession of the Jaguar on May 20.
I spent about three hours at TCD checking everything out, plus road testing the car. The people couldn't have been nicer. Every question was answered and it was a most pleasant experience. The trip home of 1,550 miles was without problems and the car was a joy to drive.
I've never, ever considering buying a car this way until now. In the future I would certainly consider buying another car from TCD.
I am currently interested in purchasing a 1999 XJR. But wondering how adequate are they for driving in the snow.
The car currently has an all season tires (on its standard 18 inch rims). Would this be adequate for driving in the winter?
Anyone has an experience with their XJR in the winter?
Any advice would be highly appreciated...
thanks you so much...
Thanks,
darylolson@aol.com
My wife has a 2001 XJ-8, and it sits out the winters, covered up in the garage.
My guess is that most Jag owners don't "how much will it cost?" and routinely get screwed.
Might want to delete that message that includes your address and repost without it.
Hope this helps.
P1721 is not listed on this site:
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/troubleshooting/l/bl_obd_17.htm
FWIW.
- Ray
No expert on trans. repair – and hoping never to become one . . .
I am getting better gas mileage. I was obviously burning too rich. As an old Navy piston engine pilot, I have a better than average knowledge of fuel/air ratios.
Thanks for your info. I've been thinking of buying from Texas Cars Direct also. Were you able to negotiate on price at all? Also, did you have any registration hassles bringing back the car to NJ?
Many thanks for your info
SV
Hey, got a quick question I'm grappling with. I've researched everything on the site as regards XJ brakes and rotor problems but couldn't find a definitive answer.
My Jag service center wants to charge me $300.00 per corner for rotors and pads. The car really needs it, it vibrates....almost violently at high speeds (not quite "Bill" speeds) when I apply the brakes. Normally, I'd just put my "I'm too busy not to be a sucker" hat on and have them do the work. The thing that bothered me is that I paid $500.00 2 years ago (only 10,000 miles ago) for new front rotors....that job was done by the same group of people (same folks, different dealership).
Is this a job for Midas....or a reputable independent? Are there other options?? I don't want to necessarily "shop" safety...but $1200.00 every 10Kmi for brakes has me a bit nervy.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the input on the pads, I'll keep it in mind, wherever I end up.
Good luck!
I paid the price asked. The reason was that I was buying it directly on the last day of an eBay auction of the same car. The bids had got so close that I was afraid of losing it to the auction. Had there been time I would have tried some negotiation.
As it was however, I felt the price for the car was fair given the very low mileage and the going price for 2002 VDP's elsewhere.
No problem at all with registration. Texas Cars Direct put a temporary tag on the car which was good for 30 days. About a week later I received the title by express mail and then got my NJ registration and tags.
Sorry about the delay in responding. To my knowledge this forum doesn't alert one to a response -- I only checked this tonight by accident.
By the way, the car is a dream. There have been only two problems with it -- an ash tray lid that doesn't close properly, and a rear reading light that stays lit while driving. That will be corrected on warranty by the local Jag dealer this week.
One thing you should also consider is an extended warranty policy. I've researched this and will probably buy from Jaguar rather than cheaper internet policies. Reason: too many posts on the internet about slow claim service, and the fear that the company may not be around whereas Jaguar/Ford will be.
Good luck!
Thanks for your informative reply. I'm thinking of finally pulling the trigger and getting a last gen XJ within the year. It seems to be a difference experience from the Lexus cars I've had. I really think there is no car that matches the elegance and sheer class of a Jaguar. I was in London when the car was released in the mid 90's. I haven't been able to keep my eyes of it ever since!
Texas Cars Direct's prices seem to be very fair. The Jag dealers in MA are an absolute ripoff! Should I buy from Texas, I'm sorely tempted to drive the car back to MA rather than have it shipped. As I see it, it will probably take 2-3 days, but the thrill will be well worth it!
SV
As per the Brake issue..Why not buy the pads from a Jag dealer and have an independant mechanic put them on? I've done this on my Lexus enough times..
A question..I'm told that Jaguar has a special paint process that makes the paint job superior than most of the competition.How many coats of paint do they apply? I've always been impressed by the Sapphire Blue color..It looks great on a XJ.
Thanks for your comments,
SV
For me it was worth it. It took two and a half days to drive to northern NJ, so I think it would take three days for you to reach MA.
What was worthwhile was that I got acquainted with the car and all the microchips that do amazing things. An added bonus was the incredible scenery in the central part of the country (Dallas to Little Rock to Lexington to I-81 to NJ). I tried to get my wife to fly down and join me in the ride home. She said: "are you nuts, you want me to fly to Dallas to spend two plus days in a car to go home?" So I guess, as they say, It's a guy thing.
I continue to feel good about the price/value I got from Texas Cars Direct.
Exit16
One note...Make sure that you get a battery that's designed for the car, one that has a vent that will connect to the Jag's vent line. A trunk mounted battery MUST BE VENTED TO THE OUTSIDE.
However, both Sears and Interstate make batteries that will work in the XJ, and both have provisions to hook up to the Jag's vent system.
Thanks for the feedback.
Any suggestions? My car has only 24,000 miles on it.
Thank you very much for any input.
I've looked at the internet companies that offer a much lower price than the Jag dealer however I want the security of the Jaguar behind the warranty; i.e. they're going to be around for a long time; there won't be hassles about what's covered; I won't wait for a decision. My policy will cost about $3,700. That's expensive, but I plan to keep the car for a long time and want to hedge having to face major problems.
Hope this helps.
Thanks
Does one exist?
I currently drive around 250 miles per week and will consider a used Jag if I get a job change cutting my commute in half. This will not only save gas, but will keep my annual mileage low, lowering maintenance and repair costs. In the mean time, the car is just a curiosity after I saw some seemingly-great prices on eBay. A 2000-2001 VDP in the low 20's looks great especially since the exterior styling of the brand new redesigned model isn't dramatically different
For instance I like the looks and price of this car:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1- - - - &item=2486270753&category=31847#mainImage
I like the seat piping and the fold down trays on the seat backs of the VDP that make it like a Rolls Royce inside, but I think the stretched body proportions aren't as elegant on the side profile as the standard wheelbase body of the base XJ8. The extra legroom would be nice if I used the back seat often though.
What do you think? I wouldn't buy sight unseen, but if one was being sold from a local source, I'd probably look at it.