Jaguar XJ8 / XJR
X308 · 1998-2003Faults written up for this generation: likely causes and the order to check them in.
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5
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) ABS Light
On the X308 the ABS lamp usually arrives with TRAC or ASC NOT AVAILABLE, and the cause is rarely as dear as the dealer's module quote.
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5
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Antenna Stuck or FM Ticking
On these cars a stuck aerial is rarely the motor. I'd look at a snapped plastic drive tape with a piece left inside, or a bent or seized mast — each fixed from the top…
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3
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) AUX Input
The radio only opens its CD input while it can see its own changer, so a plain aux cable in the changer lead plays nothing.
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3
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Bluetooth and Phone
Most of these cars already have phone wiring behind the armrest, and a Bluetooth kit plugged into it mutes the radio and plays calls through the speakers.
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3
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) CD Changer E-01 or NO DISC
NO DISC while you can hear the changer working means it has power and a link — the fault is inside.
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4
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Central Locking Problems
On the X308 a door that thinks it's open is the usual reason the car won't lock: a microswitch in a latch, often a rear one.
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7
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Check Engine Light, Fault Codes
On the X308 a check engine light is usually an O2 sensor, an air leak or the evaporative system, not a failing engine.
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6
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Cranks But Won't Start
This page is for an X308 whose starter spins the engine at normal speed but it never fires; if it only clicks or the car is dead, the no-crank page is the right one.
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6
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Engine Failsafe Mode
On the X308 Engine Failsafe Mode most often comes from the brake pedal switch, especially when the cruise control drops out with it.
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4
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Fuel Pump Problems
On the X308 a pump that seems dead is often something cheaper: an empty tank behind a lying gauge, the relay or its socket, or burnt power terminals on the pump.
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Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Heater Not Working
On the X308 no heat is usually the little electric heater pump — worn brushes — or the fuse it shares with the alarm sounder, which takes the front fog lamps down with…
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6
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Key Fob Not Working, Boot or Alarm
On the X308 remote locking, boot electrics and alarm all meet in the boot: the security module lives there, fed through the loom that flexes at the boot-lid hinge.
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3
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Misfire
On the X308 a misfire is nearly always one ignition coil, and the quickest proof is to swap the suspect coil to another cylinder and see whether the code follows it.
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4
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Overheating
On the X308 overheating nearly always comes down to the water pump or the thermostat: the early V8 pump has a plastic impeller that breaks up, and the thermostat sticks…
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4
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Radio Code, CODE or PLEASE WAIT
The code belongs to the radio, not the car — a code looked up by the car's details fails if the radio has been changed.
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8
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Restricted Performance
On the X308 the throttle body is behind most Restricted Performance warnings — worn position sensors inside it, or dirty plugs on it.
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2
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Rough Idle and Stalling
On the X308 a rough idle or a stall when you lift off is usually air the airflow meter never saw, or a sticking throttle body.
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2
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Speakers Rattle or No Bass
A rattle or weak bass on this car is usually worn-out speakers, not electronics: a rotted foam surround on the rear-shelf woofer, or tired paper-cone door speakers.
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3
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Timing Chain Tensioner Problems
On the X308 the weak point is the upper (secondary) chain tensioners: the early plastic-bodied ones crack with age and can let the exhaust-cam chain jump, often with…
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9
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Transmission Problems
On the X308 a gearbox fault is often the box itself — on the XJ8's ZF 5HP24 the A clutch drum is the known weak point, and the XJR's Mercedes box wears out too.
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3
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Wheel Bearing Noise
On the X308 a worn front wheel bearing is the usual source of a hum, a grainy feel or a rumble like driving over rumble strips.
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6
Jaguar XJ8 (X308) Won't Start, No Crank or Car Dead
On the X308 the starter is rarely guilty: a single click or a completely dead car usually means current isn't getting from the boot battery to where it's needed.