XJ6 (Series I-III)

1968-1992 / Sedan / United Kingdom

All XJ6 (Series I-III) problems All workshop issues

Common Electrical

Alternator and charging system failure

Symptoms

Battery goes flat, warning light stays on, instruments dim at idle, car won't start.

Cause

Early cars had Lucas alternators (or generators on the very earliest models) that fail with age. Voltage regulators burn out. Wiring connections corrode and add resistance.

Fix

Test the charging system output.

Replace the alternator if output is low.

Clean all connections, especially the main battery cables and earth straps.

Upgrade to a modern high-output alternator if the original is shot.

Budget $300-800 AUD.

Cost mentioned in fix

Budget $300-800

Know something we don't?

Owned a Jaguar XJ6 (Series I-III)? Share your experience with this issue. What worked, what didn't, costs, tips. Help the community.

Submit an update

// More XJ6 (Series I-III) problems

Other known issues

Common Electrical

Lucas ignition failure (Series 1 and 2)

Misfiring, rough running, hard starting, random stalling. The car runs on five cylinders or fewer.

Minor Electrical

Electric window failure

Windows won't go up or down, move slowly, or stop halfway.

Common Electrical

Instrument gauge failures

Temperature gauge, fuel gauge, or oil pressure gauge reads incorrectly or not at all. Warning lights illuminate randomly.

Minor Electrical

Central locking and door lock failures

Central locking won't operate, or works on some doors but not others. Key won't turn in the door lock.

Minor Bodywork and Rust

Sill corrosion (structural)

Outer sills bubble and perforate. Inner sills rot silently behind trim. The car's rigidity decreases, doors sag, gaps become uneven, and the body flexes over bumps.

Minor Bodywork and Rust

Floor pan corrosion

Floor pans rot from underneath or from above (water sitting under carpets). In severe cases, you can see the road through the floor.

View all 28 XJ6 (Series I-III) problems