XJ-S

1975-1996 / Coupe / Convertible / United Kingdom

All XJ-S problems All workshop issues

Common Suspension and Steering

Front suspension bush wear

Symptoms

Clonking over bumps, wandering at speed, uneven tyre wear.

Cause

Rubber bushes deteriorate with age. The XJ-S front suspension uses upper and lower wishbones with multiple bush points.

Fix

Replace all bushes.

Polyurethane upgrades are available and last significantly longer.

A complete front suspension bush kit runs $400-800 AUD in parts.

Cost mentioned in fix

$400-800

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// More XJ-S problems

Other known issues

Common Suspension and Steering

Rear suspension compliance mount failure

Vague rear end, clunking, unpredictable handling over bumps.

Common Suspension and Steering

Power steering rack leaks

Power steering fluid leak, heavy steering, groaning noise from the pump.

Minor Engine, V12

Cooling system failure

Engine overheats, temperature gauge climbs into the red, coolant boils over. In severe cases, head gaskets fail and coolant enters the oil.

Common Engine, V12

Head gasket weeping

Coolant appears around the head gasket line (external weep), or coolant contaminates the oil (internal failure, mayonnaise under the filler cap, white exhaust smoke).

Common Engine, V12

Lucas ignition system failure (pre-1989)

Misfiring, rough idle, hard starting, power loss, sometimes total ignition failure.

Common Engine, V12

Marelli ignition issues (1989 onwards)

Similar symptoms to Lucas, misfiring, rough running, but less frequent and usually easier to diagnose.

View all 23 XJ-S problems