3 Simple Fixes Saved Me £10,000 On A Main Dealer Quote! (Jaguar XK X150) 

Jack, next time you polish headlights, I recommend putting masking tape on the paint around the lights first, as it's easy to accidentally polish through the paint on the edges of the panels. it lets you see if you're going past the edge of the light too often, and gives the paint a touch of protection before it starts to burn off.

It's great to see you back on the spanners, Jack! As much as I love your reviews, this content is what it's all about 👍

Personally I'd have put a neutraliser on the rusty sub-frame to prevent corrosion coming back under the waxoil. I also always put copper ease on wheel bolts and the hub facing surfaces; does make life easier thereafter. Looks like it's turning into a really usable and still gorgeous car.

The reason Jag would have quoted £2600 for the subframe will be mainly labour. In this situation you really need to take the subframe out of the car, remove all rust down to bare metal and then paint/waxoyl it while its out of the car. What you've done is basically put a rust proof layer on top of rust. This will stop new moisture getting into the subframes metal, but it won't stop the rust you left from spreading underneath the coating. So it will look all nice and new, but the metal will continue to deteriorate.

Great result and just shows how much you can save on dealer quotes. However, I think the subframe refurb is a bit misleading, as you've only really (so it would seem) got the crap off and sealed the bits you can physically get to. You would really need to drop it and take off all the ancillary bits to do it properly. Just sayin'.

"They wanted £2600 for sorting out the subframe so I saved £2600 by not sorting out the subframe." Thanks Jack, nice one 😂

I would've personally put some rust converter on the subframe as all you've done with the wax oil is lock in the rust which will make it worse long term. I see it all the time. You need to get rid of the rust first.

If you have to attack the lights again, please use tape around the surrounding bodywork.

The headlights will need a coat of UV resistant lacquer to last, else you'll need to polish them again in 12-18 months as they will go cloudy again. No biggie, but worth getting them coated in my personal opinion.

Jaguar wheel bolts breaking is a common problem because people invariably overtighten them. The correct torque is 125Nm but this feels loose as there is less resistance from the bolts as they have flat seats with a rotating captive washer rather than tapered seats that most people are used to doing up, so they are tempted to give them an extra tweak which causes the bolts to stretch. You could have saved some money calling in the pro's though Jack, as a drill and a 20mm hole saw is all that is needed to cut the flat seat off and release the wheel without damaging it. Also, bad idea to use anti-seizing compound on the stud threads as this also leads to over-torquing as the slip from the compound will cause a torque wrench to under-read and also exacerbate the low-resistance feel of the correct torque setting. I also refurbed a similarly crusty looking Jaguar XF subframe but I did it off the car. Ground-off the worst of the rust with a disk and spinning wire brush then dipped the whole thing in phosphoric acid to neutralise any rust I couldn't see. Then gave it two coats of acid-etch primer followed by two coats of chassis black. The factory coating is just a thin film of black paint straight on to the metal that offers zero protection after 5-6 years and then the deterioration accelerates.

Thing is it helps if you know someone with a lift ,working underneath these cars on axle stands in december Is no party

Imo you should have dropped the subframe and prepped both sides properly and not used that black gunk but it’s only my opinion

You attempted fixing things, whilst the dealer quoted you to replace faulty items, that's what main dealers do. they quoted mainly replacement not repair or refurbish.

I'm a panel beater and painter, but I quite enjoy mopping up headlights aswell. Quick n easy, and the results are satisfying.

Nice work, congrats. You might want to lacquer the headlights with Meguiar's headlight protection or whatever they have in the UK to protect them.

I feel your pain with those wheel nuts! - I had the same on my XJ8. The key is to replace any that have damaged caps (if they don't fall out of the 6-point socket under their own weight they are distorted), lots of copper grease every time they come off and NEVER use impact guns or 12-point sockets on them!

Probably should have used kurust first to turn the rust to good metal then underseal or wax oyl. Good vid though.

The subframe/suspension “fix” is very temporary. Not bad to do and it will buy you some time definitely but I would have removed the thing and either wirewheeled it or better sandblasted it. Then painted it properly and coating it after that.

I was quoted £6500 by a main dealer to fix an electrical problem on my '99 XKR, I managed to fix it myself with a 2nd hand part from eBay for £27 and bruised knuckles fitting it.

You are lucky you’re in the UK. Jags are relatively common. Here in the US cars like yours are somewhat rare and parts,new or used are pricy. You have a gem there. Enjoy it.

Great job Jack! BTW, I hope you were not relying solely on that trolley jack when fixing your tie rods - I couldn't see any axle stands being used?

Wire wheel on a rotary should knock down all the flaky rust. Quicker and cleaner too!

I would have liked to have seen how Smart Rims straighten out the wheels for you.

Jack, as much as i enjoy your videos as a mechanic, i think the work you´ve done on this subframe is totally useless. My old workshop master told me "do it right or don´t do it at all". He was right then and is still....

As the owner of a 1999 SL500 who does most of my own maintenance and work I really enjoyed your video

Every time that I get a new car I remove all wheel nuts and lubricate the threads. That means that in the unlikely event that I need to remove a wheel when on the road I can do so. Yes I'm aware that Toyota(and maybe others, IDK) specify unlubricated wheel stud threads, but they are wrong. Their excuse is so that a nut doesn't come loose. But if a lubricated wheel nut is at German specs(good'n tight), say 100 NM, it does not self loosen.

Absaloutly brilliant video jack well done on fixing it so cheap ❤👍 I don't know how they can justify that price brilliant

Slightly misleading, they didn't quote you to fix much of it, they quoted to replace it .

If you don't already, I suggest only using single hex sockets on those kind of wheel nuts. Double hex ones can damage the this shells and they turn or get stuck in the socket. Found this out the hard way!! Similarly I'd avoid using an impact wrench to undo or tighten them as it will break them with no warning. Use a socket and bar to undo and a torque wrench to tighten.

Keeping the battery in tip top condition in an X100/150 is almost a religion! I too get my batteries from Tayna. Yuasa is my choice for my X100 & a Varta for everything else. "Jag Journey"

the white cat is obviously a jaguar in disguise @07:09

£4200 to do the lights is taking the Mickey.

I would put clear wrap on those headlights as they will go cloudy again in a few weeks otherwise.

That " bolt" you were holding in your hand is actually a nut,the bit you sheared on the car is called a stud.

Thank you for this update! Great progress and information. 🙂

Nice work, makes you wonder why they don't put lanoguard on in the first place.

Jack, it was a good 'temporary' fix on the rear subframe - but on my 1996 XK8 (which rot a lot more than the X150's) I removed my rear subframe and for a piece of steel that had lived under the car for over a quarter of a century it was surprisingly good. However I removed the orignal paint and rust spots, wire wheeled, applied a chemical rust proofer and primer and then two coats of POR15. I also did this to the support brackets and struts. Hopefully it should last another couple decades!

2:32 And what about the top of the subframe, which you can't see? You really should've taken it all apart and done the job right, by treating the rust, which you've just hidden under the wax oil and which will continue to rot the metal in secret.

This doesn't surprise me at all Jack ... I got a quote recently for some work on my Brera S , about 3k all in , can do the lot myself for about £ 500 .. Leaving funds for some paint work and a wheel refurb 😊 Nice watch ,I like the greasy content 👍🏻

Do you ever use copper grease to stop bolts rusting solid? It's what we use on pushbikes for things like crank nuts which tend to be exposed to a lot of moisture. Great job by the way on a really nice-looking car.

I love this hands on kind of content Jack...... I find working on cars interesting and therapeutic, in most cases 😂. Excellent stuff as always buddy 👍

This battery problem could be caused by the alarm rechargeable batteries past their sell by date drawing the battery

I’m glad you got the wheel sorted, but this happened to me. Easy fix is to buy a 20mm hole cutter and put it on your drill, it fits over the sheared nut and when you drill it out to the spinning ring collar so won’t damage your wheel. It takes 30 seconds to drill off. Very easy fix. 👍🏻

Wax oil and similar treatments only deal with the areas you can see and reach. It might look preserved underneath but it'll still be rotting from the top.

Every older Jag owner , that I know myself included, get rid of the factory wheel nuts as soon as they get the cars and replace them with solid units. It all about prevention with these cars.....

I think the Jaguar quote on the subframe was reasonable given the repair they would make and time involved. The 4000 for the headlights is ridiculous though! Especially when you fixed them for 15 quid! Even if they had to put new units in which i suspect they would have given the price thats a crazy amount.

That subframe is like putting lipstick on a pig, it looks really bad, if I were you I would've dropped it and wax oyld the entire underside and the subframe properly, that'll fool you and others for a few years but man I wouldn't trust that or even find a 2nd one! That headlight polish sure it looks good now but you really need to wet sand , polish and clear coat it if you want it to last

Hello Again, I had the same very common issue with the wheel nuts on XF, two snaped, cost £40 to remove what was left, the guy who removed them recommended new nuts, I bought a complete set of 20 x M21 solid polished stainless nuts (which better suit the car) for £28 delivered, no more problems. Regards, RichardA.

Cant recomend Tayna Batteries enough . They are brilliant

Can also vouch for tanya batterys. Next day delivery and normally cheapest great service.

A good seam sealer is 'Wurth'. You can use an ordinary mastic gun to apply it but there is a gun the uses compressed air. It's a 'wet on wet' product so you can paint spray it when it is tacky. I have to say I think your silicon will be fine but just for reference I would mentioned 'Wurth'. You did a good job on the headlights but personally I would have put masking tape on the bodywork so you don't hit the paint. Anyway none of that is meant as a negative comment. Those wheels were a bit pear shaped so good that they are now straight. We know that a fair part of the Jaguar estimate would be labour costs and they would of course have used new parts so you can see where the money goes. Overall a Great job (or jobs) done Jack and good that you had access to a ramp which made life easier. 👍👍

I am guessing dealers just dont want the hassle of technical training and possibility that fixes might be temporary. Keep us posted on how well the repairs hold up, its a huge saving!

Look up Bilt Hamber Anti Corrosion line (UK COmpany). They do a sprayable and a gel-brush-on rust treatment. Just that I noticed there were parts you couldn't get to with a brush in your 'after' pics. The sprayable one you mix with water and literally spray liberally over the entire area and let it do it stuff.

20mm wholesaw will get the wheel bolts in seconds, had the same problem with my car

They wanted £2060 for new discs and pads on my Discovery Sport. It didn't really need new discs, they said they just prefer to fit them(done less than 40,000 miles at the time). I did it with top quality pads and discs for £350. I thought since I was saving so much, I'd do the discs as well, but really maybe I shouldn't have.

Love this channel but surely it's a wheel nut that broke, the 'bolt' is the threaded bit that comes out from the hub to put the nuts onto........

A real pain with the wheel bolt, but it's still better to happen on your driveway than on the hard shoulder of a motorway at 11pm in sub-zero sleet.

I see you 1st time Jack, really excellent presentation, thanks a million.

I also had a wheel nut break on me, 2015 jag XE, I saw a youtuber use a hole saw fractionally larger than the stud to cut through the remains of the nut and it worked for me. Nut excess came away, wheel slid over what remains on the stud, using mole grips to unwind the remainder off the stud. 10 minute job.

It's funny over here in the states same thing? I drive a porsche and a Volvo. once warranty is up I rarely ever go to the them the manufacturing dealer. they've priced themselves pretty much out of everybody's pocket. . It's nice when a tech hangs around long enough to get their certification, then starts his own shop for half of what the dealers charge. Love the jag

Main dealers don't want to fix cars out of warranty, they just want to sell you a new one! Hence the walk past the latest models to the service centres. Great advice for you with the comments you have received.

Hello Jack. Great to see you getting your hands dirty again! For the subframe, or just rusty parts in general, a rust converter is a great step before wax oil treatment. In theory, encasing the part in wax oil should inhibit the rusting process, but if/when the wax oil chips away, you're back to square one. A UV clear coat on the headlights will keep them looking clear for longer.

Glad to see your cat licks water off the cars as well, mine refuses to drink from a bowl, but a car or puddle shes there.

Jack. Another great video. More people should be liking and making comments on YT. Well done.

Hi Jack. What polish did you use for the headlights? Cheers.

Very satisfying you have done solid labour for little money😊 enjoy your Jaaaaaggg!!🎉

Amazing that Jaguar quoted 4.5K to replace the headlamps when all it took was polishing. Don't they think their cars might sell better if they charged the proper amount for repairs?

Highly satisfying to watch Jack !

Great channel Jack! Painting over rust is never a good idea though. Moisture will get underneath the paint and be trapped, which accelerates decay. Just the Lanoguard would be a better idea if you want a quick fix 🤘

Brilliant Jack. Well done. Damn shame about the wheel bolts - what a useless design that is.

It's amazing how much you can save with freebies, second-hand parts, just tarting stuff up rather than replacing, and not paying for any labour. Hardly a fair comparison. Having said that, great vid and very much "early Wheeler Dealers".

I would have treated that rust with rust converter first. Bit of a bodge IMO.

Why aren't the subframes galvanized from new, I'd be having a go legally for making crap there James...!

Tremendous video, I love these kind of DIY fixes

The MORAL to this story is : DON’T use your car in the salt, if you intend keeping it !

The car thats so good looking that cat can't stop loving it either❤😂

Well done Jack. Very nice car but shocking build quality.

Where can you find Ramp Hire these days!? I've been looking for a place for ages in the North of England but they all seem to be closed down.

I think it should be said that that sub frame should have been rust proofed from new. To have no coating or protection on that part is pretty poor.

Well, you did take it to the "Stealership", a mom and pop place probably would have been probably 50% less. While awesome job fixing most on your own, sometimes the hassle is not worth it...JustSaying

40/50 years ago it was common for cars to allow water ingress, my old SD1 was always filling up! But I find it hard to believe that in this day and age most manufacturers still haven't eliminated the problem. Great video though Jack, very entertaining 👏🏻 and I'm so pleased that you saved yourself a small fortune.

I would have spent 60 quid ( 3 quid a nut, 5 nuts a wheel, 4 wheels) replaced all the wheel nuts and copper greased them. It will happen again.

My wife's Honda Jazz has the same stud and bolt design and I managed to shear two at the same time whilst attempting to fit the winter tyres and rims a few years ago. The first one I did whilst trying to loosen the third of five, the second one when refitting the second bolt I'd originally removed! At that point I had to walk away, count to ten and take few deep breaths!

nice alfetta gtv on the lift next to your car

Hi Jack, love the channel. I'm not going to comment on your subframe "fix", but please please please use eye protection next time. It was scary watching you scrape off rust and crap under a car with no eye protection!

I replaced all of my XK wheel nuts with Toyota oem factory chrome mag single piece lug nuts size 12X1.5 for $26.

Well done Jack 👍👍

Next time, use panel bond for sealing the body.

The cat is searching for the Jaguar

Merry Xmas Jack. Thanks for all the great content and here is hoping for more in 24.

Well done Jack! I love seeing the economy minded approach to repairs!

As a proud, Canadian, owner of an '07 XKR, I appreciate your content, Jack! Looking forward to more! Thank you!

Hi Jack, Have you gotten any, or do you expect any, reaction from Jaguar? Over ten thousand seems a bit over the top, to say the least. These are the kind of quotations that brand workshops usually give when they don't want to deal with "older" cars. Still, I think it's a big disadvantage for them in the long run. They just don't get it. very unwise of them.

The quality of your videos never disappoint Jack, I've lost count the years I've been watching now.

Great Job Jack! I'm not sure if it's true with the 4.2 cars, but with the 5.0 cars you need to have the new battery programed to the car so that it will charge correctly. Battery issues can cause endless headaches with these beauties, so just make sure that new battery will last. Cheers

Great video. Love the look of that car. I've fond memories of driving around in my fathers Jaguars.. every trip felt like an event.

Seam sealer very good at fixing gaps between panels when you have leaks in boot.

I you dont want to do the headlights youself, i was quoted 300 for the same job, inkludert clear film over the lights.

This is what you do best Jack. I do like the reviews but this is your real strength. Very entertaining and informative content.

Nice to know this Jag is underpinned by some Mondeo bits!