Secrets of Jaguar XK8 & XKR Ep 10. Fake dials & transmission lock 

I installed Real Gauge from Jagwrangler years ago, I was a beta test. It was a simple install and has worked flawlessly for many years. As someone here mentioned, having an accurate temperature read when dealing with an aluminum engine is a must!

I used to have a Porsche 924 and both the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges were showing real time data. It's sad that Jaguar didn't do that on the XK8. But you are right, some customers don't understand how the oil pressure works and that's a source of claims. Thank you for showing us all these details.

My 2000 has Nav Screen which was nice in 2000 but now obsolete and the center gauges are aesthetically appealing... love your videos keep up the good work...

Im glad you covered this issue. Especially important in the earlier XK8s that were plagued with water pump issues and wouldnt indicate high temps until it became very overheated. I was also going to mention the aftermarket kit made by Jagwrangler, but you have that covered. He has advertised this kit in the Jaguar Forum for many years. (I am not affiliated with Jagwrangler nor this product). Great stuff and please keep em' coming!!

Hello John. Excellent advice for the Jag owners . If I may add some Info for the gages: There is an OBD II Reader , but this one is without the cable. It's with Bluetooth , and by installing the relevant app on your smart phone you are able to see the exact figures of the instruments as well the correct consumption. Other parameters are coolant, fluid and transmission temperature to boost, oxygen sensors and manifold pressure. It takes immediate reading from the ECU ( ENGINE control Unit ) . I'll try to find the link and add it as well. Cheers .

I had an XJ6 in the same colour scheme as the one you showed in your video back in the day. As one of the later cars, it was very reliable. I think the only thing I changed on it in 30,000 miles (apart from routine service) was the coolant level sensor.

Hi John. Have you covered the XJR? I've just bought a red '99 in from Japan. There's a 3/4" bung on top of the supercharger intercooler. Many times the Allen key, to undo that bung, is missing. I used an Audi steering arm that has 3/4" hex adjusters. I made six 1" 'Allen keys' out of one 6" Audi shaft, and then simply use a socket and bar to undo the Jag bung. So I have 5 left if anyone wants one. If anyone finds 'mayonaisse' in the top of their intercooler fluid, there's a reason. Happy to share that info. I just sold my gold '03 XK8, done 35k miles. I confess to having just found your site.. and subscribed. Thanks. Paul. NZ.

Another brilliantly simple fix. Thanks for sharing!

Hi John. Enjoying your videos. I have just purchased a XK8 Coupe 1997. Very helpful tips thank you.

Another thing I did not really think about. I have watched that temp gauge and marveled at what I thought was some amazing system that kept the temp so precisely in the middle of the gauge. Small trained hamsters opening and closing coolant valves or such.

Nice info yet again. Thanks!

At my job we have a fleet of Chevrolet Express vans (USA market) that have the full compliment of gauges (oil pressure, volts and coolant temp) and believe it or not, they actually work! Oil pressure rises and falls with engine load as does the volt meter. Go up a long hill, especially in the summer and the coolant temp gauge will rise slightly. Go down a long hill and it will fall. I can even tell when the diesel exhaust filter is about to go into cleaning mode when the temp gauge rises slightly higher than normal. I'd wager they're the last of their kind, at least in a new vehicle in our market.

Hello John, Sorry I have not replied to you sooner about the erratic gauge readings I was getting on my 1999 XK8. You suggested checking the amps at the battery. I had planned to do that when I returned from a four day holiday we were taking. In any event, the car sat untouched for about a week. When I started it and ran an errand, the gauges, except for the fuel gauge seemed to be at normal (the fuel gauge might be accurate, will check when i refuel).. They are still at normal after a week or so. Thanks for the response before and I enjoy all of your videos. Howie Crotin

Converted my '05 XK8 with nav to 3 gauges a little while ago. As I was going to be running cables through to the dash cluster I got a mod kit from a chap in the USA to give a more linear reading, much nicer actually seeing whats going on, and having gauges that aren't just glorified warning lights

Fake gauges are quite common in newer cars. They're basically glorified idiot lights.

Thing with that voltage gauge, properly operating alternator Is usually about 14.5 volts.

I was wondering what Phil Collins did after Genesis.

question? my xk8 jerks alil when switching from 1 to 2 i notice 1 is a very short gear is this just my car or does urs do this to??

Had many. Thanks for the info

Hi John, I have a 97 xk8 convertible In which video shows how to raise the rear windows when the roof is down. .

I got caught out by this a couple of years ago on my 2001 XK8. Stuck in heavy traffic, hot day, suddenly temp gauge flicks up to the red! Pull over and Bang! Steam all over the place & water running down the gutter. The expansion box (plastic) had ruptured & I lost all the water. It was mainly due to the second electric fan being U/S. In other words, the gauge is useless, gives you no warning!

wow, I have always thought this was true but not 100% positive. I think the Temp gauge in the 95-03 XJR is the same, it stays in the middle all the time, well, not when you first start up, but the entire day in the same position? thoughts? Damn, I never knew what that was in the center console..

John the Temperature gage or gauge works just fine. My water pump (plastic impeller) broke and the temperature gage would be all over the place depending on if I was idling or driving down the road. I replaced the water pump (metal impeller) and have had no problems for 15 years. Another item of interest was the thermostat housing. The stock plastic one has captured nuts that can break loose if you need to replace the thermostat. Don't replace with the plastic one GET A METAL one! Review this WEB site ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3doUPiFeq1g.html

Love the XK8s, but made me smile seeing you have a full tank of fuel but the range is saying just 163 miles! 😁

After I had an oil change my temperature light and low fuel light is staying on. Im scared... Whats wrong?

Can't wait for you to replace a headlight

Hello John, with all respect, at 7.44; your gas/petroldail is almost at "full" And yet the range of miles is just 163 miles... That should be more. I recently had a defect petroldail, so the it went up and down, also very fast down, during driving. I have it replaced, so it's better now. But the range should be at least 350 miles or even more. With a full tank, I can drive 600 km, or 370 miles. To my mechanic, a defect petrolgage is a common thing on Jaguars.

The volume is very low, even with my laptop volume right up. It does improve at just over 6 minutes.

Ah I didn't know this, on my XJR (x308) the temp gauge sometimes goes slightly above center, but my obd reader is always at 90 degrees .. odd

To John or anyone else who may know: I would keenly like to learn more about this decision on Jaguar's part, as I think it would make a perfect case study for a history-of-technology journal article. If anyone can point me to any sources, I'd be grateful.

This is why I think they don't install temperature gauge on motorcycles. They would fluctuate widely and I can only imagine what it would look like when I Am sitting in Traffic and the engine baking my legs. I feel like its even worse if I turn off the engine.

I do kinda dislike how U cannot see Voltage and Oil on a Daimler Super V8, X308 build. Just to mention nowadays, there re kits available for older cars with Cassette Radio, to connect via Bluetooth phone ect, but also show the Cars Voltage ! These kits are made to fit on Cigarette Lighter Socket. Greetings !

cool trick

U cant tell they are fake cos they are showing right things if u look at oil pressure gauge is doesn't show u on how many bars of pressure u are for example xk40 wash showing true pressure. Xk8 is showing oil pressure is good or to low or to high there is no numbers to show on how many bars u are now so think oil pressure gauge is not fake. Next one battery is showing good as my voltage regulator went few weeks ago and was showing over 17v when i checked with multimeter was showing over 18v so again they are doing the job ...

Well I didn’t know the volt meter was fake as well. I thought the end of the key could unscrew the gear bung.

there are no measurment references, such as lbs per sq inch on the gauge, that surely tells the driver the gauge is faux, same for the gauge with battery symbol, it could be measuring how many bananas I have just purchased, it leaves the guillible to ASSume

My temperature gauge reads below centre when the outside temperature is low.

Not sure how you get a 'high' oil pressure reading as it's driven by a switch which only has two positions.....low (less than approx 12psi) or ok (above approx 12psi). The voltmeter has a 'normalised' reading to avoid variations & the temperature gauge is the same as pretty much every oem car for the last 30+ years whereby the gauge reads 'normal' between about 65-105 deg C. Once the temp goes above this then the gauge starts to rise quickly reaching the top of the red somewhere between 115-120 deg C. Cars like the XK have this characteristic programmed into the instrument cluster processor whereas the older stuff relied on the non linear resistance characteristics of the temperature sender on the engine itself. Not sure any of this qualifies as 'secret' or 'fake' just manipulated to avoid normal operation causing unfounded concern. You maybe amazed that the HVAC temperature setting bears very little correlation to the actual target temperature in the cabin & the offset is nothing like linear either....

So basically your saying toss those out and put in some digital ones that actually work.

Almost as complicated as my wife....lol

Not just Jaguars - the oil pressure gauge in the MX5 is a 'simulation' aka fake!

doesnt look or seem half as bad as hinted,,i also check systems etc on my own,,

Here is the address for the" Real Gauge" conversion kit, it comes from America www.thejagwrangler.com/

lmao thats crazy

Absolute bullshit. The oil pressure is controlled by a relief valve which sets a maximum and the voltmeter is showing 13volts because that is what the alternator is pushing out when charging. If he' taken the surface charge off the battery by putting the headlights on it would have dropped to 12 volts. I didn't bother to watch anymore.