Jaguar Reference Library

I have the following publications, which I frequently make reference to. They're all worthwhile for one thing or another, though I list them here in the order in which I believe they rank in overal importance and usefulness. I am NOT a book dealer - these are the books in my OWN reference library, so PLEASE don't contact me to order the books - they're not for sale. The links under each book description provides information on where *I* bought the copy I have - try contacting the indicated companies.

Some members of Jag-Lovers have compiled a CD-ROM collection of information, which, with the exception of a version of Kirby Palm's Book, does not include any of the materials here. I expect to purchase a copy of this CD-ROM at some point, but I figure that I'll let it mature a bit before I do so.

Note that for my own convenience, I've scanned in and converted nearly every technical reference here to PDF so that I can easily refer to the material without having to cover my desk with books. This also makes it easy to print a "work copy" of certain procedures so that I can grime up a discardable copy without marring my originals in any way - you won't find pen marks on MY workshop manuals!

THE BOOK - Kirby Palm's Jaguar XJ-S: Experience in a Book.

This is an edited compilation of technical notes and tips on the XJ-S and V-12. I've got one specific edition printed out and in a heavy-duty (metal hinged) reference binder, as well as the current edition saved to disk as a PDF. At 600+ pages, it can be a bit daunting to print out on a regular basis. I list this first because there are a LOT of things listed in it (such as checking for siezed Lucas distributor advance) which are crucial to keeping your Jaguar alive, and which the other references - even the Jaguar WSM, don't mention. To some degree, this book can be considered the FAQ for the Jag-Lovers XJ-S and V-12 lists - if you haven't at least skimmed through it to get a feel for what it covers, you'll probably eventually find yourself asking a question which it answers.

You can get more info and download it at Jag-Lovers or Kirby Palm's Jaguar Resource. Download and print it yourself for free, or purchase a printed copy from Kirby for a nominal fee. In mid-2002, Kirby announced that he was "retiring from the hobby", so your ability to order printed copies from him is likely to last only for a short while longer.

Jaguar-Daimler Heritage Trust Technical CD-ROM - JHM 1114 (pre-1987) and JHM 1127 (post-1987).

At the end of July, 2001, I placed an order with my local dealership for the JHM 1114 CD-ROM (the JHM 1127 not being available in their system at that time, so a few weeks later, I obtained it directly through the JDHT). The disc titles are a misnomer - JHM 1114 includes the Workshop Service Manual which covers up through 1988.5 model years, and the JHM 1127 disc starts with Marelli ignition. So, I think better designations would be "through Lucas-1989" and "from Marelli-1989", though I can't say for sure that those are strictly accurrate designations, they're much less vague than the JDHT designations.

Now, since I own XJ-S' which are in either category (according to the JDHT designations), I felt that I should have both. The parts rep at my local dealership took some convincing to accept that these publications were indeed for end-users, and not just for the dealership. You may need to stick to your guns about the pricing - it seems the dealership pricing may not reflect the price which JDHT and Jaguar may have agreed upon. If you get much guff about pricing from your dealer, just order them directly up from the JDHT - a couple of bucks is one thing, but there's just no sense in paying TRIPLE the price.

I used to have a bunch of babble about the original versions of these discs (which use Windows "scanfile" software, and are not Acrobat format). While I converted the content of my two discs to PDF early on (and offered them to the JDHT, who never took me up on the offer), about nine months after I made my conversions, the JDHT released PDF versions of the discs. If you purchase new versions, you should want to make sure you get v1.3 or later (or so I'm told - I still have the originals and my own PDF conversions), due to some material they goofed up in their conversions.

The original "scanfile" software is absolutely abysmal - if you have one of these CDs, take it back and attempt to get an exchange for a PDF version.

The jewel case coverslip indicates the contents of JHM 1114 as:

XJ-S Repair Manual (AKM 3455)
XJ-S Workshop Service Manual (JJM 100406)
XJ-S Parts Catalogue (RTC 9109B)
XJ-S HS/V12 Parts Catalogue (RTC 9888CE)
XJ-S 3.6 Parts Catalogue (RTC 9889CA)

There are other things on the disc, but they're JDHT informational bits (a JDHT Brochure, some Jaguar pictures, and a Jaguar Millennium Calendar (2000)), entirely incidental to the reason for purchasing the disc.

It appears that they scanned the bulk of the pages at 250 dpi - which is fine for most all the pages except for a handful of the condensed electrical diagrams (if you've got the printed version of the books, you know the ones I'm talking about). You can print the scanned pages, so you can have expendable paper copies to have on hand when performing procedures (I've always photocopied - actually scanning and printing - pages from my bindered edition of the Workshop Service Manual so that I wouldn't get them grimed up while working on the car), or to scrawl on.

One significant benefit of the CD-ROM over the printed version of these publications is that if you have access to a CDR drive, you can easily make a backup copy for your own personal use so that you can keep a copy safe on the bookshelf at home, and have a copy in your toolkit in the boot of your car (at least, this works well for those who may have a laptop, or might expect access to a CD-ROM equipped PC at a service shop during a trip - or desire having the ability to refer to the documentation while at the office or a friends house). It is MUCH less bulky than the multi volume print version.

When I converted the material to PDF, I fixed various "issues" with the material I originally received - some pages out of order, some crud on some pages, even some missing pages (I have the PRINT edition already, so had source material to scan replacements from). In the process of converting the material, I was capable of making the PDF sets for BOTH XJ-S discs fit on ONE CD-R, with ample additional room for additional reference material. The whole lot, as well as a few other documents I have collected (I scanned the RTC9900CA Parts Catalogue, a GM service manual for the TH-400 transmission and some other goodies), all fit on a SINGLE disc, along with Windows, Unix, and Macintosh installers for Adobe Acrobat.

As I've indicated by email to several people already, I cannot - and will not - provide the PDF version to anyone until I have obtained written permission from JDHT to do so. I don't really expect to -- what I'd originally hoped to do was to get JDHT to accept my offer of providing the PDF versions of their documents to them so that they may publish them on the discs (remember, they're just CD-R discs, so there isn't a big production run issue). Since the JDHT (or UniPart, who I understand actually produced the discs) subsequently produced a PDF version, this all seems unlikely. At least I've got MY copy...

The JHM 1127 is a considerably leaner-n-meaner disc, comprising only the Workshop Service manual up to 1995, including XJ-S supplements. No Parts Catalogues, no Repair Operations Manual, no JDHT brochures or calendars. The Workshop Service Manual is broken down into sections like so:

XJ-S Service Manual Volume 1 (9 MB)
XJ-S Service Manual Volume 2 (12 MB)
XJ-S Service Manual Volume 3 (10 MB)
XJ-S Service Manual Volume 4 (12 MB)
XJ-S Service Manual Volume 5 (4 MB)
XJ-S Appendix 1 - 1993 (6 MB)
XJ-S Appendix 2 - 1995 (6 MB)
Supplement - Volume 1 (4 MB)
Supplement - Volume 2 (3 MB)
Supplement - Volume 3 (3 MB)
Supplement - Volume 4 (7 MB)

The Service Manual sections include the cover pages which the earlier disc did not (but which I had already incorporated into my PDF version, seeing as I have the original print edition to scan them from). It appears that this later version of the manual is in fact a complete reprint, since the page banners have additional insignia on them.

The Acrobat PDF version means that the disc can be used in either PC or Mac (or even Unix) systems, with a real interface to the data. I've produced Thumbnails for ALL pages, as well as basic SECTION indexing. As time (and interest) has permitted, I've begun producing bookmarks for the individual pages and/or procedures within the chapters (yup, perhaps I AM retentive). Since the original data was scans, and not text, the PDF files do not have text search capability (yea, I wish the docs were in text, but live with it folks - you can't string search the print version either). No special or goofy software needs to be installed on most systems, since Acrobat is a fairly commonly occurring add-in on most systems these days (it is a free download from Adobe), and really, if you don't already have Acrobat, you should.

Jag-Lovers has a page detailing the various JDHT Technical CD-ROMs, including how to contact the JDHT Archivist to order a copy directly from the JDHT in the UK (for what works out to about US$25).

I purchased JHM-1114 through my local Jaguar Dealership (was supposed to be US$25, though the dealer charged US$32, plus tax). Although the other XJ-S disc, JHM 1127, was supposed to be the same price, it was listed as considerably more expensive by the dealer, and as a result, I ordered it directly via phone from the JDHT (see the Jag-Lovers link above) for UKP17 plus UKP2.50 shipping (approx US$28 after credit card conversion), although when I received it via post on 15 AUG 2001, the included invoice showed the TOTAL charges to be UKP17.50 (which included VAT, but appeared to have been reverse-computed -- i.e. the taxes and shipping were figured into a grand total, and the product cost adjusted accordingly). Do the JDHT a favour and don't complain about being charged VAT when you're not a UK resident - the TOTAL price is still less than you'll likely pay at your local dealership, and the lot is still cheaper than the original print manuals.

Jaguar Workshop Service Manual - the official four volume Jaguar service manual for the XJ-S, Publication JJM 10 04 06.

Sometimes incorrectly referred to as the "ROM", which is actually the much smaller handbook which is a greatly abbreviated version of this reference, and which refers to it by procedure numbers. This edition covers Pre-HE and HE V-12s, the 3.6 engine, and has specific references thru MY 1988.5. It is a series of green binders. The binder format is quite handy: it makes it easy to remove a couple of pages to copy (in my case, using the computer to scan in the pages and print them) them for use while you're out getting your hands dirty, and you can also snap in supplemental notes.

I purchased my set almost immediatley after purchasing my XJ-SC, and I've referred to it many times. It will pay for itself quickly if you do any diagnosing or work on your own car - even if you only use it to diagnose a fault so that you can take your car to a shop and have them replace the broken bit without having to clock time to diagnose it.

Note that the above JDHT Technical CD-COM above supplants the need for the printed manuals, and is CONSIDERABLY less expensive, and more portable (if you have a PC with a CD-ROM). You can also print working copies of pages directly from the CD-ROM version. While I wouldn't give up my print edition for anything, since I've produced a PDF version of both of the JDHT discs (JHM-1114 and JHM-1127), I don't pull these from the shelves as much when I need to look something up -- I can find material fairly quickly using the disc.

I'm starting an errata project for the original documentation. Should you find an inaccurracy in the printed documentation, please check that link and contact me should the correction not be there. The errata project depends on people to submit to me information about errors and omissions in the text, no matter how trivial.

Purchased through Auto Book Center. Approx US$225.

Jaguar Repair Operations Manual.

Actually, I don't have this in print, but it is referred to often on the Jag-Lovers lists. There are at least two versions of this publication -- the original, and one incorporating an HE supplement at the rear. The JDHT JDHM-1114 CD-ROM includes the ROM with HE supplement. This is a greatly abbreviated version of the workshop manuals - it covers many procedures in brief and provides reference numbers to the appropriate detailed procedures in the workshop service manual. It makes a great supplement to the workshop manuals, but if you have the workshop service manuals, this reference isn't truely necessary.

Electrical Guide - Jaguar #S57-88 Electrical Guide Supplement for XJ-S 1988 MY.

This is a binder slip-in supplement to the Jaguar WSM, and identifies circuits, as well as showing identifying representations and locations of the components.

Although this specific publication is not part of the JDHT CDROM, a very similar one is, enough so that this is probably unnecessary if you purchase the CDROM.

Purchased through Jaguar Services. Approx US$30.

Parts Guide - a photostat copy of the "Jaguar Parts Catalogue XJ-S Range" microfiche, RTC9900CA / January 1989.

This covers the three-C's: the Coupe, Cabrio, and Convertibles (though NOT parts specific to the Hess & Eisenhardt conversions), and lists changes for certain components according to VIN sequence (i.e. this part before VIN #, this part after, or obsoleted, etc). I have a newer microfiche (purchased for about US$5.00 at my local dealership), but not a paper copy of it (and until I pick up a used fiche reader, I've got to trot down to the public library to actually read the fiche). The original binding on this was crummy (it was a photostat after all), and so I re-bound it in a better cover type (the type with two metal strips that pass through punched holes). My copy is also missing a couple of pages -- as if they were dropped on the copyroom floor. Nevertheless, it is an invaluable reference.

An earlier (1987) version of this publication is included on the JDHT CD-ROM. and later, non-print (fiche, which requires a fiche reader to make use of) versions are (or were) available through the Jaguar Dealers for a nominal cost of US$5 (I have a few copies of RTC9900FX, dated March 1995).

Purchased through Auto Book Center. Approx US$50.

A/C Repair Manual - Jaguar E.182/1 Repair Operation Manual for Air Conditioning System fitted to Jaguar XJ.6 and XJ.12 Series 2, Daimler Sovereign and Double Six Series 2. (yea, that's the title!).

This is a document describing in detail the Early type A/C system which was also fitted to XJ-S cars prior to the Delanair Mk III (the document happens to pre-date the introduction of the XJ-S model, and therefore doesn't make reference to them).

The A/C systems are covered in the Workshop Service Manual, such that this supplemental material isn't wholly necessary, but I had an opportunity to purchase it, so I did. The above documentation was supplemented by some unknown typewritten (not typeset) material similar in production appearance to British Leyland dealer service training aids, but was missing the cover pages (as well as some pages from the middle), so I'm not sure of what it was.

Purchased through an eBay auction in used condition. Approx US$54.

A/C Electrical Diagnosis Delanair Mk III Air Conditioning Service Introduction 1987 Model Year

This is a diagnostic guide which is little more than a series of tests performed with a DMM on various specific pins of the A/C control module under different conditions. The book indicates what the expected range is and what the faulty component is if abnormal readings are produced.

This book is not a guide to the mechanics of the A/C, or even of the electrical circuits - it is just a test booklet. However, it is quite concise in it's nature, and if faced with a malfunctioning A/C, this could allow you to diagnose it fairly quickly.

Purchased through an eBay auction in new condition. Approx US$40, plus shipping.

Hess & Eisenhardt Jaguar XJ-S Convertible Repair Operations Manual.

Not to be confused with the official Jaguar ROM, this is a publication from H&E covering the repair and assembly procedures specific to their XJ-S Convertible conversions produced in the Mid-1980's (when Jaguar was not producing Convertibles). It is a very nice reference, and if you own an H&E (the designation should not be confused with the HE - High Efficiency V-12), you should want to acquire this documentation, since the aspects of your conversion will not be covered in the official Jaguar documentation.

H&E is no longer in business (not as a convertible conversions company at any rate - they were incorporated into another company which performs vehicle armouring such as for diplomatic vehicles), so a couple of members interested in getting this converted to PDF format were kind enough to provide me with a copy to produce the conversion with. I an given to understand that Paul's Jaguar may be making print reproductions of this publication.

The following publications are books, and I've not made, nor do I plan to make, conversions of them to PDF format (excepting perhaps the Driver Handbook, for my own archival purposes).

Drivers Handbook - Jaguar XJ-S Drivers Handbook, Publication AKM 9157 Ed 5, covering MY 1988, inclusive of my Cabriolet.

This is an owners guide, not a service manual, although it does list service intervals, fuse and bulb ratings and locations, as well as some basic service procedures. Good to have for completeness' sake, but not necessary if you have the appropriate edition of the ROM.

Purchased through Faxon Auto Literature. Approx US$50.

I also have the Drivers Handbook for my 1985 (the original which came with it, as the folder also contains the dealer service record book as well), and a Pre-HE Drivers Handbook which I obtained from the Book department of British Car Magazine, for circa US$20.

British Car & Bike Magazine - "Issue #3 - Autumn 1986".

While I had a subscription to this magazine for a couple of years (and would have continued it if there were more Jaguar coverage), this particular issue is one which I ordered through their backissues library. It is a cover issue for the V-12 Cabriolet.

Purchased through British Car Magazine. Approx US$10, but I don't remember the specifics.

Haynes - Haynes' "Jaguar XJ12 & XJS 1972 thru 1985" / "Jaguar 12-cylinder Automotive Repair Manual" Haynes # 49015(478), ISBN 1 85010 345 3.

If you're too cheap to spring for the Jaguar WSM and supplements (mind you, the JDHT disc is cheaper and more comprehensive), this book will make a good basic reference, but it is largely unneccessary if you have the above reference materials. Coverage of the XJ-S is iffy - definatley don't rely upon this book for anything electrical.

Purchased locally through Woodland Center Auto Supply, Inc.. I paid US$16.99, plus sales tax.

ATSG THM 400 TECHTRAN™ Manual REVISED EDITION ISBN N/A.

80 page service manual for the GM TH-400 transmission produced by the Automatic Transmission Service Group. This is a useful publication which covers the transmission service in detail (with B&W photographs), from the perspective of a transmission repair facility. Although the Jaguar WSM has decent coverage, and the Buick factory manual I own has a very comprehensive section (92 pages, by GM, the manufacturer), for the price, I just couldn't pass this book up.

I purchased it on eBay for a palsy US$6.85 inclusive of insured shipping. It's used, but in fine condition.

How To Test Almost Everything Electronic (3rd Ed) by Delton T. Horn ISBN 0-8306-4127-0.

This obviously isn't a Jaguar publication, and in fact, has nothing whatsoever to do with automobiles. Rather, it is a book on, you guessed it, testing electronics. While much of it covers topics such as testing televisions and certain components you simply won't be encountering within your Jaguar, it does contain useful information on the use of the DMM and Oscilloscope. If you're hesitant about purchasing a secondhand oscilloscope for testing your automobile (such as the ignition and fuel injection systems) because you wouldn't know what the signals mean, this book would be a handy guide.

I purchased it through a local bookseller, Borders Books and Music for US$17.95.