Goodies

You're welcome to use these files for personal, non-commercial use.

Some months ago, after one too many discussions on the XJ-S list went in circles about where some part was located, I decided that I'd get to work on producing a Component Locator Grid - a silhouette of the car placed on a grid allowing locations of components to be identified by a letter-numeric code. This doesn't yet have a depth reference (I need to produce a side-view silhouette as well, which I'll add to a later revision). In addition to being used to identify component locations, you can print it out and use it to mark locations of rust or body damage.

You would read the primary grid from the top, then side. I-8 is the general location of the ECU for instance - but that same grid section also encompases the aerial as well as the fuel relay and other components. If you need more precise positioning, add to that the numeric designators which are adjacent to the primary grids: I3-82.

The following link is to an Acrobat PDF document. You'll need the free Adobe Acrobat reader in order to view this file.

XJ-S Component Locator Grid.

When changing spark plugs, I like to keep track of the old set of plugs - by keeping track of which cylinder they came from, I can better gauge engine condition. If you simply pull all the plugs and drop new ones in, you can't easily match a plug to it's original cylinder. So, I have a small piece of wood with some holes drilled in it so that I can keep the plugs ordered. Additionally, it has a reminder of the firing order.

It is trivial to construct (you really don't really need the template, but it cleanly conveys the layout versus explaining it, and all the holes are nicely aligned).

Spark Plug Caddy.