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In February 2010, I decide to get the various jobs attended to and it is taken in for;
Replacement rear shock absorbers & bushes, refurbishment of the rear screen pillars on both sides, attention to left rear door drainage & door seal, replacement of aircon belt, clearing of all other drain holes, re-insertion of right rear bump stop and underseal & waxoyl check. The new shock absorbers do not alter the right rear ride height - maybe the spring is at fault. The replacement door seal and slight widening of the drain holes in the left rear door appear to have solved the problem of water retention in the door.
For a few weeks I kept hearing a 'scraping' noise when turning right. Tweaking the right rear brake disc cover eliminates this problem.
The end of March shows a mileage of 91,800. Two 225/55/16 rear tyres (Nexen) fitted in April to replace the oversized 225/60/16s which appear old and were beginning to crack on the sidewalls. Next, the rear brake discs look as though they need renewal - as my finger runs across a disc 'mountains and valleys' are felt. Whilst the discs & pads are fitted I notice the right sided pads have a wear sensor but the left does not. The oil is flushed at the same time, then replaced with Forte Seal Conditioner added along with a new oil filter and a faulty tail light bulb is replaced. Mileage now 92,235.

The 'mountains and valleys' of the old brake discs, plenty of life left on the pads, but were highly scored.

Whilst driving along, minding my own business, a stone leaps at the windscreen causing it to chip. It is repaired a) to prevent the screen cracking and b) to prevent an MOT failure as it was within the driver's line of sight.
The hot weather in June means the aircon needs to do it's job, but fails dismally. A vacuum check reveals air in the system causing a blockage, it appears to be in good order otherwise and is re-gassed. Now working perfectly! MOT is passed mid-June. Shortly after I notice bubbles of paint around the right sill (behind the front mudguard) and a chip on the right headlight lens. The misery is compounded by the fact that, on a journey through country roads, I run over a rock that bounces on to the left sill and removes an area of paint.
Time for some relaxation...

An excellent show at Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster-I should not have left open the sunroof, too hot! Followed by an equally satisfying event in the Hope Valley. Below,
1936 Derby Bentley 3.5 litre by Mann Egerton & a George White Traction Engine at Sheffield Steam Rally. Stutz, 1913 Perry & 'Future Classics' at Sledmere House near Driffield.
                       

Whilst 2010 was generally an uneventful year for the Daimler, 2011 starts with a few unwanted niggles. January - and the car will not start for 2 days, the engine turns over but does not 'fire up', indicating an ignition fault - the battery is fine. On day 3, it decided to start, giving no real indication of the problem. On driving, the car 'hesitates' occasionally, indicating a fuel fault. As it has not had a service recently, I decide to make arrangements for this to happen. A Vehicle Condition Monitor (VCM) code indicated a Fuel Fault 14, which relates to the Coolant Temperature Sensor (replaced). This monitors the engine temperature and allows the appropriate amount of fuel into the engine in much the same way as a Choke does. If this is faulty it is likely the engine would not get enough fuel on start up.
A major service is carried out in late January-oil flush, oil change, oil filter change, fuel filter change, fuel treatment added to clean the injectors, replacement air filter, spark plugs, cam cover seals and front brake pads. It was noted that the front brake pad wear sensor had previously been removed.
No real problems for a few months. I decide to add seal conditioner to the oil again to keep the valve stem seals in some sort of order. Almost exactly one year ago the air conditioning system needed checking and re-gassing. The first few days of June 2011 are very warm and the air conditioning is not blowing cold. Apparently, the system holds 1 to 1.2 Kg in the aircon reservoir but only 500 grams remains - quite a drop in 12 months, apparently - this despite switching the aircon on frequently, even during the winter. Not using the system is a common cause for air conditioning to fail. The system was, therefore, re-gassed and dye added to check for leaks and/or porous hoses. To check for leaks in a couple of weeks.
A number of minor problems were rectified this month prior to an MOT - cracked headlight unit replaced, used grille inserts purchased (chrome peeling on existing plastic inserts), replacement front indicator lens and the right rear wheel bearing was replaced as it was becoming noisy. Other sources state the wheel bearings commonly require changing at around 100,000 miles. The MOT was passed but had an advisory for an 'oil leak'. This leak turned out to be a leak from the power steering pump, which is much less serious. These units are not serviceable and a replacement was purchased in July. Shortly after this purchase, the leak stopped for some reason! The 100,000 mile mark was passed this month.
The next problem occurred in early September when the brake pad warning light decided to appear, indicating it was time to replace the pads. On inspection, the pads are 'as new' with more material than a new pair! It is usual for there to be about 10% of brake pad material left when the warning light appears. The faulty sensor was, therefore, blanked off so as not to cause further distraction and now the car has no pad sensors as the front one was removed prior to my purchase of the car.
January 2012 and it is time for a service with the clock reading 102,500 miles. The usual oil & filter change - all else is satisfactory.
At the end of February the engine decides to play up. Stuttering/misfiring when cold, but not all the time, it settles down on idling but the engine cuts out when any load is applied - in gear and accelerating. There is nothing to see under the bonnet but the VCM shows a code of 'Fuel 17' which apparently applies to the Throttle Position Sensor. On reading of other peoples experiences the problem could be related to; Spark plugs (checked & look okay), coil, fuel filter, air flow meter, lambda sensor failure, tight valve, water temperature sensor (replaced 12 months ago), crank position sensor plus it's lead may become brittle, distributor cap, debris in the fuel rail, blocked injectors. Because of the number of causes, it is time to send it to the menders!
After a few days at the garage it was time for the car to return home. The fuel rail and the injectors were force 'fed' neat fuel/gas treatment for a period at 3000 rpm. It appears that debris in this part of the engine will give the symptoms described and produce a fault code as described (not enough fuel reaching it's destination, therefore the throttle position sensor wants to see more fuel delivered). The engine appears to be running fine at present. A recurrence of the problem in April appears to have been alleviated by changing the spark plugs!
Front tyre wear necessitated renewal of both in June. As the MOT was due in July, I decided to have it tested early. This was carried out successfully at 104090 miles.
Another puncture, this time right rear with a screw embedded within the tread. As it is now August - time for an interim service with engine flush, oil & filter change, seal conditioner & gas (fuel) treatment. Brake pads in good condition. Underside check satisfactory along with suspension bushes.
A 2 inch diameter rust spot on the bottom of the left rear door was repaired at my local body shop.
In anticipation of the winter weather, I decided to invest in a decent battery for the car. An AC Delco battery was purchased (rated at 96) and proves an excellent choice, performing much better than previous options which always required some sort of charge if the car was left for more than 2 days.
The underside of the boot lid 'lip' is quite rusty and will be replaced in December. A decent replacement was found at a nearby breakers yard.

It has been in my mind since, more or less, the time of purchase that the valve stem seals are well past their best as there has been some 'smoking' from the exhaust. The car is taken, therefore, to Bell Lane Garage to replace these early in January 2013. A full service should see me through the year. Jobs carried out included;
Replacement valve stem oil seals, head gasket replacement, replacement driver’s door seal, dash bulb for odometer, bump stop repair, boot lid clips, replacement of boot lid finisher, left rear window motor repair, balance wheels & set alignment, full service including; oil flush. oil, oil filter, fuel treatment, air filter, spark plugs, antifreeze, wiper blade. Advice given regarding rear right floorpan which needs welding. Underside of car undersealed. Mileage 106,796.
The welding described above was carried out in February.
The appalling weather in March meant the battery took a 'pounding' during this period. Although it required some encouragement at times (a bit of a charge), it came through reasonably well.
The car has attended a couple of shows in May as my usual show car is laid up. A very nice show at Crows Nest Park in Dewsbury with wonderful weather and a good show at Ackworth (picture right) where the weather was variable.
A couple of areas of corrosion are noted on the rear & front left wheelarches which will soon need attention.
MOT passed in June with a couple of advisories regarding corrosion. Mileage 108,140.
The electronic drivers seat adjustment switch failed and a replacement was sourced from Jagcats of Ackworth. A tiny area of corrosion around one pole of the switch caused the failure. Rear left door trim re-glued to prevent it sticking out. Late in June the car fails to start after about an hour of trying. The engine turns over but will not fire up. Need help! A call to Bell Lane Garage and after drying the plugs, releasing and replacing the injectors and quite a bit of 'welly', the engine fires up but is very 'lumpy' once more. Whilst looking at the engine when running it is noticed that the coil lead is 'arcing' across. The lead is insulated and it's cap removed. The engine is now running smoothly once more. Hopefully, the 'lumpiness' occurring since February 2012 is cured but it is time to renew the ignition leads, distributor cap and rotor arm. However, No.5 spark plug tube is full of oil, so in July the rocker cover is removed to find the seal sitting at the bottom of the tube is split. This is replaced. At the end of the month the problem recurs. The plug tubes (2, 5 & 6) are again full of oil, the engine is acting up. So the coil, plug leads, distributor cap, rotor arm, plug tube seals are all replaced along with the front top wishbone bushes which appear to have failed, i.e. the rubber of the bushes was able to turn completely within their surrounding metalwork!

 New ignition parts.

Having replaced the spark plug seals the rocker cover gasket was also renewed, but this failed 24 hours later (photo below right) causing smoke to seep from the bonnet due to a leakage of oil from the split seal to drop onto the hot manifold. Scary at first until the cause was diagnosed! The seal was again renewed and seems okay now.

Transmission warning light intermittently appears at no specific time. Disappears on switching off the ignition for a short period - 5 to 10 seconds. Thoughts, therefore, go to the electronics. The under-bonnet transmission relay is swapped with the aircon clutch relay (as I don't use it much). This in September.
The car has been away for a couple of weeks for the following;
Replacement n/s/r fulcrum bearing, top ball joint, anti-roll bar D bushes. Pressure cleaning of fuel injectors, fuel treatment, service which included engine flush, replacement oil & air filters, spark plugs, oil change. Diagnosis of electrical problems, i.e. engine warning light, gearbox warning light showing intermittently and intermittent wiper malfunction. Found corroded earthing point on bulkhead – earth wire re-routed and bulkhead treated with wax until rust converter application later. Advised of some corrosion to both sides in front of jacking points. Front brake discs to be replaced soon. Front o/s door latch needs replacement. Car returned in time for Christmas - electrical problems appear solved. The battery is also holding it's charge much better than before - amazing what problems a 12 inch piece of wire can cause! The lesson? Check earthing points regularly!

The first day of May 2014 saw the long awaited refurbishment of various parts of the body where the 'tin worm' had crept in. This included the trailing edges of both front wings/wheel arches, both rear wheel arches and the under-floor in front of the jacking points on both sides where pieces of new metal were welded in. A good job done at SJ Auto Welding of Barnsley. A problem occurred where, when the work was finished, the car would not start! No ignition, no dash lights & gear lever locked in 'park'. After much debate, a 'reset' switch was discovered in the drivers side footwell which cured the problem. Apparently this had been knocked to the off position during the work above.
 
Primer to areas awaiting repainting.

D&S of Mapplewell again did a good job of painting the areas described above.

MOT performed in June, but another small area of corrosion just forward of the nearside jacking point near the seat belt mounting point meant a failure. This was repaired at SJ Auto Welding. Other areas of concern were; the rear tyre wall was split and needed replacing; areas of minor corrosion at the suspension mounting points - treated with Kurust converter & underseal; the front brake hoses were said to be 'bulging' on applying pressure. Discussion with Jaguar specialist at Bell Lane Garage came to the conclusion that it was not of great concern, but they were changed anyway. However, as the hoses were removed the bleed nipples on the brake calipers broke off and, as the calipers were past their best, it was decided to renew these as well. The MOT re-test was successful. A new tyre is now on the spare wheel. The previous spare is on the car but it was noticed the tyre is 'directional' (denoted by 3 arrows on the tyre wall) and was on the wrong way round - now the correct way (the new spare is 'multi-directional).
A couple cooler of days recently (July) have somehow caused starting problems - the engine turns over but does not fire up for some time. When the engine is up to temperature there are no starting problems! After discussions three areas were identified as being the cause of the problem - air temperature sensor, crankshaft positioning sensor (CPS) or the fuel pump. Replacing the CPS appears to have done the trick, although at this time of year, cooler days are few and far between, so its wait and see time!
More bad news occurs at the end of the month when the exhaust begins to make itself known. The rear intermediate silencer is cracked at the pipe joint. Whilst I am awaiting parts, I decide to replace the corroded front bumper bar blade, getting a good used one from Jagcats, the XJ6 breakers. The original facilitates headlight washers but, as the washer motor is so feeble and often burns out, I decide to choose a bumper blade which does not have space for the washer nozzles. Disconnecting the hoses and blanking the feeder hose, the blade is cleaned and fitted in early August. And it looks much better. As the other silencer was in a poor state, both rear intermediate silencers were replaced. An oil leak was discovered around the oil cooler which was re-sealed.

L-R; Point of breakage of exhaust; bumper removed; to blank off headlight washer feeder hose; to refurbish bumper; old corroded bumper blade; partly polished new used bumper blade.

Left: New blade in situ.

Recently, after driving for a lengthy period, the fuel pump begins to object by making buzzing noise. As this is usually a precursor to failure, it was changed in October.

Rear wheels balanced in April 2015.

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