Jaguar XJ-S. Service manual — part 182

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everyone’s questions, comments, and expertise being read by everyone else. There are thousands of such lists,
covering almost any conceivable topic from camels to rock groups.

Most lists have one address to send messages to the list members, and another address to send subscription requests or
other administrative stuff. Some systems are fully automated, requiring a specific format subscription request. If
you’re having trouble, most lists have an “admin” that can be contacted by addressing a message to the same address as
the list itself preceded by “owner-”; for example, you can contact the admin of the xj-s list by addressing your message
to owner-xj-s@jag-lovers.org. Please remember that admins are typically volunteers.

All of the lists described here are free of charge; the term “subscribe” means merely to add your own e-mail address to
the distribution list, and is not meant to imply that you need to write a check or anything.

Most lists also offer a “digest” option in which all the messages are saved up for a specified time and then sent as one
long message. There is no less text involved; “digest” doesn’t mean it’s edited or shortened in any way, just that it’s all
put into a single message. There is no value in this unless your Internet Service Provider charges on a per-message
basis or some such.

Also note that many lists have alternative methods of subscribing that make use of the World Wide Web; just surf to a
site and sign up for a list by simply filling in a few blanks. The jag-lovers lists mentioned below have such an option;
just visit

http://www.jag-lovers.org

and sign up for the lists of your choice online.

When you first subscribe to a list, you will automatically be sent an introductory message containing instructions on
how to unsubscribe, “netiquette”, how to find FAQ’s, etc. Please read the guidelines carefully before jumping in and
offending all the other subscribers.

Note that most -- possibly all -- of the lists run on the jag-lovers server are set up so that they will not accept a message
for posting from a non-member; if you want to post a question, you must subscribe first. It’s easy to do, and you can
always unsubscribe shortly thereafter just as easily.

Here are some lists that may be of help to the Jaguar XJ-S owner:

xj-s: A list specifically intended for Jaguar XJ-S enthusiasts can be joined by sending a message to:

majordomo@jag-lovers.org

with the words “subscribe xj-s” or “subscribe xj-s-digest” in the body of the message. Note that the “Subject” header is
ignored, the command must be in the body.

To send messages for distribution to the group, address them to:

xj-s@jag-lovers.org

An opinion from this author: if you own an XJ-S, it is highly recommended that you find a way to subscribe to the xj-s
discussion list and to search the list archives. If necessary, buy a computer and learn how to use it. It is no
exaggeration to claim that the benefits of list membership will most certainly pay for that computer in short order.

v12-engine: A list specifically intended for Jaguar V12 enthusiasts can be joined by sending a message to:

majordomo@jag-lovers.org

with the words “subscribe v12-engine” or “subscribe v12-engine-digest” in the body of the message.

To send messages for distribution to the group, address them to:

v12-engine@jag-lovers.org

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In general, it’s a good idea for owners of V12 XJ-S’s to subscribe to both the xj-s and v12-engine lists, and post
questions relating to the engine on the v12-engine list and questions relating to the rest of the car on the xj-s list.
Owners of XJ12’s should sign up for the v12-engine list plus the “xj” list, which is where SI/II/III XJ6’s are discussed;
between the two lists, they should be able to obtain answers on the various parts of their cars. Owners of 6-cylinder
XJ-S’s should sign up for the xj-s list plus the “modern” list; the modern list includes XJ40’s, so the AJ6 engine is
commonly discussed there.

There are several other Jaguar-related lists at this same server. To obtain a complete listing, send a message to that
same majordomo address and type “lists” in the body of the message. Or, visit the WWW site mentioned above.

british-cars: Another list, intended for enthusiasts of all British cars, can be joined by sending a request to:

british-cars-request@autox.team.net

Messages to be distributed to the group can be sent to:

british-cars@autox.team.net

They mostly discuss MG/Triumph/Healey/Rover etc., but Jaguars are included occasionally.

LIST ARCHIVES: Discussion lists will usually maintain a set of archives, so that “newbies” can read the discussions
that have occurred in the past -- thereby minimizing the need to dredge up old topics again. For most lists run through a
majordomo, you can obtain an index of the archives by sending a message to the majordomo address with the words:

index

<listname>

in the message body, where <listname> is the name of the particular list you’re interested in. Once you have received
the index, you send another message to the majordomo with the words:

get

<listname>

<filename>

The filenames will usually indicate a date, so you can tell which archive you’re getting. Since you don’t have to wait
for someone to write back with a reply to your question, quite often downloading the archives and doing a search of
them for keywords will find an answer faster than just posting a question to the list.

Some lists also maintain a file called “CONTENTS” or some such. If found and downloaded (using the same “get”
command described above), it provides a much better way of finding the particular archive you need, since it includes
information on the topics covered rather than just the date.

If the list in question maintains a web site, web-browsing capability can make searching list archives much easier than
fiddling with the majordomo. Just visit the site and follow directions.

Note that the jag-lovers site includes archive browse and search facilities, and this is the only way you will get to visit
their archives. It requires a sign-in, primarily to verify that you understand the legal ramifications of using info found
there.

USENET NEWSGROUPS: Don’t confuse discussion lists with UseNet Newsgroups; the functions are similar but not
the same. With a discussion list, messages posted to a central server are forwarded to every e-mail address on a
subscription list. With newsgroups, messages are posted to a newsgroup, and various “news servers” all over the world
periodically obtain copies of all the messages in particular newsgroups for review by users who have authorized access
to that news server. When you first connect to a news server, you can obtain a list of all the newsgroups it carries,
which may be as many as 30,000 -- yes, being able to automate a search will be helpful! Once you select a newsgroup
you’re interested in, you can obtain a list of all the subject headers for all the messages currently posted to that
newsgroup. Then you can select which messages you actually want to download and read. Messages are automatically
deleted after some set amount of time to prevent the system from loading up with obsolete messages. There are usually
no archives kept.

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The news servers are supposed to be local to minimize data transfer over the Internet; messages are distributed
automatically to all news servers carrying that newsgroup during periods of low traffic. Users are usually only
authorized to use a particular news server that is associated with their ISP. If that news server doesn’t happen to carry
the newsgroup the user is interested in, he has to complain to his ISP to see if he can convince them to start carrying it.

There is special software available for viewing newsgroups, although modern web browsers often include a newsgroup
viewing utility. If you use them a lot, a software package such as News Xpress is recommended.

At this writing, there are no known Jaguar-related newsgroups. There have been discussions about starting one,
though, since they handle heavy message loads better than discussion lists.

FTP SITES: An FTP (file transfer protocol) site is a location on the Internet where directories of files can be accessed
and downloaded to your own computer. On automotive-related sites, such files will often include collections of
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), pictures (GIF and JPEG files), lists of parts and service suppliers, and other items
of interest. Almost all FTP sites allow logging in as “anonymous” and entering your own e-mail address as a password.

Some systems provide Internet e-mail but don’t provide access to FTP sites. For such situations, a system has been
established wherein access to FTP files can be accomplished via e-mail; files are “mailed” to your address. To get
instructions, send e-mail to:

server@ingr.com

with “/HELP” in the body of the message. The server will automatically send you the help file with further
instructions.

british-cars: This group maintains a collection of files on an FTP site:

triumph.cs.utah.edu

(155.99.208.4)

The british-cars files are in directory /pub/sol/, with picture files in directory /pub/sol/Images/.

WORLD WIDE WEB: If you have WWW-browsing capability, the number of sites of interest to Jaguar owners seems
to grow every day. The “address” for a WWW site is called a URL, and it begins with http:// followed by a server
name and perhaps a subdirectory and filename.

Also note that, in this Word 97 document, URL’s have been formatted as hyperlinks -- which makes them blue and
underlined. It also means that, if you are viewing on a computer with a properly-installed browser, you can merely
point-and-click on one of these hyperlinks and it will automatically start the browser and take you to that site. Of
course, if you’re reading this book on paper, it’s just a pretty blue color.

Some URLs of interest to Jaguar owners:

Jaguar: Jaguar has its own WWW site:

http://www.jaguarcars.com

jag-lovers: The jag-lover’s discussion lists maintain a site on the WWW:

http://www.jag-lovers.org

The jag-lover’s site contains links to just about everything else on the WWW pertaining to Jaguars. Archives for the
jag-lovers.org discussion lists are browsable and searchable. This author also maintains a recent update to this book,
along with a collection of photographs relating to things discussed in the book, at the jag-lovers site.

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XJR-S: Steve Gallant set up a site for discussion of all things XJR-S:

http://www.jaguarsportxjrsownersclub.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi?

Parts Interchange Guide: David J. Shield has an online guide to substituting readily-available parts for Jaguar XJ6
parts. Many are equally applicable to the XJ-S:

http://www.mich.com/~kroppe/jaguar/XJ_Parts.htm

DealerNet - The Virtual Showroom: DealerNet can find Jaguars for sale in your area:

http://www.dealernet.com/

Alldata: Alldata maintains a list of the Technical Service Bulletins (TSB’s) on many cars, including Jaguars, and
provides access for a fee. They maintain a page on the WWW and allow users to see what is available for their car as
well as provide trial access. Their WWW page is at:

http://www.alldata.tsb.com

Jaguar Chat Room:

http://www.classicar.com/chat.htm

Thanks to Mike Frank for this tip.

Michael Minglin points out that there is an online ongoing discussion of air conditioning issues at:

http://www.aircondition.com/wwwboard/index2.htm

Kirby Palm’s Home Page: Includes a guide on proper Jaguar etiquette:

http://www.nettally.com/palmk/

INTERNET RELAY CHAT: IRC is a special application of the Internet that requires WWW browsing capability plus
special IRC software. Suitable software can be downloaded from several places on the WWW, including

http://www.mirc.co.uk

With IRC, usually you log into one of several IRC networks (all of which reside on the Internet) and join in on real-
time discussions with other people who happen to be there at the same time. Each network offers a huge selection of
“chat rooms” to choose from, each dedicated to a specific topic; if you want, you can apply to get new chat rooms
created.

The jag-lovers discussion list has set up its own chat room, but it is not carried by the various IRC networks. Rather, it
is available only via the jag-lovers server itself. The standard IRC software can be used, but it’s also possible to join in
from the jag-lovers web site using an interface available there. The IRC software is more convenient, though, so if you
get into the chat habit you probably should go ahead and download it.

This, of course, is not exactly the busiest chat room on the net. In general, the subscribers to the lists post a message
declaring a time that everyone is to meet for a chat. Most other times, this chat room will be totally empty.