Hi, i have got this strange smell just after i have accelerated really hard for a bit. i was having a bit of fun and smelled the usual horrible smell, then went to the petrol station and noticed some white smoke coming from the bonnet so i checked underneath to find smoke coming from under the expansion tank area but couldnt see exactly where. is there pressure in the coolant system when you accelerate hard?

under normal driving conditions i get no smell but on the rare occasion when someone in the peugeot 106 gti wants to show off infront of their friends and try to overtake me i show them no mercy and give it the beans then i get the dreaded smell.

any ideas?

 

Coolant leaking from a pinhole or small crack in the base of the Expansion Tank when hot falls onto the exhaust manifold and vapourises with an unpleasant smell. This could be it.

Graham

 

will i have to removed the tank then, if so do i have to drain the system and bleed it?

 

If this is the cause, the only effective fix is a replacement tank.

No need to drain the system although there will be some coolant loss. You will need a cork to plug the main outlet pipe (arrowed in red) and something to plug the Expansion Tank to Thermostat Tower pipe (arrowed blue). I've used a 1/4 inch extension drive here:



The pipe to the Atmospheric Recovery Bottle (arrowed in yellow) doesn't need plugging.

The harness lead to the Low Coolant Sensor (arrowed in green) is the only other item to be disconnected.

A new Expansion Tank comes complete with a Low Coolant Sensor and a Pressure Cap.

Graham

 

replace the tank it is easy. I just did it on mine.

 

I also had this, it was the expansion tank and also a leaking cam cover gasket dripping on to the exhaust manifold, also check for this.


See the bottom left of the picture below.

 

I had the same problem RaceDiag had. The oil would leak out of the valve cover and sit on the metal heat shield, then it would work its way to the back of the engine and drip onto the exhaust manifold. When the engine is cold, run a paper towel along this area.

Good luck!

 

Interesting. I have just replaced the valve cover gaskets so im going to check the expansion tank first. Atleast its saving me money on fuel

 

Gotta love this forum. This morning, my XKR flagged up 'Low Coolant' and shortly thereafter it started to produce steam through the bonnet vents. Then had a 'Restricted Performance' warning and limped home.

Reason: the expansion coolant tank had split and was widdling coolant over the top of the engine.

The information in these threads is invaluable.

Best wishes, Colin

 

that oil leak area is very common. most places over torque those bottom two rear bolts and either crack the cover or crimp the seal. also check the hose from the reservoir to the thermostat housing. it doesnt leak unless under pressure and evaporates immediately. if changing the gaskets check the tensioners while in there. see if they're the upgraded style {metal housing with a plastic top which is red i believe }.

 

Checked the tabk and couldnt see any evidence of any leak. Looked down by the camcover and noticed a little oil on the heat sheild under the expansion tank so im thinking its the oil hitting the exhaust, cleaned it up and going to check tomorrow. Also i noticed this

 

Your first job tomorrow is to go out and buy a lottery ticket !
If you have had a leak from the coolant reservoir AND no "low coolant level" warning because some plonker decided to save a small amount of money bypassing the level sensor, you are indeed a very lucky boy

 

Cheeky ******* doing that and selling it to me knowing full well theres a problem with the expansion tank switch or wiring. What a stupid thing to do to get rid of a warning light.

Can you get a switch for the tank or do i need a new tank? I do have a leak somewhere in the coolant system as the expansion tank looses fluid within a few weeks of topping it up

 

I too had an "invisible" leak from the tank, eventually I bought a new one and it came with a new sensor fitted.

 

The sensor is a simple reed switch (I think) which is operated by a sort-of floating magnet inside the expansion tank - in other words - the sensor is a separate part and just pushes up into a moulded tube in the base of the expansion tank. If you buy a new tank, it comes with a sensor, but the sensor is available separately.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...or-coolant.jpg
Item 4 in the diagram.
Cheers,
David.

 

Guess in your case the coolant gauge was Really dumb, they don't do much in the first place, was your levels ok ? I'm replacing mine (just got tracking#) so prob next week.

 

I know I'm being pedantic but ............. the temperature gauge on the instrument panel is connected to a sensor in the cooling system. Jaguar has "dumbed it down" to the extent that in the opinion of many, it is pretty useless because it doesn't really react to an overheating situation until it's almost too late - the oil pressure gauge is a similar situation.
The sensor which has been bypassed here detects the level of coolant in the expansion tank. It is therefore an essential early warning of a loss of coolant which - because the aforementioned gauge is as much use as a sponge leg - is an extremely important indicator of possible problems. It will trigger a "Engine Coolant Low" warning and a red light on the panel.
It too can be problematical - the float can stick and/or degrade but it's still totally irresponsible of a former owner to override it in this way when the part is so inexpensive and readily available.

 

My thoughts exactly. My level in the expansion tank keeps dropping so i will just replace the tank and switch and hope that cures it, but that wont fix this smell and smoke i keep getting.

I noticed some oil seeping on the heat sheild under the cam cover that you lot told me to check and so i removed the cam cover and checked the new gasket which i replaced a month ago and couldnt see any damage so refitted it and torqued them up to 10nm then thought id whip the spark plugs out and they wernt very tight i could almost undo them by hand so i removed them cleaned and refitted them torqued to 25nm. So i drove home and give it the beans upto 130 on my friends private runway strip and pull over and look under the bonnet to see the white smoke coming up from the same place. Ahhhhhhhhhh

 

I'm really sorry about your problems but any chance I can borrow your runway strip ???????????????????? :-)

 

He doesnt like anyone just using it so im affraid i will have to say no.

Still getting the bloody smell. looked by the heat sheild again and there is a little more oil on it again but cant see any leaks from the cam cover. any other parts near that area which could leak?