I think we are noting two different things...or AGAIN, there are different parts fitted, for different years. <--- not surprising, as I've learned


When I open the pressurized coolant tank cap in the engine bay (cold), there is a visible 'ridge' or wall visible inside the cap.
There is a MAX marking on the top of the 'wall', and a cut-out or 'step' in it that is ~5 - 8 mm lower, marked MIN.


Is there a non-pressurized Overflow Reservoir hidden somewhere in the engine bay that I'm overlooking?


My wife says I can't find ANYTHING...but my belief is that it is only because she is constantly moving stuff around!

 

 

On my 2002 XKR, if the coolant level drops 1/2" below the filler orifice the dreaded warning comes on. That means if I'm about a cup low and I'm on the freeway, I will get the warning and race (or crawl in Los Angeles traffic) to the next exit hoping I haven't destroyed the engine. Like the boy who cried wolf, I always fall for it and stop though it's rarely been more than a few drops low in the 170,000 miles I've had the car.

 

And the one time you don't stop ....

 

As usual JLR are not very helpful answering this question.
Nowhere in the Owner's Handbook or in the Workshop Manual does it specify exactly what level of coolant in the expansion tank triggers the "low coolant" warning.
All the Workshop Manual says is, quote:

"If the coolant level in the expansion tank decreases below a
predetermined value, the level sensor connects a ground to the
instrument cluster, which activates the appropriate warning."

It would be nice to know what that "predetermined level" is but we are left in the dark!

Attached is a drawing of the expansion tank from the Workshop Manual, and item #5 is the coolant level sensor.

 

Finally the wait is over. The car is once again on the roads. All the mentioned parts were replaced with brand new​​​​​.

01. Short Block
02. Rear Crank Seal
​​​​​​03. Front Crank Seal
04. Head Gasket (Right)
05. Head Gasket (Left)
06. Oil Pump
07. Oil Cooler O-Ring
08. Water Pump
09. Water Pipe
10. Engine Mount (Right)
11. Engine Mount (Left)
12. Spark Plugs
13. Fuel Injectors
14. Water Outlet Pipe
15. Oil Filter
16. Overflow Hose

I went ahead with the brand new short block as all used ones in local market were almost the same price as new one. And if I had to get one shipped then it was going to cost a lot.

 

You made the smart choice!

A used one would have had the same wear on it as your old one.
I say you bought yourself an additional 80,000 miles minimum for free.

I have a theory what happened to your old engine.
Not enough oil was put in it.
This is the true disadvantage of having electronic dipstick.
It makes it very easy for a technician in rush to make a mistake.

Just learn the process to check the oil.
Ultimately its easy, but there are a few things to learn.
Then set yourself a reminder on your phone to check your oil every 3 months.
If you check that your mechanic has put the correct amount of oil in.
There is no way to burn through that much oil in 3months and not smell it or see it.

 

Since Arash seems to have things under control, I will ask the next questions.

What is wrong with having a tube and a dipstick or? What is wrong with having a oil level sensor that warns of low oil level or? What is wrong with having an oil level sensor that doesn't take a six step drill to see if the oil level is OK, or What is wrong with having an oil level sensor that actually tells you what the oil level is? If JLR is too small to develop its own software, then they can buy it from BMW or MB. If JLR is so impecunious that it can't buy the software, then put in a tube and a dipstick. Another corner cut.

 

What is wrong with having a tube and a dipstick or?
1.Tons of bad emissions.
2. Just as many people never open the hood- ever!

What is wrong with having a oil level sensor that warns of low oil level?
Its difficult to get accurate readings. Because there are many situations during operation when oil can be low. Just parking on an incline for example.

 

To be clear: Arash replaced his V6 (this thread) due to a ticking sound. Mohammed is in the process of replacing his V8, which he may have overfilled with oil (other thread.) I think your posts are probably for Mohammed.

 

I have it right.

Arash replaced his V6 due to low oil.
My theory is not enough oil was put in by the guy doing the oil change.

 

It seems engines don't last quite as many miles in Dubai. Perhaps the sandy environment or the excessive heat?

 

The dealer asks for maintenence to be done every 13000km. I was on 9000km when this happened.

After the engine broke down, I went to castrol to figure out what they suggest. They informed the oil that we use, 5w20, is maximum 10000km.

I went to the dealer and saw they use 5w20 and sometimes for some reason 0w20.

Now living in a country that is hot 3/4 of the year I have no idea why this oil is suggested and being used.

The place that I did my engine, they specialize only with JLR, they suggest to use 5w30 and say its perfectly fine. Then again I went ahead with what is specified for the car but this time around I will be doing the service maximum every 10000km and checking the oil level every now and then.

 

Arash,

5w30 will kill this engine and quick.
It is exactly what happened to someone in UK.
I posted a link in the other thread.

I am so sorry that they took advantage of your kindness.
Sometimes people can lie and cheat without meaning to.

The problem is that even guys who were very good with the old Jaguar engines, dont really understand this engine.
To make the problem worse, they cannot buy the correct oil for your car, Castrol will not sell to them, they can buy from Jaguar but then they dont make money.

Your car probably jumped time. Why, because the cam actuators that run on oil were gummed up with cooked oil.

Jaguar has a Patent on the cam mechanism that not a lot of folks know about. It even licenses this technology to Ford.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US7841310B2/en
Basically if you open an engine from a regular car or even previous Jaguar's, you will find that oil naturally cooks on to many surfaces.
But it does not matter. These engines are fairly low tech when it comes to oil.

Your Jaguar engine get amazing performance (low end torque) by doing things with oil that no other manufacturer does.
Its like a Swiss watch of delicate parts. The patent above is for a small pin that slides in and out. Oil moves this pin. No other engine in the world other than JLR and Ford have it.
What do you thing will happen if you use oil that cooks quickly (becomes coke) especially in the Emirates. Where after you turn the engine off you have heat soak.

Look at the video below, look at how much coke has formed on one oil vs the other.
So you can see that not all oils act the same.
Your engine is not built the same as other engines.
It needs just 3 things from the oil.
1.Good cleaning abilities
2.Ability to clean after long term use.
3. Not leave too much deposit.
Now you can become an engineer and figure out the perfect oil, or just use the one their engineers already blended.
You can buy just the oil from the dealership and take it to any mechanic.

 

I can explain it in a simple way.

In other cars oil is used for lubrication, cleaning and cooling only.
In our cars its also used for controlling the timing of the engine.

 

Both this message and yours before it were very informative -- I knew jag's Castrol oil was special for some reason and the engine required it but never dug into why -- thanks for the info! Validates me using a 7500 mile oil change interval rather than the insane Jag schedule

 

BMW had a 24000 mile oil change- they were proven wrong and revised it.
Making fools out of all that believed them the first time.

 

To further complicate this picture we have direct injection and forced induction with this engine. DI +SC is prone to forming sludge, so your oil is given "extra help" in gumming all this mission-critical equipment.

It is absolutely insane that recommended oil change period is so long. You would be crazy to follow it in a mild climate, normal use, least street racing in Dubai in 120 degree weather with AC on.

 

I've been contemplating moving to a 5k mile oil change interval......was holding off until I made the decision whether to tune or not. I've been experiencing some mild misfires at idle recently so I need to figure that out too.