Hi everyone!

I am looking to buy a friend's 2005 S-Type 4.2. The car has 65,000 miles on it and has been in his family since new. Besides a few cosmetic items that need to be fixed, the car appears to be in great shape. I've read a ton of threads on this this forum trying to educate myself. In doing so I learned about what appears to be a common issue with these cars: coolant leaks that are difficult to fix. My buddy mentioned that his car has what he thinks is a coolant leak (he says he has to regularly top off the fluid). So it appears this car might have that problem.

I'm not mechanically inclined so I wouldn't be able to fix the problem myself. If I were to go to an independent mechanic, what at am I looking at, a $500 job, a $3,000 job? I need to evaluate the total cost of buying the car: what I'm paying him, the cosmetic repairs, and fixing the coolant issue.

Also, are there any other things I should be looking for that are common failures on these cars?

I'm super excited about the purchase and becoming an active member of the forum!

Jose

 

Having just done this job myself I can say it is a bitch. I think jag charges around $1500 for it

 

Hang on.

First find where the leak is from!

 

I agree!

 

Might be worth a professional inspection.....not to offend your buddy, just a heads up for you since you don't do your own work

 

A professional tech would most likely charge around an hour to run a pressure test to isolate the leak. Money well spent, IMHO.

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the replies! I called my friend to ask additional questions. He said the problem had happened before and the first time around he could actually feel the hose loose. I'm going to take your advice and take it to a mechanic to run a pressure test so he can isolate the leak and take it from there.

I'll keep you posted,

Jose

 

There are 4 typical coolant leaks.
1. The degass bottle (where you put coolant in)
2. The DCCV valve (located under degass bottle)
3. The hose that routes under the intake and in the V of the engine
4. The radiator (some fail a bit prematurely)

Last yr I bought an 03 w/52k and the DCCV was seeping. I replaced it and flushed the system several times and its working just fine now.

These things seem to have one area of common failure. And that is the HVAC system. Here is an excellent post -> https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ol-how-185002/

 

Hi guys, good morning.

My friend took the car to his mechanic who identified the issue as a leaking reservoir. He replaced it and ran a pressure test after. All checks out now!

I'm hoping to have the car in the next three or four weeks. I'll keep you posted!

Jose

 

Great news.....you will really enjoy the car....when you become an official jaguar owner, post in the new member section with details and a photo and ask away