The low coolant light started coming on and going off sporadically 3 days ago. I had a look under the bonnet and read up on the forum thinking it was a small leak at the join between top and bottom of the header tank. There was slight signs of some coolant leakage in that area on hoses. So I hoped it would be OK for a while.
But today I had a proper look see and waggled the small diameter hose connection on top of the tank and there she blows!!! It's now a major leak at that point. The usual failure.

So I'll order a new expansion tank in a bit and a couple of litres of Jaguar spec coolant. Although I will try and syphon out what's in there.

Found the electrical connector underneath the tank easy enough and I've read up about the easy fit hose end.
Is the electrical connector a pinch both side and pull back!
What do I need to do to the wire hose clip to remove?

Help is very much appreciated. We are off on holiday soon, so it's a blessing this had gone caput now.
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This could be a good opportunity to add your car details to your signature.

 

Thanks Norri, I will check using my Pc later. They were on my sig: 2002.5 V6 2.5L
I'm on my phone atm.

 

It's probably ok then, your phone won't post the details.

Some good info here https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...lacment-52090/

Be careful with the clip!

 

safety wire the clip before trying to remove it! Not hard to do but finding a jumped clip is a real SOB and then you have to buy a whole new hose.

 

Hi, I've just checked and my sig is still showing in my UCP, so not sure why its not showing on posts?
Looks like my avatar photo has disappeared.

Thanks, yeah that's what I'm concerned about is how to unclip it? and after that not losing it.
Thanks for the link !

 

IIRC it just pulls out, then potentially spins off into a black hole.

 

Ahhhh.. I know those type of clips
I think I'll wire it as Staatsof recommended before attempting to remove it. I've got some lock wire and crimping pliers.

I just ordered a new tank incl level sensor and cap for £53 all incl
and 2 litres of Comma G30 coolant just incase.

 

By the way I asked the supplier whether they had any idea if expansion tanks will become available for the STR.
He said they have people calling from all around the world asking for them but they don't have any.
I asked him if anything is in the pipeline from a pattern parts company and he said one pattern parts company is considering making
STR expansion tanks. No details yet. But I imagine news will spread fast when some company decides to make them

 

Funny thing is ... the first time I pulled the clip everything went fine. But all you have to do is make one small error and then it's 20 minutes of cursing followed by 45 minutes of getting the car up in the air, dropping the belly pan, then searching until you give up followed by one full hour of throw wrenches until you calm down. Then I spent 2 days finding a Dorman brand hose, not from a Jag but looked like it had the same exact clip. That was only like $11. But ... the diameter of the wire was minusculey smaller so that the seal wasn't quite tight enough and it seeped coolant. Argh!

 

Is this not an OEM (crappy quality) tank? I have never had one on this car that didn't weep a bit of coolant and I've had 3 or 4 of them.

 

I read your comments on the excellent link that Norri gave. Could feel your pain.
I know that feeling from working on cars and bikes, I don't know which is worse, probably about the same.
Those times when you know you have got to walk away or its time for the biggest hammer.
Then after a few days you can go back to it.

 

Yeah its a pattern part with a warranty. I'll keep a close eye on it as I check the fluid levels once a week.
The Comma G30 leaves a pink deposit when its dried out.

How much is "a bit" ?

 

Just had a txt and the new expansion tank will be here tomorrow.

 

It settles on the seam lip and dries out. I check it every once in a while. Damn thing is haunted. EVERY part has been replaced and it never stops! I don't lose a lot of coolant but I do lose some, always have.
Be careful of the smaller hose nipples as they crack/break rather easily if you accidentally lean in the engine compartment.

 

I can live with a small leak if the new one does. I'm not obsessive with my cars. But I am with my bikes.

Finding somewhere to lean is an issue I'm still learning. So yes I am acutely aware of that. Good call. Mind you replacing so many parts must give you a certain feelgood? It does with me, because I know its done and sorted.

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Ah well they're rarely fully sorted and what is usually becomes unsorted with time ... When I was fixing the oil and tranny cooler hoses leaks I had a lot of stuff out of the front of the car. So I also replaced the dccv as suggested and I took on all the factory specified idler pulley upgrades to get rid of the wintertime tick tick tick upon startup. That "upgrade" made zero difference except to my wallet. When it's really cold, like single digits or low teens Fahrenheit, it's just noisy until it warms up. But since it's pretty rare to have such low temps and clean roads here it's not something I experience very much. We had one winter with a long stretch of that and I drove the car. That's once in 7 years. Sometimes you just end up chasing your tail.

 

Yes cars and bikes are always a work in progress. My cars over the years have always been used in a utilitarian manner mainly due to having a wife and two kids. But wife no more and kids are grown up so I only use the car when it suits. I like to keep my cars in clean and well loved condition, but the Jaguar is no different to any other car I've owned with regular repairs and extra maintenance. But the Jaguar is very different in positive ways which are unlike other cars. Our UK road conditions are savage for any vehicle, so we have to work harder to keep them in good nick.

 

New expansion tank arrived early AM.
I will post a photo later.
I may not do the job today seeing as we have the hottest day ever in the UK forecast for today.

 

Seeing it was a lot cooler this morning, at last I got the job done.
With the information from the forum and the excellent link I was able to complete the job in half an hour.
It took longer because I had to keep ducking into the car with the short squally showers every few minutes.
The electric plug came off easily, the tang is on the underside of the plug.
There is only one 8mm bolt head securing the tank in place and a plastic lug in a slot on the other side.

The small hose connection on the top of the tank just came off in my hand as I gripped the hose clamp in the pliers.
The hose clip stayed in place and the broken tube inside. The bust plastic tube came out with gentle persuasion and a fine nose set of pliers.
But the plastic was soft and fragile, so I had to be careful not to break any off for it to go down the hose.
I ditched the hose clip for a different type. I don't like those quick release hose clips and they are used all over motorcycles too.

Based on the good advice I improvised with the spring clip not to lose it. The single wire spring clip slides (pings) toward the electric plug.
There is only that one direction the clip comes off.
So I threaded a cable tie through the gap between the clip and the hose connector and zipped that up tight onto the clip..
The idea was to pull the spring off. For extra safety I added a 2nd cable tie to the first just to make it longer. (Better grip, less chance of losing the clip)
So holding the loose end of the cable tie in one hand I used my other hand to pull the cable tie on the spring clip and it came off very easily.
It clips off and just as easily clips back on. Ping on/ping off. So using the cable ties meant I could not lose it. You could use brightly coloured cable ties
instead of black. Before removing the quick release hose I placed a plastic bag right over the DCCV, because coolant does come out of the hose.
The old expansion tank was very low on coolant due to the leak. So I didn't bother syphoning out the old coolant left in there.
Not a huge amount of coolant went on the floor and I washed down inside the engine bay using cold clear bottled water.
Then washed the drive off using a large watering can.

After pulling the quick release hose off the old tank again which was easy, I carefully maneuvered it out of the way.
Using plenty of kitchen towel I dried everything off from the coolant spill and clear water rinse.
Then it was just the same job in reverse to fit the new tank.
The spring clip went on easily and that's the 2nd opportunity to lose it. But not with the cable ties attached.
I got the spring clip back on by feel only and it did just click into place nicely with a positive click. Might need a couple of attempts at that
but without the fear of losing the clip.
The refill used about 2.5 litres of pre-mix coolant and I use Comma G30 which is not a bad price from online motorfactors.
2L cost £13 all inclusive. The pattern tank cost £53 all incl and next day courier delivery. The cap is a click-stop same as the original.
I put most of the 2 litres in steadily before starting the engine and letting it run with the cap off. the level slowly fell and I kept on topping it up.
By fair time before the engine was warmed up the level remained stable, so I loosened the expansion tank bleed screw and coolant came out straight away.
Put the tank cap back on and let it continue running for a few minutes then stopped the engine and checked the level, all fine and no leeks.
Checked all around the connections by hand and all bone dry.

Some photos including shots of the spring clip with cable ties.
I have left the ties in place and tucked them well out of the way. Although some might prefer to cut them off.