how much do i need to buy to change the coolant in my jaguar x type 2.5 petrol 2007

 

how do i need to change the the coolant in my jaguar 2.5 2007

 

kassey, how often to change the coolant is one of those things that you will get 20 different answers from 20 different people. Everyone has a different standard for which is should be changed. With it being 10 years old, I would say that it is time (both from a distance traveled and a time of being in the car).

As for how to change it:
-raise front of vehicle up using jack stands to allow access under the bumper
-open the hood/bonnet and then remove the cap off of the expansion bottle (ensure the engine is cold at this point
-lay under the front of the car, looking up. Underneath the headlight on your right side, you should see a small opening (about 10x10cm in size) on the underside of the tray that is between you and the radiator. Inside there is a plastic plug with a large "+" sign on it. Using a large phillips screw driver, turn this plug to allow coolant to start flowing.
-Using a pre-staged catch container, catch the coolant that is coming out. This may take 2 catch containers as the coolant will follow the tray and most likely start coming out a the corners of the tray. You can help this by jacking up the car such that the side with the drain is slightly lower than the other side.
-Once all the coolant has drained, close the drain plug by screwing it back in
-Fill the coolant system using distilled water (will take about 8 liters of water). You will want to fill the expansion bottle beyond the "warm fill" line as there will be some air in the system and it will work its way out, causing the level to drop in the tank.
-Start the engine and let it idle and come up to temperature. You may need to add water to the tank to make up for the air coming out of the system. Once at temperature, raise the engine RPMs up to say 2,000 RPM and hold there for about 30 seconds. This will help to move the water around and flush out the old coolant from the engine.
-Turn off the engine and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the coolant to cool some. You don't have to let the coolant cool, but beware that it is going to be hot and you run the risk of burning yourself because of the hot water (going to be up near 100C in temp).
-Open the drain plug again and let the water drain from the engine, catching what comes out like you did before.
-Once all the water is drained, close the drain plug and add in a 50/50 mix of coolant (see my other post about the quantity of coolant and the types) to fill the expansion bottle to the "warm fill" line.
-Pull the car off of the jackstands
-Start the engine and let it come up to temp. Add coolant as needed to keep coolant inside the expansion tank.
-Once at temp, rev the engine a few times to around 3,000 RPM to help push any air bubbles out of the engine and then turn off the engine.
-Check the coolant level and add coolant as needed to fill to the "Warm fill" line and then rest the cap for the tank over the opening (DO NOT!!!!! tighten the cap down).
-After letting the engine cool, check the coolant level to make sure that it is above the "Cold fill" line (adding coolant as needed to get it above this line, but to keep it below the "warm fill" line).
-Install the expansion tank cap and close the hood/bonnet.

I am somewhat demanding that you don't install the expansion tank cap until the very end. There is a reason for this. It has been shown that our expansion tanks can crack (forms on the underside of the tank). By letting it the engine cool before putting the cap on, you are preventing the system from drawing a vacuum on itself (ie, steam turning back to water), flexing the expansion bottle, leading to an increased possibility of cracking the tank. This also allows the coolant system to function as it is designed by building up a slight pressure as the engine warms up, making it more difficult to overheat the engine.

One thing I didn't cover is that you will find that there are generically 3 kinda of engine coolant (red, green and orange). All 3 are able to be used in your car. You just can't mix one color with another unless you flush out the old stuff. So, if you are worried, see what color you have in the car and then buy the same color. Otherwise, if you follow what I say and flushed the system, you can buy whatever makes you happy. There are differences between the different colors and in short, it has to deal with what chemicals they make it out of and whether it is dangerous to pets (granted, they shouldn't be getting access to the coolant in the first place) and what sort of corrosion inhibitors are in it (ie, in theory some will allow your radiator to function longer before it rusts apart, springing a leak). I say "in theory" as it appears that our radiators tend to fail by developing a leak where the plastic end caps joint the metal center section of the radiator, not from the metal rusting away.

 

Excellent description of the process. I would add just one thing. When running make sure the temperature control is set to MAX heat. This will insure the heater core is flushed clean and an air bubble doesn't form iin the heater core.