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Had to top off my wife's 2011 XF coolant tank a week or two ago, and it's down to the low level again. I suspect she'll see "coolant low" in a week or two at this rate. The car has 37K miles on it, we've had it since new, never thrashed (well, not by HER anyway, but she drives it 99.9% of the time).
At about 15k miles, the original water pump was replaced by the dealer under warranty, at this point I am hoping it's the water pump again as the prospect of pulling the heads is not an attractive one to me.
I will put it up on my ez-car lift tomorrow and have a look around, but any advice on what to look for as a smoking gun and where to look? To be honest, I can't remember how visible the water pump is from underneath?
Are you sure the coolant level is actually low? Manyy of us, me included, have had the issue of the sinking sensor in the overflow tank. It could be a really simple fix (like a new expansion tank). Otherwise, if it is really loosing cooling, you are in for some serious repairs....
Potentially, though most causes of coolant leaks with these engines (do you have the S/C or N/A engine?) are known. It's usually either the plastic crossover pipes with crack with age - I've also had the right-angled connector that goes into the metal crossover pipe on the supercharged engines fail, but beyond that, the most likely candidate is the water pump. It's a known failure point with these engines and they've revised the water pump I think 3 times, so it's possible the model you had fitted by the dealer was still a defective design.
Yes, the coolant is low. It was an inch below the low level and I topped it up to the high, it is now back to the low level, so it is a slow leak but not slow enough!
The car is a 5.0 NA. The pump was changed early on, so probably it would have been the first revised pump or simply a second original style pump.
I will attempt to spot the leak - if it is visible from under the car tomorrow - God I hate modern engines with carp going everywhere! Too bad it isn't the old 4.2 straight six with triple SUs circa 1967.
Other, older Jaguar models have had issues with pinholing or small splits in their plastic expansion tanks. It could be the same thing now happening with the XF's as they age.
Thinking ahead a little, anyone know of a good (i.e. not expensive!) pressure test system that fits the jag cap? Looked on Amazon and the $45 "mityvac" states "fits most US and asian cars" which is not too helpful.
Ah the joys of July 4th The jag up on my portable lift.
I think I got lucky, there was fluid everywhere underneath so it looks like an external leak vs a head gasket. I'm pointing at some plastic connector which is loose - it appears to clamp by a pair of "legs" around a plastic boss/pipe with a raised ring which in theory keeps it tight. Mine is loose and leaking -hopefully this is the only leak - and hopefully I can locate this part off the online parts diagrams?
A few years back I purchased a Stant 12270 - Cooling System Pressure Tester. I paid maybe $65 and thought it was a rather expensive purchase for how little it would be used. I was so wrong on that count. New cooling systems are made of plastic which breaks down and cracks. This tool has saved me hours of aggrevation finding and fixing coolant leaks. Working on a room temperature cooling system is the best reason for getting one of these. Stant 12270 System Analyzer - Cooling System
Stant sells the individual pressure cap fittings designed to fit either the radiator cap connectors or the overflow tanks. On our cars, its the tank. You buy the Pressure Tester with a proprietary 'universal' tip, then separately purchase Stant fittings for the cars you own/test.
Pressure testing has allowed me to find leaks that I'd have never found until it got much larger, or the tube broke, or...worse. I do believe many chain auto parts stores rent these out for the day....Highly recommended. gordo
Hmmm, on the stant website the adapter for Jaguar (doesn't say WHICH so I'm not sure) is the 12023, but for Ford it's 12026. ???
The 12023 I bought for my 98Xk8 4.0 NA coolant tank also fits my newer 2011 XKR SC 5.0. I don't know the year of your XF, but the methodology to ID the pressure adapters is to first find the Stant Part Numbers for your coolant tank. The adapter PNs are based on the tank cap PNs.
link here: PartCat
That does seem odd. One would think Jag would try to keep items like coolant tank caps common across model lines whenever they could. I also saw the 12026 adapter for the XF, but on a couple sites, if you put that PN in their "Does this fit my car" for a 2011, it says does not fit.
However, the 12023 fits my 2011 XKR even though I get a similar finding. I'd first email Stant... sometimes they have fitments that don't exist on their online fitment menus. Otherwise, I'd get the 12023, and buy it from someplace that whose exchange policy is easy and favorable.
I emailed stant this afternoon - haven't heard back yet - , but just now discovered that the factory cap changed in 2011 thus:
c2p20325 from vin R64396
c2p17700 to vin R64395
Ugh, more complications - guess I'd better check the vin number.
Ah, ok ours is Sxxxxx so that would be the later cap. Since the 2010 seems to have the 10238 cap which mates with the 12026 adapter, then probably the later cap mounts with the 12023 adapter.
It shouldn't be this difficult!
Another site says the transition is at VIN B36761, this does not inspire confidence.
Just guessing here: The caps could all be the same physical dimensions, but with different pressure ratings for different engine applications. In that case, the same pressure adapter would be used.
"I don’t have a listing on this. If you want you can send pictures and measurements. I will see what I can find. I would say that it would be the 12026,but I would need specs and pictures to be for sure."
I just came in from the garage where I pressurized my 2011 XKR with the 12023 adapter. That would be my starting point on a 2011 XF. Good luck. And when you do find a fitment that works, please email Stant so others don/t have to go through this same wild goose chase.
Last edited by GordoCatCar; Jul 6, 2017 at 04:11 PM.
low coolant level - how to troubleshoot?
