XJ XJ6 / XJ8 / XJR ( X350 & X358 ) 2003 - 2009

A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs

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Old Jan 23, 2017 | 08:34 PM
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From: Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, US
Default A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs

If you look through the air opening below the front bumper you can see the engine oil cooler and the Power Steering cooler and a black plastic shroud that directs air to the coolers.

The shroud has three posts that loosely rest on the black under-pan that bolts to the bottom edge of the bumper facing. The rear of the shroud is secured by clips to the bottom of the radiator.

At some point in my car's history it was driven into a parking curb. There are scrape marks on the bottom of the bumper face. The force pushed up the air shroud, and cracked it in several places. That allowed the shroud to raise up and down as air flowed over it. The flapping motion allowed the shroud to then chafe against the lower aluminum tube of the power steering cooler until the tube was worn through and leaked.

In the photos you can see the wire used to lace the cracks together.

I added a rubber strip to protect the replacement power steering cooler where the shroud contacts the tube.

If you see evidence of scrapes indicating that your car had an argument with a parking curb, inspect the power steering cooler tubes on the left side and the bottom tube in particular for signs of chafing.

You have to pull off the front bumper and the under pan to gain access, You will also have to remove the left side inner wheel well to gain access.
 
Attached Thumbnails A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs-air-shroud-chaffing-cooler-tube.jpg   A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs-chafed-hole.jpg   A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs-cooler-air-shroud.jpg   A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs-scrapes-bottom-bumper-cover.jpg   A Cautionary Tale About Parking Curbs-rubber-added-chafe-protection.jpg  

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