When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Was driving on the highway, floored it, and all of a sudden a white cloud came behind me. Pulled over immediately and steam was poring out the hood. Seems to be coolant everywhere in the engine bay and there is a huge puddle under the car. Seems to drip from the back of the engine? The car has now been towed to a jaguar dealer and they will have a look tomorrow.
I think I have read in this forum earlier about something similar. A blown hose or something. Any one got suggestions to what I can expect?
Costly repairs or just a matter of popping the hose back on?
The hoses are probably way past their use by date.
Particularly:
The water pump to rail hose, hidden under the inlet manifold. Probably the 1994 hose, and the most common one to blow, coz it never gets changed, or inspected, for that matter.
I had similar experience some six months ago. White steam rose like mushroom cloud from under the hood when I switched off engine. Popped the hood and found the engine all wet, and the floor flooded with coolant. The cause of this was during prolonged diagnosis of engine weird behaviour, the mechanic pulled away the fuse that governs the radiator fans to avoid it from draining the battery. He forgot to put the fuse back on and I drove the car home without notice for about 10 miles. The white cloud did not strike during the way and rose only upon switching off the engine. There was a little crack between the seams of the coolant bottle where boiling coolant burst into the engine bay. No hoses were found breaking and refitting a good used coolant bottle fixed the problem. I recently noticed coolant low red light on the dash. topped it up but light kept coming back frequently whereas water level seems fine. It could be the water level sensor, or a slow leaking hose somewhere....
Update. Jaguar called. The water pump hose had broken. A new has been ordered and they'll fit it next week. Around 100 USD for the part and one hour work. Not so bad.. Phew..
And 2 days later it's leaking.. 🤔
Looks like the hose is too short and I guess maybe not tightened enough. Can't drive it like this and the jag dealer who did this is 2 hours away 😏
Looking at that jubilee clip Its definitely not tightened enough. Have a look, maybe you're lucky and you could tighten it up in between the intake manifold.
Sometimes repair jobs require a second visit because of unforseen circumstances. Things happen. But... this type of work is pure carelessness and/or laziness. No excuses! That hose is way too short and they knew it!! Be sure you get it corrected at no charge, and then afterwords get in there and double check their work. A Jag dealer no less!
There is enough room on both hose fittings to double clamp each end of the hose. That's what I did on my old VDP. You might want to ask for that too.
I think they owe you a free oil change for their poor performance.
Jaguar ownership soon becomes very expensive if you cannot or will not do jobs like this yourself.
Cooling system and brakes are regular repair items on jaguars which do not require high skill or specialist tools but do attract considerable labour charges.
Graham, when the car breaks down 2 hours away from your house, the only option is to have it towed to the nearest garage, which in this case was the official jaguar dealer. There wasn't really an option to repair this on my own on the highway without tools and parts.
I have done quite a bit of repairs on this car on my own, such as brakes and sensors and fluids and plugs etc. I get your point, it's just not a very relevant point in this case as the issue is concerning the quality of the work that was performed on the car.
I have talked to them now by the way and they offered to pay for the cost if I could get it to a local garage
The garage tightened that very same hose I just tightened myself in order to get to the garage, and then they charged me 100 USD for the job, claiming the leak was not caused by the previously changed ******* hose.
I give up these guys. I have another garage I use, with good honest mechanics, and they are the only ones I will use in the future.
I am kind of expecting that the hose will blow off again next summer.
Regardless of how deeply the hose was installed or the tightness of the clamp, there's a risk of continued leaking due to all that corrosion on the pipe. Properly re-doing the job would include cleaning away the corrosion so the hose can be clamped onto a smooth surface. Judging from this pics it looks like access to do so would be difficult. Removal of the pipe itself might be required....which would surely involve more labor charges.
Yup.
I don't think it's corrosion but there is some nasty stuff on there for sure.
I'll drive till it pops off again and return it to my preferred garage/mechanics.
On top of what Doug said, there is a lip on the end of that (can't see cause the hose is over it) that helps prevent the hose from sliding off since the hose clamp would tighten around it. But with all that crud built up it would make it easier for the clamp and hose to slide past that lip and slide off. They should have cleaned that up. There's no excuse for that.
You can clean both fittings in-situ, but it's not necessarily "easy." Removing the air filter/air intake apparatus back through the 90 deg rubber bellows is probably necessary to get at the water-rail properly. I cut 8 1/2 X 11 sheets of sandpaper into strips about 2 1/2" X 11 and used 'em like floss on the water rail.
I can't really make it out in your pictures, but it IS quite possible to push the hose on too far aft on the water rail, leaving it short on the water pump fitting. Looks almost like your short end is on the water rail, which I can't explain if you have the proper hose. Eventually, your water-rail gaskets will give up...it is generally a much lesser leak than when the bypass hose bursts, but also a much greater PITA to renew. Given the looks of your aluminum, there, and assuming your water rail gaskets have not been renewed....I'd start looking for a long weekend or a couple of days you don't need the car and get the gaskets ordered and in-hand, and just attack the whole issue, pulling the water rail and cleaning it up, fitting the hose properly, etc and renewing the gaskets. Requires intake manifold "removal." I put it in quotes b/c I've done 2 and not got further than to roll the intake up and over onto the cam-cover. Wiring harness has prevented me from removing it further. Water rail gasket renewal is the most heinous task (IMO) that I've performed on the X300, due to intake manifold removal requirement. There is one nut in the middle...on the top.....only an open-end spanner will work and it is a very short throw. All of the foregoing is written assuming a NA car. If you are supercharged.....well......God help you!
Something just blew up
