I recall finding a thread where the procedure for burping the cooling system was explained but now cannot find it.
My wife's '98 XJ8L seems to have coolant woes and I wondered if this might be needed.
People stopped her last week and told her something green was dripping out of the front. She drove on home and told me and I promptly forgot. Then I drove the car to work Saturday night and the serpentine belt fell off two blocks away from my destination. Not realizing that the water pump was on the front but thinking it was inside the timing belt cover like my 944, I drove to work with no power steering. But when I got to work, I could see coolant dripping from various things.
I got a new idler pulley from the dealer Monday and put it and a new belt on and drove home with the temp gauge quickly rising to midway between blue and red and staying there. I drive slowly - much slower than my wife - and today she had coolant leaking out. When I took off the cap, coolant was right to the top. I opened the cap on the front of the engine and it was full to the top. Engine was off at this time.

 

Here is a PDF on Drain & Refill Coolant that includes how to: (Allow at least 2 minutes for air to purge from the system) part of the refill instructions.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...4675-xj8-water-

Jim Lombardi

 

So, as you can see from the procedure, there is only a refill and check procedure, Early Jaguar apparently needed some burping procedure, not so on the XJ8.

 

The forum won't let me see the PDF. It says I don't have permission.

 

It's because of your new member status . Either you need 10 posts min and a few days or release your e-mail so that our members will be able to e-mail the pdf

 

In the mean time, fill it, to top of ther expansion tank, crank and run for a few minutes, Cyc,e the heat on and off then on, refill and then go on down the rqad with a smile, Or something like that.

 

Hello again
Here are the refill instructions in the PDF file:

1. Refill the cooling system with a 50% solution of water and Jaguar Antifreeze / Corrosion Inhibitor ESD-M97B49-A.
a. Fill the cooling system at the header tank until the level stabilises at the top of the breather
b. Allow at least 2 minutes for air to purge from the system
c. Top up the header tank as required and fit the pressure cap.

2. Switch on the ignition, switch off the climate control system and start the engine.

3. Run the engine at between 1500 and 2000 rpm until the cooling fans operate.

4. Switch on the A/C system, set to maximum heat, and check that heat is coming from the heater at the fascia vents or the footwell outlets.

5. Switch off the engine and allow it to cool down.

6. When cool, remove the pressure cap and top up the system as necessary at the header tank.

7. If necessary, fit new seals to the pressure
a. Remove both O-rings from the pressure cap
b. Fit and fully seat new O-rings to the pressure cap

8. Fit the pressure cap

9. Remove the paintwork protection sheets and close the engine cover

 

Many thanks, jimlombardi and sparkenzap, for your replies and instructions. My wife drove 100 (exactly) miles to her parents' home yesterday and reported that the water temp needle never moved off the middle of the range. Whew! But that still leaves me wondering why it spewed coolant the day before. It was after we had put on a new serpentine belt and I had had no problems driving 25 miles from work where the car had been stuck. Should I take off the water pump to see if any blades are missing? Ironically. I do non destructive testing, MP, FP and EC, on stainless steel blades which go into gas turbine compressors.
And where do the blades go when they break off? Does a tech have to find them throughout the system or will they be around the water pump itself?

 

Wow. In a worst case senario, yo could have fried the rings, causing excess blowby and causing a run-hot. That is probably NOT the case. The Xj8 will not run hot even when a good bit low on coolant, and if it has had a hot cold cycle and is still full, you dont have a bvubble. So, with luck you have a bad thermostat, and the idler was just a coincidence. While you are at it, get the metal thermostat housing. Break the plastic one off with some channel locks to get to the rear bolts, then change them to socket head cap screws to re-install without pain. I've done it several times with a some home made crows foot wrenches and the break the thing off method sure sounds much better to me.

 

jimlombardi and sparkenzap, do you think this procedure of draining and refilling also applies to a 2000 xjr? I am losing coolant, or I never completely got it filled after the changing the "octopus" hose. I lost quite a bit from this hose blowing. There is no coolant odor, no leaks under the car in the garage floor, etc. I am still adding coolant. Is there anything at all I can do to purge air from the system? Thank you both, Louis

 

Louis:
I have never hasd any problem on an X-308 getting the coolant filled. Obviously, the SC might need a few more heat cold cycles to fully purge the intercooler heat exchanger. Since I like instant gratifiication, I wouild probably fill it, then go out for a spirited joy ride, then refill. If it isn't dripping, and it has not turned the oil milky, then about the only other choice is that you have a head gasket problem or crack- Thats where my coolant was going on my '99. Look for a puff of steam as you start the car.

 

Just follow the directions on coolant filling instructions (they are from the JTIS21 CD) in post# 7 in this thread. Instructions cover 1998-2003 XJ models (XJ8, VDP, and XJR).

Jim Lombardi

 

The vitally important information, which is WHERE the coolant is spewing from, is missing.

If it is leaking from the system, that should not happen.

If it is overflowing from the catch tank located in the fender, that might simply be because it is full. It is normal, when the coolant expands as it heats, for some to flow from the header tank to the catch tank. It will be sucked back, on cool-down.