Starting to smell coolant and losing a quart every couple of weeks. Car runs excellent and has never over heated. Are there more common reasons for coolant smell and loss. Coolant looked a bit brownish and not red although the oil looks clean and as it should. Any common problems i should know of?
Thanks for the help!

 

It is not uncommon for a headgasket to fail on the 4.0 cars (especially the Rs), but that is not yet a diagnosis for you.

You need to check the coolant system, for instance with a leaktest aparatus you could use to test if you have a headgasket leak:
http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/hea..._leak_test.htm

Another way would be a pressure test of the coolant system.


But as you do smell coolant (and proabbly do not have white smoke from the exhaust), I would rather expect an external leak and not a headgasket one. The hoses under the supercharger for instance, as whne you have a small leak you will smell it as it evaporates, but if the leak is small enough you will not find any droplets under the car.

 

Ok thats a relief, i will check out the link. Thanks for the help!

 

I'm just in the process of having my head gaskets replaced (MY2000 XJR) at only 88000 miles. The hose under the supercharger was replaced about a month ago as it burst in a big way, I was really hoping that was the cause of my slight coolant usage but unfortunately not. The steam got worst in the exhaust and a misfire code showed up on number 3 cylinder. I've just seen the head gasket today, it is gone on #3 and is just starting on #1, the other side was fine but I'm having both replaced, also having new stretch bolts fitted, mechanic said I could get away with reusing them once but as we don't know the history I think new ones are a good idea, so i have to wait until monday as the jag dealer doesn't keep them in stock.
Don't know how common it is and hopefully yours are okay, mine started using coolant last November so I had plenty of warning, it never overheated and the compression was good as I was suspecting gasket failure (I'm so pessimistic!). Good luck
Stewart

 

I started losing coolant and a cylinder 7 misfire became evident. Would smoke on startup and run rough for a few seconds. Long story short, had to tear everything down 2 weeks after replacing all my chains and tensioners, urrghhh! Cyl. 7 had a very small break in the gasket causing my problem. Replaced head gaskets on my own and have had no issues for the past 6 months or so. 2000 xjr 101,xxx

 

Try your Landrover dealer,same bolts on the Rangey AJ-V8, 4.4 £1.05 each.

 

just going to do mine thinking should get a supercharger kit as well

 

would like to make a new remark on this topic, not a "new" bad news to me since this is going to be my 3rd time trying to replace the gasket since my ownership 6 years ago


the left side of the engine has started getting "wet" of motor oil

 

Putting it back together now all up new cylinder head kit+upgraded timing chain kit,all new hoses water pump new front cats 200 cell can wait to get it back on the road

 

Were the gasket failures always in the same spots?

 

Also, maybe a "sniff test" at a local shop would also be good. That way you can find out if there is coolant in the exhaust fumes. I had a simillar experience with my 98 xjr, started out with the low coolant warning randomly, and then started seeing white smoke from the exhaust. Took it ti the shop and confirmed that there was coolant fumes and most likely due to head gasket failure. Good luck.

 

My 59,000 mile 2000 XKR had the low coolant light come on 3 times and would go out. I checked it once and the coolant seemed slightly low. I figured I would add coolant next time I drove it. I forgot to add coolant and after a short drive the coolant tank exploded (split at the seams). The temp never went past under half way. When I started the car that day the the abs/trac control/vehicle stability assist light came on, then on restart went out. My main question has anyone had the coolant tank explode? Why? Head gasket?

 

could be.

symptoms of a bad head gasket are varied. they depend on how the gasket failed. if it failed between a coolant passage and the combustion chamber, the engine may be over-pressurizing the cooling system with combustion gases. The rest of your cooling system may be able to handle the heat alone, but not the extra pressure. At that point the weakest link will pop. In this case, your expansion tank.

 

and sometimes they just randomly die because they're a decade and a half old piece of plastic that's regularly heat cycled to boiling temps.