I have a 2003 XJ8 and the 2 small plastic hoses going to the reservoir are not criss-crossed as they should be. How do I unhook those? Theres a round plastic "clip" around the end of each hose and I have no Idea how to unhook that. Any help would be great

 

Special tool 303-623 is the tool you will want to use or duplicate.
Here is the tool and how it is used.

bob gauff

 

Kind of awkward, but looks like a couple of screwdrivers could be used to do this. Might need three hands, tho.

 

Thank you gentlemen. I ended using a flathead screwdriver in a notch, wigglid a bit then did the other side

 

I use two nails, brads, one in each side and squeeze the ends together while wiggling and pulling. It might sound funny, but once you've done it a few times, it's easy.

 

just like this, with two nails, dressed as a smurf is optional

 

Actually, one might be able to take a wire coat hanger, cut a piece out, bend it into a U shape, insert that into the fitting, and pull the ends of the U apart, thus freeing the hose/tube.

 

According to blackonyx, the tool is left installed on one of the connectors when the car ships. You have to hunt for it.

 

Yeah, I read that too. It's supposed to be connected to the end of the part-load breather hose, but I never could find the thing.

 

Wow! Thank you.
Once I found the correct size nails, it worked like a charm.
Charlie

 

Actually, a pair of regular pliers squeezing at the opposite sides (90 degrees offset) from where that tool inserts takes the pressure off the fitting and it pulls off easily with a gentle tug.

 

I have a long, skinny needle nose that fits like the tool, then opening it gently helps pop it off.

I've never had any luck getting them off by squeezing it.

 

How about snap ring pliers set to open snap ring.
David

 

Is this it? See pictures ...

But how do you remove it? I tried pulling it off, it seems to be one piece completely surrounding the pipe, like an O shape not a C shape.

 

HEHE. I take them every time I change one of those breather hoses off the left bank, front of the camshaft cover. I must have 10 in my tool box.

 

How do you remove the special tool?

 

It has locking tabs on it, so you disconnect the breather hose from the left bank, take the little tool out, reinstall the hose to the cam cover, and cut the locking tabs off. I suggest attaching a zip-tie to it, just to make it a bit bigger, they're easy to lose.

 

Wait, what? You have to detach one end of the breather tube to get access to the special tool which you use to detach the end of the breather tube ...

How does someone at Jaguar HQ design department even think of doing something like that, let alone why it makes more sense than just sticking it in the toolbox under the bonnet ?

I'll look again later maybe I've missed something obvious.

 

I need to know this as well.

 

Late to this party but since I'm in the same boat now, I thought I'd put this out there.

The clip that is the "full" one, that was pictured above in place, does NOT fit the connections on the reservoir. I was able to snip mine free today and sure enough, nothing. It's not wide enough. So where it is in place, appears to be the only connection it even fits, as the rest of those clip connectors are all a larger diameter.

For the record, I couldn't get the brad squeeze to work at all, perhaps I wasn't using long enough ones, and using pliers I was able to get one side of one clip even remotely close to releasing.

Lucky for me though, that stupid little tool should only run what, $20 for a piece of plastic that serves one purpose and cost about 23 cents to make? yay... looks like no heat for another week.