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Finally got an X308 2002 Sport over the weekend. What an amazing machine it is! Being new to Jaguar and X308, I have a few questions which need some help as I am also going on a long ~800 miles journey with it few days later... Would be grateful if someone can help on these.
1. There is a subtle vibration through the steering wheel and bottom of the car to the seat when idling in traffic (D). When brake is pressed on hard you still felt like it is trying to move forward which felt different from other Automatics I have driven before. Not sure if there's some problem with the gear box?
2. The Coolant water level is almost to the bottom of the reservoir. From the care manual it seems like the expected level is at the neck of the reservoir! I remember one thing the seller was telling me, was that you need to keep adding deionised water into it. Can't seems to find any water mark/leakage but is it normal for X308 to used up its coolant that often? It seems it need Coolant change as well.
3. Puddle of water at the bottom of the boot, next to the spare tire. Not sure if there's a leak from rain somewhere or would it indicate another leaking pipe? i thought there are no hose at the back?
All Jaguar specialists workshop are booked (limited capacity with Covid-19) and I am not sure if I can trust other workshop on this. So will need to do some basic checking myself.
2. The Coolant water level is almost to the bottom of the reservoir. From the care manual it seems like the expected level is at the neck of the reservoir! I remember one thing the seller was telling me, was that you need to keep adding deionised water into it. Can't seems to find any water mark/leakage but is it normal for X308 to used up its coolant that often? It seems it need Coolant change as well.
Sorry, but a seller telling you to keep adding deionised water, that is really a give away???
Any cooling system that needs replenishing constantly is leaking, period!
The trick could be finding the leak. If there are no obvious sign of leakage. (look for wet spots anywhere and reside, usual white, around hose connections, clamps etc). If you can’t find it visually, eventually you will need to consider pressure testing the system. No water in your engine oil I hope? (check what the oil on the dipstick feels / looks like.
Thanks Jereon, when he told me that I have paid.. (That's when he is giving me extras) but yes should have potentially dig more on that!
I guess the best is to fill it up with coolant and keep monitoring it for now, assuming I can't find a leak and I can't find a trustworthy specialist booked in? Was also wondering if I fill it up with new coolant myself will it be broken, assuming the previous owner really just kept putting water in for a year?
It would be very useful if you told us where you live. Water in the trunk (boot) indicates a leaking seal (or the previous owner left the boot open during a downpour). Does it overheat? Often, as not, a mechanic or previous owner had misrouted the hoses from the reservoir. They MUST cross over or you will blow coolant out of the overflow bottle in the fender. See picture for right way.
Then search around the water pump, thermostat housing, hoses, and the hoses to the heater at the rear of the engine, as noted by Jeroen. Thermostats and water pumps are known weaknesses. Check the oil for coolant (white frothy foam) or bubbles: see these, get your money back, you likely have blown head gasket.
Thank you for your respond! I live in London and have booked up a mechanics tomorrow. He doesn't have time but can have a look for me. The coolant was not clean with a bit of precipitent so not really bubbles, but is a bit orange milky. From the dash it wasn't overheated but it may also be broken thermostat as well if that's the case?
Find and correct the coolant leak as the AJ-V8 gets very cross when overheated!
After a cold-soak, preferably overnight, use a cooling system pressure tester via the reservoir that has been pumped to 1 bar. If the pressure begins to drop, inspect for leaks especially at:
Water outlet pipe assembly near front of engine
'Tower' that contains the thermostat housing, which should be changed to the aluminium version as soon as possible
The offside (RHD) corner of the radiator where the upper radiator hose connects
The return hose under the inlet manifold that connects to the throttle body
If the service history of the vehicle is unknown, remove the cam cover(s) and inspect the secondary timing chain tensioners to see if they've been replaced with the latest metal-bodied type. If the secondary tensioners are the original plastic type, they must be replaced to avoid catastrophic engine failure.
Fluid operated gearboxes do push all the time when any driving mode is selected. You said you need to press pedal hard to stay still when D is selected. What is hard press? If you really have to stand on it to keep it still. Then the gearbox is faulty.
Does pushing differ from R to D ?
1 ) Leaks .
Minor or intermittent can cause catastropic overheat leading to ( see #2)
Lots of good advice above regarding potential sources . Water pump. Plastic coolant pipes , radiator seams etc...
2) Comsumption .
Usually premature head gasket failure from previous overheat
often caused by coolant loss (see #1)
also can be caused by intake leak or intercooler leaks where coolant is ingested.
Bottom line it's either leaking out the engine or
burning it out the tailpipe.
Some engines will run with bad head gaskets or warped heads ( after refilled and burped ) for a while , burning coolant all the while but otherwise sort of OK until you let coolant run low again, or the plugs foul from coolant residue or you start blowing so much white smoke out the exhaust that it becomes undriveable .
.
I wish you the best , cheapest outcome .
The coolant was not clean ... but is a bit orange milky.
If you have the Orange coolant, i.e. Jaguar "Long Life" coolant, you should not add any standard (green/blue) coolant to it unless you thoroughly flush the system. Mixing these two types of coolant can cause serious clogging of the cooling system.
If you have the Orange coolant, i.e. Jaguar "Long Life" coolant, you should not add any standard (green/blue) coolant to it unless you thoroughly flush the system. Mixing these two types of coolant can cause serious clogging of the cooling system.
Amen. !!
often when there's a constant loss the user ie
( previous owner ) will revert to the cheapest coolant option ( or water) regardless of compatibility .
This only makes matters worse!
Thank you again for all the recommendation and help indeed!
After a long trip and been spending quite a bit of time with this lovely car, I am glad to report that it actually is all good. Got a full service done as well and the mechanics was very impressed with the condition! (Well, not the "top up with deionised water one") In the end I was a bit too nervous but this X308 just gave me a good lesson of don't worry be happy
By the way, the puddle of water really wasn't there anymore...I suppose the previous owner was really opening the boot in a heavy rain.
New owner's questions X308
