hello guys,

im happy my kitty will be repaired this weekend! anywho i have a question about coolant! ive been hearing and seeing that many people are having leaks but sometimes it is orange and sometimes lime green. what should i be using for my 99xj8? also on oil changes what is the best oil to use for her? i will be replacing tires soon as well. the previous owner had pirelli tires, i really like the feel of these but are these best for the xj? or could i go with something different and maybe save on gas mileage and such? anywho just general questions from a girl who loves learning!

thanks guys!

 

It's supposed to be the orange/pink coolant & is the same type used in certain Fords, as Jaguar was owned by Ford at the time the X308 was in production. The correct antifreeze spec is: WSS-M97B44-D. I bought Ford Super Plus Premium 5L containers off ebay, with that spec number.

Oil type depends on what the climate is like where you live. If it's cool/temperate, then something like 5W/30 would be suitable. If you live in a hot state, the try a thicker oil such as 10W/40, to stop any noises from the VVT units-they can be fussy about low oil pressure from thin oils in hot climates & become noisy.

These engines are best run with the oil level around the MAX mark on the dipstick-they don't really like running with lower oil levels around the MIN mark & engines can get noisy by doing this.

Tyres-not sure as I've only used the one type, so over to anyone else...

 

Thanks Red October! great information!

 

The big cat can be quite fussy about it's cream-and it doesn't like water either (rust!), which is ironic considering it was conceived in a country famous for rain

 

I run green coolant, and the Cat is fine with it. For oil, I run 5-30 Castrol Syntec blend for this winter, and come hot weather, I'll be switching to 10-40 of the same brand. She has Goodyear rubber shoes, and I am not concerned with the gas mileage at all. Since I bought it, my on board computer tracks everything, and reports 20,1 miles per gallon, combined city/freeway. That's good enough for me. On all the cars that have dual trip computer (A and B in this case), I leave one trip meter on since the purchase, and the other one I zero with each fill. On my display I always have "range", because that's the only thing that concerns me (how many miles to empty). I dislike fueling my own car (got spoiled for years when my employees were doing it for me), and I always wait to the last few miles before I fill it.
I did notice that the Cat likes the particular fuel though. I always pump premium in everything I own (don't ask why, ...I owned few gas stations in the past, and it's a long story), and this Cat likes Mobil above all the rest! According to the OBC, she gets the best gas mileage with that.

 

As I understand it, they were originally filled with green coolant, which lasts somewhere between one and three years. Later jaguars used orange coolant, lasting five to seven years. You can use either, BUT DO NOT MIX THEM, it will clog your cooling system. If changing types, drain old coolant, flush with clean water a couple of times, then fill with new.

 

listen to Fred, when my Coolant splashed out, some of it is Green, some of it is Orange

 

i will definitely keep that in mind!

 

It looks like you have a 1999 XJ8.
Look at this Jaguar Z Service Technical Bulletin (view post# 13):
click on this weblink: ( https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...20/#post658944 ) post is in the TSB sticky thread.


Extended Life Coolant is orange in color. Jaguar part numbers are tabulated overleaf. Extended Life Coolant conforms to specification WSS-M97B44-D

Here is the information on the Prestone Dexcool container label:



Here is a photo of the color of the Preston Dexcool:




Here is some coolant information from the JTIS21 - First you need to open Model - XJ Range and the Model Year 1998 then use the Text Navigator to go to section 303-03A: Engine Cooling - General Procedures - Cooling System Draining, Filling, and Bleeding Vehicles without Supercharger (open with mouse click, then go down to fill instructions):

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

 

Jaguar changed the coolant formula twice that I can remember in the late 90's into 2000. They used an interim yellow coolant -- prior to going with the red/pink formula.

I would bet you originally had the yellow -- I do not believe any x308 has green. I had a 1998 and I think that was yellow -- I believe my 1995 x300 came with green.

Manufacturers often use a base specification coolant and then use additional additives depending on the makeup of the particular coolant.

Normally the green coolant found in the auto parts stores does not have the same life span as the red/ orange.

Since you can have issues with mixing different coolant I allows advise and I always use the OE fluid if the car still has the OE fluid when you purchase - obviously not in your case


At this point with a 13 year old car -- I would most likely refresh with a quality green and do it again in a few years if you still have the car

 

Can you get the green coolant that meets WSS-M97B44-D spec?
I read somewhere that it can make the plastic parts brittle over time compared to orange, that's why they used it in these cars.

The weird thing is it looks green in the header tank, take some out in a glass and it's orange/red/pink type colour.

 

yeldogt
Historical Background in the TSB says:

D542 coolant is yellow in color. Jaguar part numbers JLM 20404/1 - JLM 20404/5 apply.

The majority of XK8 vehicles in the VIN range 001036 - 010341 will have been converted to D542 coolant under Service Action S813. These converted vehicles should be recognized by yellow coolant and a corresponding label affixed to the cooling system header tank. Full details are in Bulletin 303-09 dated 6/97, and Service Action S813.
D985 coolant is blue/green in color. Jaguar part numbers JLM 11979/1 - JLM 11979/5 apply. XK8 models up to VIN 010341

Pentofrost NF Part # 8114117 1.5L bottle table shows JLM 11979/1 as a cross-reference. About Pentofrost NF Antifreeze (Blue) (1.5 Liter) Meets ASTM D-3306. Made in Germany.

Another reference to the yellow coolant I found on the internet:
JLM-20404/1 gallon or JLM-20404/3 litre yellow coolant was causing a grey sludge to form inside the cooling system, plugging up the heater cores and t-stat towers.

Jim Lombardi

 

I forgot about the blue --- Maybe that was the very early XK8's.

My 98 VDP got a new WP -- that is why I remember the yellow -- around 2000. My x300 had a head gasket also sometime around 2000 - they switched over the coolant to the new orange ... originally green.


I don't think the green meets the spec -- for a few reasons -- but we are talking about many cars that only have a few years left anyway

 

whats the most you have got from a full tank on yours?

 

I have been rocking the green and switch many cars over to it. Green will work in anything, no matter what "manufacturer specs" are as long as you get all the old stuff out.

 

Easiest solution is to just use the current Jaguar spec OE fill, which is pink-ish in color. If you have to use something different in an emergency, something like Peak Global is suitable, as it can safely be mixed. And +1 on not mixing green with Jag stuff--have seen the two congeal.

 

If you find G12+ label on the antifreeze coolant bottle, you can't be wrong. It is the newest, environment friendly antifreeze formula, and can be mixed with every others antifreeze coolant fluid without problems. Useable in any kind of metal (engine). Usually it is purple, and conforms the ford wss-m97b44-d that was written by Jim Lombardi.