-Changed oil: I only put 6L and nonetheless the level was above the max level on the dipstick! After driving and cooling down it seems to be right on max. Not really worried because as I understand the system admits more oil right? There was a dipstick update with one liter difference to the old one. I used 5W30 full synthetic ACEA A3 from Shell, if anybody is interested + Mann filter + replaced drain plug.

- Replaced a wheel center cap that fell.

- Started to replace steering fluid taken it out from the reservoir with a syringe. I used Liqui Moly ATF 1200.

 

But isn't there a gasket that you can buy for that purpose? Cheers.

 

Yes.
First iteration, new rubber gasket, with factory specified sealant (Loctite 5699) in the factory specified locations. Leaked like a sieve.
Second iteration, just added more sealant. Leaked after about a week.
Third iteration, lots of sealant, oil resistant type designed for immersion in oil. Still curing, will find out the result.

Phil

 

Now I get it. Good luck!

 

I had a mad burst of energy & decided to jack mine up & see why it sounded like the exhaust was leaking at the front.

That'll be because it was! Turns out the crappy place I'd got a full stainless system fitted at a few years ago had just used snot to seal the pipes to the flanges on the back of the cats. Obviously getting the right gaskets is too complicated for an exhaust specialist... I've cleaned it up & resealed it with more snot as I had some to hand, but I don't expect it to work any better this time. I'll have to buy a couple of gaskets & go through the whole thing again.

Then I hoovered it, polished the dash etc, treated the leather & washed it. It looks & smells better inside now,

 

Taking it for a run now the sealant had had a day to cure.
Still smells a little bit, however that'll be whatever is all over the exhaust burning off. That'll take a few miles. No leaks appeared on the heat shields yet, after 25 miles.

Phil

 

I took mine for a short run this morning too, having forgotten the supermarkets are all shut for Easter. So I failed in shopping but it smells lovely in the car now and the awful exhaust drone has gone. It wasn't even this quiet when I first got it fitted so the damned place that made the stainless system must have left it leaking from day one. I'll get some gaskets ordered at some point, or just let the garage that's doing the Vee mounts & strut tops know. It's in for those in June & would be so much easier to do up on a ramp, depends how much energy I have between now & then.

 

I've ordered those gaskets, tried a few suppliers & only Jag them! I'd have thought anyone would stock them. So £60 for two gaskets, but at least it'll cure the noise that's annoyed me for 5 years or so.

 

Took it out from two year winter storage, drived straight to the MOT station. Passed with flying colors. When returning home it greeted me with restricted performance message and clearly running on 7 pots.
Ids told it is B coil cylinder 2. Gladly I bought a coil.

 

Yesterday I replaced the ignition coil. I have to say this cylinder naming is nothing but conundrum. Luckily I had a possibility make fault code from any cylinder to try to understand naming between indicated faulty coil. It was found that ids/wds uses Alternative cylinder naming on dtc s. B coil is right side of the engine second cylinder. Now I know and understand the naming. But who knows why it is so messy in these engines..

 

Gaskets replaced this morning, it's much quieter now.

Question though, are there drain holes at the front bottom of the cats? I seem to have a smooth hole in the same place on both cats that feels more a drain hole than rot where it blows from slightly. Is that expected or an expensive issue? I couldn't get under the car from the right angle to look and decide properly myself.

 

There is no drain holes in cat s.

 

Great, I'll need to get some exhaust paste & crawl back underneath then.

 

You'll need weld them up.

 

I can't weld, tried & failed to learn several times. I'll try paste & if/when they blow again pay a garage.

 

The paste has worked. I found a few more pinholes when I wirebrushed the cats back to allow the gunk to stick. Left it overnight to dry as I've never had any luck starting the car to warm it up, it blows out every time. Started it this morning to move it back to where it's normally parked so I can get the bikes past it, the drive is too rough there to jack it up. I noticed it still blew a bit & checking found it's still leaking between the flanges on the RH side even with a new gasket, so that's got an ugly but effective layer of gunk over it. After all the only time a stainless system is coming off is to replace the cats, so it doesn't really matter I've stuck the joint together.

It's ugly, but who looks under the car? it works & that's the main thing when running this lumps on a budget.

 

Tell ya what, it's a much nicer thing to drive now. No awful droning when going uphill etc, just a nice soft mechanical noise, burble & supercharger noises. Still a bit of resonance at 2k rpm but it's easy to drive around. Roll on the garage doing the Vee mounts & strut tops in a month or so, to get rid of all the clonks & occasionally vague front end.

 

In my car cat flanges are so bent that I have to use aftermarket gaskets coated with gunk. Oem gaskets leaks like crazy.

 

Thinking about trading my X308

The local Jaguar dealer (for sixty years called themselves Checkered Flag Jaguar, now gone to the Lexus naming convention: Jaguar of Virginia Beach) bought 42 brand-new XF P300 R-Dynamic SE units that were stuck on the pier in Southampton. Never driven, delivered two weeks ago via Baltimore. 2024 MSRP varied between $59000 (Fuji White ones) and $42000 (Ebony -- used to be anthracite for our X308s): offered at $38000 to $41000. Five year warranty, five years service (their new every two year oil service plus walk around!).

Like Porsche, Jag has f***ed up with the swing to all electric. Brand is in the toilet and needing Crown assistance to stay in production. Fortunately, the other side of the company is doing well again (all senior UK public servants get the use of their own RR), and the 4cyl petrol Ingenium engine used by JLR appears bullet proof. The P300 has a higher compression ratio to achieve 296 HP on premium (hence the 300 designation).

It would be nice to stick with Jags: but not electric. Nice ride; more room than my base unit (the 'kids' call it the 'Bandaid"), much bigger trunk -- but that crappy start/stop nonsense.

Temporal issue: one side of the brain says this is a onetime good deal; do it! The other side, says "nah," you love Bandaid which is running like brand new . . .

Appreciate letting me think aloud.

 

The allure of "new" is always fun. That said, the joy of keeping the Duchess looking and
riding like new is pure satisfaction. A paste turtle wax on the boot area today, was in order.
I really love the way she "purrs" down the road.