Ive got a pretty significant leak that is dripping off of the high pressure hose for the steering assist. I know that it could be the return hose as well, so I figure Ill just change them both. being as I have never had to mess with power steering systems on any of my other projects, I'm wondering if theres anything to it. it appears to be straight forward. by the looks of the hose, there will also be some O-rings or little gaskets associated with this. Thanks for any input! Also, the PS fluid in my new found project is yellow in color? I thought the majority of power steering fluids are red-ish (like trans fluid). any thoughts about that? ill be flushing the system and replacing with Dex III anyways, but I found it strange to find Yellow fluids in the res!

 

First, let's clarify what car you have.

An 88 XJ6 cannot be a Ser III. An 88 XJ6 would be an "XJ40" car and is an entirely different ball game.

Cheers
DD

 

hmm, I thought it could be either, and that that the series III has the round headlights? am I mistaken? (I could be, this is my first rodeo in Jag-land)

 

Vin-sajhv1644jc544636

 

hi, here's some info.:
the Series 3 XJ-6 body with a 4.2 liter engine was shipped to the USA until 1987.

Jaguar kept making the Series 3 body until 1992 but only with a V12 engine and only shipped it to other countries, not USA due to emissions regulations.

in 1988, the new XJ-40 body style arrived in the USA with a 4.0 liter engine.
the 1988 has 4 round headlamps just like the Series 3, but they are arranged differently. Pictures below.

if it was a Series 3, it will have a General Motors Saginaw power steering pump, so hoses and fittings can be found easily. I am not sure about the XJ-40 pump.

as to the color of the fluid, maybe it has a store-brand fluid which is not red as it should be.

 

Thanks for clarifying Jose, I have a XJ40!

 

ok, also known as a Series 4 XJ-6 (to add to the confusion)

 

As if Jaguars need any more confusion!

 

before the XJ-6 confusion, there were other confusions:

the Jaguar MK-10 was the same car as the Jaguar 420-G, and the 240 and 340 models were the same cars as the MK-2.

then came the S type and the 420. Identical cars from the windshield back, the only difference was the front clip, engine, and the dash. Sort of transplanting the head of a Jaguar to the body of a Bengal Tiger.

then the dash of the 420 is identical to the dash in the Series 1 XJ-6 and XJ-12. Or should we say, all the visual elements of the 420 dash were carried to the Series 1 XJ-6/12 dash.

then the whole thing calmed down during the Series 2 and Series 3 era while they worked on the Sovereign. (that's an entirely different story).

but out of the Sovereign was born the XJ-40, aka Series 4 XJ-6, then came the X-300, aka Series 5 XJ-6, then the X-301, aka Series 6 XJ-6, then came the XJ-8, aka as Series 7 XJ, eventually they got confused themselves with the numbering system and out came the Series 8 XJ-6 (XJ-6 again), and they revived the S type, and behind it came the X type.

and we haven't even touched on the XJ-S and the XJ-S "Facelift" models...

I gave up trying to keep up.

 

^ All good stuff! especially for seeking hard to find parts. BTW, I did the hose swap last nite, was an easy fix and all leaking has ceased (for now). I need to finish changing the belts and hoses tonite, then an O2 sensor, plugs, wires, fluids, by then she will be road worthy. are there any issues with timing on these models? Also, is the suspension conversion kit as smooth of a ride as the original self adjusting suspension? I checked the rear self adjusting shocks the other day, looks like one is leaking a tiny bit. Ill post pics this weekend for before/after documentary, she wont even look the same in a few months.

 

all I know is that most 1988 XJ-40 owners end up replacing the rear self-leveling shocks, but I don't know how the ride changes. If it is working, leave it alone. They all leak. As for timing issues, not any more than any other Jaguar engine.

I have a Jaguar factory movie dated around 1985 of the first Sovereign (XJ-40) test car, filmed in Europe, Australia and US, they put the car through every kind of terrain. It is mostly a Dealer Sales Tool, but it is interesting to see how they abused the car to try and break it. The car was camouflaged so nobody would know what it was. Starts out with the clay model of the real car.

it is the second part of another 1965 movie of the factory works as they build the MK-2, now that's a treasure, it shows how they cast the 3.8 litre blocks, heads, engine assembly, testing, bodywork paint, interior, all the way to test driving each car as it reached the end of the assembly line.