Hello all!

Hope you are all well.

I would like to change the steering wheel fluid as its looking a little murky. What would you experienced folk recommend in terms of type of fluid and procedure?? The Jag mechanic down the road suggested Dexron 3 or 4. 4 because its good with heat apparently.
I would also like to do a coolant flush but cant seem to find a tutorial online. What would be the procedure to complete this and refill with new coolant be??

Help and suggested posts more than welcome an appreciated!.

Chris

murky as if it has water in it? Normally you don't drain the power steering pump and rack.

but if it has water in the fluid you will see the water at the top floating when you remove the cap.

what I have used in the past to refresh the fluid, is a pump connected to a drill. the pump has two aquarium hoses, one sucks the fluid through the pump and the other hose drains it into a two liter coca cola bottle which I then take to any auto parts store for disposal. I have done it in several days so the new fluid will mix with the old, then I repeat the job until it looks clean.

I don't like disconnecting power steering system hoses or fittings, especially if there are no leaks. If it is not broken, I don't mess with it.

The cooling system is an entire day's job at least for me. It requires removing the splash panel, disconnecting radiator hoses, engine block drain bolt, resealing everything, adding Prestone Super Flush and water to system. turning heater on to full heat, running engine until hot, the shutting engine and redraining system all over again, then again refilling with plain water. repeating the processs, then redraining
again, then resealing system again, and finally to fill system with whatever mix of coolant and water you prefer, then checking for leaks, with engine running, no cap on coolant tank to bleed air from system, heater on full heat.
this is not an easy job, you need lots of tools and contortions to do it right. And these XJ cooling system swallow an enormous amount of coolant , you need to mix two gallons in advance of the job, so you end up with at least 3 gallons or more.

The good news? if you do it right, you don't have to do it again for 5 years.

from my experience my XJ6 1990 steering oil were Mineral oil be careful not to mix it with regular hydraulic oil use the same oil you have or you have to flush the hall system I ended replacing the rack pump and hoses

Jose: Have you not reversed the oil floats on water thing??? My life is that water does not float on water !!! In some events, oil and water mix and form an emulsion.

I see the likelihood of water in the Ps system as remote. Murky fluid would not alarm me. A basic hydraulic system. No combustion or water circa the plumbing.

I do agree with Jose, in a reluctance to open the joints to drain it

At most, I'd use a turkey baster to remove some of the fluid in the reservoir. Top off with fresh fluid, Drive a bit and repeat til it's appearance pleases you, I'd venture to say the system cares not!!

As to the fluid., Yeah, the store will have dedicated Ps fluid, I've used it. but also whatever ATF was on my oily shelf.

Carl .

Thank you all!


it was my understanding (miss understanding being a noob?) That steering fluid should be clearer but not dark in colour. When it gets dark you would need to renew ??

@jose this is a method I found last night on YouTube. He had a fluid pump and pumped the fluid into a bottle. He then turned the steering a few times to drain what more he had in there and then hit the fluid pump again. Then replenished.

@carl I think the original mechanic used castrol dexron 3. The original owner always went to him and he never did any maintenance himself and preferred to let the mechanic do it all. Lucky for me it's in great shape because of it but probably needs a good spring clean.

That's also a good idea to take some out and replenish that way.

I think I may leave the coolant flush for now until I am more familiar with the components. I have a erratic work schedule so finding time to nail what I wish to do is tricky and that's not including family time.

I am trying to spend any given moment doing reading and looking up stuff on YouTube. How my wife puts up with me I never know but then she does love the jag more than me it would seem hahahah

Chris

Carl, water in oil floats. Or is it oil in water?

I use Prestone Power Steering fluid with Stop Leak. 32 ounces will fill your reservoir.

if it is repackaged transmission fluid, I don't know.

Power Steering fluid is Red although I have seen it clear too.

Jose:
Oil floats on water in my lexicon!!!

Chris.

Yeah, my dear departed loved her Jaguar. I was allowed as a great honor to drive and maintain it!!!
Carl

Carl I did an experiment this morning.

I filled a cup with water and added a teaspoon of oil. The oil floats at the top.

then I filled another cup with oil and added a teaspoon of water. The water floats at the top.

the scientific conclusion? The quantity of oil or water wins.

Chris I posted the S57 Wiring Guide and the 14 sections of the Service Manual in my website. You can view or save them there.

I will post the Parts Manual section later.

Hi Jose!

Many thanks. I will wonder over there today.

Chris

You probably just had some water trapped on top of the oil. Oil is less dense than water and settles above water, period. Exactly the same thing as air, which is less dense.

The practical demonstration and a minor catastrophe, decades ago.

For one reason or another, I was using my nice, but experienced 55 Dodge pickup to commute, SOCAL and 23 miles each way.

My new boss rode with me that afternoon. All was well til the OP went to "0".

I shut it down and coasted off the nearest off ramp. Yahoo, into the driveway of a gas station !!

Blown head gasket !!! Too much "oil" in the crank case ???

On to the rack. Drained the sump. Water, a lot of it, then oil.

Added 5 quarts. Fired it up, and home we go.

An in the frame rebuild commenced. Another tale for another day, if ever.

After thought. comparison of specific gravities???

Carl
. .

Carl I have no clue what you did, but I am glad you made it home.

One time all the coolant in the XJ leaked out as I watched the temp gauge go to max. I parked at a shopping mall, a hose from the expansion tank to the radiator had cracked.

I was about 20 miles from home. I removed the expansion tank Cap and drove it home, system unpressurized and smoking through the tank, heater at maximun heat, all windows open. The heck with it I said, we goin home easy does it.

I got home thinking I probably had burned the head gasket now.

no, it didn't burn. I replaced the hose, refilled the system, and the car has ran fine since.

proof of the resiliency of these engines.

thabksbguys for all the help.

@jose went to your site. Superb. Many thanks for doing what you did by putting it all up there. As a noob I greatly appreciate it!

I have scheduled a garage visit to do a complete coolant flush. It's a jag dude 5 mins from my house. I have asked if I can watch and he was cool with it. Need to learn as much as I can!

hope you are all having a great weekend!

great! watch carefully as you will learn. And always tip the mechanic.
also make sure he raises the car by its Lift or Jacking points.

there are 4 jacking points, two on each side.
They have a round head pointing downwards.

Jose:

Thanks. Getting home is what it is all about,

Circa 2001, my then DOHC lost it's coolant. To this day, I don't know why!!!! I was cruising along on a hot day. CA's central valley. My two calls done. going home. A weird noise, a lot of blue smoke and it quit!! Out of gear and coasted to a luckily close ae off ramp. Into a "gas station". Alas, no help there. Air, gas and snacks.

No coolant, bone dry!!! Added some via cups from the snack bar. Engine cooled and cranked, but would not fire. .Yahoo, my flip phone worked . I had road service.
A great guy responded. More than a few miles home, Jag on the flat bed. Cost more than a few bucks ! Dear departed had the cash.. Fixed him up with a couple of cans of col ice tea for his trip home..

After a few days, I got it into my garage with help of my F150. Ran a compression test., 0 in all holes. End of DOHC power....

Carl