Recently acquired a 76 XJ6C (So series 2, 4.2 ltr) that drove without issue during buying process and upon initial two or three drives after arriving at my home.
After the last drive, everything seemed normal until the following morning I found a great deal of coolant under the car. Have been replacing the hoses since (though I now need to order more; the kit I first ordered appears to be missing quite a few) and have not found any obvious leak point though the hoses were in dire need of replacement.

Reading other threads, there are comments that a Series 2 will dump coolant when hot under normal cool down. Is this really the case?

I'm also curious as to the opinions on 82 degree vs. 88 degree thermostats.

 

Maybe if the thermostat's stuck! No, not normal...

 

We run 82 all year round.

All my S2's did that, and a NEW cap helped, then I realised that the things were simply finding their own level, and once I stopped the daily top up COLD, the leaks stopped, and the system sat at the level it wanted, and the world rotated once more.

The V12's the same.

NO over flow tank, simply vented to the dirt, as all older systems did.

 

My S1 was continuously losing coolant out the overflow until I took Grant's advice and let it find it's own level.
I kept an eye on the temp gauge and all was good, a couple of days of small overflows and no top ups since.
Oh and replaced caps at the same time.

 

Thanks for the replies. I just don't understand why it would dump so much coolant after not doing so on previous drives, and only after it cooled. Will move on with the hose replacement and hopefully find an obvious source.

 

Not a V-12 but a hot-blooded 440 in my case, on a HOT summer day in June in mid-town Sacramento traffic, with a car load of old ladies on the way to a swanky restaurant, when the car puked GREEN coolant all over the parking areas, which then ran about 25 feet to the nearest drain, causing alarm to several other patrons who kindly informed me of the mess my car was making.

As it was a special outing, I had taken particular care to fill the overflow tank to the recommended line (for the first time in Months) just to be sure there would be no overheating events even though it had Never overheated during my ownership.

Lesson learned.

As Grant says, I just let it find its own level and never had another moment's trouble with it until I sold it on in 2015.
(nostalgic sigh) sometimes I miss that car..........
(';')

 

Yup!!

It took me a bit to figure that out. Add too much ands many critters will merely belch out the excess...

Carl