Just noticed this as I was getting back in the car after parking it all day. This is the passenger side.

I can’t make out the smell. Oily gasoline scent.

What even runs on this side of the car? The fuel lines are in the other end.

96 AJ16 engine

 

I’m not familiar with this part…but it seems to be the problem.



Whatever that three way is…and I’m assuming it’s a simple tee for brake lines, I tightened it. It didn’t seem unusually loose, but I gave it an 1/8 turn. Then sprayed it down with some brake cleaner.

I didn’t seem to lose a significant amount of brake fluid, but I’m close to the MIN line now.

By the way, you’ll need a 7/16" wrench if you want to do what I did.

 

Vee,

Good spot. As you surmised, that's the T-point for the split to the Left and Right rear brakes. I'd not heard of those ever coming loose, but I guess there's always a first time.

Just a thought, and I may well be wrong, but it looks from the photo, that there might just be a kink in that top pipe, where it may have caught before being tightened? Hope I'm wrong!

Cheers

Paul

 

Ok, so I goofed and let oil catch can get full. Pressure was stinking up my cabin.

could this somehow pressurized my brake system to force a leak?

 

That location is often where oil comes out if the convertible top hydraulics have a leak.

 

Shop just notified me that….

​​​​​​….it is indeed the convertible top hydraulic fluid! They did say that they are not capable of repairing it.

Do I need a Jag shop, or is there a kind of shop that would specialize in something like this?

 

It's nothing particularly unusual, I think with mine I was able to repair it with a new O ring. It's been a while and I can't remember the details. The pumps are used by other cars as well, it's not a Jag specific pump or system.

You want to use aircraft 5606 fluid to refill, it's a very thin hydraulic oil. I got mine at aircraftspruce.com and it wasn't expensive. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...lickkey=123134 Also comes in quart or gallon cans. There is an A and H spec, either is fine for our purposes.

 

The pump does not appear to be the source of the leak.

I did replace the o-ring a little while ago. I do haver the 5606 oil. I also haven't lost a ton of fluid, but I will have to check on the hydraulic rams, as they could be leaking from there.

 

OK,

Even though I ordered the new cylinders, the ones I have in place are bone dry. There is absolutely no evidence of a leak anywhere, including at the pump, where my fluid is still at the same level its been at, even though I have actuated the hood numerous times since my last post.

So as I was going to replace the cylinders, I ended up pulling out the back seats entirely. No evidence of any moisture or oil anywhere.

I then pulled out all of the trim in the trunk. There was some oily residue under the main mat, so I ended up cleaning it all up with some non-chlorinated brake cleaner. I cleaned everywhere.

Then I noticed that an oily residue continued to make its way from where the ground wire ties back to the body, between the battery and the rear passengers side wheel well. No matter how much I mopped it up with a rag, more would seep out.

It's some kind of clear oily product. I don't think it could be they hydraulic roof pump fluid, as that is red, and does not appear red.

So I dug deeper, I removed that black metal plate between the fuel tank and the trunk, and I found that the mat under the tank seems to be saturated in it. It doesn't smell like gasoline, and it seems very oily/slippery. What could this be?

I'm not aware of any fluid loss anywhere. This oily substance seems clear and has an odor, but not of gasoline.

I have left all of the trim out of the trunk, hoping to air it out. But I am dumbfounded as to what else it could be? Any ideas????

 

Vee,

Have you had the oil changed in your hood pump? The original Pentosil CHF oil was clear on most cars.

Paul

 

Mine was always pink. I did have a leak at one time, and I did replace it with more pink stuff. In this case it was Castrol Brayco Micronic 756, meeting MIL-PRF-5606H

 

Could the connections at the tank be the cause of this? It’s under the car. Could some kind of leak saturate the mat?

 

Thought I would check in.

It's been some time since I've discovered the saturated mat. Since then I have not topped the fuel tank off. I've gotten it somewhere between the 3/4 mark and the F, being careful to shut the pump off several gallons before it would normally click off.

Whenever I monkey around with the Rochester Valve, i end up catching fuel in that vent line. Haven't been back in there though. Not since I removed that valve entirely and plumbed it right into the charcoal canister.

Is there any way to cross that vent line in a way that would allow fuel to easily get in there?

 

Vee
Not sure what this means.
The easiest way to prevent raw fuel getting to the charcoal cannister is to plumb a vertical loop into the line to it, as vertically long as is possible, so as to ensure the loop goes up immediately the vent line exits the tank. It should be doable as the tank is low down, but it might mean the tank has to come out a bit to do the job. decent flexible will do it, so not hard technically.
if this diagram is correct for your car:
https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.../brand/jaguar/
then the breather hoses (parts 9 and 17) do not look like they are much above the full tank mark, so this may account for the fuel getting into the line.
It does not matter in the slightest how long the extra piece you might put in is, even if it has to come out into the boot corner to get the height you need. The only important point is that fuel in the loop wants to go back into the tank rather than down the vent line.

 

Interesting….that connection between the Evaporative Loss Flange (#14) and the hard vent tubing is a unique hose with two different sized holes. I forgot what size I used (will check notes later), but I boiled the rubber hose to make it work with the larger side on one end.

Anyways, with your suggestion, I could make enough room to make a proper transition! It’s tight, but I agree with your assessment. That should prevent the fuel from reaching the canister.

I don’t know if that issue is related to the saturated fuel tank mat. It would seem like it should be, but I don’t know how fuel is making its way there…

I will place some kind of media around that flange to see if there is any fuel seepage? Maybe something as simple as some Kleenex, or maybe some baby powder? What would you recommend?

 

Yes
Kleenex or talcum powder would show anything up.
It also occurs to me that maybe there is some sort of valve in the breather valve unit (Rochester valve sort of thing) on the tank top unit that is malfunctioning.

 

My tank is equipped with Evaporative Loss Flange nna5954aa

The only thing at that flange is a valve the blocks the tank if the flange is upside down. I’ve successfully blown air back into the tank from the Rochester valve location, so it would appear that this simple valve is working correctly.

Any other leads to track down?

 

Here’s a peculiar update:

I just got back from a 2 week vacation. Haven’t moved the car over that period of time. When I left, I made sure the trunk was clean.

I come back and find two small puddle of a very oily substance. It’s a very thick oil, like engine oil.

There is no way it could be hydraulic fluid. I am not losing any. The reservoir is still full and it’s a brown color, not red/pink.

What could this be?

 

Vee,

Logic seems to imply that there could only be 3 types of fluid that can end up there:

- Petrol, but you'd smell that
- Battery Acid, but it wouldn't be that consistency
- Convertible hood fluid - Most likely

It might well not be red if it's leaking from part of the system with a seal that is breaking down and contaminating the fluid colour and consistency.

It's difficult to see how it could be anything else.

Good luck

Paul

 

The problem is... my hydraulic fluid reservoir is still full. No change in level!!