Hi All,

Wanted to check how many people get problems with their coolant?

It started leaking about wednesday last week but only slowly and I just topped it up every other day and it seemed fine,

Went to an annual meet 90 minutes away in Nottingham for the guy who wrapped my car and the place was just GTR's & Evo's!

On the way there was fine and checked before I set off back, 30 mins in it said coolant level low and was spitting through the vents onto my screen,
I pulled over to a layby and the whole engine was steaming. I died on the inside...

I poured the entire 5 litres of coolant in and noticed it ALL just leaked straight through (appearing to come out the middle of engine but no idea)


I've dropped it to the garage now so will find out tomorrow/Tuesday (It was already booked for wednesday)

Just wanted to know is it common? how many other people have had issues?

 

Sound like a bottom hose has popped - hope you didn't drive any significant distance after discovering that the coolant wasn't staying in the engine! When these cars have cooling problems, a low-loader is the best way to move them.

The only 5.0 cooling issue I'm aware of is a failure of the water pump or the seals between the pump & the engine. There have been several iterations of pump and associated hoses to reduce the problem, but I've not seen anyone quote a JTB about it.

 

The garage have got back to me

They say the water pump has gone but they can't get the part for a month or so from Jaguar. I called 4 places and same thing...

Then found it in Germany!
Wasserpumpe 3.0l SC und 5.0l - Jaguar-Shop.com

Next day delivery to the garage, Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt!


But some other people must have had this problem on the XK?

 

Yes, there have been a number of reports of pump failures on the 5.0 engine; I wasn't aware they were quite as spectacular as you described. Do a forum search for "water pump" and you'll find the threads about it.

The part number for the pump has apparently changed a few times, which implies that they're either changing the design or perhaps changing the supplier.

 

Harmz,

Check with your Jaguar dealer as they may cover part of the repair cost even if your car is out of warranty. The water pump is a known defect, even though it hasn't risen to the level of a recall yet. This is why it is advantageous to have your car serviced at the dealer, since they routinely look for the tell-tale signs of seepage from the water pump and will replace it before it fails. You are indeed fortunate that your engine didn't overheat and cause catastrophic damage. Several cases have been reported on this XK forum and on the XJ forum. 5.0L engines only. The water pump was replaced under warranty on my 2013 XJ 5.0SC.

Stuart

 

I've just read all about it on the forums! bad times..

but I can't go back to the dealer as bought it from stratstone the scammers, and they were probably aware of it!

They told me it came with 12 month manufacturer's warranty and I'd get the stuff in the post. When I asked them a couple months later on it they denied saying anything and wouldn't assist on a parking brake fault. Absolute rogues!

Hopefully I haven't done any further damage though =]

 

Hmmm - Sale of Goods Act 1979? Unless they explicitly said (and can prove it) that the car was sold 'as is', they have a duty to ensure that it is of "reasonable quality". They're not a private seller, they're commercial traders who have a responsibility to stand by what they sell. That's my non-lawyer 2p worth, but if this gets expensive, it could be worth having a chat with a solicitor or Citizens Advice.

 

In the USA, warranty work can be performed by any Jaguar dealer; you're not restricted to using the selling dealer. Also, in the USA, the unexpired term of the manufacturer's warranty automatically carries over to the subsequent purchaser. Is it otherwise in the UK?

Harmz didn't state the model year of his XKR or the original in-service date, so we can't tell if it is still under warranty. Even if it isn't, it's worth a try to ask Jaguar corporate for assistance since the water pump is a known defect.

If you don't ask, you don't get.

Stuart

 

No, warranty carries over and you can go to any dealer, though he may not have a choice if there's no other dealer locally. And, under European law, you're not restricted to dealers for routine servicing during the warranty period, though actual warranty repair is still dealer-only. But I think his issue is that he has no proof of warranty.

 

Jeeze... I did not know this 5.0L water pump issue was such a common thing.

Man, I really love that lime green film!

 

Thanks all!

and it shouldn't cost too much, I'm out of the 3 year manufacturer warranty anyway and did speak to Jaguar direct and they wouldn't help either...said it's between me and stratstone :|

 

Remember, you only hear about the ones that go bang, not the ones that are working fine. It's definitely something to be aware of, but not necessarily to be concerned about. If you get coolant or temperature warnings, investigate immediately - likewise if you smell cooking coolant when you stop.

The 5.0 pump is in the front of the engine vee - if you take off the plastic engine cover and there's coolant leaking, or you can see dried traces of it, then the pump needs to be checked & probably replaced.

 

It's fixed!

Garage said was harder job than it seemed but charged £270 for labour.

All seems to be working ok now. Driving 12 hours total this weekend up to Scotland and back so guess this will be the real challenge!

 

My 2012 is getting a new water pump next week. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have someone look at the water pump yearly or every 20-30k miles. Dont know it just fails.

 

I suspected a coolant leak when I noticed the faint, characteristic smell of antifreeze after I parked my XJ. I looked under the hood and everything appeared to be normal, without any obvious signs of leaking. Nevertheless, since I was aware of the water pump issue, I took it in to my dealer and the tech noticed the tell-tale signs of dried coolant and replaced the pump under warranty. No more smell, but I give it the smell test regularly. I suggest you do the same.

Stuart

 

Glad you got it sorted. But if you get a coolant or temperature warning, stop immediately. One thing we've learned on the forum, through the misfortune of others, is that it's easy to knacker these engines through overheating, and you don't get a lot of warning. The lack of a temp gauge doesn't help.

 

Tell me about it! WHY would you make a car without a temp gauge!

And I have more bad news.... There's STILL a leak!!!
Taking it back to the garage in 2 hours hoping they'll get the damn thing.

This is a damn emotional roller coaster

 

Now that's a real bummer! Surprising that a brand new water pump would leak so soon.

You can have a virtual temperature gauge with an ELM327 plugged into the OBDII port and the Torque Pro app on your smartphone. Search "torque pro" for threads.

Take a couple of gallon jugs of water with you on your trip back to the shop, just in case you might need it. Let us know if it was the pump or something else.

 

Fingers crossed for you, mate - it's probably just a poorly fitted hose.

 

Forgot to post - it just APPEARED to be low whilst the engine was warm... or cold... not sure....

but they looked and couldn't find a leak and when they opened the coolant it all just poured out as if I over filled it lol.

it made it to Edinburgh and back - hope it will make it to Italy and back :P