But this is XK8 not XK 2006 onwards right?

 

No, it's a 2007 X150.

It's posted in X150 forum, it's my car which I show is a 2007 XKR, and the pictures are all of X150s. So why do you think this is an XK8????

 

Al lright, calm down, honest mistake I guess I got confused by the pic someone else showed of their daughter climbing over an XK8.

I'll try this tomorrow. I wonder if dealers are charging huge amounts claiming the dash needs to be removed but are doing the same thing!

 

Yeah, that's an X150 that girl is climbing on, not an X100.

 

If there's anyone in the Cambridgeshire UK area willing to do this for me, I will pay!

I removed the plastic cover and the pipe, reached down and felt around for the hole, using my finger and also taped a rod to it with a right-angle on the end, just couldn't find it. Used a camera and still can't locate it. driving me mad! Tried 4-5 times now with no luck so I'm clearly not up to the task!

 

Jagmanjohnuk, I'm tempted to tell you how what you need to do is quite like a teenage experience you might have had, but I won't.

Here's advice. It's a tight fit. If you go to the gym regularly, your lower arms may be to thick. Try to remove sleeves? Prepare for scratches? Think of the $$$ you save.

You have to have the rod/knife straight on your finger, no angle. Because you have to bend your finger to get to the duckbill, and the duckbill is just at the end of your finger.
I can, without knife attached, just feel the tip of the duckbill when I squeeze my arm down all the way, have my finger 90 degrees and push it in as far as possible. That's also how I after cutting the duckbill could feel it was totally ruined at the tip, will never hold water again.
Camera is of no use, feel for it, it's in the middle and far down.
Add knife and you got it.

Good luck

 

I just found this thread. I went through a similar process early last year. It worked.

For those having problems finding the duck bill with their middle finger, I managed to reach the rubber working from the right hand side of the car using my right hand. I thought it would have been easier with my left hand (on the basis of it being slightly smaller) working from the left side, but somehow the space seems tighter and I couldn't reach it.

 

Hi Peter

It must be me then. I just can't find it utt probably because I'm ferreting around in the wrong place!

Can I ask, is yours RHD and definitely XKR? I'm attacking my RHD from the left hand side because there seems to be slightly more space to get your hand/arm into (less cables and pipes). I'm also using my left hand. All I'm removing is the black plastic panel over the fuse box and the black pipe feeding the supercharger. Do I need to take anything else out?

I can get my arm down far enough and get my fingers into the gap between the trans and the firewall. I'm over the middle of the trans and feeling around but just can find anything.

 

John,

RHD, 2006 XKR. It's over a year ago and I didn't take notes. As I recall, I took off the plastic cover and the black inlet pipe on the driver's side of the car. I had to take off a lead to remove the pipe and it needed a bit of jiggling around. I don't think I took off anything else (such as the T shaped pipe). The hole and the rubber are exactly on the centre line of the car. It was just (and only just) reachable with the middle finger of my right hand reaching from the driver's side, palm up. If I have the chance, I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I remember anything else.

I didn't use a Stanley blade on it. I ground the end of a piece steel wire (from a wire coat hanger) and gave it a good prodding - to what exactly what effect I'm not sure, but water came out. After that, I rubbed some silicon grease on the rubber. Since then, no problems all last summer... but the cars not been out much this year so I'd better check it.

 

It is centered, and just keep pushing, when you think you can't get your hand and arm further, push it further. You can grease your arm. You won't just find the duckbill, you'll find a hole that you have to get you finger in, and in there, maybe 1", is the end of the duckbill, ready to shredded to pieces.

If you're too buff, get a friend or your way-too-skinny mistress to do it

 

Brilliant - me too, had to do the same thing (and she wasn't impressed) but it worked. Saved me AU$1,000.

 

Rubbed silicone grease the duckbill on my car two years ago after a lot of prodding with a sharpened end of a wire coat hanger (see two posts up). Since then, it's given no problem.

Last week I thought I should check that it's still opening. So I went through the 'Yorkshire Vet' routine and as before could just make contact with the middle finger of my right hand. The bill felt as if it was opening. Anyway I gave it another series of pokes from my home made pointed instrument and another coat of silicone grease.

 

Thanks to the OP, @No Quarter and others who contributed to this thread, my Indy mechanic was able to successfully cut the duckbill in my 2009 XKR. Here's the "after" photo taken by the camera on his endoscope.


I never had AC condensate leak into my passenger compartment, but I did worry about it. Now I have one less thing to worry about.

 

Hi all, 2 questions about the duckbill. After following the threads and expert advice on this forum (which is brilliant by the way), I manufactured a bladed tool to reach the duckbill. I have a 2007 XKR from new, and after 18 yrs have the duckbill/wet footwell problem. I haven't sliced it off, just opened up the slit on the duckbill. My first question is that having run the aircon full blast for 5 mins in the garage and then turned engine off, should there be water on the floor if now draining properly? Or does the a/c need to run longer? I'm in the UK and temp is 20 degs C. Happy to go in and slice the duckbill off now that I can find it easily. As an aside, I had several attempts at making a bladed tool (pic attached) and the one on the right was most successful - repurposed the plunger bar from a sealant gun which has the benefit of a threaded and and nut to hold the blade). My second question relates to a 2013 F-Tyoe 3 litre V6 that I've also had from new - should I expect to have a similar duckbill problem at some point? Thanks for your help.

 

See my post here for a much simpler solution:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-135630/page4/

(#61, I think)

 

Running the a/c for 5 minutes may not be long enough, depends upon the humidity level. If there’s not much moisture in the air, you won’t get much condensation.

 

Close all vents but one, put the blow end of a leaf blower against that open vent... hit BLOW for a few seconds only as to not over-spin the ECS fan too much in reverse.