I noticed just yesterday that I had an oil leak from my 2008 XK. I have never ever had an issue such as this. I didn't run over anything. I didn't pull up onto anything. This just came from nowhere. I do not drive my car that often. The car only has 41,000 miles on it and I have only put 9,000 miles on since the last 2 1/2 years. I know I need to get the car in the shop, get it up in the air, and see just exactly where it's is coming from. I am hoping some of you could possibly give me some insight as to whyor how this is happening so that I am a little better versed when the Service Department comes calling. Has anyone else had leakage for no appearant reason and what seemed to be the issue? Any insight on this would be greatly appriciated. Thank you in advance.

 

Eroc,

We'll need more information in order to give you an educated guess as to the source of the leak. There are many different possible sources that use various types of fluids and lubricants including, but not limited to, the engine, radiator, oil filter, transmission, differential, universal joint, and suspension.

How did you notice that leak? Was there a spot on your garage floor? Where was that spot located - front, rear, right, left, center? Was there just one spot or more? What size was the spot(s)? How do you know it was oil and not transmission fluid, gasoline or water? What color was it? How thick was it? Did you notice any odors or smoke coming from the engine? Did you check your engine oil level to see if it was low?

The more information, the easier it will be to pinpoint the problem.

Stuart

 

I have let the car sit for a few days and checked the oil cold. It is spot on. There a different spots on my garage floor. It looks as if they are dripping from two spots directly under the engine. It seems to be brown and engine oil I suspect. It is not gritty or anything, very clean. It has been a while since an oil change, so it can't be runoff. There was no smoke or any indicators coming on in the car. I was out driving one day, came home and parked in the driveway, left again, and when I came home noticed oil spot in driveway. There was no oil on garage floor when I originally left the house. I have not driven the car ever since.

 

Thank you for any guidance. Your help and opinions are very much appreciated.

 

It will be obvious once it's on a lift. Everything is easy to see. I would not speculate until then.

 

I'd not be worrying just yet - a little oil drip goes a long way on the floor ! And there's about 7 .5 qts of oil in there....

It won't be straightforward to find, even on a lift. If you look under the engine, there is a black plastic undertray under everything. That'll have to come off (its in 2 or 3 sections), but you might be able to tape paper towels on top of it (ie under the engine) to better trace the leak.

 

To find an oil leak consider what was most recently serviced. For instance, if the oil was recently changed make sure the oil filler cap is secured. Motors often leak from valve cover gaskets, usually on the outboard/lower side of a V8. You can confirm oil tightness of the valve cover gasket by simply taking a kleenex and running it along the edge of the valve cover.
If this doesn't find the leak, then start looking from underneath the car.
I think any competent dealer or indy will remove the belly pans and visually inspect. This is not rocket science, but experience with known leak problems helps immensely to narrow causation. It may be as simple as a leak from the oil drain.
For the DIY owner it is not difficult to find most oil leaks. Have done this several times. I start by cleaning the motor and any visible oil lines from the bottom up. The leak source will be at the highest point you clean. There is a good chance that even with the cleaning the leak source will be elusive. A very old trick is then to spray the culprit area with jock-itch powder (Tinactin). The leak will reveal itself by its streak across the powder field.

 

I have the vehicle up on a lift now. It looks as if the leak is coming from the (Jaguar) oil filter. I have thoroughly checked under the vehicle and cannot see any other sources. I am changing the oil and filter (Jaguar) and going to let sit to see if there is any other leaks. I had to jump start my vehicle to get in the shop and everything seemed to be ok except the cruise wouldn't work. For the sake of opening another thread, do I have to reset something or what do I need to do to get that functioning again. Thank you to all for your oponions and help. All of them are welcome and appriciated.

 

Let the vehicle idle for about 15 minutes. No leaks!

 

I presume the cruise worked before the battery died. Note that jump starting didn't sufficiently charge your battery; it just provided enough juice to turn the starter motor. If your battery does not have a sufficient charge, the computer will shut off various systems. Try charging your battery overnight and see if that helps.

Do you have a battery hydrometer to check the electrolyte levels in each cell? If not, you may want to have the battery load tested (free at most national auto parts stores) to see if it is OK.

 

You got lucky!

 

Just a quick note: I had a similar problem with an oil puddle under the engine of the XKR two weeks ago. Since my XJS always leaked a little, I gave it no special attention. Sure enough, one of the four oil lines had a brittle spot (Florida is just hard on flexible materials) and burst, spitting oil through the hood louvre onto the windshield. Not good. Repair was $890.