Well shoot. I've had a good run with my 2012 XK, but it feels like the dreaded water pump problem has hit me. I'm now loosing coolant. No puddles on the ground.

No question, just crying a little.

 

What's the mileage on your car? At least it has finally presented itself as in issue. No more waiting and dreading for it to happen. I use my car a good bit for travelling long distances and worry sometimes about doing so with the original pump still installed. I guess its now a good time for you to also pitch the thermostat and flush the cooling system while you're at it.

 

Unfortunately, losing coolant (even with an original or replaced water pump) does not absolutely point to a problematic water pump. Due to our notorious plastic cooling systems, coolant loss can be caused by numerous vulnerable plastic pieces and connections. I have been losing coolant for years and I have the original pump, yet after many dealer and Indy visits, there are no signs of seepage from the water pump weep hole or any signs anywhere of coolant. In addition, numerous pressure tests show no loss of pressure. Yet, there has been a very slight loss of coolant (a few ounces) after taking the car out for a few drives. In addition I have the notorious coolant smell after long drives. I've also read on this forum of a member who has changed his water pump 3 or 4 times and still loses coolant. Correct diagnosis should be followed before dropping in a new water pump although it might very well be the pump. .

 

Copied from my post in another thread and relevant here:

If the Low Coolant warning light goes on, you're vulnerable to a catastrophic engine failure. Don't wait until it's too late to fix it! Since you already suspect a bad water pump, be sure to keep a gallon jug of water in your car, and check the coolant level in the overflow tank every day. If that idiot light comes on, pull over immediately, shut off the engine, check the overflow tank level and add water if necessary. If you must drive it, turn the heater on maximum temperature and highest fan speed to help cool down the engine; the heater is just another small radiator. If the heater doesn't blow hot air, then there's no coolant being circulated and your engine will soon be a doorstop. I recommend that every 5.0L owner buy a Bluetooth ELM327 OBDII reader and pair it to your cellphone that has the free Torque app (or Torque Pro paid version) to monitor your engine temperature (and other functions) in real time.

You should also check for leaks at the upper and lower coolant outlet Y-pipe and use new gaskets if they need to be replaced. I just had this done on my 2013 XJ SC and think the following OEM Jaguar part numbers are the same for the XKR:
AJ813909. Pump-Water
C2Z18658. Tube
AJ811539. O-Ring
AJ813865. Pipe-Outlet
AJ813917. Tube
C2Z28265. Gasket
AJ811948. Gasket
AJ811576. Gasket
AJ811590. Gasket

While it's apart, also check for excessive play in the supercharger isolator.
C2D52713. Kit-Supercharger

You will save $$$ by shopping for the above parts on the internet and from our Forum sponsors. Be sure to ask for any additional discounts. An experienced indy JLR technician can save you $$$over a dealer, because they have lower overhead.

I would not use any aftermarket parts for these repairs. But it's your car, your money, and your choice.

 

About 47,000

 

Came out of the office yesterday to see a small pool of coolant under the XK-R (50,600 miles) and a low coolant warning. Checked coolant which was low but still visible in tank. Thankfully the Jag dealer is directly across the street from my office. Now I await for the hose news with baited breath and checkbook in hand.

Feff

 

Water pump issues are part and parcel of owning the 5.0 cars. It is no big deal and costs around $1100 to $1300 at the dealer, less if you don't want a warranty and have it done at an indy..Pay the money and enjoy the car.

 

Love the car. Just got notification from the dealer, it looks like a new radiator is in the works.

Feff

 

Had the similar recently as it was a plastic part that sits in the engine V. Was a cheap and easy replacement.

 

I would have to see this as a radiator should last forever . Something doesn't sound right . I would have them pull the belly pan and show you the leak before any other work is done. Check the water pump when the pan is off.

 

I'd ask the dealer for more information about how they arrived at that diagnosis. Did they do a pressure test and, if so, where was it leaking - the core or elsewhere? Is it repairable by a radiator shop? Dealers replace; they don't repair.

 

As long as you get a warranty on your work order that this repair will resolve your problem, you should be ok.

 

Depends on the dealer. Most cases they will say something else has failed not the new part and make you pay for that as well. If they made an honest mistake and replaced the wrong part, they "might" eat it. I had a similar experience with a main dealer and it was a nightmare. They charged for a repair of a coolant leak but the leak persisted so they charged to replace additional parts they said had failed and the leak was still there so after the third time I took it to another main dealer and the tech found a nice man made slit in a throttle body hose. No more leaks after that.

 

Ask yourself a simple question. How many people have had a radiator fail (leak) on a car with less the 100K miles on it. I never had.

 

Well, I guess it's contagious, yesterday afternoon, my indie mechanic informed me that I have a leak in my radiator as well. I had noticed a few leaks over the past couple of weeks and would fill a couple of cups of coolant every morning before I started the car for the first time and I was expecting my fifth water pump was the culprit But no, it's a small radiator leak, and we'll be replacing it. Now my car is approaching 160,000 miles, so I guess I have no right to complain much. And in an unrelated matter I just thought I'd add that I replaced rotors and pads all the way around my car a couple of thousand miles ago with a set from R1 concepts and am delightfully satisfied with them, smooth as silk on freeway speed braking which had been so bad with the previous set from Brake Performance Rotors. Highly recommended for anyone in need.

 

Tberg......I understand your car has been driven with 160,000 miles. May I ask why 5 water pumps? Were you changing them before the latest updated pump was offered or do they have (even when replaced) a very short life? I'm still on my original pump (11,250 miles) as Jaguar cannot find any seepage although I'm still topping up my reservoir periodically.

 

bocatrip,
I have no idea why the high number of water pumps. When I see a coolant leak or if I check the level in the morning and find it disappearing everyday, I take it in to my independent mechanic who works on all of my cars, and he diagnoses the problem. As I recall last year or the year before one of the pumps didn't last more than a couple of weeks before it starting leaking. I'm not happy about it, and it's hard to believe they haven't improved them a hell of a lot, but this time it turned out to be a radiator leak and not the water pump.

 

At about 47k miles, I ended up having head gasket/ low coolant issues. I had heads pulled and checked, both gaskets replaced, new water pump installed, new heater hoses, and supercharger rebuilt. Now at 74k and I just had a low coolant warning come on at start up, but go off once car ran for about 20 seconds. Overflow was definitely low, but I am curious as to whether or not since I have had zero issues since the work was performed, if its actually a water pump issue. Or just something very minor. No white smoke, no puddles, no sign of leakage etc. Has anyone ever just used coolant slowly over an extended time, causing this light to come on eventually?

 

Why did you change the head gaskets?

 

Because one was busted and began leaking coolant into the motor, so warranty work covered having both heads checked and both gaskets replaced.