Hi, noticed small puddle under front right side of engine. Saw a slight leak from the coolant hose to the rigid pipe. Simple to replace I thought....

Coolant was down just below min. Drove home some 200km.

Thought about it some more - coolant is red rather than orange - *$%& I thought - transmission fluid is in the coolant - sounds expensive.

Taking it to indy tomorrow for his opinion.

Anybody had similar?

Thanks, Simon

 

Had the same issue last month. Coolant looks reddish and is oily as it is a 50/50 mix.

After a bit of trouble shooting my indie Jag shop found a crack in the lower nipple of the engine coolant reservoir. Had to order and replace the reservoir. He said it was fine to drive until the part came in (2days) and to just keep an eye on the level. No issues. Cost me USD225 for the repair.

Good luck with yours...hopefully it's just a hose.

Best regards,

 

+1. The plastic coolant pipework on the 4.2 typically begins to fail around 7-10 years of age, so it is the most likely scenario.

IMO, it is good preventative maintenance at this age to replace coolant reservoir and the entire plastic thermostat housing and pipe assembly (which includes a new thermostat) as well as a coolant flush.

 

I've a 2007 XK and the bottom nipple on its coolant expansion tank turned to cookie crumble about a month ago. I got a new one from Gaudin Jaguar for $154. Take note that the hose connected to the bottom of the tank, has two different sizes on each end. So going down to Pepboys to just buy a hose to replace it ..........won't work. In order to buy that short approx six inch hose, you have to buy the hard line that the hose attached to. Memory says that hard line with short hose attached, cost around $160 bucks (memory here).

 

Timely post for me, Simon. My 2006 XK8 went into the dealership for service today because the first day I drove it (just purchased it last week) the engine light illuminated on the dash, along with two messages "Restricted Performance" & "Engine Coolant Low".

I put in new coolant (according to spec found here on the forums) and the Engine Coolant Low message ceased. The Restricted Performance message also ceased, replaced by Bonnet Open message. I gave the hood a good push, and that message disappeared. But the engine icon is still illuminated.

Like you, I saw a reddish-orange puddle on the garage floor that directed me to the coolant even before that warning showed up. I suspect I have a leak somewhere, so I'm eager to hear what your indie guy has to say.

Thanks for the post!

 

Went to the garage yesterday - he thought it was the hose so took the car straight in to replace it. I thought it may take a while and was a bit concerned as I was on my way to play golf

Hose was fine and the pressure test found a weep on the seam underneath the tank. New tank was ordered and fitted this afternoon inside 20 minutes. AED 790 - USD 215 all in.

Great service from Saluki Motorsport here in Dubai, but I didn't win the golf...

Cheers, Simon

 

Simon,

Glad you solved the issue. I replaced the plastic thermostat housing and thermostat about a year ago as preventive maintenance. The housing is a known weak point. Peace of mind was worth the couple of hundred bucks. Just sayin'...

Best regards,

 

I now see that my XK8 had the coolant expansion tank replaced in FEB2010. Within the past month, the vehicle has had repairs for:

Timing Cover Seal replaced as Front Timing Cover Gasket Leaking Oil [Cover Seal Leaking - replaced Seal-Crankshaft, Seal-Valve, Seal - Spark Plug (times qty 2), Seal-Timing Cove (times qty 2)]

Worn Engine Belt - replaced Belt-Drive

Differential Seal Leaking - replaced Timing Seal

Differential Pinion Seal Leaking - replaced with a new seal and checked for leaks

In light of the above invoice history (that I requested and received when taking delivery) I am thinking perhaps I should let them take this car back and keep looking for my VDP replacement. I expect to put time and money into repairs, but I don't want to rebuild an engine that may be in the process of failing.

Thoughts on whether my TBD coolant leak--when considered along with the work done recently--does not bode well for my engine? Or did they nip this in the bud?

 

Why take the chance on this 8 year old Jag. With only 51,000 miles, looks like this baby has gone thru lots of problems. Return it and get your money back. Sounds like you bought a "money pit" car. The service records might be telling you something. Why put "hope" in your mind that everything might be ok. The longer you wait to make the decision to return the car, the dealer will end up saying. "it's too late now, you had your chance". Hope is eternal, and this Jag on the road could be a problem. Why put yourself through that ordeal.

 

Point well taken, Richard. I am going to start looking at alternative vehicles. I have it in writing from the dealership that they will take back the vehicle. I may end up waiting until mid-January when the next auction is scheduled. That's how I acquired my VDP, and that ride was a dream.

Still no news, only an email from the Service Advisor, saying he did not come in yesterday because he was ill, so I suspect the car was not even looked at yesterday.