Folks - I appologize in advance as I'm sure what I'm looking for exists somewhere deep in prior postings, but my question is how can I tell which 5.0 Gen III engines have the improved metal timing chain tensioners and/or improved design water pumps. Can this be ascertained just by model year or is more sluethwork required?

 

Yep, more sleuth work needed!
From all my reading about these engines (AJ133) I believe a revision was made in 2012 or 2013 and a second revision was made in 2017 or 2018.
At least to the timing chains (6.3 mm wide to 8.0 mm wide first of all) and tensioners, dunno about the coolant pump.
And JLR never released a list of VINs or engine numbers showing which car had what version, they did it on the sly.
As I have commented elsewhere you should be able to remove the oil filler cap and figure out a way to at least roughly measure the width of the timing chain, as the top three or four links are clearly visible if a little difficult to reach.

 

Brian,

Your 2006 XKR - is this one of the last steel bodied X100's or a very early aluminium bodied X150?

Graham

 

From my readings even my 2014 registered/2013 produced car doesn't have the latest rendition water pump...none of them did.

I'll stand to be corrected of course

 

I have a 2013 and a 2015 and both water pumps have failed within 30 days so I suspect if there was a revision it was much later.

 

Even if I owned the last X150 built, I would expect the water pump to fail because Jaguar never got it right. X351 XJ 5.0L and 3.0L models made after 2015 have experienced water pump failures.

As for the timing chain tensioners, the risk of failure depends on prior owners' maintenance and mileage, particularly whether the proper spec engine oil was used and the oil change interval. I wouldn't be comfortable with oil change intervals beyond 5,000 miles. I'd buy the lowest mileage XKR with full service records, all other things being equal.

Every used X150 is a gamble. It's worth taking with the right one.

 

Graham: I have a 2006 XJR which is aluminum bodied. My question is based upon my desire to possibly acquire a 5.0 XK8 or XKR. I would like to mazimize the chance that I'll get one with the improved/upgraded timing chain hardware. From responses here, it seems an improved water pump wasn't developed until after the last XK was produced.

 

If you want the latest I would think you would need to get a 2015 MY.

 

BadDig42,

I understand your desire to buy the most reliable and trouble-free 5.0L XKR you can find. Realistically, you're like Don Quixote chasing the Impossible Dream. The youngest 5.0L XKR is now more than 5 years old and everything mechanical and electrical can break, even with low mileage and meticulous previous owners(s). The 2015 XKR Final 50 Edition is rare and often overpriced when they become available, so you may want to expand your search to include 2014 models. If you want certain exterior and interior colors and options, that may make your search more difficult, if not impossible, unless you search nation-wide. Many Forum members have bought their cars from distant states without problems after having a Jaguar dealer perform a Pre Purchase Inspection to Jaguar Certified Pre-Owned standards. This Forum is full of advice for buyers. Although the Advanced Search function is great, you may find it easier to do a Google search to find the answers to your specific questions.

Life is short and tomorrow isn't guaranteed. So Good Luck in finding "the one" and enjoy a great ride!

Stuart

 

Stuart:
Thanks for your reply and advice. I totally understand the amount of effort that goes into finding "the one". As I think has been mentioned before by others, perhaps the best strategy is to find the lowest mileage acceptable example and have that vehicle inspected by a Jaguar dealership/specialist.

 

I have a MY14, built in 2013, replaced the water pump on schedule last year at about 66K miles. There is no guarantee what part works and is reliable. As someone stated earlier, Jaguar never got it sorted out. They replaced the part number several times since introducing the 5.0L and supposedly upgraded that part, they still failed. Another issue is the resin coolant pipe that connects to the thermostat. That usually fails around the same time 50-65K.

 

It was the mainly the water pump issue with the first years of the 5.0 litre that prompted me initially to delay changing my 4.2 and then to go for one of the last produced. Timing chain tensioners was less of a worry. It's still not as robust as the 4.2!

Graham

 

Thanks, Graham, for giving me mixed emotions. I'm glad that I still have my 4.2L 2009 XKR and worried about keeping my 5.0L 2013 XJ SC.

Not really. I love them both and can live with the risks.

Stuart

 

If a pump lasted 66k miles- it had to be designed right.
But the design really hasnt changed in decades, its a bearing, impeller, seal.
Coolant hasnt really changed either, and been around in cars for few decades.
Whats different is how air is evacuated by the system. In many other cars too.
I go on amazon and there are all these new gadgets for removing air from cooling system with thousands of positive reviews.
I read one and was surprised, this guy knew how to bleed air from cooling system, had done it all his life, could not on his 350z.

 

I guess I can agree with you Q&C that 66k miles as an average life span for a water pump means it is not poorly designed and built; poorly made would not reach 66k.. However whether it is a bearing, seal, impellers or any other part that fails is irrelevant when compared to all the other manufacturers and brands that don't fail and have a higher average mileage life. I have owned many cars, with over 1.7 million miles driven by me on my own vehicles, none had a water pump failure below 100k miles. That includes 4 cars with mileage over 200k on each and two of the worst American designed cars in Pinto and Vega. Only one needed a water pump replacement, that was the VW at about 150k miles. The horror stories posted here on these forum pages about water pump failures are epic, many with fewer than 66k. One guy had to replace the replacement. Jaguar changed pumps that were reengineered, several times and still they failed.

 

Agreed. I believe I've read that members who have replaced their original pumps had to replace the pump again and sometimes several times. I can not say with certainty that even the latest superseded pump that has been available for a number of years has been failure free.. Bottom line, is it really just the water pump or the overall set up? On top of everything else..there are numerous plastic lines and connections that can become collateral damage during the water pump install. Let's not forget no temperature gauge! Nice.

 

Don't **** on me and tell me its raining we all know that there are water pump issues on the 2010 and up , just ask the 2009 to 2007 how many have replaced water pumps, very few as opposed to the newer years.It is what it is.

 

Maybe the root cause is something OTHER than an actual Water Pump failure? Maybe something contaminated the coolant, like say a piece of thermostat or slag from the manufacturing process.Weird chemicals reacted with something else and caused a problem unforeseen in normal use.
My 2010 has the Original pump at 66k, and another guy near me also with a Eurocharged 2010 has the original pump at 75k.

My thinking..... once "anything" happens to the original pump, most of the REPLACEMENT pumps go poopie.

Maybe, maybe not.

 

Ah yah that's it pumps are good ....but everything else on the cooling system is bad

 

Ask any high performance exotic car owner, they would be happy if water pump replacement was the only thing they had to do.
Google Toyota water pump problems,or any other car name, you will see nightmares. Every BMW produced since 2006...well just watch one minute of this video.