When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Mike,
I wouldn't replace anything that's functioning properly. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
You'll find lots of things to keep you busy on your 2008, if you buy it. I recommend you get a Pre Purchase Inspection from a knowledgeable Jaguar technician that covers the items in the attached photo of the Jaguar CPO Warranty checklist:
That 2008 XKR is now more than 17 years old and time, not mileage, takes it's toll on rubber parts including, but not limited to, hoses, belts, wiring, weatherstripping, and suspension bushings. Many of those are easy DIY repairs. I decided to have my indie mechanic do the front and rear bushings. See this thread for the details:
These cars act real funny when replacing stuff on them that isn't the exact stock part or even when you do replace the stock part,it needs to be recalibrated or else it aint gone work properly
The best way to go is to replace every single plastic cooling part with OEM parts including water pump. They are all vulnerable with time and eventually will become brittle and fail. Start new and replace everything...only with OEM! Good luck.
Guys, thank you for your input. I'm in Western Australia, which is considered a hot climate.
Surprisingly two specialist Indi shops have said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", the third, a main Jag enthusiast shop, said they need to inspect the cooling system before quoting (this indicates to me, that they don't follow a standard upgrade path", the fourth said that they were aware that some plastic parts failed but had never done a X150.
Does that suggest anything? Maybe that that there aren't too many XKR's in the State?
Am I correct in thinking that pump, thermostat, pipes, etc. are within the capabilities of a reasonably competent amateur? (I have rebuilt many motorbikes and a few car engines back in the 70s).
Would it also be the case that to change the above without doing the valley pipe is only doing half the job?
Is the valley pipe a shop job?
Sorry for all the questions but XKR's even 25-year-old ones have asking prices in the 45k AUD (30kUSD) range, so a bit of due diligence is required.
Guys, thank you for your input. I'm in Western Australia, which is considered a hot climate.
Surprisingly two specialist Indi shops have said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", the third, a main Jag enthusiast shop, said they need to inspect the cooling system before quoting (this indicates to me, that they don't follow a standard upgrade path", the fourth said that they were aware that some plastic parts failed but had never done a X150.
Does that suggest anything? Maybe that that there aren't too many XKR's in the State?
Am I correct in thinking that pump, thermostat, pipes, etc. are within the capabilities of a reasonably competent amateur? (I have rebuilt many motorbikes and a few car engines back in the 70s).
Would it also be the case that to change the above without doing the valley pipe is only doing half the job?
Is the valley pipe a shop job?
Sorry for all the questions but XKR's even 25-year-old ones have asking prices in the 45k AUD (30kUSD) range, so a bit of due diligence is required.
I'm in the camp of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But have also slowly started buying parts when I see them priced right. The water pump is not an issue on the 4.2 liter models, so no worries there. It is a problem on the 5.0 liter models.
The thermostat and housing should be changed together. The plastic housing is a weak point so if the thermostat goes, change the housing too.
These are all jobs the shade tree mechanic can do, along with hoses. Hoses are tested like any other hose on a car (softness and swelling at the clamps).
The Valley hoses start to fail (and it's when not if) around 100 k miles and is about an 11-15 hour job. The supercharger needs to come off. Below is a link to the DIY page. It has a DIY on SC removal. There is also one on water pump and valley hose. Most of these include the parts you need to replace so you can get an idea of whether you can do it yourself and also what the parts will cost.
One idea for you is to invest in something that can read out water temperature. You'll get an earlier sign that something is amiss before the idiot light tells you.
There seems to be a blurring between "upgrade" and "repair" and "maintenance".
An '08. A 17 year old car. 123,000kms. No description of what maintenance has been done. No description of current "issues".
The rumor and innuendo would have one believe all sorts of things. Much of it also a blurring of the very many differences between the 4.2l and the 5l.
My colleagues have provided some good ideas.
1. Don't change the pump, unless it needs to be changed.
2. Replacing a thermostat is "maintenance" to me.
3. Those hoses deteriorate if the coolant hasn't been changed as per the maintenance schedule. Add to that the ambient heat below the supercharger.
4. With the supercharger off, change the fluid.
5. Check the operation of the coolant pump for the supercharger.
6. Check the reservoir and cap.
But its not just the coolant system that needs the once over.
Me, I'd change EVERY fluid and filter. (Yes, done many, many times on my car nearing 200,000 kms.) And get a look at the state of those fluids.
I'd also ensure the plugs are changed, the injectors are in good working order and don't forget about the pcv valve.
And just for the hell of it, a new battery.
I'm assuming the mechanicals/suspension/brakes/bearings etc have been addressed.
Cheers
My personal opinion is that once you consider anything that is aftermarket with our cooling systems, you always risk that any particular hose/part/seal may not fit perfectly as it was designed and there you have the potential leaks that you were trying to avoid in the first place. Unless Jaguar upgraded the part, I'd stick with OEM to avoid these issues.
Up to you but where do you stop with replacing things "Just in case"?? Yes the car is old and will need maintenance as time goes on. Do heed the advice above about opening up a 20+ year old car to do preventative repairs and causing even more damage to all the brittle plastic and rubber parts on the engine.
What you should do is monitor and check the fluid levels regularly. The suggestion to get a "real" temperature gauge is a good one. You probably don't realize it yet but what Jaguar calls a temperature gauge is not gauge at all. At best it's an indicator. The needle goes to the center and stays there over a large range of temperatures. Many people have over heated their engines before the needle ever moved!
One large red flag I see in your post is you can't or won't DIY the car. Now again these are old cars and finding a service facility might range from difficult to impossible. I won't talk about the cost either! And forget any Jaguar dealers. At least in the US if the car is 10+ years old most won't even look at it.
I also run old Jaguars and if I could not DIY it all I would have left Jaguar many years ago. This forum is by far the best resource I have found for repair information by people who ACTUALLY work on their cars and don't just post retarded YouTube videos.
So welcome and remember with the age of your car all the problems and solutions have long since been discovered. So that should save you a huge amount of time and effort by searching the forum for your problems.
Oh we also like pictures! So post a few of your new baby!
.
.
.
clubairth1 said - One large red flag I see in your post is you can't or won't DIY the car.
I said - Am I correct in thinking that pump, thermostat, pipes, etc. are within the capabilities of a reasonably competent amateur? (I have rebuilt many motorbikes and a few car engines back in the 70s).
Yes please give it a go! You can post any problems that you run into.
Sorry but in your first post you asked about service center recommendations? Now if there is an independent in your area for sure give him a recommendation. But with the car you have the odds are stacked against you finding such a place.
.
.
.
Thanks for responding. Anecdote - back when cars and life was much simpler, I removed the engine from a Triumph Spitfire, carried into a spare bedroom and gave it a full overhaul. At 16 years old in 1963 I bought a C11G BSA motorbike which was stripped down to it's component parts, including the frame, I managed to rebuild engine and gearbox using exploded parts diagrams. The specialists are quoting 12-14 hours to remove and replace the supercharger. I'm still up for it, albeit with some trepidation. You might fairly say "Why the hell are you buying a 17-year-old XKR at your age". The answer would be that sometimes itches just have to be scratched, I've owned just about every exotic you could imagine, including three Porches, 912, 911, 993, four Jaguars, 3 XJS's, an XJR, and an XF, there's something about Jaguars that, for me, no other marque can touch.
Thanks for responding. Anecdote - back when cars and life was much simpler, I removed the engine from a Triumph Spitfire, carried into a spare bedroom and gave it a full overhaul. At 16 years old in 1963 I bought a C11G BSA motorbike which was stripped down to it's component parts, including the frame, I managed to rebuild engine and gearbox using exploded parts diagrams. The specialists are quoting 12-14 hours to remove and replace the supercharger. I'm still up for it, albeit with some trepidation. You might fairly say "Why the hell are you buying a 17-year-old XKR at your age". The answer would be that sometimes itches just have to be scratched, I've owned just about every exotic you could imagine, including three Porches, 912, 911, 993, four Jaguars, 3 XJS's, an XJR, and an XF, there's something about Jaguars that, for me, no other marque can touch.
If you have somewhere to work such as a garage I think you could do the hoses under the supercharger. There is a fair amount of work to strip stuff down. I had Jag do the job - labour $2519 (13 hours), parts, new gaskets, hoses, water pump and supercharger oil, belts. thermostat (forgot to get the idler replaced - parts - $2194 - if I had a garage I would have done it myself. That said they said the hoses under the supercharger were ok, but who knows how long they would last?
There are some good write ups on the forum on how to do this so if you have the time go for it.
My personal opinion is that once you consider anything that is aftermarket with our cooling systems, you always risk that any particular hose/part/seal may not fit perfectly as it was designed and there you have the potential leaks that you were trying to avoid in the first place. Unless Jaguar upgraded the part, I'd stick with OEM to avoid these issues.
When you're talking metal to metal, I agree @bocatrip , but custom silicone hoses are a far cry better than rubber. The 610 pounds for the kit is hard to eat and right now they only have a set for the 4.2L XKR. But he can in fact buy separate hoses. With most hoses, I'm not sure it's worth the investment but with the valley hose and the work to replace them I definitely would consider.
XKR cooling system upgrade Australia
