AntiFreeze Confused?
#1
AntiFreeze Confused?
Ok going to change all tensioners and timing chains, and thermostat housing later this week on 1997 XK8. I feel all sorted out on these based on reading this forum, thanks a lot for being here.
I need help on antifreeze from reading here, Dexcool is maybe ok, but some say that you need to use the Jaguar coolant, has this question ever been settled?
The previous owner had the water pump replaced at the Jaguar dealer in 2007 and the car has green coolant, the car has 6000 miles since serviced and 53k miles total.
From memory reading here, the Jag coolant is yellow, and dexcool is red.
Any help is appreciated.
Charlie Pace
I need help on antifreeze from reading here, Dexcool is maybe ok, but some say that you need to use the Jaguar coolant, has this question ever been settled?
The previous owner had the water pump replaced at the Jaguar dealer in 2007 and the car has green coolant, the car has 6000 miles since serviced and 53k miles total.
From memory reading here, the Jag coolant is yellow, and dexcool is red.
Any help is appreciated.
Charlie Pace
Last edited by charliepace; 12-27-2010 at 07:15 PM. Reason: Add year model
#2
The following users liked this post:
charliepace (12-27-2010)
#3
#4
#5
There was a TSB about this, and VIN up to 010343 had blue/green coolant. From that point it was Jaguar D542 (yellow) coolant until VIN 042636. For some service recalls it could have been that the early cars where flushed and got the yellow.
From VIN 042636 the orange (dexcool) was used.
iirc Jaguar recommends to refresh your coolant every 5 years, so maybe it is a good time now to do this, but then you would need to re-use a similar coolant as you have now. I have no idea what sort of coolant the yellow was, but trust that the comments from steve11 are correct.
Or even better (but much more work), do a chemical flush (as described in TSB 412-07), and switch to the later orange XLC (eXtended Life Coolant), which I think is the Havoline one (or a dexcool type).
From VIN 042636 the orange (dexcool) was used.
iirc Jaguar recommends to refresh your coolant every 5 years, so maybe it is a good time now to do this, but then you would need to re-use a similar coolant as you have now. I have no idea what sort of coolant the yellow was, but trust that the comments from steve11 are correct.
Or even better (but much more work), do a chemical flush (as described in TSB 412-07), and switch to the later orange XLC (eXtended Life Coolant), which I think is the Havoline one (or a dexcool type).
The following users liked this post:
charliepace (12-28-2010)
#6
Much less confused
Ok my vin# is 07604, so that explains the green coolant from the Jag dealer and helps my confusion a lot. So I can stay with the green or chemical flush and change to Dexcool, and Zerex G506 is not a good option option.
What do the experts recommend? Stay green or flush and change to Dexcool?
I plan on keeping this car 10 plus years driving it approx 3000 miles a year.
Thanks
charliepace
What do the experts recommend? Stay green or flush and change to Dexcool?
I plan on keeping this car 10 plus years driving it approx 3000 miles a year.
Thanks
charliepace
#7
Trending Topics
#8
The following users liked this post:
charliepace (12-28-2010)
#9
Ok my vin# is 07604, so that explains the green coolant from the Jag dealer and helps my confusion a lot. So I can stay with the green or chemical flush and change to Dexcool, and Zerex G506 is not a good option option.
What do the experts recommend? Stay green or flush and change to Dexcool?
I plan on keeping this car 10 plus years driving it approx 3000 miles a year.
Thanks
charliepace
What do the experts recommend? Stay green or flush and change to Dexcool?
I plan on keeping this car 10 plus years driving it approx 3000 miles a year.
Thanks
charliepace
http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/jag...8648181-1.html
Last edited by X100; 12-28-2010 at 01:59 PM.
The following users liked this post:
charliepace (12-28-2010)
#11
Really. Until I got this car I was blissfully ignorant that there was anything to worry about. You had your old green stuff, and several flavors of new, long-life stuff. Nobody seemed to get into trouble.
How about this question: is there any data to suggest that any of the long-life coolants would be harmful in any MY of our cars (assuming we do a flush and start from scratch)?
How about this question: is there any data to suggest that any of the long-life coolants would be harmful in any MY of our cars (assuming we do a flush and start from scratch)?
#12
Really. Until I got this car I was blissfully ignorant that there was anything to worry about. You had your old green stuff, and several flavors of new, long-life stuff. Nobody seemed to get into trouble.
How about this question: is there any data to suggest that any of the long-life coolants would be harmful in any MY of our cars (assuming we do a flush and start from scratch)?
How about this question: is there any data to suggest that any of the long-life coolants would be harmful in any MY of our cars (assuming we do a flush and start from scratch)?
OAT (Dexcool being one commercial brand) is a volatile formula, but works fine with compatible materials. It will attack certain non-compatible materials (like gaskets, seals and sealants), with a tendancy to "gell" them, dislodging them and then float through the cooling system until they find a convenient place to plug. That could be a radiator, heater core or myriad valves, and engine passageways. It also does not dissolve into other coolant formulas. I would not put OAT (Dexcool) in any engine not specifically called for by the engine design group, such as a pre-1999 Jaguar as engineering hasn't necessarily specced all of the cooling components to be compatible with an OAT formula. THAT is why there is a cut-off date; otherwise, Jaguar would have issued a TSB retrofitting all Jaguar MYs with OAT
I can't guarantee a failure if one completely drained, flushed and refilled a pre-1999 Jag with OAT, but why on earth would one want to experiment in this way. Just use a formula that was specced out for your engine and MY....and enjoy another cup of coffee instead of an expensive coolant repair....or, go ahead and do it, pay me to do the repair, and enjoy the coffee anyway! I like repairs.
Last edited by steve11; 12-29-2010 at 11:52 AM.
The following users liked this post:
Dennis07 (12-29-2010)
#13
A very good example of this is spark plugs. I can't tell you how often I find the wrong plug, or wrong temperature plug in a customer's car because that customer used an aftermarket chart to select them....I like getting paid for the repair though, when the car runs like crap after the DIY.
#14
"Dexcool" is a performance specification, not a formula. So one brand of Dexcool might be different than another. The Jaguar-branded coolant for my '01 met this Dexcool spec'. At the same time Jaguar was specifying this coolant, Ford was specifying G05 for their variant of the same engine.
When I got the car there was some sort of precipitate floating around in the coolant, and there were the stories around (which you mentioned) about Dexcool trouble. So ... I decided to switch to G05.
I gave up trying to understand everything required to be SURE this was an OK thing to do, but that was four years ago and so far so good.
FWIW.
Last edited by Dennis07; 12-29-2010 at 08:55 AM.
#15
#17
To Dennis:
G-05 is an HOAT formula developed to be a long-life coolant chemically compatible with and replaces the traditional green. It is NOT chemically compatible with OAT. Nothing is, to my knowledge. G-05 is yellow and where all the comments in this string are coming from saying to use yellow. It can be mixed with green safely and can be added to supplement coolant loss or to replace (e.g.: Avos' comment about a TSB) green. If you have a 99 mid-year (by VIN) or later, Jaguar DESIGNED the coolant system to be compatible with an OAT derivative. Either the Jaguar brand OAT or commercial, the most popular brand of which is Prestone Dexcool. I personally would use nothing in a post 99 but Dexcool, or the factory coolant if you want to pay lots of money for OAT.
To Iron Jaw:
I tried to make it simple in post #2, but it's become so convoluted that I added post #10. No - there is not one single product to use through the entire XK8 production range...unless you want to just throw caution to the wind. So, here it is again as simple as it can be made:
If you have a MY earlier than 99 (an AJ26), use green, Zerez G-05 (yellow), or Prestone mixes all (yellow).
If you have a MY later than 99 (an AJ27) use OAT like factory, or Prestone Dexcool (Orange).
If you have a 99, then your goose is cooked (LOL), only kidding. The BEST way to tell then (if all equipment in the 99 is original) is to look at the coolant header tank. If it is transitioned, you'll see a warning message to use only coolant ORANGE IN COLOR, which is Dexcool. If it does not have the sticker, stay with the first option above.
G-05 is an HOAT formula developed to be a long-life coolant chemically compatible with and replaces the traditional green. It is NOT chemically compatible with OAT. Nothing is, to my knowledge. G-05 is yellow and where all the comments in this string are coming from saying to use yellow. It can be mixed with green safely and can be added to supplement coolant loss or to replace (e.g.: Avos' comment about a TSB) green. If you have a 99 mid-year (by VIN) or later, Jaguar DESIGNED the coolant system to be compatible with an OAT derivative. Either the Jaguar brand OAT or commercial, the most popular brand of which is Prestone Dexcool. I personally would use nothing in a post 99 but Dexcool, or the factory coolant if you want to pay lots of money for OAT.
To Iron Jaw:
I tried to make it simple in post #2, but it's become so convoluted that I added post #10. No - there is not one single product to use through the entire XK8 production range...unless you want to just throw caution to the wind. So, here it is again as simple as it can be made:
If you have a MY earlier than 99 (an AJ26), use green, Zerez G-05 (yellow), or Prestone mixes all (yellow).
If you have a MY later than 99 (an AJ27) use OAT like factory, or Prestone Dexcool (Orange).
If you have a 99, then your goose is cooked (LOL), only kidding. The BEST way to tell then (if all equipment in the 99 is original) is to look at the coolant header tank. If it is transitioned, you'll see a warning message to use only coolant ORANGE IN COLOR, which is Dexcool. If it does not have the sticker, stay with the first option above.
Last edited by steve11; 12-29-2010 at 11:58 AM.
The following 2 users liked this post by steve11:
charliepace (12-29-2010),
jonpalley (07-21-2013)
#18
Um... what was wrong with the old antifreeze? Why did someone need to invent new stuff? Does it cool better? Does it stay liquid at lower temps? What are the benefits of Dexcool and why the heck did someone have to mess with something as simple as antifreeze?
I'm just griping. I know it's all about money.
I'm just griping. I know it's all about money.
The following users liked this post:
hawaiianjag (11-16-2012)
#19