Every winter, I start to get low engine coolant alarms. This never happens in the Spring, Summer or Fall.
I open the reservoir and add coolant and it goes away for a few days. This has gone on for years.
I have pressure checked the system and the cap. There is never a smell of coolant. No coolant in the oil or vice versa.
Again, I only happens about this time of year.
The car never overheats.
Any ideas? Thanks

 

Have you checked for a split hose leading to the atmospheric tank behind the passenger side (right) front wheel inner cover. The coolant will typically go to the tank but not return (loss of vacuum).

can’t explain your seasonal anomalies, but this is a common issue. Checking the hose would at least eliminate this being a possibility.

Z

 

I had to replace that hose and the expansion task in the rift had wheel well. The tank is easy but that hose is a nightmare. You have to be Houdini to get it in place.

 

Houdini had a good looking assistant. Would that help ?

Z

 

The answer about the overflow tank and as split hoses makes sense and I will check but why does this only happen in the winter?
THanks

 

longshot:

many hoses will leak when cold and not when hot, maybe this applies to your anomaly.

 

I had been getting intermittent low coolant warnings before. I would come home; let it cool and top off the expansion tank. Later same issue. Upon review of this site, I found out about the Atmospheric Tank behind the front right wheel well. I had already lined up my son to help me take the wheel off and then started looking and thinking a little deeper.

I noticed while looking through the gap in front door as others had mentioned that the tank looked completely empty. So, I went to auto parts store and got some anti-freeze and then to the local hardware/plant store. I figured that if I had a small enough hose and squeeze bottle, I could fil the tank from the expansion tank outlet leading to the back hose.

The small plant bottle pictured did the trick. It held 250ml. I filled and refilled until I had put 750ml into the Atmospheric Tank. Now, you will see in the picture that it is just over half full and slightly above the small black mark I made before driving around. I also think it fixed my cabin heating problem. It never got very warm in the cabin before.

 

I put about 750ml in the Atmospheric Tank. I drove around for about 10 to 15 miles and checked fluid again this morning. Levels and color are good. I have a concern about maybe mixing OAT and IAT fluids. The old fluid was yellow/orange and the new Prestone fluid I bought said for Jaguars 1999 and newer but was pink/red. The fluid looked fine this morning and had not gummed up or gelled as I have read it might if wrong fluids are combined.

Anyone know, should I be concerned or just continue to watch the fluid?


__________________

 

Do you have the original expansion tank ? It should have a decal on it stating the correct type.

Mine is a 2002 and has always used the Orange coolant.

Z

 

MY 2002 XK8 Vehicle Care Book has the following info:

"The cooling system should be filled or topped up with a mixture of 50% plain water and 50% Jaguar Antifreeze, Coolant and Corrosion Inhibitor conforming to specification: WSS M97B44-D, coloured orange, Extended Life Coolant."

I don't think the color is a good indicator of coolant type, but the specification: WSS M97B44-D should make sure its compatible.

Yours may be the same, but check your paperwork to be sure.

HTH, Dave

 

Personally, I would not mix the coolant from what is already in there. Now if you do a complete flush and fill that’s obviously different. My reasoning being - on a partial/mixed topping up - if there develops a reaction or gelling it could possibly be quite troublesome and expensive to remedy it. As was mentioned above, you should check the specification of the new/blue fluid compared to the OAT orange fluid. If they are compatible you should be O.K.

Brian W.

 

Yes plain ol Dex-Cool. Get it anywhere. As posted above you can't go by color as coolant can be dyed any color.
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Don't hesitate, use genuine Jaguar "Long Life" coolant. Its longevity justifies the cost and guarantees the protection of the components and optimal temperature when mixed 50/50 with distilled and deionized water (check periodically with a refractometer). I changed the coolant in my 2004 XK8 in January 2021 when I bought it, and it's still in perfect condition. Six months ago I replaced the black reservoir. I topped up the fluid. After a few kilometers, it showed a low level error. I replaced the electrical connector and the problem disappeared.

 

Your still missing the point? What Jaguar sells at the dealerships IS Dex-Cool. It has to be if it meets the Ford spec that Jaguar wants you to use. There is no "premium" coolant at the dealers. All your doing is paying way too much!
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You're absolutely right, but I had an unpleasant experience with this. So, in both my S-Type, which I bought new in 2000, and my XK8, I use non-water-based coolant (Jaguar brand), to which I add distilled/deionized water myself. A refractometer is very helpful for monitoring the coolant's behavior.
In the end, if I buy name-brand coolant, the price difference isn't that significant.
As for the rest, the low-level problem was solved by changing the connector. I bought it with wires, cut the old one, and spliced ​​the new wires to the old ones.

 

Hey glad to see another forum member using a refractometer! I was using those terrible little coolant testers with the multiple little ***** and seeing where they floated to. Someone suggested a refractometer and they were cheap! So quick and easy to use. Another tool I wish I had picked up years ago along with the vacuum filler tool.
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I think it would be better to do a voltage test:

coolant voltage test - Google Search

 

Excuse me, clubairth1, what exactly is a "vacuum filler tool"? Is it the device that creates a vacuum connected to the compressed air line, or is it an electric vacuum pump, or something else? I'm curious. Thanks.

 

My vacuum filler is air powered. I hook it to my compressed air line to provide vacuum. But there are hundreds of versions out there to choose from.
Here is a quick search on Amazon. I don't like to use them at all but they have many to choose from.

Mine is an OEM #24444 about $100 which looks to be an older model now. But again these are very generic and all operate the same. One tip is be sure and DON'T let the fill bucket go dry so that the tool sucks in air. Now you have just filled the cooling system with air and you need to start over!

Be aware that while pulling a vacuum on the cooling system does give you a leak check that is still different from a pressure test. I have seen leaks after filling that the vacuum did not find.
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Okay, thank you very much. Very useful devices. I had confused it with the one used for brakes, which is why I asked. Although I hadn't used it before and was using the usual procedure, I am going to buy one of these devices (but I don't like that the hoses contract when "suctioning").

Exactly, we can never achieve 1 bar of vacuum with these devices, and when creating a vacuum, the hoses contract instead of expanding when the pressure increases (a pressure test at 1 bar, which is what the tank cap indicates, seems essential to me, or we just have to wait).