My beautiful 2006 Xk8 over heated yesterday. I was in stop & go traffic for 50 minutes and noticed that the temp was at the top in the red. The AC was not on at any time. Finally the fans kicked in and the temp stared going down. Then the coolant level low message came on. I pulled over and walked to a garage and bought a gallon of the orange coolant for $19. After sitting for 30 minutes I opened up the coolant top and the level was full. I put a couple of drops in any way. And the rest of the day it was OK.

What gives?

Buddy

 

Buddy,

I've moved your post from XK/XKR (2006 onwards) section to XK8/XKR (1996 -2006) section. This is the tech section for your model.

You'll get plenty of advice here about the dangers of overheating the V8 engine and what to check.

Graham

 

I would suggest you check your thermostat as many of us have had similar experiences and a faulty thermostat is a common reason.

 

I recommend you do not drive it until you replace the thermostat. This engine has little tolerance for overheating and could be permanently and seriously damaged by repeated or prolonged overheating events.

 

The fans don't come on till the temp is quite high. Someone said they help more with the A/C system. Check out the Realgauge upgrade offered above, it will give a real indication of your temps, and will sound an alarm when they're too high so you're not caught by suprise. And change that thermostat.......

 

My brother had the same problem on his 4.2 XK8, he changed the thermostat and the water pump that was getting stiff, and it's never overheated since.

 

Thanks guys, I will get that checked out ASAP. I drove it yesterday and the temp was smack in the middle, but I obviously don't want it to happen again.

Buddy

 

'Smack in the middle' is the car lying to you to make you feel good. It can be from 185 to about 230F and stay smack in the middle. See https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...e-gauge-62813/

 

Yup, My Gage read "Smack in the Middle" even with a failing Thermostat.

The only indication was the Fans running VERY LOUD after stopping the Engine.

 

I'm going to bring it in to Pasadena Motorcars after many recommendations on this forum & Yelp.

Buddy

 

My 2006 had a check engine light two weeks ago. Brought it to the dealer. Said it was the thermostat. I was confused because the temp needle was always in the middle after warmup. The car never acted overheated. Now I understand. I wish they gave us a gauge that reflected the truth. Guess they think we can't handle the truth.

 

This is why RealGauge is my best selling product ! RealGauge - TheJagWrangler