I have a 2000 XKR in storage and about once per month I start up the engine and let it warm up. On the last occasion the engine started but oil poured out under the car. When I stopped the engine the oil stopped. I suspect an oil hose has been attacked. Has anyone any ideas on this? I have no facilities to lift the car.

 

Not necessarily a rat. The oil cooler hoses can give out at any time on these old cars, especially at the crimped areas....

 

Those oil cooler hoses can fail at any time, rats or no rats.

You are fortunate it happened while the car was stationary.

when my 3 year old Jag branded hose failed I was going down the highway at approximately 75 mph. Judging from the oil slick which I observed later from the seat of a tow truck, it took less than 1-2 minutes for all the oil to spew out and activate the oil pressure light.

i was able to shut off the engine before any damage occurred. I now have an oil pressure gauge with a warning buzzer when the oil pressure goes below a designated pressure.

 

zray.....Where did you plumb in the sender for your oil pressure gauge?
Thanks!

 

It goes into the same location as the factory oil pressure sending unit.

the people that make the “real gauge” set also sell the adapter separately.



https://www.thejagwrangler.com/jagua...e-adapter.html

a really well made nice piece.

Z

 

Rats typically prefer wiring insulation. Some cars, and I’m not sure about ours, went to soy based insulation to save the environment. And rodents think these are tasty snacks. Your leaks are likelyvaged based deterioration.

 

In my experience, yes, they go for wiring. Cost me a $400 sub-harness on my Lexus once. But they also chewed through a windshield washer fluid hose. Honda makes a capsaicin-impregnanted gray electrical tape that burns their mouths if they chew on it. I wrap all exposed wiring under my bonnet/hoods with it. It's expensive, but way cheaper than rat damage. I also use Fresh Cab rodent repllent sachets (two at a time per engine bay) and those things work. And not just for me. I replace them every three months.

They will also foul your engine air intake, nesting and storing food in there. But this is more of a problem on cars that are not driven frequently.

 

Thank you for the replies. Can the hoses be inspected from the top under the bonnet?

 

Thanks for the info, Zray!

 

don’t know about your year, but on my 2002 XKR the cooler hoses, where they enter the cooler, cannot be accessed or inspected from the top.

With the front of the car lifted slightly you can inspect from underneath easily.

Z