Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Yesterday I pushed the button to let the top down on my 2004 XK8. The top began to respond. Then suddenly the top stopped and greenish fluid beganpouring from the area just under the convenience center under the latch assembly. Obvioulsy a hydraulic hose or seal burst and the fluid ran out.

Is this a common problem? Is this something I can repair?? If so, how doI access the area??? And how doI replace the fluid????

HELP!!!!!!

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Both the power latch and the hoses tend to fail. The latch is not too bad of a job. The hoses are a real mess to change. Not too technical, but a lot of interior pieces must be removed to change them.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

After researching and chatting with several jag owners and enthusiests,I learned there is a HOSE REPAIR KIT available from the Jaguar Dealerships. I called my localdealership andI ordered the kit (JAGUAR PART NUMBER HJB825BA)

It costs just over $200.00 (about the same as the 2 new hoses) butsupposedly eliminates the dissambly of the inside of the car. i dont know if it will work for mebutI amgoing to look around insde the header area tonight to see what the damage looks like and then i will be able to recognizewhether or not the kit will help me.

Wish me luck.

Anyone had any experience with the KIT???

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Just finished putting it back together this morning! No leaks . . . so far.

Couple notes: The kit does not come with any instructions. One vital piece of information - the piece that screws onto the hose has LEFThanded threads. Screw in onto the hose until it is just short of all the way in. If the black hose covering is not in good condition down at the fuse panel area I would suggest that you use the complete replacement hoses. Another Jagnut with bad covering is having a leak problem. You will notice that the covering easily crumbles up at the top latch.

The JTB00029 that introduced the repair kit indicates the hoses should be cut at the middle of the fuse panel opening. If I had done that they would have been 4 or 5" short. I made a loop back in the kick panel area in case I needed to redo the splice. Ended up using half of it to make the hoses long enough.My splice couplings ended up a couple inches above the white upper hose retainer in the fuse panel opening in order to properly route to the latch cylinder.

There is no information on bleeding the lines in the JTB but I made sure that fluid came out of the hoses before connecting them to the latch cylinder. Then I left the connections loose and the latch panel outside the car and ran fluid both ways to bleed the piston area. Lots of bubbles came out.

Make sure to install the connectors with the cut hoses out through the fuse panel opening. I do not know howyou wouldget the hoses back up through the area with the connectors installed.

The JTB just says to remove the fuse panel. I cannot see a way to get the connectors off the back without removing the kick panel below the steering wheel. Upper and lower nuts are not hard to remove but a bear to put back on. I had to stick them in the socket with double backed tape in order to get them back on.

I would be happy to email you the JTB if you would like or answer any other questions you might have. Sure wish I had the above information last Saturday.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Thanks for the info. i will 'eye ball' the area tonight and get the kit tomorrow so your info will certainly come in handy.I hope i wont need any other info but i will let you know if i get stuck. will post my results soon i hope!!!

Thanks again.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

This would be a great place to post pictures of the procedure. I'm sure you aren't the only one that has a convertible, and a potential leaking sieve! (i.e. me)

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Matt,

I owe you one anyway. Got the car back together today with the top working without leaks but blowing the fuse to the body processor module (BPM). I think I know what the problem is but it is late in the day and I have had a couple of those peat flavored drinks. Get to it tomorrow morning. Scan tool next. You need any help with the hoses I'll be there. Be in touch.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Thanks for all the info so far. this is not nealry as scary once i read your info and removed the header.

So, I purchased the hose repair kit and disassembled the header. The leak was located right at one ofthe hose connectors.I began tracing the current hoses down the A-Pillar to the fuse panel at the end of the dashboard.I see very little room to work around the fuse panel. I see no way to get around the fuse panel itself.I removed the kick panel but still cant work around the fuse panel.

Am i to remove the fuse panel and if so, how does one go about doing that? Between the edge of the dash board and the fuse panel,I see no way to safely get the hoses out of the two white retaining clips. what am i missing???

Thanks for the info, please dont leave me now!!!

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

No one is going to abandon you!

Yes, you have to remove the fuse panel. I hope, by now, that you have removed the negative battery connection. Please do so now if you haven't. On the back of the fuse panel are two connectors. The top one has a release tab on the top. Hold it down and wiggle the connector off. The bottom one release tab is on the bottom. Remove the nut on the positive lead. Remove the nuts at the top center and bottom center of the fuse panel. These are impossable to see and even harder to replace. I used double backed tape to hold the nuts in the socket when installing. The panel can now be removed. Top end out first. Now, wasn't that easy? The hoses can now be easily removed from the white clips.

See my post above for where to cut the hoses. Make the connections with hoses out through the fuse panel door. The idea of a loop back in the kick panel area is a good idea.

Yell if you need to talk more.

tp

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

ok, thanks, but I must be missing a big step here. How and where do I gain access to the back of the fuse panel? I see no way to get behind it.

I guess i'm stuck until i can get the fuse panel out. I took today off to try and resolve this issue. Thanks for your continued support.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

You do not need to remove the fuse panel. Get a hook tool and pop the hoses loose from the white clip.
We have had limited success with the repair kit. When they work, they work well.
The system self bleeds into the reservoir. Just running the top up and down will allow it to self bleed.
I normally remove lines from the latch, pull them through the a pillar and then out the fuse box cover hole. Then just cut them cleanly and attatch repair kit. Simple job. I prefer the entire line myself though.
Funny, 97 and 98 cars didnt leak like that. They changed the lines in 99. Can't have Ajax without a leak now can we....LOL

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

For us inexperienced folks it seemed like easier to just remove the fuse panel like the JTB said. Everything we do on the car is a new and exciting first time experience.

You have to remove the kick panel below the steering wheel. Two bolts at the lower corners and two clips at the upper ones. Just pull them loose. The back of the fuse panel is right there.

I would be happy to be available to talk to you on the phone to answer any immediate questions. Send me a PM as I cannot figure out how to do that on this forum without publishing it for the world. I'll keep looking. Leaving for lunch in a few minutes but will give you a cell number if I can discover the PM code.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

To send PM, just click where it says PM under his name.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

well after reading all of this great info, i called the local dealerthinking they would not give me the time of day (sell me the time of day perhaps, but not give it away). I askedfor the service dept, and i told the service writer what i am doing andi asked if i could talk to their tech that does the hoses for them.

they puthim right on the phone. I told him i was as far a the fuse panel and asked where to go from there. He said he removes the weather strip from beside the fuse panel opening and snake the hoses out beside the fuse panelwith out removing the fuse panel.

so itried that and presto.....excellent access. i left a little extra hose coiled behind the kick panel just in case and completed the job in 2 hours. i did bleed the hoses and refilled the resevoir and the top works like a champ.

Thanks for all the wonderful assistance. I would have been forever trying to figure out all the littletricks to this job that you guys shared so freely.I'm gonna take a shower and take a drive in my2004 XK8....with the top down!!!

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Atta boyHenry!

I had one more bit of entertainment while putting it back together. Crimpted the lead going the micro switches, blew fuse #7 on driver's side. The wires were clamped between the hoses and the latch assembly. The micro switches are not listed on the fuse description so had to noodle through the wiring diagrams. Haven't spent so much time with schematics in 30 years. Bought this toy for entertainment, sure getting that.

I did put the newly operatable top down today and spent a couple hour on twisty mountain roads. Love this car.

RE: Convertible top latch hydraulic problem
 

Glad to see you guys successfully got your tops working again. Good job.

I've just discovered the same leak under the latch, seeping through mesh cover between the two interior ceiling lights.

It's at the dealer now to get fixed at about $1300. It's an all day job apparently, so most of that cost is just the labor. It's great you can save the money if you can do it yourself, but I don't quite have the either the facility or faculty to do the fix myself.

I would suggest calling the 800 number for Jaguar customer service. You see there was a bulletin and repair kit that would have ended up costing the owner only a few hundred dollars for the repair. However, the repair kit is not readily available from Jaguar anymore so they have to do the complete hose replacement. This is not the owner's fault and you may be able to argue your case. This is basically what happened with me. Since the repair kit was not available the dealer was able to do the complete replacement and have it covered by Jaguar. If you don't ask you don't get so give it a try.

Doug

Thanks for the tip. I made a few calls, doesn't look it'll be possible to get Jaguar to pay the bill. At least I gave it a try.

Being that there's only one Jaguar dealership in all of Kentucky, I'm limited as to where I can go to fix a problem that's particular to the XK8.

If you look on my web page you will find information relating to the roof hose replacement. I hope this helps.