[Apologies if this is a well covered topic - I've done a few searches and did not find what I was after - all signposting welcome].

I have a MY2000 XKR convertible. I've read in the past some horror stories about hydraulic leaks.

Are there any proactive inspections, warning signs or maintenance jobs that would reduce the risk of a leak on my pretty old XK?

Regards

DC

 

Assuming you are on OEM hoses and latch, you can replace the hoses and have your latch rebuilt. That’s the same thing you would do if you had the leak (minus the mess). It’s pretty labor intensive and pricey (maybe US$2500). If you are handy you can do the hoses yourself and save a ton of labor, but make sure you get the proper hoses and I would send the latch for rebuild.

Other than that the only real proactive thing I can think of is make sure you have the Green Hydraulic Fluid and add an LSI relief valve (do a search here).

Best!

 

DC,

The good news: there's ample evidence that heat is the primary culprit here, and reported hose failures have been rare from locales with climate like yours.

That said, there are a few ideas in my sig. line below you might consider if you're still concerned and want to improve your odds.

 

Like you I also live in the cold climes of the UK and while I have never had a hose failure I invested in one of these: JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

Just makes me feel a bit more comfortable.
It works like a charm and is pretty easy to fit (mind you don't break the fragile electric connectors on the pump solenoids).