During routine checks, noticed the overflow tank is empty. How do you add fluid? Seems silly to have to jack it up, remove wheel and fender liner just to add fluid? Has to be a better way or do I just leave it empty? Running perfectly, no heat issues. On other cars you top up the coolant via the overflow (which is easy).

 

You could get a bottle of coolant and 'pump' it into the atmospheric catchment tank from the pipe/hose at the coolant reservoir?(the way the coolant cap does)

A 'syringe' type pump would take a really long time unless it was a large volume pump.(a few CCs at a time is tedious)

A large funnel with a 'stepped-down' fitting will gravity feed the tank, albeit SLOWLY.

 

Newbie here. Are you saying that simply adding coolant to the overflow tank (when cold) is not kosher?

 

We're talking about the semi-transparent tank hidden behind the front wheel arch liner and not the black tank in the engine bay. You can see the atmospheric tank if you open the right-hand door fully and look with a torch through the gap between the open door and the A-pillar.

My recommendation is simply to fill the black header tank so it just starts to comes up past the ridge in the bottom of the neck and check it again every couple of weeks, as is good practice anyway. If the level has dropped at all, then refill it to the same place. After a few fills you should find that the level is still up to the top when you check it which is where it should be. The atmospheric tank will still not be filled 50% but the cooling system will work properly and it's a lot less fiddly than trying to fill the tank remotely.

Richard

 

I agree that it seems a bit silly but I found the job of removing the wheel and liner a relatively easy job. It also gives you the opportunity to check the integrity of the pipes and tank and confirm that it's empty due to neglect rather than damage. You also get to check over other goodies hidden away in there.
You've got to love the challenges that these cars throw up!

 

Last year I used a Harbor Freight syringe that holds maybe a pint and filled my overflow tank 3/4 full and it is still 3/4 full. I removed the hose from header tank
and inserted the tube on the syringe and filled it from there observing progress from right front door hinge area with flashlight in dim lit garage. Doesn't take long.

Jack

 

I am going to go the lazy way. Fill the header tank to the top, drive, fill, drive, fill until I get a reasonable quantity into the expansion tank. If I do not see an accumulation in the expansion tank then remove and inspect.

 

It only took me 30 minutes to remove and replace the passenger side wheel (USA) and the wheel liner, then fill the atmospheric tank to the proper level. 1?


That doesn’t seem like too much time. Then the job is done. And without having to go back over and over adding coolant a little at a time.

 

Reading JTIS, they say to dispose of the plastic fasteners and replace. I do not have a stock of replacements.

 

Really EASY when you work at the dealer and warranty is paying for the parts!!!!!!!!!!!

Just re-use when the fasteners are not disintegrated.(probably NLA anyway?)

The main plastic 'push-pin' that breaks is XR8-8883.

 

Broke down today and removed the tire and wheel well liner. Not difficult at all except getting a grip on the plastic push pins. Did not break anything! Cleaned it up, filled the tank and life is good again.

 

When you say "filled", I guess you mean "filled to half full" which is the specification?

Of course, overfilling won't cause a problem other than waste the excess coolant.

Richard

 

That's not totally correct, I'm afraid.

If by overflow tank, you mean the atmospheric tank behind the wheel arch liner, rather that the header/expansion tanks that you've linked to, then that atmospheric tank can be left completely empty and, on many X100s, it is empty because many owners are not even aware of its existence. I agree that it is best to keep it 50% full, as I sat above, but as long as the black remote header tank is full then no harm will be done.

Richard

 

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.

Less than $4.00

I stuck tube directly into small opening in tank

See small black mark on tank when I finished filling

 

Great idea. I did it using a 500cc syringe. Besides looking through the door opening, I also have a window in the wheel arch or fender covered by an oval cable grommet. But it's a good idea to remove those fenders and see what's on both sides of the front wheel arch.

 

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?

 

Yes, my XK8 is a 2004 model. I've always used Jaguar coolant at a 50/50 mix with distilled/deionized water. But there are many equivalent coolants. However, if you're unsure about the previous coolant, you should flush the cooling system. But be careful, it seems that the 4.2 model uses one type of antifreeze and the 4.0 uses the same or a different one depending on the VIN.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...pacity-244176/

 

In my experience, it won't be a problem but it's very likely that that yellow stuff was OAT anyway as that is what I used to use.

Richard