hi sorry if this has been covered before but could anybody tell me the procedure to bleeding the coolant system for jaguar xk8 1998,,many thanks

 

Welcome to the forum leemorgan,

Here's the procedure for the normally aspirated XK8:

1. Refill the cooling system with a 50% solution of water and Jaguar Antifreeze / Corrosion Inhibitor.

Fill the cooling system at the header tank until the level stabilises at the top of the breather neck.

Allow at least 2 minutes for air to purge from the system.

Top up the header tank as required and fit the pressure cap.

2. Switch on the ignition, switch off the climate control system and start the engine.

3. Run the engine at between 1500 and 2000 rpm until the cooling fans operate.

4. Switch on the A/C system, set to maximum heat, and check that heat is coming from the heater at the fascia vents or the footwell outlets.

5. Switch off the engine and allow it to cool down.

6. When cool, remove the pressure cap and top up the system as necessary at the header tank.

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Graham

 

Lee, are you having to bleed the system because you are replacing a broken plastic thermostat housing or busted hose, or What? I ask because the top of the tower cap being removed would require a new gasket "O" ring in my opinion. While there are other ways, I have had success in leaving the cap off while slowly massaging the hoses, starting at the bottom one and moving up while adding fluid in small amounts until all air is gone. Then fill it to the top and put the cap on, now fill the expansion tank. Check after a short drive and complete warm up, then every day for a week.


Wayne

 

hi wayne its just been in the garage for new left side cat fitting and other work but for some reason they had to take off the expansion tank the work was done friday i didnt notice until saturday that the car was over heating due to air inside the system,i was going to try bleeding it myself i need the car for work sunday,regards lee

 

hello graham thanks for this m8 i will give it a go sunday,,thanks again lee

 

well i tried the bleed procedure has stated on here but still no joy the engine is still over heating so its back at the garage for the water pump testing and also having a compression test,i also fitted a new thermostat to rule that out,i will keep you posted.hopefully its not the head gasket

 

have you seen this?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/g...-bleed-147656/

 

Not sure if it works on your 4.0, I bleed any system, cold engine, cap off tank or radiator, highest place available. I then pump ( squeeze) the top radiator hose. Give it a go. Rich

 

That's what I do,also. Never have a problem.

 

on my 03 I would park the car with the front sitting up higher then the back of car (an a incline) and turned heat on high and took off expansion tank cap and let car run for a bit, it got to a running temp then put the cap on and drove it for a bit and then did the steps just listed again until the tank stayed at the proper level of right below or at the opening of the expansion tank (not at the top at the cap). I just kept doing this till the tank stayed at that level. I was told here that the way the car is set up it would let the air out naturally to the tank till full at correct level. If you are over flowing it you should smell it coming out the atmospheric tank.

 

problem finally resolved it was the water pump that had disintegrated now replaced with upgraded pump not the rubbish plastic crap cost £140 including fitting

 

It's worth topping up the extra expansion tank as well. In the dealer we used to top up with about half a litre of coolant/anti-freeze.

Located on the O/S/F ( U.K. spec cars ). Inner wing behind wheel.

The easiest way is to remove the pipe from engine expansion tank and fit a suitable hose and fill it slowly from there.
It takes time but the second method is much trickier and you need long nose pliers, remove wing repeater or wheel and arch liner, they you need to get the plastic cap off.

This helps as if any air is expelled as the engine cools down it sucks the water up and fills up the system for you. In all my years we never ' bled ' a cooling system on an Xk8 or XJ8 normally a run around the block with heaters on would self bleed the system. Let it cool down then top up.

S'types v6's were a pain to bleed but thats for another thread 1