Hi Frank,
I'm doing ok all things considered, hope all is well with you...


Dave

 

My non-expert take:
The seller's mechanic said that the transmission oil cooler lines in the radiator, not the engine coolant lines, burst due to high temperature and pressure. By his statement, adding cold coolant to a hot system did not cause the problem, as that would be thermal shock, not pressure. Opening the tank while hot did not cause the problem, as the transmission would not overheat or pressurize when the engine was not running. The problem was probably either pre-existing, or caused by the seller driving the vehicle after the incident with low coolant, allowing it to overheat.

 

1+1=3


Just like my math above the facts of the case do not add up.


What do we know for fact?


Buyer opened reservoir, coolant left vehicle, coolant replaced on warm not hot engine. This happened in presence of seller.


Seller admits to driving vehicle with low coolant level and warning light on for 30-40 miles. Seller is ignorant on jaguar XK doos and donts.




Coolant is now milky.
Milky coolant = Oil+coolant


Question What Oil? ATF or Engine?


We know that driving an xk8 with low coolant for 30-40 miles will cause it to severely overheat. But what tends to get damaged are the head gasket and the valves in the heads or the heads themselves, Not the radiator.


If driven with high pressure from a bad head then the extremely high pressures might burst a radiator. But into the ATF cooler? I doubt it.
More likely the plastic tanks will crack.


Wouldn't high temp of the ATF be the cause of such a bursting? Presuming the ATF cooler is indeed burst. I doubt it.

 

Well that is something I hadn't considered. I have no idea about the quality of the mechanic. They have declined to provide OBDII data, and haven't replied to another request for that. Is that rare? I would have thought most mechanics would have a reader these days?

I am concerned that the problem is going to redefine itself once they start working on it, and they have been careful to point out the price could go up as the quote is only based on a visual inspection and conversation with the seller.

I also asked them to explain why they thought it was the opening of the hot radiator rather than driving with low coolant that caused anything.
Still waiting to hear back from them...

 

I have a lot of respect for Third world mechanics, they work under difficult circumstances, but lack of information and the right tools is a serious problem.


A reader and OBDII codes are a must and necessary starting point of any repair on a car full of computers and sensors. No reason for you not to get them.


You mentioned a lot of lights being on during your test drive.
Was the low coolant message on during the test, what else was on?


What size container of coolant and how much did you put into the car?
Was the message still on afterwards?

 

look, it's not a crime scene!!! you live there. size the seller up the best you can and try to reach some amenable resolution.


it's seems somewhat convoluted now and the PRECISE REASON for the failure might never be known.


for your own edification, it would be nice to know the exact reason it failed.


how many shops are in your area? if you are intent on buying one, you want everybody to feel 'OK' with whatever resolution is agreed to.


sometimes life deals us a hand that might have been played better, if only we had done THIS or did that....just do the best you can!


maybe make the seller an offer, if only to take some of the sting out off it.


what if you had released the parking brake, either on purpose or by accident and the car rolled DOWN A GOOD INCLINE and caused damage to it. where would you stand in that hypothetical. or some other hypothetical.


YOU TOOK THE CAP OFF! then.....SH%# HAPPENED!


if it's me, I'm giving the man some money and moving on.


I try with honest effort to not leave garbage in my nest area..it's not good for me or anybody else!


btw, ask the seller why the codes are not available. maybe there's a good reason that they're not, I don't know. and yes, any shop will have a code reader!

 

Thanks Stetson.. I did come here to resolve technical confusion. I can handle the ethics Of course all input is welcome.

In reply to the above questions:
The warning light that is persistent is the ABS light. But the seller mentioned that a previous issue with sports mode was resolved by having that light on permanently - it seems the mechanic could only fix the sports mode button by removing the ability to turn off ABS, rendering the light on permanently.

The low coolant light was not on. I didn't see it come on after the refill, but then I didn't drive the car again after I refilled it - we were at the place the car was staying.

I purchased the 4L coolant bottle. Over half of it was left. As mentioned previously, I guess about 1L but could have been a little over.

 

good luck to you sir!

 

You definitely need the codes with ABS problems. Unfortunately the basic cheap (ELM type) readers won't show Jaguar ABS codes, you (or the mechanic) need something from a mid-price and upwards.
The ABS light comes on for many DTCs - you need to know precisely whats happening.

Andrew

 

Have you thought about taking it to the local Jag dealer and let them sort it out? Maybe taking it to the Jag dealer will shut the other mechanic up as is seems to me like they're trying to take you for a ride. Kinda sounds like you're going to end up spending a bunch of money no mater what the outcome is.



Middle East Dealers

 

There's a brand new radiator available in the forum marketplace if you need it $350

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/p...rts-fs-139463/

 

Jandreau, you're a star. Thank you

 

***
Update
***

Thanks for all the input and assistance.
I explained the improbability (as I see it) that I damaged the car, and the seller was very gracious and agreed. I paid half his quote, he was grateful.

Decided against buying his car - it seems the mechanic who was looking after the car for the last few years had never looked at the OBD codes and was just putting out spot fires from month to month.

Thanks again all, this is a really good forum. The hunt for my XK8 continues.

 

Sounds like a reasonable solution that left everyone satisfied.
Happy hunting.

 

A gentlemans ending to the problem. Good luck with your next testdrive. And try an XKR as well.

 

All's well that ends well.

 

I'm gonna try to explain how your cooling system works and how I would have reacted. This may seem stupid but something I have to say.

Ok. Your cooling system works like this. Coolant is constantly being circulated through your motor. It circulates through your motor and heater core at all times. Once your engine reaches operating temperature, typically 195f/95c the thermostat opens. Once the thermostat opens the 95c coolant is then released into the radiator. The cool stuff from the radiator which is typically what ever your ambient air temp is, is then pushed into the engine.

Now think about this. Those people (like myself), That see winters in the -40 range. That is is a 250 degree f or 145 degree c swing. The mechanic or any one on here who is trying to tell you thermal shock wrecked it shouldn't be commenting at all as they are misinformed.

Now if the car was run low on coolant. The typical thing you would see is either blown head gasket(s). Cracked heads or seized the pistons. Now if the cooling system is full of air (low on coolant). It won't build pressure and won't burst.

I would have told the seller to find a new mechanic as obviously this one is retarded. And to kindly F off. My dad taught automotive mechanics for 20+ years. I have no "formal" training but was always in the garage with him growing up.

 

Hi. Just browsing old threads and came across this. How terrible for Prospective XK8, who seems to me to have zero responsibility, with the only real danger being of a serious scald! Are you now an XK8 owner? I hope so.

 

What a gent prospective XK8 was. I had a prospective customer crash a trike into a parked vehicle, then tell me he didn't want it and goodbye. Never heard of a buyer being so gracious.

 

I can say with absolute confidence that you did NOT cause the radiator problem. If the radiator is bad, then it was going to happen anyway, you just happened to have been their a couple days before the inevitable for the seller. The seller is being scammed by the mechanic and doesn't realize it. If you pay, you are paying for something that you did not cause. Oil in the water? That's most likely a slightly blown head gasket as that's the ONLY way oil gets into the water. Removing the cap did not blow the head gasket. Being a liter low on coolant, did not blow the head gasket. Sorry buddy, someone is trying to scam someone, and trying to pass the punishment off on you...