double check your new parts before installation, YOU are the QC inspector of last resort, and the one who has the most to lose.

last week I installed 2 oil cooler hoses. Immediately I had a very slight oil leak from one of the hose junction locations. Not even a drop every 15 minutes. I suspected I was to blame, maybe I had damaged the O-ring, etc. Today I finally made the time to remove the hoses and check out the cause of the leak.

SURPRISE !!! The new hose sourced thru one of the forums sponsors was poorly made. The hose end block, where it meets the forward hose did not have a uniform flat surface for the O-ring to seat on. There was a blob of weld (splatter ??) that made a hump about the thickness of the O-ring and about the width of a BB. After seeing that, I was shocked that the leak was slight. It's a miracle that oil wasn't spewing out like a fire hose. I was able to carve out the flaw so it had a passing resemblance to the rest of the O-ring mating surface. So far so good.

So don't be like me, and assume your new and very pricey parts are properly made. This was a wakeup call for me. If I had found the flaw before installation I would definitely returned the hose. I don't think it out of line to expect better quality when paying top dollar.

But then again I've always been a little naive to the ways of the world.....

Z.

 

I would also tell the parts supplier. This time it was an inconvenience but it could easily have been an expensive problem to resolve if you had been away from home. Any reputable supplier will want to know if there's a quality issue in their supply chain.

Graham

 

 

Who made the hose? No need to reveal the name of the vendor, but we all could benefit by knowing which manufacturer to avoid....

 

hard to avoid this manufacturer:




Z

 

Oh that is just awful luck. I'm waiting on a genuine bottom radiator hose to arrive. I hope it is not faulty.

 

I agree.

Anyone can have a bad day at work and produce a flawed part. The issue I have in this case is that many companies, not just Jaguar, are cutting corners on quality control. No matter what the industry, it pays to have a 2nd set of eyes examine a product for mistakes and flaws. When those Quality Control jobs are eliminated in the pursuit of profits or increased competitiveness, then errors will just happen. I know that, but just was looking ahead to driving the car, and not giving all my focus to the task at hand.

The final responsibility was mine to take a few seconds and examine the part. I was lucky that my neglect didn't cost me more dearly. As mentioned earlier, this was a wake up call reminder that we end users are NOW the Quality Control Department of the last resort, more so than ever before.

Z

 

I second this for sure; just had an instance where a forum sponsor had to accept a return for a coolant reservoir with a bad sensor. Absolutely not the sponsors fault but had i taken the time to do a continuity test it might have saved me a bit of hassle.