I have had my '97 XK8 for about 5 months now, and the top has worked smoothly most of that time. In the last week the latch has become balky. I don't think the drop in temperature from high 90s to high 80s would be a big enough change to affect flowability, so I started doing some homework on the forum (Howdy, Gus, Klaus, Dennis and others!). I now have nightmare visions of needing to replace six hoses, and rebuilding the latch and lift cylinders.

On the plus side, I have a '97, so I may be less prone to hose issues.

On the minus side, I definitely show signs of leakage around my pump, and the reservoir is low. The deck is tacky, not drippy, so it seems recent, if not current. The missing fluid went somewhere. I just don't know if the evidence on the deck accounts for all of the loss. I have not seen anly leakage or stains at the headliner.





The fluid in the reservoir is brown, so it was never upgraded. Apparently the previous owner(s) slavishly maintained the outward appearance, but not so much the unseen details.

Here's my decision point:
Do I top off with old-style fluid, and hopefully minimize leaks?
Do I replace with Pentosin, and roll the dice on leaks from lower viscosity?

The longer term future almost certainly leads to new hoses and rebuilt latch and cylinders, but I am not in a hurry to get to that. I still have coil springs and a radio to finish off.

I'm just looking for informed opinion from the collective as I do my analysis.

Thanks!
Tom

 

I'd say change it, the old fluid is known to cause problems.
You could clean up around the pump and then try and determine if it is leaking somewhere or if someone has spilt fluid.

 

Thansk!

That's a good point. If it was a spill, I wonder where the fluid went that lowered the level in the reservoir. I had assumed the residue and level were related.

I bet green Pentosin makes it easier to see leaks.

Tom

 

I agree - change that fluid as a first step, and clean the area thoroughly as part of the process. Then watch for leaks. Regardless of when it may fail, I'll bet your top operates more smoothly once you have the new fluid in place....

 

Thanks!

 

The rams show up their leak externally by a puddle, look on the ground at the back of each door. You could take out the bottom of the rear seat and look in the corners for fluid, if it hasn't got real bad yet.


Wayne

 

Thanks!

I'll try to take a peek under there today.

Tom

 

Tlynch,

Agreed, fluid change should be first. Also I would gently check for snugness ...
- the hose attachments at the pump end, and
- the four reservoir mounting screws.

Overall, you may well have no serious problems at present, and your MY has the strongest hoses they ever used.

When I bought my prior XK-8 it had low fluid. I replenished that, and never had to touch it again over seven years.


Good luck.

 

Your fluid looks green to me but change it if it is the brown (old) fluid. As for the leak if you look in the rear wheel well and look at the forward lower end of it and you will see a moist stain then look on the ground if the rams/hoses are leaking you will see it. As for the roof latch if you remove the light fixture and look into the header and if you see any fluid you may need to remove the header cover to determine what is leaking. In either situation you need to look further to see if it is the rams or the hoses that is leaking.

 

Thanks, Gus!

 

Good eye, Gus. It was the green stuff.

I shifted the pump out of its nook and cleaned the deck and the top of the reservoir. It seems likely that the residue is from a spill, rather than a leak. I checked hose connections. All were tight and did not show leakage.

I added Pentosin to bring it to correct level and the pump operated smoothly and more quietly than before. The can of Pentosin cost about $20. I'd be surprised if I used $1 worth. Does it keep well, or does it collect moisture like brake fluid does?

Bonus: I found a disconnected mystery connector behind the spare near the battery. What the heck is this?

And I don't mean the leaf.

Thanks,
Tom

 

Seems I read it's for some gizmo that's only used during shipping.
Someone please correct me if I'm mistook

 

No, you're right.

 

Hmmmm. Interesting.

I wonder what was needed for shipping, but not for use.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Tom

 

The mystery connector in your trunk was plugged into the electrical system on the transport ship to keep your battery charged up during the voyage across the ocean....

 

The transit relay is removed during the PDI and sent back to Jaguar.

 

Jon, Norri

Thanks for the interesting detail!

Tom