Dear Vastly Knowledgeable forum,
Today I seemed to have popped an Oil cooler line on my "03 XK8. Looking online for replacements, an official Jag sight shows 6 lines available but didn't have a diagram. 2 lines were for Supercharged models so that leaves 4. How do I know which is the ones I need? Amid the mess under the hood I found what looks like a split in the left side line attached to the engine about the pan. I think I should replace all involved.
Side story: I was at a Cars & Coffee this morning for Brit cars in Dayton, OH and the line popped after leaving. Could have been an even more embarrassing event if it happened in the lot. A friend, my dog, my car and myself got a ride home on a rollback truck and it's safely home back in the garage. Dripping on the floor. LOL
Did you know that a local Shell station charges $8 per quart for conventional Penzoil. That's highway robbery but I gladly paid it. TM

 

Here is a TSB Jaguar issued (the ones that NOBODY READS) a few decades ago.

(we lived and died by the TSBs from Jaguar when I was at the dealer, saved our asses)

 

Glad to see that you managed to shut it down before any engine damage occurred. Your little escapade serves as a reminder for all of us to inspect those oil lines on a regular basis as these cars continue to age....

 

Question for Bob (motorcarman):

My wife's 2006 XK8 was built well after the VIN range indicated in your TSB (it was built in May 2005, the final month of production for the XK8 / XKR series). Does this mean that it received a new-and-improved version of these oil cooler lines that are not susceptible to this type of failure?

 

I have a slight oil leak from the front of my engine so a garage is going to look at it, they cleaned the oil down and will look at it again to see where it's coming from. Probably a good chance it's one of the oil lines although I know going by the cars history the oil cooler was repalced in the past. Although there are multiple oil coolers in the car.

 

You might have a hose failure but the hoses affected were discontinued because they were 'known-defective'.
ANY part on the car can fail?

 

Thanks Bob. I will continue to check these hoses periodically....

 

The lifespan of the oil cooler hoses can vary dramatically. Don’t assume a hose less than 10 years old is safe.

when I purchased my XKR I installed new Jaguar branded hoses sourced from one of the forum’s sponsors. About 3 years later one of them failed completely and 7.5 liters of new oil was pumped out on the highway in less than 2 minutes.

Fortunately I was able to shut the engine down in time to avoid any damage.

Keep checking the hoses, at least every few hundred miles. Even a leak that seems to be only an o-ring should get attention.


Z

 

Motorman, thanks for the info. I don't think mine were subject to the TSB but the diagram was quite helpful. I now know there are 4 parts to the complete line in and out.
That looks to be north of $600 if I order oem's. I may go to my local Aeroqiup shop (I have one) and see if they can make it in 2 lines and simplify matters. I may also remove the cooler/rad and flush it out to make sure it's clear of clogs. Just GP. Yes, any line made of rubber can be a problem eventually. Thanks, Tom

 

even the improved replacement hoses do fail, as mine did after only 3 years.

i investigated having just a two piece custom hose made, but the hose ends did not lend themselves to being re-crimped safely.

curious to know how yours come out ….

Z

 

cut the crimp with a dremel double norma clamp and and purple gasket retainer. not going anywhere

 

The final result is in, but the story never ends. I talked to a braided line shop and they seem to think they can do it. Then I had a few major interruptions in the family and it went on the back burner, again. So I ordered better looking lines for 3 (eBay) and one new one (Harper's in Knoxville) for the popped segment and we are back in business after much cleaning. I also went for a new tensioner and idler pulley while I was changing the belt. MANY quarts of oil later we are good. So nice to drive my baby again. Now, just to find the ever so recluse lower bumper cowl.

Through all this I'm still not sure of the direction of flow through the cooler from the engine. Not that it matters much when buttoned up but Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks, TM

 

Well OMG!! And I don't mean Old Morgan's Garage. My new oil lines or something popped again last evening and made the big mess all over again. I had driven it to a British Cars Biscuits and Tea on Saturday and had no problems. I even opened the hood and showed a fellow XK8 owner my morning repair of the broken coolant line going to the overflow tank. I found that before I left the house. All dry and no sign of oil anywhere.
I would be investigating but not until the F1 race is over. It's on live from Spa here on this Sunday morning. I'm hoping it's just and o-ring this time but the mess is identical to the one I had the first time. Meaning it sprayed EVERYWHERE on the front of the engine bay. If it's another oil line how can that be? The cooler blocked? But oil pressure was up for the duration of driving until the warning message pop up on the speedo screen. Sorry for rambling but it's helps. LOL Thanks for listening, TM

 

Sorry that happened again, Tom. Keep us posted on what you find.when you crawl back underneath the car....

 

Ya know, Rosanna Rozanadana was right! "It's always something!!" I didn't have to get under the car. With the hood/bonnet open, looking from the top I see an identical split in the hose but on the right side this time. These are the 2 pieces of the 4 that attach to the engine. That is one of my eBay purchases of 3 hoses and the previous culprit was the left side replaced with a new line. If I remember correctly the used hose was kinked in the box upon arrival. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I shouldn't have used it. But it's still not right.
I have a local Brit Car show in Dayton, OH this Saturday that I hate to miss so I will put the original hose back on so I can make the show.
Back to the garage!! TM

 

Mine is a 2005 XK8 34,000 miles. Hoses look like new. Should I Change them or just keep an eye on them?

Jack

 

Well, that's hard to say. Yours have not been through so many heat cycles but age is also the enemy of rubber. The majority of the line is metal (aluminum?) but there must be some flexibility built in to prevent breakage from the engine movement. Mine seemed to be ok until they weren't. I didn't have any dripping or leakage before it blew. And when it does it goes all at once. TM

 

I replaced the popped oil line again and we are all cleaned up .....again!! All seems to be well for now but not without incident. I wanted to fix it before a Brit Car show I wished to attend. I mentioned this earlier. So I towed the car up to the garage with my lawn tractor by myself (see where this is going already?). I turn the wheel and tow forward, the wheel is straightening as we roll and one wheel goes off the edge of the drive. Tow rope too short, turn too tight, I don't pay enough attention, car rolls a little more forward than expected, did I mention the bagger attachment is still on the tractor?? Disaster !! Fender hits bagger and gouges fender/scratched fender. $%&&$%#@$%^

This is a family show so I can't type what I said. Breath deep, count to way more than 10. My fault, can't blame anyone but me. I'll look into getting it fixed soon.
I fix the oil lines and make the show with the largest bandaid I could find on my boo-boo. Gotta maintain a sense of humor or you will go nuts.
Beautiful day if hot, DJ was playing all British Invasion bands and artists songs (great stuff I hadn't heard in a while) and it was a wonderful turnout. This was the Dayton area Jag club show so if you are within driving distance consider coming next year.

My main reason to writing other than ratting myself out was to tell of the brained hose option was as much as buying all new lines from Harper's Jag in Knoxville so I passed. I'll look onto something else more reasonable. FTR, I put my original right side line back on. Thanks for listening, TM

 

Great attitude, considering everything you went thru and even caused yourself. I applaud your tempered reactions and perseverance.

 

We love our XK8 but our cheap 2006 Kia Spectra seems to be many times better built and trouble free. It has 212K miles and the heater fan and valve cover gasket have been replaced since new.

Still love my Jag. I think it's a disease.

Jack