I washed the engine a few days ago and sputtered all the way home. Figured it was water in a connector so it has sat in the heat for three days but is still missing badly. Any suggetions on where to look or what connector to inspect or.........?

Thank you for any advice!

 

Definitely check the throttle body connections and make sure you didn't get any water into the coil covers...if you did, you need to pull every single coil off, dab out the water from the plug wells where present (strips of paper towels), pull your plugs, and dry each coil and plug. Be very careful not to pull the plug if theres any presence of pooling liquid.

 

If she's still sputtering afterwards, get the codes read and find out which cylinders are misfiring...water or oil in the plug wells will kill a coil quick...and you'll need to replace.

 

Or after taking off the coils you can blow the water out with compressed air. Blow the water out of the spark plug boots as well.

The coil covers are notorious for leaking, especially on XKRs with the open louvers above. I run a bead of black RTV sealer around the top and side edges of the cam covers to seal them.

I'd advise not washing your engine ... ever.

 

I washed mine a week or two ago with no problems. I was careful not to spray the water directly at any electrical connections, though. It looks sooooo much better now. I love showing it off.

 

Good for you!

 

It takes more time to detail the engine with a wash cloth and Simple Green or something similar, but I think that it is well worth the extra effort. Potentially, you can get in big trouble if water gets in the wrong places. My engine and it's compartment are almost spotless, and I have never "washed" it. Believe me, I don't want to look for trouble..................it finds me easily enough!
Regards,
Brian

 

By the way, after I washed it I sprayed that tire black stuff all over the black parts. That really helps make the engine look shiny and new.

 

All the way up until the time the dust starts to collect on the oiled surfaces...usually about two days...or less.

 

I did it a couple of weeks ago and it still looks shiny and new. It doesn't feel oily, either. The engine was still warm when I sprayed it on, and I used a rag to wipe everything down afterwards. The engine looks so much better than when I bought it. The guy I bought it from could have gotten a lot more money out of it if he had just done a few things to clean it up first.

 

Just wait...you'll see.

 

Jaguar warn against spraying those silicon based products in the engine compartment, as it can cause problems with electronic modules.
Saying that, I do use it, but remove the engine covers and everything before using it.

 

Doesn't it simply amaze you at how people make no effort to prep their cars or even homes prior to a sale?! Even if it doesn't gain you any more on your selling price, it will move the asset much more quickly.

As to the water in the electrical connections, remember that spraying them with WD-40 will help in removing the water.

 

Agreed! In fact, spraying WD-40 in the sensitive electrical bits prior to hosing off the engine should prevent the problems from occurring in the first place. WD-40 is safe for use on electrical components. A few years ago a salesman came to our company trying to sell us this expensive water displacement compound that you're supposed to spray on electric motors and stuff to keep the water out. He demonstrated it by spraying a small electric motor with his extra-expensive, special, super top-secret compound. Then he plugged the motor into a battery and dunked it in a pail of water to show that it would keep running. We didn't buy any of his stuff, but after he left I did the exact same thing with a can of WD-40.

 

WD-40 is truly a magical elixir. I've used it on my vinyl convertible tops ('04 Mustang GT), on my leather seats (even in my XKR), and for displacing moisture in my old-fashioned 'points' ignitions. Amazing stuff....

 

It is possible (ask me how I know) to get water into the computer module on the right back side of the engine compartment after a vigorous washing. This will throw codes as the computer sloshes around in the water in the tray. I was lucky with no permanent damage.

 

I just used the Tire shine on the engine covers and it works great,thanks for the idea.

 

WD40 on Leather seats?Are you sure thats OK?

 

Says so in the WD-40 ads...it hasn't hurt my seats at all. it's based on fish oil (good morning ladies), but it doesn't stink like you might think it will...I picked up my date in the XKR shortly after I cleaned the seats with it and the smell had already gone. Car usually smells great, like a grand library or something...I think it has something to do with the leather and the wood. I also have regular leather cleaner, so in the future I'll likely use that.