Hi there! I just acquired my '98 XK8 a couple of months ago and I have been lurking in this forum since about then. You all are great and the archives have already helped me isolate and fix a few small but nagging things.
BTW, I traded up from a Mercedes to the Jag and I'm loving every minute of it. Except of ocurse the little nagging things...

Today's nagging thing is that over the weekend the soft top got gradually slower. We put it up/down maybe 3 times and every time it got noticeably slower. Last time we tried to put it down it only moved a couple of inches and then sat there. I pushed the button to put it back up and it struggled but it closed. I thanked my lucky stars and have not touched it (we were about 150 miles from home).

The pump makes sounds like it is working but struggling. The windows go up and down normally. The hydraulic fluid in the tank seems low. I have not seen any leaks anywhere.

Any suggestions? I can just top it up and try again, but if it got low, it means there must be a leak. Where do I start looking?

Thank you all!

 

I should mention that the liquid in the reservoir is green...

 

First of all welcome to jaguasforums.com. I know that you are anxious to get started but we have a 10 post minimum. Once that is satisfied you will be given an opportunity to post photos and see other links. Please be patient and enjoy the site.

Now for your problem, If you have not already check the fluid level in the hyd reservoir. If it is low you will need to get it up to the full level. Use Pentosin CHF 11s and you can get it from AutoZone for $22.00. You may ask why is it leaking, and we can talk about it in more once you get it closed but most of the leaks are at the header at the latch. Fill the reservoir and then try it again. At times the system can get confused that often takes place when it does not respond properly and the user pushes the button up and down. I have a lot of information about the roof on my page that will help but you may not be able to use the links so, just copy and paste my link into the browser www.gusglikas.com/autorepair.htm Let us know how you make out!

 

If you're lucky, the leak is at or around the pump, but you should be able to find visual evidence of that pretty easily. If the leak is at the rams/pistons that you won't see until you tear apart the rear seat area. Besides the latch hose failure, the rams are the other common leaking component. Mine groaned and finally refused to close my top last year, turned out to be leaking and had to replace it at the dealer.

 

Thanks guys!
I'll get the fluid and re-fill and try again. The level does look low.

 

As far as the leaks go, I really could not see anything so I'll consider myself lucky from that perspective. I looked carefully around the pump and at all the hoses in the trunk and all looks nice and dry. Also no leaks from the front latch (where apparently a lot of trouble seems to happen). No stains that I could see on the garage floor.
I guess there must be a leak at the rams. When I figure out what/where those are, I'll inspect. :-)

I'll let you know what I find and if the refill fixes it for now.

Cheers!

 

Could it be that you have the old fluid in the system that tends to thicken and congeal? I think there was a TSB regarding flushing of the old type of fluid and refilling with the Pentosin fluid. Doug

 

Good thought, but I actually think I have the new liquid. I believe this because:

1. It is green
2. I see an entry in the vehicle service history that claims the liquid was flushed and replaced in 2001.

I thought the old liquid was yellow??? Am I wrong?

 

One other thing; since the fluid was low and the top essentially stopped working, you probably got air into the hydraulic lines. That's not a big deal because they are self-purging. When you fill up the reservoir the top might not work quite right at first as the air is cycled through. You may have to top of the reservoir again depending upon how much air is in the lines.

 

I have the latest fluid and it is actually bluish in appearance when viewed through the plastic of the pump reservoir.


Doug

 

Sailrboy,

An optimistic note: you may not have any leak significant enough to require attention. When I got my '01 four years ago, the fluid was low. I refilled it once and have not had to again.

Sort of like a power steering pump. The very slow loss of fluid from its reservoir just calls for an occasional refill.

Good luck,

 

Thank you all!
I found Pentosin at the local Carquest for under $19 a liter and I refilled the pump reservoir. Actually I figured I might as well refresh as much of the fluid as I could so I dumped out all the old one and filled-up with fresh fluid. Worked the top through 3 cycles, refilled up to near top level, worked 2 more cycles and verified the level stayed constant.
Everything seems to be working as normal again!!!
The operation of the mechanism also got quieter. Less groaning and gurgling. I think now I know what to listen for before I run and check the fluid level.

I also looked everywhere I could including in the fenders for any sign of leakage but there was none to be found. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I read somewhere in the forum something about a relief valve that folks install. Any pointers to that? As far as I know there were no burst hoses on this car. Maybe because it is the earlier '98 model it is less prone to it???
Thanks again!

 

Here is the link for the pressure relief valve:
http://www.lsi-controls.com/JagKit.htm

 

I would not get overly concerned about the low fluid level, in most cases it is out of sight out of mind. I would suggest going back and check it again to check the levels. If you removed the pump and turned it upside-down I hope you were careful not to pinch or fold the hoses, it can cause problems (leaks) down the road. You can get a little history about the relief valve from my page or use this link to go direct http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairJ...esRelValve.htm

 

Failure of the hose is a question of when not if.
My experiences are:
1999 XK8 purchased in May 2003, hose failed July 2003.
2003 XKR (17k miles) purchased in June 2007 hose failed early 2008, replaced with Jaguar repair hose kit, failed (spray at splice not total rupture) within a few months. Replaced with full hose kit. I've installed the pressure reduction valve, hope never to see another failure.

 

In all fairness (and just show that I am a fair-minded guy), you should be aware that there are 2 alternatives for trying to mitigate the hose failure issue. One is the pressure relief valve that Gus and Walt (another forum member) developed. This is a direct solution that precisely bleeds off excess pressure in the hydraulic line so that the pressure does not exceed about 1,000 psi (or maybe it's more like 900 psi). Anyway, the top and latching mechanism still works fine by limiting the pressure to that amount.

The other solution is what I would consider indirect in that it uses resistors installed in the electrical wiring just prior to the pump motor to lessen the voltage to the motor which results in lower pressure developed by the pump.

You should research both solutions and definitely do one of them.

Good luck,

Doug

 

Interesting! Thanks for pointing it out to me. Being an electrical engineer, the electrical solution has a special appeal to me. On the other hand, the hydraulic one seems more elegant.

Cheers!

 

engineer's of all varieties always favor the solution that they most understand and feel confident. That is so strange, but absolutely true, eh Doug?

 

When I was younger at the start of my career, an older and wiser colleague once told me that "he wished he understood everything he knew". I thought this was funny at the time but now it makes perfect sense to me. Doug