Wondering. My 97 Jag had a top system flush at about 20-30k on it, 80k on it now. Outside of that I have no records (I have many from dealer work) of further top issues. Assuming all hoses are orig to the car is there any first time top operation after not being used for months in a cold climate? Should I wait till a good 65 degree day? Let the car sit in the garage and heat the cabin good and warm then put the top down for the first time?
Or does it really matter?

 

Where is the pump at to take a look see at the level and see if fluid is green???

 

Brgjag,

The good news is that lowering the top does not produce as much peak pressure as raising it. But it still makes a nasty amount, so I'd suggest the following:

- Lower the top with the car's engine turned off. This will produce ~ 200 PSI less peak pressure than doing so with the engine running (pump is driven by battery voltage v. alternator voltage).

- Yes, wait for as warm a day as you can. I can't prove this, but I believe low temps can increase the odds of hose or fitting failure (materials get brittle).

- Look into a method of hydraulic pressure reduction. I prefer the one found here ... http://www.scorekeeper.com/jaguar/jaguar01.htm ... but that is to be expected because it's the one I worked on .

- the pump is located in the trunk, on the right side, behind that fiber-board like stuff that lines the trunk (which can be removed with a little effort).

Good luck,

 

If your car is a 1997 it may have the first series of the hyd hose (few and far between) and a way to find that out is to get the information on the hose. You can get that info from the hose in the trunk area at the pump. If you have the first series of hoses you have no need to be concerned about the pressure because they were matched to the pressure of the system. If your hoses are by Parker and have a nomenclature of 363 you need to keep an eye on them. As for the opening and closing pressures of the hyd system opening is well above 1550psi and closing is 1650psi as documented on my page http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairJ...esRelValve.htm & http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairHydHose.htm

You express concern about putting the top up or down in cold weather. I open and closed my roof in the cold to see the xmas lights I did not have a problem. The fluid in the hyd system is used in other cars for power steering and brake systems. The system will operate the same in the cold or heat of the day, the only concern you have is if the hose is ready to fail and if it is it will.

 

thanks folks. I need to look for the pump. and the hoses from it it appears. Where is it again? Above post on it seems a little short on info??

 

The pump is on the right side of your trunk above the CD.
http://www.gusglikas.com/images/Auto...2w%5B1%5D2.gif

 

system in pic appears to be VERY low in fluid? I assume in that area I can see the hydr lines for the PARKER line?

 

I looked at the hoses from the pump and did not really see ANY writing on them. Nothing that has 363 printed on them. Where would I see that, right at the pump or anywhere on the line that I can see in the trunk?

By the way the fluid in the holding tank is a blue/green color. Is that good?

 

Use this link to view a photo of the hose markings about half way down on the page

http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairHydHose.htm

As far as the fluid the Blue/Green works for me. I would say it is the right stuff.

 

that tank in that pic, the fuild looked very LOW, ha ha ha. Mine is up alittle above the low line, assuem that is ok!!??!?!?

 

So if I have the 363 on my lines I should see in on ONE of my lines that I can see in the trunk when I pull that panel back?

 

I just looked at my lines again at the tank/unit out and till they go out of view. I see NO writing on my lines at all. I looked on all of them, being gental. No letter or numbers stamped anywhere on the lines in the trunk. I did note that at the elbow fittings on the unit where the lines connect there is a black fitting at the end of the line going into the brass elbow had SLP 10/96 stamped on them.

 

and my fluid level is at the low line, do I need to add fluid?

 

So how hard is this VALVE thing to install on the pump to reduce the pressure? Looking at the write up it seems simple.

 

The hoses have markings on them to identify the manufacture. It is entirely possible that your hoses are first generation but without the markings it is hard to say. As for the valve this is a link on the process to install Link JAGUAR ROOF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE I hope this helps!

 

well the hoses have NO markings at all them, zilch. I would assume the ones in the trunk that I can see would have something somewhere. Perhaps mine is one with the better lines.

 

I took me about an hour - really simple.