Been noticing a liquid under the XK8 engine bay for awhile now, thought it was the oil filter not tight enough, but today actually got under to find that the leak is coming from a connection of metal line to rubber hose, right side of engine, close to the alternator and appears to be one of the transmission cooler lines.
I could not get my hand on it, just no room and engine was HOT!.

So guys take to me about these joints; do they come apart and it is probably just a failed O ring or is there more to this?

Appreciate any and all comments, replies, suggestions.....as to how to fix this one. I assume if I remove the air filter box I can get to the joint....??

Thanks,
LannyL81

 

Lanny, the trans cooler lines are on the other side - your driver's side.

Could be power steering hose. See nalle's thread:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...5/#post2013857

 

^^ What he said. The metal pipe-to-rubber hose junction just outboard of the alternator is a known weak point in these power steering systems. There are a couple of relatively inexpensive ways to make that repair. Read the thread provided above and you will learn about them. Good luck and keep us posted on what you discover....

 

Got it....I did not spend more than 2 minutes under the car looking at the leak. Good to know that trans cooler lines are on the left side. Read through the repair and guess I will just get busy and get it done...with a cold engine.

Thanks guys.

Lannyl81

 

Thought I would get started on this and went to remove the air filter box...nope!....will not come out without either breaking the plastic inlet that goes into the fender well or removing the engine....neither of which I am going to do.
Guess I will have to try just reaching over it and down.....task for today.

 

Your air filter box WILL come out of your engine bay. You just have to wrestle with it while pulling on it carefully but firmly. I have removed my wife's 2006 XK8's air filter box multiple times over the years while doing various repairs (including this power steering leak repair in February 2018). Yes, it always fights me, but I always eventually win....

 

Jon89....yep you are correct. I looked at the inlet pipe more closely and saw that it was supposed to be just a slide-in fit....sprayed some silicon around it and after a few minutes of pulling, prying....it separated without breaking anything. MUCH better access with the air filter box removed.

However I did not get very far with fixing the power steering line leak. I was hoping to remove the plastic connector and replace the O rings for now, but seemed like I was going to break the plastic and since I had not gathered any parts yet, decided to quit for now. I will gather parts and then tackle this in the near future.

I need to get a brass barbed connector and a very short piece of rubber hose, and several hose clamps.....this sound correct?

I did notice that someone put a section of rubber hose over the metal line right where it bends and is above the frame, then plastic zip-tied it to the frame....have no idea why. Perhaps the line has been replaced in the past...IDK.

Thanks again for all the help.