Convertible Hood Oil

[jagdaveh]

The hood on my 1998 XK8 convertible works ok, if a little slowly, but won't quite reach the latch. If I give it a pull it closes ok. The dealer has said it needs the hydraulic oil replacing. I've found a very detailed article in the November 2004 magazine which details exactly what to do and what oil to use but does anyone know how much the system holds? Apparently it needs to be flushed through 3 times and at £16 a litre from Amazon I don't want to buy too much or not enough to get the job done.

[mike020150]

I haven't seen the system capacity listed anywhere but if you look at the reservoir etc, you will see it's not very large. You could always measure the tank and calculate an approximate volume that way. However, the biggest unknown will always be how much flushing the system will take. A simple blockage could be cleared easily and quickly. Highly gelled fluid will take a lot of shifting and much flushing. Why not deliberately buy more than you think you will need and sell any surplus afterwards? Even at £16 per litre, if you plan to do the job yourself, think of the labour charges you will have saved. Then, any small financial losses incurred on surplus fluid will pale into insignificance! Mike.

[sazbo90]

Hi there,
I had a hose let go in the header rail, and had a local guy fit a new hose. I supplied the oil, (after searching for recommendations on here) for the refill from Halfords, at about £14.00 for a litre bottle. It is more than enough for the job, and this particular oil has worked well for the last 3-4 months with no problems. I can supply Halfords reference if you wish, but it is on their website.
hope this helps,
Peter

[jaglover]

Hi, my xk8 is a 2003 convertible and just recently the hood is creaking when opening and shutting and is very slow.I understand the early xk8 s were prone to this with the hydraulic fluid needing replacing after a good flush of the system.Does this problem apply to my age of car? And is it a big job to DIY.?

[mike020150]

Hi,

If filled with the correct fluid, your XK8 doesn't fall into the range of early cars affected by this problem. Changing the fluid is an extremely messy job and risks damage to the interior trim if not done carefully because you need to be sure the fluid flows cleanly through to the hood latch. If the hood is moving slowly, first check for fluid leaks, typically from the rams, and try moving the hood manually (use the manual procedure in the handbook) to check for seizing/damaged hood joints. Then, if nothing appears to be wrong, move on to change the fluid to remove possible blockages in the pipework. Mike.

[jaglover]

Thanks Mike,
I have looked at the reservoir behind the pump and the fuid level seems quite low,less than 1/3 full but the fluid is quite watery/runny? Which seems to indicate it may be the correct fluid. How full should the reservoir be and how can I top it up if necessary? I realise it may also indicate some sort of leak in the system if it is low which I will check for but which is not immediately obvious certainly not internally or around the pump

[jaglover]

Hi again,
I will try moving the hood manually but where and how do I check the rams and other potential leak positions?
Thanks for your help
John

[mike020150]

To get to check rams and any 'o' ring joints you will need to remove the interior rear quarter trims unless you can see evidence of oil on the underside of the car. Two fluid levels are marked on the pump reservoir body. The upper mark denotes the fluid level when the top is fully lowered and the lower mark denotes the level when the top is fully raised. Mike.

[jaglover]

Thanks for the prompt reply Mike. I obviously have a low fluid level because the level is below the low mark when the roof is down and nearly empty when the roof is up. I will have a look at the rams tomorrow but there appears to be no sign of leaking fluid under the car. Can you tell me how I can topup the fluid ? There is a screwed cap on top of the reservoir but it looks difficult to get at without taking off the whole pump assembly.

[mike020150]

There is a filler plug located on the top of the reservoir which sounds like your description. Topping up isn't a normal servicing activity so, obviously, Jaguar didn't feel obliged to make an attempt to make it easy! Mike.

[jaglover]

Hi Mike, found a good post on "Pistonheads" showing full replacement procedure (with photos ) for fluid pipes but hopefully won't need to go that far. Also suggested a syringe and plastic tube to refill reservoir after flushing. I can use that for topping up.Can you tell me what flushing fluid to use and what the correct Jaguar fluid is? Slowly does it so I'll try topping up before I go to flushing. Thanks again. John

[jaglover]

Sorry forgot to add article on pipe replacement on Jagrepair.com website
John

[mike020150]

It's best to use the correct fluid (JLM 21112) when flushing the system. It can be expensive to buy but I note that British Parts list it for £12.60 a litre which looks like a decent price. However, your description of the fluid levels makes it sound like you are looking for a leak somewhere so topping up might offer a temporary solution to the slow operation issue if the leak is slight and air has entered the system. Mike.

[jaglover]

Hi Mike, is the JLM21112 fluid for the flushing or is that also the operating fluid so I can try topping up the reservoir with it as a temporary step?
John

[mike020150]

Hi John,
That's the Jaguar part number for the operating fluid so, yes, you can try topping up with it. Mike.