Coolant Leak

[rosemary]

Hello Folks
Update

Part 22 :-XR849219, £46.31 in SNG Barratt catalogue( Expensive for low quality product, clearly a Jaguar sourced part)This is the second coolant tube ( Thin Walled Conduit) to rust away due to exposure to the elements at the front underneath the engine and radiator.The tray under here provides no protection, worth taking off the tray to see the condition of the metal coolant tube under here.
Dave

[J44EAG]

Take a look at the Viper Performance site. They market a range of stainless pipes and elbows. I wonder if it would be possible to adapt on of their pipes to fit in place of the standard low grade pipe?

Mike

[rosemary]

Hello Mike
Had a look at the Viper site, very interesting and worth a mental note. There are 4 metal pipes, one long and three short (thin walled mild steel conduit) under the engine between it and the under tray connecting hoses together. They all have various bends and kinks in them and are thus a bit complicated to use the viper products unfortunately . I'm going to get some PD15 paint from Frost Products and paint the new pipes before the Undertray goes back on to give them some protection against rusting again. The life of these pipes as fitted by Jaguar is about 8 to 9 years that is in my environment in the middle of the country. Coastal areas and salted locations may be less. The one that failed in the middle of France in 2014 which I replaced following our return home is looking pretty rusty now. Should have left the temporary repair using hose the French Garage did, i'll paint that one as well.
Dave

[J44EAG]

Old car syndrome at its most rampant, Dave.

It would appear to me that once the majority of these cars hit fifteen years of age, then they start to disintegrate. Obviously there are exceptions. Certainly, I`d never buy another steel bodied Jag again. The ali X350 wins in that respect but the sub-frame corrosion lets the side down.

As far as mechanical reliability is concerned, the 2.7D has always had issues on a regular basis. I`ve heard them described as fragile. Great while they are running well but difficult and expensive when they play up. It is a shame that a Jaguar of this time line becomes such a potential money pit as the years advance. If you buy a Jag once it is out of warranty, then you really are putting your head in a noose. Not the most reliable vehicles ever built.

Fifteen years of Jaguar use now under my belt now. The best ones have been with the 350R once I had rebuilt it at just 79K miles. All bushes changed, valley pipe changed, front wheel bearings changed, oils and fluids changed, brakes replaced etc.....probably little different from most other makes of car.

Mike K

[rosemary]

Hello Mike
Funny that, I've been looking at 350's lately, Chiltern Jaguar have moved to Junction 5 of the M40 Stokenchurch in the last year or so, thus they are very close neighbours and have loads of Jaguars in their showroom and lot. It's like a permanent car show all these shiny Jags. My friend just bought a XF Sportbrake from them for a very reasonable £18K in a very unmistakeable Blue with the Black treatment, don't like that so much though, personal taste. But back to my "mill stone", I've just ordered two of the tubes of the four under the engine XR849219 and XR849218 from SNG Barratt at a cost of 130.39, (a shocking price for Conduit) plus £7.50 postage. The long pipe XR848271 I'd already replaced as previously reported, rusty but serviceable and XR849217 is routed up the side of the engine so is still in acceptable condition and out of the hazardous zone. Stokenchurch Services put the car up on the ramp so that I could see exactly which pipes had rotted to the extent they needed replacing asap in addition to the one with a hole in it so that I could order them and then take the car in for them to replace once received. I anticipate a week before they arrive from experience.
Dave

[rosemary]

Hello Folks
Update

Pipes have arrived from SNG Barratt, and I've coated them in POR 15 Black protective paint.

You'll notice on the packaging Jaguar labels. No wonder they cost so much. Car booked in at Stokenchurch Services 25th to have them fitted and correct coolant refilled, only because I can't get under the car anymore. All the stuff they need including s/s clips and screws to re-fix the undertray are included in the boot.
Would recommend them to anybody although "word of mouth" around here means they are always extremely busy.
Dave

[rosemary]

Update
It looks like pipe XR849217 has a hole in it also, lost water on the drive today, shocked. My car is booked in to Stokenchurch Services, 25th, to have pipes XR849218 and XR849219 replaced which I've received From SNG Barratt ready, XR848271 had already been replaced after failure in the middle of France. So all four thin walled pipes located under the engine have rotted. Pipe is £98.00 plus postage from SNG Barratt and is a Jaguar sourced part. All I can say is I would strongly advise anybody with a car of my age, 2005, to remove the under tray and check the condition of these pipes on the cooling system. Print out the assembly diagram for the S Type Diesel Coolant Radiator Hoses and Pipes on the SNG Barratt site to identify the pipes.
Dave

[J44EAG]

Better still, have some A4 stainless copies made.

Why not talk to Neville Anderson at NE Jag Spares. Dare I suggest he might be just the fellow to take up the challenge? There would be some investment needed but this issue needs a hammer to crack this rotten nut problem.

Mike K

[rosemary]

Hello Mike

Might do, car is in on Tuesday and we'll see how difficult it is to replace XR849217 vis-vie possible cost issue gaining access, might decide to SORN the car again until enthusiasm to spend the saved money on it returns. By the way it appears that these pipes are common to the Diesel 350 also.
Dave

[rosemary]

Hello Folks
Well got the car back 3rd July they could only do two of the pipes 218 and 219, they didn’t do 217 because they said the engine had to be removed to do it, as with the plastic coolant inlet bracket. There must be even less room in the engine bay in an S Type than in the X350 to be able to do it in situ, ref January Magazine.They were however not able to detect a leak from 217 or the inlet moulding after pressurising the system and running the engine up to heat.I also have pressurised the cooling system with a pressurisation kit and removed the air filter housing and cannot detect a leak anywhere. So puzzled. Note can’t even see the inlet moulding anyway as shown in the magazine.

Note the second pipe was also perforated.Further to removing the Air Cleaner assembly i noticed another very rusty pipe XR849702 located immediately behind the radiator, directly in the airflow, might as well replace that whilst I'm messing about. Cost is a ridiculous £53.47 for 5 inches of thin walled m/s conduit.
Dave

[rosemary]

Hello Folks
Pressurized the coolant circuit and had coolant running off the under tray towards the rear of the engine.Went to 15psi on the system 3 psi short of the cap pressure of 120 kpa. Car tucked up in yard. Insurance cancelled and on SORN for foreseeable future or at least until my mate can look at it and fix it. I refuse to give it away for nothing even if it is worthless.
Dave

[J44EAG]

Dear oh dear!

What a saga. One of the reasons not to buy an elderly 2.7. Such a shame because the diesel makes good sense on paper. In practice, it can be a money pit.

Mike K

[rosemary]

Hello Mike
Definitely a money pit. Stopped now though. If my mate can't fix it without removing the engine I'll contact ASM and scrap it.
Good job we have a reliable BMW second car to run about in now. Beginning to look again at Mercedes/BMW for caravan duty so we'll see before the XF, now 10 years old, starts going the same way.
Dave

[rosemary]

Hello Folks
In the Post today:-

Who would have believed that this was £53.47 plus Postage, if you showed someone and asked how much do you think?, the reply would be a couple of quid not more than a Fiver and that would be generous. I must have a screw loose somewhere!.
Dave

[J44EAG]

I wonder what might be available from Viper Performance or the likes of Demon Tweeks. They market a range of tube, pipes and hoses for the racing/modification aftermarket. Worth having a look on their sites.

Mike