X308 XJR (1999)
Discussion
Please help, I have to drain the coolant on my 99 XJR, I am not the most knowledgeable DIYer with cars.
I have located two drain plugs on the radiator, is there a second radiator that is in front of the larger radiator ! Both have drain plugs.....
Can anyone tell me if there are any air bleed procedures I need to undertake, just don't want to cause engine damage.
I would really appreciate help with this please...
Thankyou
I have located two drain plugs on the radiator, is there a second radiator that is in front of the larger radiator ! Both have drain plugs.....
Can anyone tell me if there are any air bleed procedures I need to undertake, just don't want to cause engine damage.
I would really appreciate help with this please...
Thankyou
The coolant drain plug is at the bottom of the rad on the left hand side. This is the bigger rear one with the thick black hoses attached. The other one in front is for the a/c system. Please don't attempt to drain that...
The coolant drain plug is actually located on the rear not right at the bottom of the rad as you might expect. A quarter turn will release it. If you take it out before removing the header tank cap you'll only get a trickle of coolant up your arm or in your face rather than a flood.
Drain the system. I like to refill with water at this point and re drain a few times and then flush through and back with a hose to get the system clean.
Replace the drain plug plug. Carefully - these are fragile - remove the thermostat housing cap. Fill slowly through the thermostat housing to overflow with 50:50 water and Ford WSS-M97B44-D or equivalent coolant already mixed. Replace the cap. Fill the header tank to about half full. Start up with the heater on high heat and watch the coolant level in the header tank. You should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin plastic pipe from the top of the radiator. The system should self-bleed and the level in the tank will fluctuate as it does so. Keep topping the tank up until the level stabilizes and keep checking you have constant heat in the cabin.
Refit the header tank cap. Let the engine cool and recheck the level. It should be within 2/3cm of the filler neck.
The coolant drain plug is actually located on the rear not right at the bottom of the rad as you might expect. A quarter turn will release it. If you take it out before removing the header tank cap you'll only get a trickle of coolant up your arm or in your face rather than a flood.
Drain the system. I like to refill with water at this point and re drain a few times and then flush through and back with a hose to get the system clean.
Replace the drain plug plug. Carefully - these are fragile - remove the thermostat housing cap. Fill slowly through the thermostat housing to overflow with 50:50 water and Ford WSS-M97B44-D or equivalent coolant already mixed. Replace the cap. Fill the header tank to about half full. Start up with the heater on high heat and watch the coolant level in the header tank. You should see a steady stream of coolant into the tank from the thin plastic pipe from the top of the radiator. The system should self-bleed and the level in the tank will fluctuate as it does so. Keep topping the tank up until the level stabilizes and keep checking you have constant heat in the cabin.
Refit the header tank cap. Let the engine cool and recheck the level. It should be within 2/3cm of the filler neck.
Only come back 'cos I love you lot so much 
Anyhow, if the XJR is the same as a standard V8 then yes the drain is on the RH side of the rad as you describe. The thermostat housing is the black tower with the round cap with a 10mm hex socket on it and a fat short pipe at the front of it at the front of the V.
Anyhow, if the XJR is the same as a standard V8 then yes the drain is on the RH side of the rad as you describe. The thermostat housing is the black tower with the round cap with a 10mm hex socket on it and a fat short pipe at the front of it at the front of the V.
This is what I have towards the bottom right of the radiator as you look from the front.
its different to the very sparse picture in the service manual.
I thought my thermostat was located inside where two alloy pipes connect at the front of the engine, sure I saw it on a picture somewhere but that may have been an XKR....ha ha..
I will have a look again tomorrow for a black tower.....
Edited by Zippyworld on Wednesday 22 June 20:11
Removing the drain plug and taking the top off the coolant header tank should give you a complete drain apart from a small amount remaining at the bottom of the block. Try running a hose back into the drain plug orifice to see if it's got blocked from sludge at the bottom of the rad.
Still no joy on this, is there an atmospheric tank on a XJR I should be checking ? Emptying and refilling with clean ?
I went through the procedure as described and the car started and ran quite nicely, what wasn't happening was the fan didn't come on and the temp gauge sat dead centre.
I switched off and topped the header and started it again, rapidly the temp gauge headed to the red so I turned it off.
Then after the ignition was off the fans kicked in approx 2 minutes later....
Is thus pointing to a duff thermostat, and if I change it do I have to drain it all again ?
Itsnot a tiwer with a hex bolt plastic cover, its like on an XKR, its hidden in the alloy pipe at the front top of the engine.
Any help again is appreciated
I went through the procedure as described and the car started and ran quite nicely, what wasn't happening was the fan didn't come on and the temp gauge sat dead centre.
I switched off and topped the header and started it again, rapidly the temp gauge headed to the red so I turned it off.
Then after the ignition was off the fans kicked in approx 2 minutes later....
Is thus pointing to a duff thermostat, and if I change it do I have to drain it all again ?
Itsnot a tiwer with a hex bolt plastic cover, its like on an XKR, its hidden in the alloy pipe at the front top of the engine.
Any help again is appreciated
Your picture is the drain for the intercooler on the xjr. You can drainhis as well if you want to. Don't snap it though. Radiator drain is bottom right hand of rad, when, the drain faces backwards towards the engine.
There is another tank located in the Nsf wheel arch. If you look at the bleed hoses on the expansion tank I think there are 3. Trace the one that disappears behind the ABS module. Remove this at the expansion tank end, adapt a funnel and add about 1 1/2 litres of coolant mix.
You could remove the large hex bolt on top of charge cooler pipe work which will help fill the charge cooling side of things.
After draining you should be putting in around 4 1/2 litres of coolant approx. Run car until warm. Check heater is warm, check fans are working. Allow to fully cool down. Then fill the expansion tank right up to the brim of the neck, all the way to the top. Road test and re check level when cold.
There is no black art to bleeding these cars so you should be fine. If you are still having coolant problems then you need to investigate further. Hope that helps.
There is another tank located in the Nsf wheel arch. If you look at the bleed hoses on the expansion tank I think there are 3. Trace the one that disappears behind the ABS module. Remove this at the expansion tank end, adapt a funnel and add about 1 1/2 litres of coolant mix.
You could remove the large hex bolt on top of charge cooler pipe work which will help fill the charge cooling side of things.
After draining you should be putting in around 4 1/2 litres of coolant approx. Run car until warm. Check heater is warm, check fans are working. Allow to fully cool down. Then fill the expansion tank right up to the brim of the neck, all the way to the top. Road test and re check level when cold.
There is no black art to bleeding these cars so you should be fine. If you are still having coolant problems then you need to investigate further. Hope that helps.
Zippyworld said:
Still no joy on this, is there an atmospheric tank on a XJR I should be checking ? Emptying and refilling with clean ?
I went through the procedure as described and the car started and ran quite nicely, what wasn't happening was the fan didn't come on and the temp gauge sat dead centre.
I switched off and topped the header and started it again, rapidly the temp gauge headed to the red so I turned it off.
Then after the ignition was off the fans kicked in approx 2 minutes later....
Is thus pointing to a duff thermostat, and if I change it do I have to drain it all again ?
Itsnot a tiwer with a hex bolt plastic cover, its like on an XKR, its hidden in the alloy pipe at the front top of the engine.
Any help again is appreciated
You can change the thermostat with minimal coolant loss if you are quick and the engine is cold. You won't loss much anyway as you are taking off the top hose which is one of the higher points of the system. I went through the procedure as described and the car started and ran quite nicely, what wasn't happening was the fan didn't come on and the temp gauge sat dead centre.
I switched off and topped the header and started it again, rapidly the temp gauge headed to the red so I turned it off.
Then after the ignition was off the fans kicked in approx 2 minutes later....
Is thus pointing to a duff thermostat, and if I change it do I have to drain it all again ?
Itsnot a tiwer with a hex bolt plastic cover, its like on an XKR, its hidden in the alloy pipe at the front top of the engine.
Any help again is appreciated
Water pumps are a common failure. I would get that checked as it's alot cheaper and easier than headgaskets on the R engine !
The fans should come on with the A/C so turn that on. No fans means big trouble! The guage is NOT one, it is a switch so if it goes to red you are already damaging the engine and they don't like over heating. Head gasket failure is more common than it should be for this reason. Check the fan fuse, the relay and the wiring. Then change the temperature sender. You can get real temperatures from an OBDN reader, the bluetooth ones with Torque phone app are OK.
Can't bloody believe it, the new thermostat I fitted was duff.
Took the car to an independant specialist up in Rochdale.
I am now £1200 lighter......ha ha.
They have done a load of "bits" that I had been putting off, rear bump stops, bumper brackets, coolant flush, fan wiring fault,
Pressure test, coolant temp sensor, major service amongst it all.
Got to say they have been excellent in getting it done,costings and communication. I recommend Stephen Heywood Jaguar of Rochdale
Thankyou for the advice chaps.
Took the car to an independant specialist up in Rochdale.
I am now £1200 lighter......ha ha.
They have done a load of "bits" that I had been putting off, rear bump stops, bumper brackets, coolant flush, fan wiring fault,
Pressure test, coolant temp sensor, major service amongst it all.
Got to say they have been excellent in getting it done,costings and communication. I recommend Stephen Heywood Jaguar of Rochdale
Thankyou for the advice chaps.
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