Putting my Sovereign through a car wash
Discussion
Gentlemen I recently purchased a Jaguar Sovereign 1998 R registration car and some stange things took place going into a car wash and coming out.Note I have little experience with these cars. The story goes as follows.
I drove my car in to the car wash which is the type which has a conveyor sytem on the drivers side only.
The operator told me to release handbrake put the car in neutral and switch off the engine. I am not sure whether I released the handbrake, I did put the car in neutral but did not switch off the engine.
As the car progressed through the car wash there was a noise which to me sounded like the engine was being stressed I was not sure whether this sound was coming from my car or the car wash machinery.
When I came out of the car wash I got out of the car to inspect the quality of the car wash, at this point I could sense a burning smell as though a lot of heat had developed, however everthing else seemed generally ok so I proceeded on my journey.
After about half a mile I heard a drone from the engine then it stopped after this a warning indicator light came up saying RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE I was not sure what this indication was all about and decided to drive home as I only live a short distance away, after approximately 300 yards I could see steam coming from under the bonnet. I stopped the car raised the bonnet and noticed that one of the small diameter pipes which circulates water round the engine had a large hole in it and steam was issuing from it.I checked the temperature gauge which was approx half way which seemed ok however the low water level warning light had come on. I waited approx 10 minutes for everthing to cool down and then drove the car home slowly, the engine started and drove ok. I am now awaiting a specialist to repair the water pipe and generally check out the car .
Perhaps somebody out there can give me some guidance as to what may have taken place and have I done any damage to my engine.
I have tried to rack my brains as to what may have happened. Could the fact that I had the car running in neutral have caused the problem, or is it possible that having the handbrake on during the car wash cycle this
could have caused the problem.There was defitely a noise which sounded as though the engine was being stressed.
Regards Robert Cowlishaw
I drove my car in to the car wash which is the type which has a conveyor sytem on the drivers side only.
The operator told me to release handbrake put the car in neutral and switch off the engine. I am not sure whether I released the handbrake, I did put the car in neutral but did not switch off the engine.
As the car progressed through the car wash there was a noise which to me sounded like the engine was being stressed I was not sure whether this sound was coming from my car or the car wash machinery.
When I came out of the car wash I got out of the car to inspect the quality of the car wash, at this point I could sense a burning smell as though a lot of heat had developed, however everthing else seemed generally ok so I proceeded on my journey.
After about half a mile I heard a drone from the engine then it stopped after this a warning indicator light came up saying RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE I was not sure what this indication was all about and decided to drive home as I only live a short distance away, after approximately 300 yards I could see steam coming from under the bonnet. I stopped the car raised the bonnet and noticed that one of the small diameter pipes which circulates water round the engine had a large hole in it and steam was issuing from it.I checked the temperature gauge which was approx half way which seemed ok however the low water level warning light had come on. I waited approx 10 minutes for everthing to cool down and then drove the car home slowly, the engine started and drove ok. I am now awaiting a specialist to repair the water pipe and generally check out the car .
Perhaps somebody out there can give me some guidance as to what may have taken place and have I done any damage to my engine.
I have tried to rack my brains as to what may have happened. Could the fact that I had the car running in neutral have caused the problem, or is it possible that having the handbrake on during the car wash cycle this
could have caused the problem.There was defitely a noise which sounded as though the engine was being stressed.
Regards Robert Cowlishaw
I never use car wash machines myself - don't trust them enough. But I would agree with NormanD above - no way the car wash could get to the pipes in the engine bay. Did the machine have a chassis wash - maybe one that would work underneath? If so then that would be the only way I could imagine it getting into the bay, but still can't see how it would stress the engine 
If the engine was being stressed then it would suggest maybe something got caught in a drive belt, but again doesn't explain the hole in the pipe. Unless.........is the pipe near a belt? And if so is the belt near the bottom of the car? The only scenario I can think of is if something got into the bay from underneath, put undue pressure on a belt thus loading the engine a bit, and pushed the belt against the pipe which wore through. All still very unlikely though I'd say.
If the engine was being stressed then it would suggest maybe something got caught in a drive belt, but again doesn't explain the hole in the pipe. Unless.........is the pipe near a belt? And if so is the belt near the bottom of the car? The only scenario I can think of is if something got into the bay from underneath, put undue pressure on a belt thus loading the engine a bit, and pushed the belt against the pipe which wore through. All still very unlikely though I'd say.
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