About 5 years ago I had the DCCV replaced as it had all of a sudden sprung a leak and damaged the CCC unit- so I have some experience with the problem The radiator was replaced 4 years ago. I only drive about 8,000 miles a year.

I was looking at my car engine and noticed a very small amount of coolant the front bolt of the passenger side sway bar bushing. It is naturally a small well in that area. Seemed to be less than a teaspoon.. That is directly below the DCCV. I felt the underneath, as best as I could and felt a touch of liquid on one of the front 3 tubes/pipes (it appeared to be between the hose connection and the end of the piping /tubing of the DCCV) that point to the passenger side. If I have lost any coolant- it does not show in the system or reservoir. I have, for the last 6 months had, when the car was parked in my garage after driving, just the faintest whiff of coolant, but it is so very slight it is hard to distinguish from that of a hot engine and no apparent coolant loss and I really only smell it through the grill.

Could I be getting a false positive and just a seam leak from the radiator (which would explain the smell)? Would a radiator leak blow over to the DCCV and then down to the sway bar bushing bolt. The is zero indication of any coolant on the under shields or ever on the ground. If they leak where do they leak from- the hoses and connections seem in fine shape. When the DCCV does leak, where does it leak from normally- what gives up the ghost and allows the leak?

When mine went out before, I had a very clear leak that was a stream of fluid coming to the ground and seemed to be leaking from the top as I remember.


Thanks much for any help and advice.

Great New years to all-as well.

Tom in Dallas/Plano

2005 S-Type Jag 3.0
100,800 miles

 

Tom,

I'd recommend using a cooling system pressure tester. That way you can pressurize the system without the engine running or the radiator fan blowing any leaks around.

I've found with the engine running and coolant warm, small leaks often evaporate quickly, making them difficult to identify. I've had good results with a pressure tester on a cold engine.

 

You are at about the right mileage and a couple years past-time for the radiator to go. I had two that leaked at the side-tank seam, right side, aft, about 1/4 way from the bottom. Yes, both blew back onto the DCCV and attempted to lay blame at its (deserving) feet.
Karl is spot-on: a pressure tester is one of the best tools I ever bought. But my radiator failures were prior to that, and I found each by putting the front end up on ramps, pulling the lower cover, and observing the area underneath by laying under the car and observing the general area whilst idling the 3.0L.

If you are lucky, it will be your DCCV. If not, be careful....LOTS and LOTS! of S-type radiators on the web for $100ish suitable for the 6 or 7 manual cars produced. However, for the auto box, with integral xmsn oi cooler, you will likely have to report to the dealership with $400+ in-hand....

 

This one is advertised at less than $400:

https://www.radiatorexpress.com/prod...aia_id=1430946

No experience with their Jag model, but I have used this outfit for other vehicles with good results.

 

Thanks, I still suspect the radiator more than the dccv, as well. The amount is so small, that it may be hard to observe, but worth a try.

As far as the dealer is concerned, I would give you the car before going to them for anything. I can outline the complete lack of quality control to the point of the ridiculous, their extreme charges for everything, poor workmanship, poor diagnosis, their absolute arrogance and complete lairs that they are. My incidents involve, when under extending warranty, more than 5 trips to them. Just one as a quick example: They had previously replaced the driver's rear door actuator, ripped up the water shield and caused water to come into the car. I, not with customer service salesmen, but the owner of the dealership got it replaced (that was along with 4 other things in that one trip alone- that none of us would do).
About 4 months later: I had the passenger side rear door actuator go out and set up an appointment. The arrogant rep said that he was not going to replace that door shield as if they are not responsible for damage they do.
So before I went I called Jag USA and had their regional rep, along with the gen. manager of the dealership, the service manager, the service salesman and the actual mechanic who was going to do the work understand and make sure that the water shield was on properly.
I get the car- go home and wash it as their complimentary wash left spots all over the place. Got water in the car from that side- took off the door panel and saw they had simple not pressed the butyl rubber4 seal into place. It was then I found they had also left off my under-shield to the car. I think you get the drift, but I am sure I am not alone in these stories.


However:

Good New Years and all and thank you for the info and suggestions.

Would be curious if any of you have had the constant pressure clamps that they use on the dccv hoses not have enough pressure and where on normal clamps we could do a quarter of a turn and solve said problem?

Tom in Dallas/Plano

 

I've not had any problem with the constant-tension clamps, save when they are clocked to a position that is near impossible to get the tool on 'em for removal, but have experienced cold-flow with the worm-gear clamps as described by Motorcarman here: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...6/#post1765045

Also had this problem on the 05 S-Type but couldn't find where I'd posted about it. I recall discovering it sometime after the issue I posted in the X300 section linked above.

 

+1 on that. I much prefer constant-tension clamps over worm drive, other than access can be problematic. But as far as maintaining a seal, constant-tension clamps beat worm drive, hands down. There's a good reason you no longer see worm drive clamps from the factory.

 

Thanks and Motorcarman makes sense, as always.

When you say that you also had this problem on an 05 S-Type- are you referring to leaks from the radiator being blown over and causing the dccv to look like the guilty party? Or where you referring to loose hoses?

Tom

 

Yes and yes..on different occasions.
Owing to the fact I'd had the radiator leak on the 03 beforehand, in close proximity to DCCV replacement, the 05 did not fool me, but it could have been an able trap for the uninitiated. Here's the whole sad saga with the 03: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...-update-85267/

 

The more I look at the situation the more inclined I am to think the radiator, although if I did the work myself, I would do the dccv and lower radiator hose and probably the water pump at the same time (upper has been replaced). Would also order a coolant resv. tank even though mine is only 2 years old- but the design is for s....

Since I would be in virgin territory on replacing the radiator, how difficult is it in a real sense? Alldata has a fairly straight forward approach, although they left me confused about the power steering connection and in looking at the radiators, it only appears to have the water hoses and the transmission cooler lines.


Any opinion on these radiators and manufacturers?

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....430946&jsn=433

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....sn=417&jsn=417

Thanks

Tom in Dallas/Plano

 

Me too, I was convinced it was the valve leaking at first.

 

I never got round to a radiator how-to. Here's a link to all my pics of the evolution:
Radiator by holbrz1 | Photobucket
It's not too bad, the worst bit is getting the lower hose nipple past the a/c line. You'll need to tweak (pronounced "bend") it a little to get it past. No PS lines going to either radiator on my 03 nor 05. Only transmission cooler. Tie the free ends of the lines up high and cover them to keep foreign matter out and you won't lose enough xmsn fluid to worry about. Somewhere I posted how much the transcooler holds, but can't remember where.

Found this one, close as I ever got to the how-to:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...99/#post603374

 

About 0.5L

 

My recollection is that the cooler itself doesn't hold anywhere near 0.5 L. Maybe including lines?

 

Yes, cooler in rad + both cooling lines...

 

What did yours turn out to be? And if the radiator, since the dccv sits above the bottom of the rad., where on the radiator was your leak? (Probably not a place easy to see)

Thanks

Tom in Plano/Dallas

 

Not a huge problem about tranny fluid and I will get s filter and some fluid replacement down the road anyway.

I was looking at a YouTube video and one showed the taking off of and Freon loss from the condenser. Other than the ac line that has to be worked around, was there any need for you to remove the condenser with the old radiator and then attach before you put back in?

Thanks

Tom in Dallas/Plano

 

No, I just undid the fixings and tied it in-place iwth zip ties. I did not disturb the a/c charge. See that link I edited into post #12 after-the-fact. It has the basic steps.

 

It was the radiator close to the valve, and as you say not easy to see.
I didn't disconnect the condenser either.

 

I went under the car this weekend and could not find any trail of coolant that led to the collection spot of the front bolt for the sway bar bushing. The were no paths and the only thing i saw were a few white spots on the fan shroud that were probably a year and half old from the coolant expansion tank failure and replacement.

I put some folded up small paper towels underneath the lines that run to the dccv and all they got were colored orange and damp, but no one place that indicated a leak- more like blow-back. After having been wiped clean a small amount less than a teaspoon showed in that same bolt area for the sway bar bushing- so my "toweling" experiment showed nothing. I checked all hoses and found no leaks or trails.

I checked the bottom of the radiator and both sides of it and it look pristine and zero in any way of any coolant path.

Should I take a leap of faith and replace both the radiator and dccv? There appeared at the very edge of the hoses attached to the dccv a touch of moisture- no drops at all, but it did not appear to be orange and more like just a general oily substance.

I could find no drops getting ready to fall whereby. I make a small assumption that most radiator (most, but not all) would at some point end up at the bottom of he radiator.

Thoughts and suggestions.

Tom in Dallas/Plano
05 S-Type 3.0