Jeff, I hope it is indeed a leaky power steering line that turns out to be the gremlin in your car. A lot easier to deal with for everyone involved, and your buddy Mike comes out a hero on the first try with the black light. High-fives all around and everyone goes home happy.

But Rick says that our oil pan gaskets are known to be lousy. Both Brutal and FactoryJagTech confirmed this to him. And we all know those guys are sharp....

So even if it is your PS fluid, the research in this thread prepares all of us for dealing with the oil pan gasket if and when it decides to crap out on us. Well worth the time and effort, I think. In fact, I've already written down what I need to know on a scrap of paper and tucked it into my Jaguar folder in my desk drawer. It says:

1. Put 7 quarts of Castrol and 1 Purolator oil filter in trunk.

2. Drive to Jaguar dealership in Greensboro and purchase 1 black-colored oil pan gasket.

3. Fill up gas tank and head directly for Rick's house....

 

Rick's gonna end up with a caravan of 3 liter S-Types on his drive, and a years supply of beer..


You know a post lift is only like 2 grand. If the dealer wants 1,100 per job, if enough guys contributed... well..

And.. the best part! We can all take pictures posing with knomes! LOL.

 

You guys are too much!!!!

To answer Mikes question about fitting a new gasket under the oil pick up tube without removing pan, yes it could be done. The gasket is aluminum (about a 1/16" thick) and bends REALLY easy, the problem being, if you bent it that far I would worry the actual bends in the aluminum would distort the gasket, therefore could be a possible leak in waiting. <----Not worth the risk IMHO.
If one was to get as far as removing all the pan, HVAC, alt and rack bolts, its not much longer to do the install correctly as Jon had mentioned! You do have to use 2 thin lines of permatex, thats all I would use though.

Maybe I should tackle the ZF tranny sleave as well. Then I can make a package deal on everyones vehicle at the same time! I would help any and all takers!!



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I like Miller Lite and or Busch Light

 

with me mowing the lawn in the background!

 

Ooooowwwwww my eyes are burning!

 

Rick, you already agreed - NO F***ING MOWING, PERIOD....

 

Hey Rick,

You need to get one of these:.

 

Milke as of lately, sure could use one! LOVE the sign!

 

You need a post lift, not a drive up one... Gives you so much more flexibility plus the entire underside of the car is open

So Rick,

What would the going rate for the the IMT-O Ring / Oil Pan Gasket / ZF trans Sleeve Service?? Add to that a DCCV replacement and you've got 90% of the Jaguar design flaws sorted.

I think that at some point my car is going to need all of the above work done.

George

 

So, the Valdez went into the service bay this morning. We went over the underside of the car with it up on a lift. Everything looks real good considering she's spent 5 years of harsh environment commuting. So, the service tech used the black light and it wasn't the power steering. It also isn't the oil pan. It really isn't a leak at all. It is more of a VERY slow seepage.
Where it is coming from is the transmission cooling line. The metal line transitions to a braided flex hose connected by a permanent crimp up toward the radiator. At that crimp, there is a very slight seepage. Remember, there was a bit of staining but no drip evidence on the under tray. So, looking at the line and what would need to be pulled apart to replace it, we all agreed to leave it alone for now. Obviously, if it starts to get any worse, they will replace it under warranty.
My feelings, while there will be those that disagree, are that you can create other and more problems when you start yanking apart all the things that would need to come out to get that line so it is better to just let it be for now. What I would do, is if there is a reason to start pulling things apart down there, check the cooling lines and replace them if they are wet. I know I will if it needs the trans sending unit o-ring replaced or other such service.

 

So what parts have to be removed in order to get to the guilty crimp part? How big a job is this? With your Select Edition warranty covering it, I'm somewhat surprised that you're not going to have them fix it now. It's never good to have a leaking part, particularly one that is damn difficult to get to. That leak can suddenly expand and then you're at risk of severe damage with not enough oil/fluid/whatever remaining to keep that particular system properly lubricated. I assume that in your case, you're gradually losing your transmission fluid....

I'm glad your oil pan gasket remains intact. Maybe the factory oil pan gaskets are not as lousy as their reputation makes them out to be....

 

Here is the short version.....

1) Not even enough fluid seeping to actually amount to anything more than a greasy stain...Not even enough to sample..Again, the area was damp when I checked it, triggering me to have it looked at.

2) From what I can see....Steering rack and or lower cross-member. Any associated electrical connections, the pan, maybe more since the lines look to be attached via the inside of the trans. case. We didn't go over the list but Mike mentioned he had heard of the engine being pulled.

3) At the current rate it may need a pint of fluid in about 5 years or more. Again, not worth the risk in my opinion.

4) I work on my own car and will certainly notice an increased rate of fluid loss.

Finally, this isn't about the money...Heck the checks and service, if I insisted, are all free and covered(not counting the donuts I brought them). It is about not creating a bigger problem down the road from something this minor. I mainly wanted to know what it was. Now I know what to watch.

 

Good luck. Hope the seepage rate doesn't begin to increase on you....

Did Mike mention to you how many times he's seen this before?