A couple of standard rear boxes fitted today, which leaves me with a pleasant but not obtrusive acceleration growl, no resonance, and close to silent cruising with the windows closed; exactly what I was hoping for.
For anyone who is interested, the internal damage to the bank #1 catalytic convertor, and its associated downstream O2 sensor:


The early symtoms were an occasional P0430 code, and a less frequent P0420, with no noticeable loss of performance or economy, followed several thousand miles after the onset, by the inability to rev hard in the higher gears, until the O2 sensor was damaged by the failing catalytic convertor, when P0141, P0430, P0171, P0157, and several other codes appeared, yet emissions still remained legal.

 

I resprayed my hood as the job I did months ago was not good because my cheap compressor slowly died as the respray progressed.

This time with way better equipment I did the job again although I went with single stage paint and not the base coat/clear coat method.

When this single stage dries thoroughly I will sand out the orange peel and then will clear coat it.

 

I purchased my 2005 XJ8L NA 4.0 VIN G48653 in January 2020 (2nd owner excluding two dealer transfers) to replace my wife's 2001 XJ8 I rolled on 31 December 2019 for our 45th anniversary - no alcohol, long story

This charcoal gray with creme interior '05 XJ8L is in very nice shape for a 15 year old, 70k miles and looks well cared for in and out, zero corroded places, locally registered, only non working stuff at purchase was driver seat heater and center console power plugs, headliner needing a reset after checking the sunroof seals and drains. Those are low priority, and one is probably a ground point.

With my TriumphTR250 on the lift I paid for a full synthetic Castrol Titanium Edge oil change with my supplied filter, ordered a set of Goodyear Eagle Sports to replace the crappy "General" and brand incorrect mismatched and worn tires, and then checking the car after the oil change was completed I realized the bottom air deflector is attached with 7 bolts, two nuts and two screws! ARGH! What a bullcrap afterthought. Very surprised the oil grease monkey actually took the time to properly remove and reinstall the lower front air deflector - actually full removal is required in order to access the filter and drain plug. The air deflector needs some repairs of its own from old DPM's which I will effect like I rebuilt the plastic deflectors on my other XJ's.

Back to the subject. A few weeks ago began a slight smell of antifreeze when I stopped in the driveway after a drive. Checking the coolant tank, still full between min/max, no obvious leaks, no drips under the car - BUT WAIT there is a 1/4 car length air deflector there so that is going to block and completely hide all engine bay drips. Just could smell it, but not find it yet from the top.

Get out the 2000 lumen flashlight and start probing the engine and viola, through the tiniest of openings where someone just might be able to glimpse the top of the engine vee through all the convoluted haphazardly "designed" (designed is used very loosely as I am an engineer) intake, wires and cooling, getting a proper angle on the light that is of course a viewing place if they are the size of a freaking flee while contorted like a circus performer, I spied a small semidried trail of o'range coming from the front of the Vee. As best as I can see, it looks to be coming from the vicinity of the rear of the plastic thermostat housing. Cracked Plastic housing? pinhole in a hose? Bad Clamp? All or none?

So my Triumph TR250 finished its upgrades and repairs it gets started with a nice exhaust note, driven off the lift, out for a real high spirited drive to burn off some attitude on a road test, and back to drive the XJ8L onto the lift and up.

First thing I notice under the vehicle was RH transmission case plastic sump pan has orange dried antifreeze drips hanging from several transmission sump bolts. I wonder to myself if they could have put MORE plastic on this once noble marque as I remember not long ago sump pans were cast aluminum, as were cam covers, intake manifolds, engine oil sumps, etc. At least they could have put a "coolant-in-the-vee sensor as British V8's have been having that issue since my Stag V8 was built 50 years ago! Back to the subject again. Following the path of the orange stains, a few runs of dried orange stains on the transmission bell housing leading up to the back of the engine. Front bottom air deflector comes off and it also looks like I have a PS hose weep somewhere too. Back up top of the engine, the coolant leak is traveling down the RH vee side under the plastic intake manifold toward the rear where it must be then passing down the bellhousing and mostly evaporating before forming dried droplets on the transmission RH side cover bolts.
I think to myself "gee someone has had this problem before n the forum" and searching this excellent forum I found @funkymonkeybooze and @susu posts of the same or at least similar problems 7 & 8 years back, and that was all the posts !?! then I wonder why there are not more recent comments and photos, maybe I just forgot how to search for coolant in the Vee.

Thanks to @u102768 for posting the 3D rendering of a 4.2 Liter engine cooling and hoses - I'd like to have all of the 3D's for the vehicle in high resolution with augmented virtual vision goggles so when I look at the engine bay I can see any part including the crank from any perspective.

Seems like the problem @funkymonkeybooze had was a TSB or maybe that was the hoses in/out of the throttle body to the coolant tank being pinched by the engine cover. I'll have to go search the TSB's.

Now it possibly looks like a $0.50 length of hose is going to take 6-8 hours of labor and another +$1000 in related parts to replace because "while I am in there" , it only makes good practice to replace gaskets and consumables otherwise hidden in that mess.
So to the wisdom of the gurus on this forum, if I am going to spend hours pulling the air intake, throttle body and such other plastic PoS thermostat and hose housings, what should I fix, replace, or be very aware of "gotta-pay-extra-extra-careful-attention-care "while I am getting in there" ? I can see that some clearances are so tight that special clamps are needed because there are no spaces for screw or outside c clips / clamps. Odd, they designed this car wider/taller than the x308, yet they conserved space in the middle of the freaking engine Vee using quick stap clips so they could dump a spaghetti load of hoses side-by-side and hide it all with trim formed plastic covers - those really add bhp!.

I am planning on first, a full IDS/SDD diagnostic read and code-by-code review to see what else is going on with the restricted performance that comes/goes during the first drive warmup, and other hidden codes:
1. full new top end set of coolant hoses, housing "O" rings, clamps, thermostat;
2. full intake manifold gaskets;
3. throttle body cleaning, and replace all of the disturbed gaskets;
4. inspect/replace the wrinkle flex vacuum hoses/o-rings, etc;
5. change the air cleaner cover broken snaps to be modified into a screw down cover;
What other places do these 4.2 liter 2005 engines create typical vacuum leaks? Typical air muffler plastic welded on the intake between the Mass Air Flow sensor and the Throttle body, others?
Are there any aluminum replacement parts made for the plastic housings?

Seems to me the Restricted performance existed on my 1996 XJ6, my 2000, my 2001, and every other Jaguar model since 1995
.
Lastly, this thing handles like a boat on the high seas compared to my 2000 XJ8 or my '96 XJ6. Suspension all works, levels etc. but it just rolls into turns and launches over bumps. Doesn't bottom out, but does like to throw suspension codes when you drive it very hard like that, which all reset automatically after several miles. Not sure what that is all about, but maybe I am just used to coil over suspension?

Thanks in advance for the help, comments and feedback!

Cheers!

 

My 'new' import Jaguar XJR X358 4.2 Supercharged V8 was valued today for the insurance.
Spotless and no finds except for a light bit of wear on one doorrubber.
My VIN number points to nowhere. So I can do with a bit of help.....
Here is my 'sticker'

Thanks!






Car ID sticker.

 

Is the "4.0" in your first sentence " 2005 XJ8L NA 4.0 VIN G48653", a slip of the keyboard and should read 4.2?
Changing all the coolant hoses is a good idea after 15 years in any case, on any vehicle. Although I have yet to suffer this personally, those running through the valley are famous for splitting, but on your car being N/A, are just an irritation to change, as you don't have to remove a supercharger first; just do them all, especially as other things you plan to replace will facilitate access.
You should be able to use the aluminium thermostat housing from the supercharged model as a direct replacement for your plastic one.
Check the radiator; these tend to bow and corrode, sometimes mixing coolant with transmission fluid as they fail.
Blocked catalytic convertors will kill the performance, without necessarily generating diagnostic codes until the car will barely run. I just changed mine at 147,000 miles, they were in an appalling state inside.
Your suspension obviously has some problems; it should never produce any codes, and more to the point makes the X350/358 about the flattest cornering and most chuckable saloon ever made; infinitely better than any steel spring and damper setup. Educated guess work, air distribution, or somebody incompetent has being attempting to "improve" it?

 

Totally agree with this statement. Many people malign the air system and I can only guess that they have never driven a Jaguar with the air system in good shape.

 

SAJWA71B89SH30180 Seemed to work (this forum) or at www.vindecoderz.com

or https://en.vindecoder.pl/SAJWA71B89SH30180

 

Thanks Etypephil
Performance of the yes 4.2 liter engine is quite excellent, 0-100 + mph seems very respectable, very happy about that part except the restricted performance that I can get a handle on as I get into the engine top sides. I was kind of surprised when I matched off the line and very quickly passed an M series Beemer off a stoplight, but when I hit some dips in the roadway at about 120 mph I thought the car was going to launch right into space with several boing-boings. I also exiting off the interstate throttling hard into a cloverleaf exit testing my Eagle Sports grip was when I got the heavy body lean, Stability and traction control were operating on the dry road. So it looks like once I sort out the vee leak and restricted performance messages, it is a full suspension diagnostic to sort it out. IDS/SDD checks should help with that process. All the suspension bushings look in very good condition, no splitting, damage, wear or dry rot.

I'm wondering if the ride height was messed with by a DPM - maybe the dealer I bought it from - because there is a 1" difference front Front Left to Right Front, measuring 28 inches to the fender lip on the Front Left and Right Rear, 29" Front Right and 27" Left Rear , but that is not exactly on level ground so I don't trust it. I'll remeasure when I put it back on the 4 post level lift and let it adjust while running, then switched off.
Looking at my downloads from the forum right after I purchased this XJ8L I note I should have all the info I need including the air suspension training & program docs, diagnostics TSB XJ204-01/05/06, but will need what is "normal" ride height since the special tool 204-484 is not just a measuring tape.
Nice, those procedures look like 4 hours shop time due to a 2 hour settling time for temp and level and not disturbing anything. Tips in that area would be greatly appreciated so as to reduce the learning curve.

I'll spend tonight reading up on the air suspension while I am doing my parts lists for the coolant leak job.

Ought to be a full weekend for sure.

 

And the award for longest link ever goes to....

 

I suspect the fault is in line 1125 byte 253. Something to do with the cooling system.

By some strange chance of fate, I happened to be reading in another window about the Ig Nobel awards.
e.g. 2011 Arturas Zuokas, the mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania, for demonstrating that the problem of illegally parked luxury cars can be solved by running them over with a tank.
My nomination would be Philjoemill: "if you hit the CANBUS with 10^12 bytes, it will STILL be faulty"

 

"philjoemill has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - What did you do to your X350/X358 today? - in the XJ XJ6 / XJ8 / XJR ( X350 & X358 ) forum of Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum."
Now the post has gone.
,

 

Since it's deleted, it was fun though. An image appearing as bytes as long as the sun to the moon.
(otherwise people won't understand remaining jokes about a deleted post, I mean it was longer than the entire thread...could have gone well in "who has the highest mileage"...)

 

Sorry about that guys. I don't know what happened. *Note to self; do not copy and paste images.* I am trying to repair the 3/8" hose nipple on top of the radiator reservoir. It broke off and I need to epoxy it back in place. Yesterday's attempt failed so I tried again this morning. I expect this to fail also as I forgot to roughen the plastic before the JBWeld. When I get back home tonight, I will probably have to do it once again.

 

I don't know where it is broken but this might be easier than trying to JB. look up Dorman - part number 10691

 

Look at the thread below :

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...t-tank-117188/

 

Since the "longest link" is deleted, I'll claim the award for longest topic post

 

Its been a busy couple of weeks for my 2006 X350, in that time I've replaced every single front and rear suspension arm, control arms, wish bones, etc, replaced rear wheel bearings, front hub assembly/wheel bearings, wheel alignment all round, replaced front airshock struts, replaced a section of air line hose to one of the struts, front bumper including respray, new headlamp washer jet assembley as old one had broken connectors between hoses, new horns as old ones blew the fuse and eventually gave up completely due to water somehow getting in them, upgrade of the headunit from jagdroid with android 6 to jagdroid with android 9 plus added a front park camera, new gas struts for bonnet and boot (trunk) lid, replaced all four o2 sensors (preventative maintenance), replaced transmission fluid, filter, cover, and bolts etc, changed oil and brake fluid, added light up door sill treads to replace the originals a bit like the new XJ. Replaced steering wheel volume control switch, replaced and resprayed left hand side skirt with new one. So its been a very busy and expensive 2 weeks or so for my X350, I hope she appreciates all this work 😉

 

Mark do the struts for the boot raise it totally when unlocked remotely?

 

philjoemill, I agree with jluvzcarz it is a better idea to replace the tank. The plastic life on these cars depending on engine environment is probably stretched pretty close to its design life - the actual cost may surprise you to be much lower than expected.

But if you are set on some sort of repair on a plastic hose barb, a quick repair I have made very successfully as a stopgap waiting for a replacement. I take a nylon bolt of suitable diameter smaller than the hose barb size to allow for ID tapping of the barb for threads, cut the head off, carefully drill out the inside of the nylon bolt to allow for air/fluid passage, then tap the inside of the broken barb and its mating piece with a bottoming tap to match the nylon bolt threads and thread them together with setting type thread sealant or epoxy on the threads. The result is a practically invisible repair stronger than the original.

Use a nylon bolt that is long enough to extend inside to the tip of the barb and get far into the repair piece without interfering with anything inside the component. Sometimes you can find a nylon bolt with a metal internal pin that can be pushed out - leaving a perfect threaded tube for the repair

I have made that repair on the expensive emission vent solenoid valve tiny hose barb on my X308, and broken expansion tank barbs on both of my X308's and they have lasted a many years and still functioning without leaks.

It is a 10 - 20 minute repair if you have a proper sized nylon bolt on hand, and it is actually stronger than the original. Most hardware stores have nylon bolt selections and also matching thread taps.

 

Just as a note I do not have the adaptive suspension feature - or at least it is not configured as such in the SDD which brings up the question - how to determine if features are installed or not installed to make sure the SDD config is correct?