Oil leaks.
#1
Oil leaks.
Well i discovered that my new Kitty is leaky.
there is oil over the bottom everywhere so hard to tell at this point where it is coming from.
discovered oil on the driveway at work when i left this arvo.
so when i got home i put some cardboard underneath to get an idea of the severity of the leaks.
this is after a few hours parked in my driveway. Larger patch is more from the rear and there is smaller drips elsewhere.
going to have to clean it and get under and track this down.
hopefully its not real main seal or anything that requires engine out.
if it is maybe some seal softener additive and thicker oil may be a good bandaid solution atleast for a while.
What are common places of leaks?
i have read valve cover gasket, oil cooler bypass lines.
there is oil over the bottom everywhere so hard to tell at this point where it is coming from.
discovered oil on the driveway at work when i left this arvo.
so when i got home i put some cardboard underneath to get an idea of the severity of the leaks.
this is after a few hours parked in my driveway. Larger patch is more from the rear and there is smaller drips elsewhere.
going to have to clean it and get under and track this down.
hopefully its not real main seal or anything that requires engine out.
if it is maybe some seal softener additive and thicker oil may be a good bandaid solution atleast for a while.
What are common places of leaks?
i have read valve cover gasket, oil cooler bypass lines.
Last edited by Spud Maat; 11-01-2021 at 07:46 AM.
#3
OK,
so looking through the service history i can see that the 2/2019 and 4/2020 service were both done using HPR30 (20W60 SAE) which seams to make sense for a high KM motor. (358000km)
the service 3/2021 was done however using 5/40 SAE which is likely simply just too thin.
a mechanic friend i know suggested potentially using 40W70 SAE which contains some addities which is designed for high KM motors the would have normally run 20W50.
Anyone had any experience running this?
for reference the climate i am in (Sydney Australia) is generally quite warm and gets quite hot in summer.
so looking through the service history i can see that the 2/2019 and 4/2020 service were both done using HPR30 (20W60 SAE) which seams to make sense for a high KM motor. (358000km)
the service 3/2021 was done however using 5/40 SAE which is likely simply just too thin.
a mechanic friend i know suggested potentially using 40W70 SAE which contains some addities which is designed for high KM motors the would have normally run 20W50.
Anyone had any experience running this?
for reference the climate i am in (Sydney Australia) is generally quite warm and gets quite hot in summer.
#6
i mean higher viscosity oils get run on older engines for a reason. one of which is to help prevent leaks/seapage.
there is certainly a good chance that it will slow the leaks.
i am far from knowledgeable on this car but i have seen worse leaks stopped on other cars by changing to a thicker grade oil and using some seal refresher additive.
#7
You can start from the top down and work your way to the engine / transmission split as last
You can find the O- ring selection by looking around these pages and maybe come up with common substitutions
Start with the hoses coming out from under the power steering reservoir that leak and make a big mess
cut off an inch of each hose so you have fresh hose material to reclamp
Next will be the valve cover gasket that can be leaking on the very back edge
This valve cover gasket can be tricky with a replacement gasket so try to leave it alone but keep in mind the back edge
On the left side of the engine block you have the oil filter area that has additional short pipes with O - rings that have a history and are easy to replace
Your engine does not have oil cooling lines to the radiator so there are rerouting bypass pipes underneath the oil filter housing
Check the snugness of the oil filter installation as it won't be the first time loose
on each side of the oil filter you have the 2 knock sensors and then the oil pressure sender
Above the oil filter you have the engine coolant pipe that has a gasket that fails
Search Genuine Sump And Oil Delivery Systems Parts For Jaguar Xj 1995 - 1997 (from 720125 To 812255) Classic | Jaguar Land Rover Classic Parts
That should cover your basic starting check and then maybe source a newer valve cover gasket if needed as long as yours is still soft , There is a Jaguar TSB on the valve cover bolt tighten pattern but.....
You can find the O- ring selection by looking around these pages and maybe come up with common substitutions
Start with the hoses coming out from under the power steering reservoir that leak and make a big mess
cut off an inch of each hose so you have fresh hose material to reclamp
Next will be the valve cover gasket that can be leaking on the very back edge
This valve cover gasket can be tricky with a replacement gasket so try to leave it alone but keep in mind the back edge
On the left side of the engine block you have the oil filter area that has additional short pipes with O - rings that have a history and are easy to replace
Your engine does not have oil cooling lines to the radiator so there are rerouting bypass pipes underneath the oil filter housing
Check the snugness of the oil filter installation as it won't be the first time loose
on each side of the oil filter you have the 2 knock sensors and then the oil pressure sender
Above the oil filter you have the engine coolant pipe that has a gasket that fails
Search Genuine Sump And Oil Delivery Systems Parts For Jaguar Xj 1995 - 1997 (from 720125 To 812255) Classic | Jaguar Land Rover Classic Parts
That should cover your basic starting check and then maybe source a newer valve cover gasket if needed as long as yours is still soft , There is a Jaguar TSB on the valve cover bolt tighten pattern but.....
Last edited by Parker 7; 11-03-2021 at 07:15 AM.
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Spud Maat (11-03-2021)
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#8
You can start from the top down and work your way to the engine / transmission split as last
You can find the O- ring selection by looking around these pages and maybe come up with common substitutions
Start with the hoses coming out from under the power steering reservoir that leak and make a big mess
cut off and inch of each hose so you have fresh hose material to reclamp
Next will be the valve cover gasket that can be leaking on the very back edge
You can find the O- ring selection by looking around these pages and maybe come up with common substitutions
Start with the hoses coming out from under the power steering reservoir that leak and make a big mess
cut off and inch of each hose so you have fresh hose material to reclamp
Next will be the valve cover gasket that can be leaking on the very back edge
too many things to try to attend to.
really hoping that i can get it to my brothers work soon and get it up on a hoist to have a good look. but he is very busy atm
I mean, its a 25 YO Jaguar with 358 000Km on it.
it's bound to have some leaks
Things get worn down and leaky as they get older. just not so easy to buy an incontinence diaper for our cars
Last edited by Spud Maat; 11-03-2021 at 06:48 AM.
#11
penrite 45w70 is a joke oil made for extreme burners, like smoke cloud out the tailpipe bad. these cars were filled with 10w30 new it’ll be fine with anything.
mine doesn’t leak a drop. find and fix the leaks there’s only like 5 places it can be and 3 of them are easy
mine doesn’t leak a drop. find and fix the leaks there’s only like 5 places it can be and 3 of them are easy
Last edited by xalty; 11-03-2021 at 07:03 AM.
#12
certainly can't hurt to try.
i mean higher viscosity oils get run on older engines for a reason. one of which is to help prevent leaks/seapage.
there is certainly a good chance that it will slow the leaks.
i am far from knowledgeable on this car but i have seen worse leaks stopped on other cars by changing to a thicker grade oil and using some seal refresher additive.
i mean higher viscosity oils get run on older engines for a reason. one of which is to help prevent leaks/seapage.
there is certainly a good chance that it will slow the leaks.
i am far from knowledgeable on this car but i have seen worse leaks stopped on other cars by changing to a thicker grade oil and using some seal refresher additive.
Higher viscosity oils are run on older cars to fill growing tolerances which are created by friction over time.
#13
I don't subscribe to that theory. If it leaks when its hot, then it'll leak cold, afterall a 20w50 is at 20 weight when cold, which is much thinner than the 50 weight when hot. So if its leaking at rest, I can't imagine what it would do when hot?
Higher viscosity oils are run on older cars to fill growing tolerances which are created by friction over time.
Higher viscosity oils are run on older cars to fill growing tolerances which are created by friction over time.
#14
I don't subscribe to that theory. If it leaks when its hot, then it'll leak cold, afterall a 20w50 is at 20 weight when cold, which is much thinner than the 50 weight when hot. So if its leaking at rest, I can't imagine what it would do when hot?
Higher viscosity oils are run on older cars to fill growing tolerances which are created by friction over time.
Higher viscosity oils are run on older cars to fill growing tolerances which are created by friction over time.
the drips in the driveway only happens for a little while after parking as the oil drips off the engine.
and it takes a little bit after starting the car for it to leak.
Last edited by Spud Maat; 11-03-2021 at 04:01 PM.
#15
You have a failing seal(s) somewhere. Changing the oil viscosity shouldn’t make a significant difference.
#16
I had to troubleshoot oil leaks in a much lower mileage car (80000 miles, so ~130000km) a couple months back. The lady of the house was getting upset at the oil spots on the garage floor...
Here are a few thoughts:
-If you can, park it over some clean cardboard again in an area where you can look underneath from all sides before driving off. I found that pretty useful to correlate puddles to engine areas. If you have white cardboard, or an old bedsheet you can sacrifice, you can use the color of the drip to help you figure out what it is. Brown/black is oil, red is power steering or automatic gearbox, etc.
-Yes, the valve cover gasket is a trouble spot. The previous owner had the gasket replaced in July 2011 (58k miles) and June 2015 (69k miles), and it was leaking again by the time I got the car. I didn't find it that hard to replace. There are reports here of aftermarket gaskets fitting poorly, so I spent the money on genuine Jag. Don't forget to replace the little gaskets around the valve cover bolts. They need to be fresh and springy to help hold the valve cover in place.
-When the oil filter is removed, oil spills into the crossmember (as well as up your shirtsleeve). From the crossmember, it drips out slowly over time. Check there when you get it up on the lift.
-As others have mentioned, the power steering reservoir can be another trouble area. My hoses are ok, but a little fluid seems to weep out around the reservoir cap. I'm still watching that.
Hope that helps. We're heading into cold weather here, so I'm running 10W30 per the manual.
-Thos
Here are a few thoughts:
-If you can, park it over some clean cardboard again in an area where you can look underneath from all sides before driving off. I found that pretty useful to correlate puddles to engine areas. If you have white cardboard, or an old bedsheet you can sacrifice, you can use the color of the drip to help you figure out what it is. Brown/black is oil, red is power steering or automatic gearbox, etc.
-Yes, the valve cover gasket is a trouble spot. The previous owner had the gasket replaced in July 2011 (58k miles) and June 2015 (69k miles), and it was leaking again by the time I got the car. I didn't find it that hard to replace. There are reports here of aftermarket gaskets fitting poorly, so I spent the money on genuine Jag. Don't forget to replace the little gaskets around the valve cover bolts. They need to be fresh and springy to help hold the valve cover in place.
-When the oil filter is removed, oil spills into the crossmember (as well as up your shirtsleeve). From the crossmember, it drips out slowly over time. Check there when you get it up on the lift.
-As others have mentioned, the power steering reservoir can be another trouble area. My hoses are ok, but a little fluid seems to weep out around the reservoir cap. I'm still watching that.
Hope that helps. We're heading into cold weather here, so I'm running 10W30 per the manual.
-Thos
#17
it’s dozens of times thicker
#18
it gets much thinner as it heats up.
thicker oil does not leak through as easily as thinner oil does.
Thicker oil may well not be the cure.
Thicker oil + a seal refresher additive certainly can't hurt tho as there is a chance it may stop the leak, and it will quite possibly make any leak slower if it does remain present.
I may or may not fix the problem, but it sure as hell can't hurt to try.
#19
I had to troubleshoot oil leaks in a much lower mileage car (80000 miles, so ~130000km) a couple months back. The lady of the house was getting upset at the oil spots on the garage floor...
Here are a few thoughts:
-If you can, park it over some clean cardboard again in an area where you can look underneath from all sides before driving off. I found that pretty useful to correlate puddles to engine areas. If you have white cardboard, or an old bedsheet you can sacrifice, you can use the color of the drip to help you figure out what it is. Brown/black is oil, red is power steering or automatic gearbox, etc.
-Yes, the valve cover gasket is a trouble spot. The previous owner had the gasket replaced in July 2011 (58k miles) and June 2015 (69k miles), and it was leaking again by the time I got the car. I didn't find it that hard to replace. There are reports here of aftermarket gaskets fitting poorly, so I spent the money on genuine Jag. Don't forget to replace the little gaskets around the valve cover bolts. They need to be fresh and springy to help hold the valve cover in place.
-When the oil filter is removed, oil spills into the crossmember (as well as up your shirtsleeve). From the crossmember, it drips out slowly over time. Check there when you get it up on the lift.
-As others have mentioned, the power steering reservoir can be another trouble area. My hoses are ok, but a little fluid seems to weep out around the reservoir cap. I'm still watching that.
Hope that helps. We're heading into cold weather here, so I'm running 10W30 per the manual.
-Thos
Here are a few thoughts:
-If you can, park it over some clean cardboard again in an area where you can look underneath from all sides before driving off. I found that pretty useful to correlate puddles to engine areas. If you have white cardboard, or an old bedsheet you can sacrifice, you can use the color of the drip to help you figure out what it is. Brown/black is oil, red is power steering or automatic gearbox, etc.
-Yes, the valve cover gasket is a trouble spot. The previous owner had the gasket replaced in July 2011 (58k miles) and June 2015 (69k miles), and it was leaking again by the time I got the car. I didn't find it that hard to replace. There are reports here of aftermarket gaskets fitting poorly, so I spent the money on genuine Jag. Don't forget to replace the little gaskets around the valve cover bolts. They need to be fresh and springy to help hold the valve cover in place.
-When the oil filter is removed, oil spills into the crossmember (as well as up your shirtsleeve). From the crossmember, it drips out slowly over time. Check there when you get it up on the lift.
-As others have mentioned, the power steering reservoir can be another trouble area. My hoses are ok, but a little fluid seems to weep out around the reservoir cap. I'm still watching that.
Hope that helps. We're heading into cold weather here, so I'm running 10W30 per the manual.
-Thos
hoping its something like the valve cover gasket or around a hose that is relatively easy to get to and fix.
i always use liquid gasket glue stuff whenever replacing a gasket to help ensure a solid seal.
hopefully this weekend i can have a look but it may have to wait till next weekend.
thanks for the tips
#20
Valve cover gasket has 2 D cutouts that the seal can fall out of on the back edge of the valve cover
If you run your finger along the back edge you may find the seal has " blown out " and then you will know to address it sooner then later
The oil comes out outside the back of the block and may explain your drip pattern on your cardboard
The problem is finding a good replacement gasket manufacture that is not lacking on the shape of the 2 Ds and this is where high temp sealastic helps
agrepair.com/images/TSB/X300/03.1EngineAJ16/03-1-08%20Camshaft%20Cover%20Oil%20Leaks.pdf
If you run your finger along the back edge you may find the seal has " blown out " and then you will know to address it sooner then later
The oil comes out outside the back of the block and may explain your drip pattern on your cardboard
The problem is finding a good replacement gasket manufacture that is not lacking on the shape of the 2 Ds and this is where high temp sealastic helps
agrepair.com/images/TSB/X300/03.1EngineAJ16/03-1-08%20Camshaft%20Cover%20Oil%20Leaks.pdf
Last edited by Parker 7; 11-04-2021 at 12:39 PM.