The following problem started last week

The temperature gauge suddenly spiked to high.
The transmission would not shift past second.
The A/C compressor shut down.
The temperature gauge dropped back down to normal along with all other functions.
The above happened repeatedly.
I checked the fluid levels at the expansion tank and at the bleed/fill port at the front of the engine. No indication of any low fluid problem. Also checked for air in system by squeezing the hoses and looking for any sign of air bubbles.
In order to rule out a faulty temperature sensor I hooked up a new sensor but didn't install it, just taped it to the water hose. The engine ran flawlessly until the upper radiator hose blew off and I limped back to the house. Car is obviously not running now.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

UM, what sort of car we trying to fix here.

Also you are NEW, so welcome.

Please do your intro in the "new member area", and include your car details in your "sig". It's just easier for us oldies that dont mind read too well anymore.

 

He is registered as Jaguar/XJ8L/1998.

If the high temp is real and it sounds like it is you could have a bad thermostat, water pump, collapsed hose or a clogged system. What blew the hose the temperature or a failed hose? One thing is for sure this engine does not like to run in an overheated condition.

 

Oh, Bugga, where is that info?. Just curious?.

Time for a drink.

 

L click on user name> view public profile.

OP
Welcome to the Forum.
Please take time to visit
New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum
and introduce yourself so we can all say 'Hello' and sort the right section for your car.

 

Click on his user name and then about me (him)

 

I'm having the exact same issue. It started yesterday afternoon on the commute home.

I have a 2003 XJ8 VDP with 142,000 miles. Here's what's happening:

As you're driving along, everything is normal. If you stop at a red light or get into stop and go traffic (traveling below 30 mph basically), the temperature gauge (only sometimes) suddenly spikes. It will go from normal to the red "H" in about 2 seconds. Once it hits the red, the:
-transmission holds first gear for an extend period of time, forcing the engine to rev, and then it does shift to second; however, it will not shift to higher gears after that.
- the A/C compressor shut down.

The first time this happened, I immediately killed the engine, threw the tranny in nuetral, put my emergency hazards on, and pulled to the side of the road. I then turn the key back on in the auxiliary position (to get an ongoing gauge reading), and to my complete surprise, it read instantly normal again. Funny, I thought. Was it just a false gauge reading?

I decided to trust the gauge's new reading of normal and restart the engine. The car drove fine. It drove normally the rest of the way home. Thinking it might have been an eccentric old car being glitchy, I decided to drive it to work this morning under an extra-watchful eye. It did not go well.

Once I hit traffic, it happened 4 more times. Each time the gauge spikes, I repeat the above-mentioned process. And I did get to work. But I'm not sure if the engine is over heating or not? There are no other indications of problems--no fluid leaks, no hose or radiator issues, etc.

I do have an electric cooling fan motor that is going bad. The bearing on the shaft is shot, and it clatters a lot. BUT it still turns and blows like hell. Could it be that even though the fan runs, it still isn't pulling the right amount of air flow through the radiator? That would make sense why this problem only happens at low speeds and stops. But it doesn't explain the funny gauge behavior, does it?

Any thoughts? Thanks, Chris

 

Do not drive the car until this is repaired. Tow it to a shop if you do not repair it yourself.

Start by replacing the thermostat. It is inexpensive and commonly fails by sticking intermittently.

And fix that fan...if it stopped working along with the thermostat sticking you almost certainly will have lost your engine by now.


Also consider adding my RealGauge upgrade once this problem is resolved. It helps you catch this type of problem earlier before you actually overheat and potentially do damage.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, WhiteXKR.

I agree this isn't something to fool around with. How would I know if I have already done engine damage?

 

Find and fix the problem first.

If everything is OK, you may have escaped serious damage. Change the oil since the heat acclelerates breakdown.

Overheating can cause damage in may ways on an aluminum engine, most commonly head gasket failure, dropped valve seats, warped head, weakened internal tenesioners and guides, scored bearings. Sometimes the problems can be latent, and manifest later. Without internal inspection, it really is not possible to say for sure.

 

I had blown fuses for the electric fans and had the rad hose blowing off. It would happen in traffic, of course. Don't trust the temp gauge. But, if you have a '98, the water pump, thermostat, and thermostat tower (plastic) are known probable issues. In fact, if they've lasted this long, it would be unusual.