After one of the most Stressful, MOT's that I can ever remember, including lack of sleep the night before!

Last night I was so shattered, that I slept like a 'dead man' so after waking up this morning, which always comes in handy when you've got lots of other stuff to do.

I've managed to collect my thoughts to try and remember what happened, during the Test.

The XJS was on the Ramp, up in the Air, with the engine running, while the MOT Tester was jacking up the front, in order to check the wheel bearings and steering.

Then as he lowered the front end down, oil then started dripping from near the Steering Rack and made a bit of a puddle on the floor.

Not wishing to blow the prospect of passing the MOT I made light of it by saying that I must have over filled something, when I was doing a Service on the engine.

Though in truth the last time I saw this on another XJS it turned out to be a leak in the 'Oil Cooler' which as every one probably knows is a bit of a nightmare to fix and a very expensive one at that!

When I was driving the Car back home, the Steering felt a bit 'different' to my other XJS which is the 6 cylinder face lift 1995.

So not factoring in the difference in the handling characteristics between these two different Cars, I jumped to the conclusion, that it must be the oil seals gone in the steering rack, after an 8 year lay up!

As soon as I returned to base, I checked the level of oil in the power steering, where to my complete surprise I found it was still full!

Then with the engine running, while She was sitting level on the drive, I was expecting to see a load of oil drip down from somewhere.

Except that didn't happen! or at least it hasn't happened yet!

Instead all I got was residual drips, from the oil that had leaked out from somewhere during the MOT.

So having checked all the fluid levels, which were all 'Strangely' up to the mark, including the Transmission, I am at a bit of a loss to know what caused this Oil leak to out during the MOT.

Any ideas? anyone experienced something similar?

 

OB,

What type of fluid is it? I guess it possibly could be some fluid - engine oil, PAS fluid, even washer fluid etc that was sitting on the lower tray, maybe from a previous fill or drain, and as the car tipped, it just poured off the tray onto the ground. Just a thought.

Why don't you give the engine bay and underside a good wash down and then see if there's any obvious leaks.

Good luck

Paul

 

Agreed.

What colour would be a clue to assist us.

Oil from the oil filter spill when replacing that sucker can find its way out at the most inappropriate time.

I will wait for the colour before saying any more.

 

OB

1. My money is on oil pooling somewhere that dripped out when the front was jacked up.
2. Did she pass?

Greg

 

Hi Paul

She doesn't seem to be leaking at the moment, just a bit of residual on the driveway and I didn't do any top ups before the MOT, so it kind of struck me as really weird that oil should spill out like that.

As you may have gathered, it wasn't top down weather on the day of the MOT and when its up you get a lot of blind spots. (not ideal but we didn't hit anything!)

 

Hi Grant

It was a sort of Amber Nectar Color (seriously!)

It looked a lot more like engine oil than power steering fluid but it was hard to tell and the Weather is too bad to jack her up.

 

Did you feel it and is the power steering fluid you are using yellow (some use tranny fluid)?

Oil feels slick and PS fluid has a "dry" feeling to it, hard to explain.

If the oil and power steer level aren't low, then it must have been excess from somewhere.

Keep in mind an overfilled power steering system will heat up and overflow out of the cap

 

Greg, I think you are probably right!

But as soon as I saw it dripping, I was thinking oil cooler but She doesn't seem to be leaking at the moment. Fingers Crossed!

Look out for my exhaust problem post, I'm hearing a lot of 'Banging' noises underneath the car.

Did She Pass The MOT? The very short answer is Yes!

But this was a Saga and a half if ever there was!

Its hard to remember what happened about 8 years ago but as it turned out this same garage (but not the same tester) had done my previous MOT on this Car in 2005!

Since that previous MOT, my Car had traveled a distance of only 'One Mile!' and I took the Old MOT along to show them.

Thinking it might be just a Case of checking the brakes and having a quick look round. 'How wrong can you be!'

After failing on what appeared to be a sticking Brake, when it went on the Rolling Road, it was a different story altogether!

The Brake differential was as perfect as two 'synchronized swimmers!' and She literally danced her way through the 'Lambada' smoke test!

Then he insisted he did the rear brake test with a 'Taplin Meter' as because it had an LSD he didn't want to do it on the Rolling Road.

Have you ever been a passenger in your own 'Pride and Joy'? Lets just say that I won't be about to be taking that up as a hobby any time soon!!!

Did you ever see that film, 'Gone in 60 seconds?' For a minute I thought I was in it! until he put the brakes on and I thought that I was going through the Screen!

But OMG can that car really fly!

Things only improved when he started to realize that 'I wasn't a Punter' and then I ended up helping him do the MOT.

Would I go back? I'm still traumatized, so I can't say for sure but on the Plus side I might do, as he was Careful with my Car and now we have a very good rapport.

 

Now you happen to mention it, the Oil did look a bit amber and did feel a bit dry and as I forgot to grease the pistons of the power steering unit, when I had the car on blocks, I thought it had damaged the seals.

Would greasing the piston arms (or not) help or hinder in it any way?

The Steering did feel a little bit strange to begin with but that could be because I was used to driving my other car.

Last night I took it out for an hour to give it a bit of a 'Shakedown' but then it got dark and today its been persisting down with rain.

So it's hard to tell if anything is leaking but I think that it might be ok!

I didn't want to draw attention to it at the time, as I only wanted to get through the MOT, where afterwards its easier to fix things.

Though at the moment I don't know where those oil drips came from, which were enough to fill about an egg cup.

 

If its raining and you have no dry place to check it out, let it sit for now.
How about concocting a new story to amuse us! That wold be time well spent!

 

OB! You had us all Scared To Death that after all the drama over the past months, then it didn't pass!

Do you have ANY idea the interest and anguish your stories about this car have generated, not only in this forum, but among lurkers from several others?? Look at the Views numbers.

You started out with this oil leak issue, and you didn't even bother to tell us the outcome of the MOT until GREG HAD TO SPECIFICALLY ASK YOU 5 HOURS LATER, AND THEN YOU WAITED ANOTHER 3 HOURS BEFORE YOU FINALLY TOLD US!! EIGHT HOURS YOU'VE KEPT US ON PINS AND NEEDLES!! OB, you have no idea of the tension, anticipation/dread!
(this is all fake yelling by the way, because I really am very glad you prevailed.)

Hearty Congratulations from me to you for this Smashing Victory; in spite of your tardiness in letting us know the great news.

(';')

 

I would if only I could

But these things actually happened to me, almost 'word for word' the only bit that I made up was saying I went for the MOT in a Dirty pair of Jeans and Jumper full of holes.

That Jumper was not fit for purpose as it was far to clean! to be of use, so I had a bit of a fashion show, where I tried on the kind of Stuff that would freak out a Charity Shop.

Until I heard the GF say, OMG You can't go out looking like that!

So that's what I did!

And just to avoid any death threats, I did put some polythene covers over the seats!

 

Hi Elinor

Many Thanks for your concern but I had such a 'Stressful day' that I could not even manage to write: XJ Yes! She's passed the Test and the Diva's about to ride out! (That's the Car not super scruffy me!)

And in any event why use a few words when a couple of hundred will do!

My Mind had simply gone and left the Building and even now I'm getting flashbacks, of what had gone before.

The only other interest that I was aware of, was when I went in the Post Office so I could Tax the Car, where the Woman behind the Counter said I'd love a Car like Yours.

But I think that She got the wrong end of the stick when I said that She would have to spend a long time laying flat on her back every day!

So I didn't want to jump the gun and start to Celebrate, just in case the nightmare wasn't over.

Which now takes the form of a possible Oil leak, as well as a Banging Exhaust! that I could not help hearing on my first proper Test Drive!

No problem on Flat Tarmac but if you hit the slightest bump, it sounds like you have smashed a box of China! as the last thing that I want is the Exhaust falling off.

Apart from that the Test drive was Amazing! as not far from me is an Under Pass, which seems to go on forever and is lit up like a Discotheque with loads of Atmospheric Smokey Colored Orange Lights.

Its dank and its foreboding and not a place you want to be if you just gave up Smoking but the Sound that echos off those walls could raise the dead on any Night and not just Halloween!

And the only place I can think of, where fun ought to carry Health Warnings, unless of course you happen to love the smell of burning rubber in the Morning! as it is a Hot Hatch paradise down there.

Coming out into the day light, was the best bit for me as it feels as if you have just been shot from a Canon!

Where every single cut and bruise sustained along the way, is the small price you pay for admission, (Apart from the Car and a bottomless Tanker of Petrol!)

So now I've got an MOT apart from a major breakdown, then with the help from the Guys on here, including your Good Self, then I just don't care any more, as I think I can fix it and enjoying doing so.

Which kind of brings me back to what you were saying, as apart from writing on it I don't know how these blogs work, for as far as I know there are only about a dozen of us who seem to have got the XJS Factor!

 

Look on the bright side; a whole 364 days until the next episode!
364 days of worrying if it will pass next time!
Now drive it like you stole it.

 

Sometimes you guys use different verbiage over there...i haven't the slightest clue what "greasing the power steering pistons" could possibly mean.

I am aware some weird stuff was being done in the 80s and that I have never disassembled the PS unit. that being said, it should have one piston inside the unit that is pressurized on either side, the low pressure side returns its fluid to the reservoir. The fluid acting on either side of this piston also lubricates it.
So i haven't the slightest idea what you mean.

Recently I ran into a brit who had never heard ball joints referred to as such, and only knew of them in reference to the tie-rod end ball joints. I can't remember what he called the the control arm ball joints, some odd fusion with king pins i think.

 

Ooohhh! There is NOTHING so sweet as driving through a tunnel at speed! Yes, the sound is Incredible! I can only imagine what your car sounds like, as I've never heard a V12 in Real Life. Well except for drag boats but they don't count.

You have no idea how much interest your adventures generate, OB. I think it's all about the Mystique of the Xj-S that keeps so many of us who don't have one coming in here to see what you all guys are up to today. I've attached a screen shot so you can see what I mean by Views.

This thread has so far 14 replies but 233 views! In fact, even though far fewer Xj-Ss were built than all the Xj6 series combined, there are always at least 50% more people looking in on this forum than the Xj6 forum. I don't know about Blogging, but this group is simply a whole lot of fun to watch.
(';')

 

As a matter of fact on the Test Drive that's what I did!

 

I was talking about the 'Piston' in the Steering Arm, the Chromium bit that pushes in and out when you turn the Wheel and was wondering if a bit of grease would help if the oil seals were dry after such a long lay up.

 

No I didn't know that either but at least I do know now and even worse I've found another problem!

Look out for my Post on Electric Door Mirrors Not Working!

 

Have a look at 'The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions' in the 'Off Topic' Section.

Elinor seemed to find it quite amusing, which is more than could be said for my poor Aunty!