Although my 2013 XK is supposed to use WSS-M97B44-d (Orange), the coolant in the car is dark green. I believe that means it's WSS-M97B55-A. I was going to have it changed out completely, but the tech didn't recommend doing that, saying it was costly because the system had to be completely flushed. He suggested waiting till it needed hoses replaced or something.

So, in the meanwhile what should I top it up with?

 

That’s a bit of a dilemma.
I had a look at the following docs
https://www.motorcraft.com/content/d...tor-scucEN.pdf
and
https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubrican...cid=10&pid=325

And I have to only one conclusion: whatever is the appropriately specified coolant for your car should be used. Check your owner’s manual. And if that means a flush - then flush it.

Are you the original owner of the car? Do you have any documentation which tells you precisely what’s in there? Is it time for a flush anyways?
Surely some of which you’ve asked yourself anyways.

 

The capacities of the cooling system, including reservoir and climate control are:
1. N/A: 10.4 litres (18.3 pints)
2. S/C: 10.0 litres (17.6 pints)

The recommendation for both fill and topping up is to use a 50% mix of (distilled) water and coolant to specification WSS M97B44 (coloured orange) Extended Life Coolant. The coolant proportion of the total capacity is 5 litres. Rather than risk (or worry) about the consequences of mixing incompatible coolants, You could simply top up with distilled water as the reduction in concentration is negligible.

That being said, I would drain, flush and refill to draw a line under the issue.

Graham

 

Something tells me that your coolant has been changed. I would bet if everyone on this site with original coolant has the orange stuff. So if you have green it makes me believe there was work done on the cooling system that required a coolant change or flush. Just my 2 cents.

 

Agreed. Or a top up. And if it was an independent shop, who knows what’s in there...
From my grade school art classes - all kinds of mixed colors result in green.

 

I agree with Graham. top it off with distilled water until you can flush it. You can also have it tested, though I don't know where. Note that color isn't as relevant as it used to be. OAT comes in different colors now. If it's my car, I would do a complete flush - complete flush and back flush. Define "expensive" as well. Shop around. Flushing a cooling system isn't labor intensive.

You can clog up a lot of parts using the wrong stuff or by mixing the wrong coolant in the system. Certainly a flush is cheaper than that, no?

 

I'm the 2nd owner, but I did get all the service records from the Santa Barbara Jaguar dealership. The water pump was replaced under warranty, but the records do not say what coolant was used. I called the dealership to ask what coolant they would have used. I got the expected reply, "as per the vehicle specifications." I also spoke to the original owner and he had no idea. Finally, asked the A&B Motors in Pasadena where I bought the car. They said they had not changed the coolant. Clearly, someone isn't telling the truth.

But, you're right. I'll insist that the system be flushed and the specified coolant be used.

 

GREAT idea. Distilled water it will be until I get the coolant changed out.

 

That’s disconcerting to think the dealer did that without explanation or putting the line item on the service record...
my service records are complete right down to the o-ring at $0.00.

 

We have an RO system in our home, so I used that RO water instead of distilled water for mixing with coolant for years. Can't see anything wrong with that.

I will say that I'll switch to the pre-mixed coolant when I have the coolant changed. More convenient and shouldn't be that much more expensive.

 

I would flush, not drain, the cooling system ASAP. Two BIG reasons, one is the materials used in the cooling circuit were designed for orange OAT coolant AKA Dex-Cool. There are numerous articles online about why this is important. The second reason is that mixing two different kinds of coolant such as OAT and non-OAT coolant can cause gelling and sludge which could lead to further expenses in repairs and parts replacements.

 

I would look for a place that could do a power flush which done correctly will both fill and remove any air in the system.

 

Guy,
Although I said "complete service records" they were complete only in the sense of time-wise visits to the dealer and a brief statement of what was done. IOW, they were not copies of what's handed to the owner when he/she picks up the car after service. Apparently, the original owner pitched those when he sold the car.

Due to law or common practice, dealers will provide abbreviated "service records" for a vehicle upon presentation of proof of current ownership.

 

Slightly off the topic, but at what coolant temperature should I check the level?

I ask because I checked it first thing this morning when garage temperature was about 65F and found it about 1/2" below bottom of the notch. Checked it again about 3 hours after driving the car about 10 miles and it was about 1/8" below bottom of the notch. I then put a thermometer in the coolant and found it to be 125F.

 

Check level when the engine is cold, in the AM like you first did. These girls take a long time to cool down. I've never read anywhere that coolant levels should be checked at a specific coolant temperature and no need to overthink it. If it's been sleeping overnight, you're good to go.

 

Check it when cold and fill it to half way between min and max.

 

Guess I was driven by the advice to be on the lookout for a dramatic drop in coolant level as an indication of the dreaded water pump failure. To do that it has to be checked at the same engine temperature every time since there's quite a difference in coolant volume between, say, 65 something and 125. That agreed, one would think the best temperature to always check it at would be when it SHOULD BE at the notch.

So, rephrasing my question, at what temperature should a "full" system put the coolant level at the notch?

 

Room temperature . Cold in the morning before start up. Should be right up to the notch in the tank.

 

I actually just finishing reading the owner's manual on coolant level. They suggest that when filling the coolant when cold, it should be filled to the Max line. I look inside and see if the coolant is touching the bottom of the black upper section of the reservoir when cold. Using the outside max mark is not as clear.

 

bocatrip,

My Owners manual (2013) says on page 161 to maintain level between the MIN and MAX lines on the outside of the tank, but that's hard to do. On the same page under Topping Up it says "Top up to the upper level indicator mark on the inside of the expansion tank." Problem is, there's no clear description of where that "upper level indicator mark" is.

To resolve the issue, I shone a flashlight on the outside markings while looking from the inside of the tank. By touching a screwdriver on the outside MAX line I could see that the MAX line is perhaps 1/4" below the bottom of the black section. So filling to the bottom of the black section would overfill, resulting in coolant expulsion on warm up.

However, when I top up to the the bottom of the notch the coolant is on the outside MAX line, as nearly as I can see. Then, on more careful inspection, I can see "MAX" on the bottom of the notch! See photo below.

Mystery resolved.