It is always the connectors that leak, not the hose. Some cheap owners just cut the Norma connectors off and replace with pieces of standard heater hose and clamps. Cost less than $5.

Tight Wad Tom

 

Are you admitting to this repair method TWT?

 

I'm loving that idea TWT

The pricing certainly is attractive

 

Previous car had leaks on both sides. The wreak seemed to have fixed them.

The new car hasn't started leaking . . . yet.

 

same part was leaking on my car. as you know, you need to buy the whole octopus hose. but, if everything else is holding up fine you can do what i did. i cut the tube off at the clamp and bought a straight plastic heater hose extension. the original hose is attached to one end and clamped. the other end you need to clamp down about 3 inches of new heater hose. on this end, rub a little dishwashing soap in the tube since it needs to slide up about an inch and half to two inches to reach the lip on the metal tube. clamp down once you get past the lip on the tube to secure a seal. will cost you no more than $10. extension, worm clamps (3) and heater hose.

 

Okay, This be my next project. One of the check valves broke in two and dumped the coolant while I was cruising down the freeway. Interesting that the low coolant light came on but the temp gauge never got above the normal straight up mark. Got it home on a flatbed.
Mike
..if my boss only knew how much time I spent searching for this thread...

 

It will all be worth it Mike, come back for support and of course when it's finished and coolant is flowing again w/o issue.

 

Thinking back about my recent low coolant warning. It came on after having the heat on. there is a small puddle of water about the diameter of a golf ball below the firewall side of the engine.

I'll bet it's this heater hose, or maybe the water valve. Don't know if I can do this job myself.

 

Dave, it may seem overwhelming, and I was worried also when I started. I am glad I did this myself, even though it did take a few hours. The hardest part is getting all the hose clamps off, and that goofy plastic fitting off the metal pipe.

If it's leaking there, you should be able to see some orange crusties.

 

That cable operated hose clamp tool is worth its weight in gold and cost me about $40 at Sears. Get it before you start.

Also, pull the throttle body off when working back there. It's just too easy to do and saves a lot of time and cursing.

Mike

 

I repaired the LH leaking Norma connector with a new o ring and replaced the RH Norma connector with a male-male plastic connector from the hardware store.

 

I have to say I wimped out on this and had it replaced under SE Warranty and then found out that the SE warranty did not cover hoses....$700 later, my leak was gone....

Hope that makes you feel better....

Cheers,
Hamish
2001 XK8

 

The symptoms were similar to above posts:

1.. Gradual loss of coolant and "Low Coolant" warning light
2. Sometimes no puddle under car
3. Coolant smell when engine hot

Under the car one could see a small puddle. From beneath the car, you could observe where coolant had been dripping down BOTH sides of the trans tunnel and then onto the very hot catalytic converter brackets. This was the source of the smell.

We used a coolant system pressure tester and it bleed down pretty quickly from 15 psi to about 5psi in less than 30 seconds! But sometimes it leaked and sometimes there was no apparent leak.

The usual suspects: the 'Octopus' quick plug connecters seemed OK; and I could not find any damaged hoses. Very perplexing indeed.

Finally I heard a hissing under pressure and it was the at the coolant reservoir hard line where it meets the rubber hose as it exits the coolant reservoir. Because it sits so high in the cooling system, there is not always liquid at that level. However sometimes when there was coolant present; it would drip between the gaps between the intake manifold and injectors and end up in the engine valley. From there it would flow back off the engine block onto the trans hump; sometimes going to the passenger side, other times going to the drivers side.

 

Does anyone know if these issues are the same for the XKR?

 

these are defenitly the same for an XKR I found my leak and it was on the matrix I had the whole thing replaced before but still had leaks. one of the hose clamps on one of the hoses was not tight enough or just not lined up properly so i changed it and no more coolant smell in the inside or dripping at all. I used some corky ways to plug the coolant hoses while they were disconnected so coolant wouldnt spill out but as one member said take the throttle body off this was 1000 times easier I also removed the tank and glued my sensor in with JB weld after I replaced it first time after I did all this sensor poped out and coolant everywhere. Ive drove the car hard to see if all was still good and even after a 120mph jog still no leak anywhere and no low coolant light

 

wont win any beauty pageants

 

Matt, did you also replace all those little preformed hoses going to that little pump under the firewall.
I just bit the bullet and did everything earlier this year.

 

I replaced that entire thing shown in the photograph below the parts diagram...lots of pipes to connect to!