More coolant leakage

Last week I had the car run a little longer so it was firmly warmed up. I still found the car was running idle high again. After a while it dropped a little around 1000 RPM which is still to high. I figured the car required a good run so I decided to stop and leave it. But I spotted again a small coolant leakage but could not identify exactly where. I recalled this old blog from 2019 and something was not tightened at a bottom hose:

https://erwinxjs.blogspot.com/2019/09/coolant-leakage-check.html

It looked it was from the same area. So yesterday I made new attempt to warm it up. And this time the issue occurred much quicker and now it was quite visible as well. It was the top hose which potentially was never firmly attached:

I was able to losen it up using a normal spanner and shift it slightly so via excisting hole at the top bar I was able to firmly tighten it with a socket wrench. Afterwards it was no longer leaking:

Afterwards when starting up again and the engine was still warm it was now running nearly 800 RPM, which I think is what it should be. Not sure though. At least much better.

Quite possibly, the most extravagant jaguar ever built

Advancing the art of grand touring

The fastest automatic transmission production car in the world

 

Gearbox spring seat rubber + MOT !!!

As per blog: https://erwinxjs.blogspot.com/2025/11/gearbox-mounting-spring-spring-seat.html

This has been finally done today! To my great surprise I was informed there was not even a spring seat rubber in there! How is that possible? 

Back then I traced it back to the first owner which was the Jaguar dealer himself. See this blog:

https://erwinxjs.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-hunt-part-ii.html He more or less was the long time owner. When reading the story again I see the automatic gearbox had been changed once. It's hard to believe they overlooked this specific rubber? But who knows?

Since the car was in the garage, I asked them to perform an airco fill up. Unfortunately this couldn't be done due to missing a specific socket for this system. So I need to source that, it's not a big deal. 

Also I asked them to perform a MOT. I expect there would be a couple of minor things that needs to be done.  And it was a fail indeed. The headlights had to be adjusted and the window wipers were bad. Why didn't you fix that I told him, do you want me to get a new pair now, I can get them. But he laughed and said they were ordered and should arrive in the next hour. So everything got sorted and the MOT was sa pass later in the afternoon. HURRAY!!!

Certainly did not expected that. Turns out it was more then 6 years ago since it had a valid MOT and effectively not been used since. He told me even the emission tests were a pass in one go. Next he had cleaned up the steeringrack and filled it up and that was about it. 

So all together this round costed me € 265,-  (MOT, window wipers, steeringrack clean and fillup and labour for the gearbox spring rubber installation). Plus of course the costs for the spring, spring seal and the rubber (2x). 

Effectively I did not test drove the car afterwards as it was dark and rainy. The garage is located just across the road. But I have got good hopes the knocking sound is gone as described per blog:

https://erwinxjs.blogspot.com/2023/11/automatic-gearbox-knocking-sound.html

Due to the car having a specific Dutch roadtax rule I can't drive it in the winter months (Dec, Jan and Feb). Which I normally wouldn't do in any case. So I need to wait to the 1st of March. So I know already what I will be doing that day.

This also gives me a little more time to work on some other items, like refurbishing the fuel rail system. 

So watch this space!