XK Coolant loss/overheating

MrWolf · January 2, 2023

Firstly a Very Happy New Year to you all - I hope that you had a great Christmas and chance for a decent break.

Unfortunately 2022 had a final slap in the face for me. Driving back from Norfolk after a much needed break with my wife who's had a tough year with family and health stuff, my XK decided to dump it's coolant (without my knowing) just as I was about to join one of the big ring road roundabouts near Norwich on our way home. As I pulled away to get off the roundabout the car spluttered and stalled - restarted it and it was misfiring, then the overheating warning came on and so I switched off immediately and but hazards on, wisps of steam coming from front of the car. We were in an unsafe place so the the police towed us to a service road on the other side of the roundabout and we sat there and waited for the AA (came after 2 hours).

I looked in the expansion tank and it was virtually empty. Also looked in the sump and no sign of water just Oil. AA Bod filled the system with coolant and asked me to start the car - it ran but misfiring and sounded pretty sick. Car now at garage where I bought it and they think it lost its coolant at bottom of the rad (bottom hose?) but aren't sure why its misfiring so compression tests on Tuesday then go from there. Car is 1 day out of the 6 month warranty I had when I bought it.

Devastated to be honest, absolutely gutted. My feeling is the heads are cooked but I did shut down the moment the overheating warning came on. I just hope to god the block isn't warped - hopefully not.

Just wondered if anyone on here has had a similar failure - my car is 2006 with full history.

Jimbov8 · January 2, 2023

Not unheard of but thankfully, a rare occurrence. The fact you shut the car down immediately stands you in good stead.

Hopefully not too expensive to put right.

MrWolf · January 2, 2023

Cheers Jim - Yup hope you're right

MrWolf · January 8, 2023

Morning all

I heard back from the garage. They suspect that the rad lost coolant and that head gasket failure accounts for no compression in No 8. I'm waiting on the comp test readings and also what the borescope found, no mention made of a dropped valve seat, which I suspected. I am concerned by the rest of the response though which states that they don't repair the engines and that a recon unit is an option but none can be found and have not been available for some time. They have have offered to give a price for a brand new engine if I want it.

That may be the case and they have always been pretty decent but am I missing something here ? Obviously there is a risk that it may have affected the other head (and bottom end) but on the assumption of my taking a risk on those surely its just a question of fitting a new rad and a new head ? Slightly stunned that I'm now left with the option of seemingly throwing the car away or fitting a brand new engine!!

I would be grateful if anyone on here knows of any Jag engine specialists (UK) who could either work on mine or supply an exchange engine. I'd rather keep my own unit in the car but the no 1 priority is getting it back on the road.

Any thoughts welcome - feeling pretty sick to be honest.