My intention was to drain and flush the cooling system today but that didn't happen. It's imperative that it does though at the earliest opportunity because the Jag is not running right at all.
Here are the symptoms: all new rampant overcooling plus loss of heater function at speed, with completely opposite and continued rampant overheating in traffic causing such a hot blast when directed into the cabin through the footwell vents that it's burning my toes - through my steelies. Also noted today was the fact that the upper cooling fan is not kicking on, and there's horrific overfuelling - plus what appears to be a fault with the temp gauge on the dash because it doesn't register that the car's having a meltdown. The overfuelling is making my eyes water. How does burning through an 8th of a tank of fuel sound on a sub 10 mile journey? I'm pretty sure there's no hole in the thing...
So - to cure all the maladies (I hope) I'm going to order a new 'stat (it's probably stuck open) and I'm also going to order a full new set of temp sensors as they control the fans & temp gauge. They'll all be replaced when the coolant is drained, the system flushed and refilled with fresh antifreeze, probably next week. I am also considering a new water pump and belts to be on the safe side but don't want to get carried away so I'll discuss the probs with the Jag expert at the College and consult the Jaguar Enthusiast's Club once my membership comes through.
The list of parts needed to make H9 WAP run perfectly is growing. Bear in mind that there are two new tyres and a ball joint still to come, plus the prospect of further, intense suspension work over the coming months and the need for a new bumper mount for cosmetic reasons. There's an oil leak to trace then eliminate and on the trip home tonight (admittedly after a long and hot run) the autobox began making odd noises at slow speeds - like a knackered release bearing - which may, or may not need further investigation. Oh, and the throttle sticks occasionally...
Sigh...
Tell you what though, the Jag made a massive impression at the college today among both staff and students. No one can quite believe (me included) that I could have so much car for such a small layout. The overall consensus is that I bought a bargain. Myself and a lad from the class called Dean got stuck in about her today with the cleaning products, hoover and pressure washer. The interior looks and smells a lot better but I'd like to feed the leather to soften it up and remove the last of the dirt and discolouration then have the carpets shampooed to finish things off. Overall though the old girl has scrubbed up really well.
Looks is one thing - she needs the go to match the show and I want to be able to relax while driving it.
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