(Car is a 1976 Pre HE) I’ve just taken my radiator in to be rebuilt. I didn’t even notice it had an electrical connection which was a sensor in a pocket near the bottom of the radiator. This fits into a rubber bung which is a press-fit in the radiator.
Question is - do I need this thing? I don’t remember unplugging it but, because I didn’t know it was there, maybe the wire was pulled when I pulled the radiator. I guess otherwise I would have had a warning light on?
I think on later cars (HE) this sensor is in the expansion tank. My tank doesn’t have a sensor.
I question the use of a sensor being so low in the system as it is right near the bottom of the radiator. I would have thought my engine would be toast by the time the radiator was 90% empty. Also I’m not in love with the possibility of it ever falling out…
The rebuild guy said he can weld this sensor hole up if I don’t want it. As the original expansion tank is no longer available I’m thinking I may have to put a later tank in it which is a shame as I want to keep it as original as possible.
Thanks as always, Malc.
Kirbert
(Author of the Book, former owner of an '83 XJ-S H.E.)
2
Dunno what probe you’re talking about. On my '83, there was a coolant level sensor on the rad, but it was perhaps 2 inches down from the top. Some nimnul at Jaguar decided it needed to be on the front of the rad where it was impossible to see unless the rad was yanked out of the car. Later that probe was relocated to the header tank, and while having my rad refurbished I had them seal up the original probe location and I drilled my header tank to locate a probe there instead – and I chose not to use that silly push-in probe idea and used a threaded SS bolt with a nut on the other side instead. But I don’t recall any sensor near the bottom of the rad.