I am being told that this is a problem with some of the early
XK8/XKR convertibles… any feedback ?–
godfrey
pender island bc, Canada
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In reply to a message from godfrey sent Mon 23 Nov 2015:
When I purchased my 98 XK8 this past summer, I had to flush
and replace the hydraulic fluid, as the car still had the
original factory fluid. This was a well known problem with
the original fluid becoming very thick with age. I have not
heard of a problem with hydraulic lines exploding and I
think it would be unlikely that the pump would be able to
produce enough pressure to rupture hydraulic lines with the
thickened fluid.–
Grahame Loader 98 XK8 Roadster
Calgary, Canada
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In reply to a message from godfrey sent Mon 23 Nov 2015:
‘Exploding’ is too strong a term.
The hydraulic line that goes to the latch at the roof header
is prone to leaking at the connection above the windshield.
Worst case scenario is it drips the green mineral oil based
fluid on the driver, in the ceiling light fixture and on the
console, and can stain the headliner fabric.
Generally it is believed that heat from the sun at that spot
accelerates failure of that connection, especially
considering the high pressures (up to 1600 PSI) of the
system. Improved hoses are available from 3rd party
sources.
All years of the X100 (1996-2006) have the issue, though it
is rare on '96-'97’s because a better grade of hose was used
that first year or two.
The gelling fluid that JGL refers to is another issue that
only affected '96-'99 cars. These cars need to be upgraded
to the green fluid (Pentosin CHF-11S).
A great deal of information is on the Internet regarding
this problem. One excellent source is Jagrepair.com.–
The original message included these comments:
I am being told that this is a problem with some of the early
XK8/XKR convertibles… any feedback ?
–
http://www.TheJagWrangler.com -XK Remote Top /Gauge upgrades
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In reply to a message from WhiteXKR sent Tue 24 Nov 2015:
I have a 2003 XK8 conv. I also have a lap full of
green hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic line at the roof
latch exploded. This was a known defect that should
have been recalled.–
Capt. REBartek
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Better than my exploding oil cooler hose (also a known weakness that
should have been recalled and wasn’t). Guess what ensued . . .
Regards,
JerryOn 25/11/2015 21:11, yacht jockey wrote:
In reply to a message from WhiteXKR sent Tue 24 Nov 2015:
I have a 2003 XK8 conv. I also have a lap full ofgreen hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic line at the roof
latch exploded. This was a known defect that should
have been recalled.Capt. REBartek
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In reply to a message from Jerry Jones sent Thu 26 Nov 2015:
Hi all, we just had the rams and their lines go bad this
spring and replaced all. The outer coating was falling off
the hoses and the rams leaked into the rear panel and out
under the rear of the doors. Not the big job most would
think, just finding a place to put all the parts while
waiting on the rams to come back with the new hoses. I had
some help from a good friend who also owns a XK8
convertible and we did write down exactly how too and what
size nut screw or anything involved with the rear hoses to
the rams. I was lucky as the car had the front hoses and
latch done before I got the car. Gus has a very good write
up on the process also.
We could be talked into doing this for someone, but we are
in the Charlotte,NC area, so not convenient for most.
Wayne–
trrdster2
Salisbury,NC, United States
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In reply to a message from godfrey sent Mon 23 Nov 2015:
I have a 99 XK8 which we recently purchased. A few drops
from the front latch dripped during the last up and down
process. I am opting for the manual latch conversion until I
can properly replace the lines and re do the stereo system
at the same time. There is a good write up on Jaguar forums
for the conversion and it is quite simple. Fittings can be
purchased on E bay for a fraction of the cost of replacing
the hoses.–
The original message included these comments:
I am being told that this is a problem with some of the early
–
1996 Vanden Plas Dubbed Angus
Honesdale,Pa, United States
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In reply to a message from kitty plas sent Fri 4 Dec 2015:
Can’t find info on manual conversion of exploding hydraulic
top line at the locking latch. Can you help?–
Capt. REBartek
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In reply to a message from yacht jockey sent Mon 1 Feb 2016:
See
http://www.scorekeeper.com/jaguar/ManualLatch.htm--
The original message included these comments:
In reply to a message from kitty plas sent Fri 4 Dec 2015:
Can’t find info on manual conversion of exploding hydraulic
top line at the locking latch. Can you help?
–
http://www.TheJagWrangler.com -XK Remote Top /Gauge upgrades
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Hi,
new XK8 cabrio owner here.
I found a wet spot under the corner of back seat. Severe hydraulics leakage there.
I still need to figure out where the liquid comes out. I.e. is it enough “just” to replace lines (top peeling off badly) or do I need to replace/refurbish cylinders as well.
How can you tell? Do I need to run the roof up and down to see where it sprays out ?
I hope the image comes through
If it were me, I’d have the dealer check it out. Then, see if that is something I’d want to tackle myself or turn it
over to my mechanic or the dealer. Had dealer replace entire rear suspension unit the first month I had it. My top shop
in Seattle checked out my entire system when I had a total new top, insulation and roof liner installed a couple of years ago.
Bob Allen
kabob@wavecable.com
The car was bought from private person, based on my check and with no warranties. It’s possible that the leakage started when i started to use car and roof (it was mainly stored before this). However what I know unitl now, this would have been fairly easy to check and I would now only buy individual with this renewed (or budget for it)
Anyway its seems that there is severe design weekness here, which is waiting to happen in any cabrio XK8.
Becides I bouth the car as a hobby and “3rd” car for the household and knowing that with the classy look and brand I get bundle of unreliable technology which I have deal with… 
I’m now planning to replace the lines (myself) and get cylinders refurbished (by pro), so it will be better than new or better than the ones without the job done.
