Water Pump Coolant Leak - Again!

This year has been one for the books as far as maintenance for my XJ8 has been concerned.  I've taught myself to do a lot and have actually saved myself thousands of dollars by taking on a lot of projects myself, the largest being the repair of my throttle body earlier this month.

One problem has persisted however.  Back at the beginning of the year I had my water pump and thermostat replaced in the shop.  It was soon after that the water pump started leaking coolant.  It's always slow at first.  For a couple of months it's barely even noticeable, but then you start noticing a puddle under you car.  It's never constant either.  The leak changes with the temperature and sometimes didn't seem like it was there at all.  Then it starts getting worse.

I took my car back to the shop in the spring and had the water pump replaced again.  The part was under warranty but I had to pay the labour.  Everything seemed fine, and then sure enough a couple months later it started leaking exactly the same way.  

 When I was without my car for 3 weeks in August because I was waiting for a part for my throttle body to come in the leak took a turn for the worse.  After I had fixed the throttle body the leak had entered the dreaded 'fix me now' stage.  The puddles were getting bigger every time I parked my car and I had to keep filling up my coolant more frequently.  So here I am again.

I called up the shop earlier this week and complained about my issue and have another water pump coming in under warranty, but I'm still going to have to pay the labour again.  This will be the 3rd time this year I've put in another water pump.  The mechanics seem thorough and the job lasts for a few months, so is it the part? I honestly don't know, but it's becoming a frustrating issue that should be a relatively easy fix.

I'll be continuing my research to see if I can pinpoint a separate issue, but I'll be taking my car in on Monday for the fix.  I'm hoping it's something as stupid as the remnants of an old gasket underneath that they hadn't properly cleaned away or just a bit of a bad luck with two faulty parts in a row.  Finger crossed that the repair sticks this time! 

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Fresh Perspectives

After careful consideration and a lot of tinkering, I feel like I've finally come up with a header for this site that I'm really happy with.  It's classic, feels a bit vintage, looks trendy, but also isn't too gratuitous.  As I continue to look for new ways to inspire the longevity of this project/website, keeping a fresh perspective on something I see everyday remains important.  I hope you agree.   

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Jaguar C-X75 by dunhill

This video by dunhill presents some of the stunning photography and design work behind the creation of the C-X75.  It's a brilliant example of the passion and energy that's been invested into reinventing the Jaguar brand, while still paying homage to the roots that have made this car company iconic.   

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The Generation Gap

No, no, that's my father's car.  

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From the Sixties

This collection of images comes from a 1967 Jaguar brochure released in the UK.  I love the variety in Jaguar's lineup of vehicles and their chosen backdrops to showcase them.  The E-Type especially looks as stunning as ever.  

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Sandy Point Scenic Drive

On Friday morning I drove up through Sandy Point, Alberta on my way to Kindersley, SK for a funeral.  It was a sad day in general, but the drive was incredibly scenic and peaceful.  There was almost no traffic out there.  The road twisted and dipped around the hills and seemed like the perfect setting for me to relax while listening to songs that reminded me of my friend Dave.  After thinking about all of the road trips and driving that we'd done together just over the last few years, this prairie backdrop seemed especially beautiful. 

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Jaguar Leaper

This illustration of a Jaguar leaper (hood ornament) comes from a 1967 UK brochure.

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Jaguar XJR-7 Ad

With Jaguar's racing heritage, this print ad from 1986 showcases the prowess of the XJR-7.

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1955 Jaguar XK-140

A Jaguar XK-140 graces the cover of this 1955 issue of Road & Track.

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Speed of Light

Taken from a 2005 promotional pack for the Jaguar XJ8, these images are a nice switch from the standard car-on-a-country-road shots that are usually used.  The framing, colours, and streaks of light all work well in creating a lively showcase of the brand with some artistic flare.

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Jaguar Racing Posters Vol. 2

Here are several more vintage Jaguar racing posters from the early fifties.

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She's Fixed! TPS Problem Resolved!

Click here to view the updated post.

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130,000 km

Last month on the road to Regina my odometer rolled over to 130,000 km.  While not really a milestone, it did mark 20,000 km that I've put on the car since I bought her in June 2010.  With all the money I've put into the car you'd think that it'd would've been more than that, haha.  It's been a fun 20,000 km regardless.  Here's hoping she's still got plenty of life left in her.

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The New XJ

This video showcases the next evolution of the XJ brand.  XJ's like mine were all too recognizable after decades of minor style revisions.  In fact, if you look at the XJ from the late sixties up until the late 2000s, on the surface it just looked like the car got fatter.  

So what did Jaguar do with their flagship model at the end of the last decade?  They initiated a complete revamp of the design.  It's still beautiful and elegant, but perhaps not quite as immediately original looking as the older models.  This is what the XJ became.

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Still Waiting For a Part

The problem with cars is that they breakdown.  When this happens you have a lot of choice in how you handle the problem, whether you immediately head to the shop, whether you try and diagnose and fix the problem yourself, or figure out some combination of both.

For me and my Jaguar, the Internet has proven to be an essential tool.  Truth be told, I couldn't own this car if it weren't for the forums that I've used to help figure out some of the issues I've had.  It would be too expensive to get everything little thing checked for one.  But also, without a Jag dealership here in town I've found that while I can find people to work on my vehicle, there really aren't any experts who really understand the ins and outs of this car.  I've had to become that expert for myself. 

This leads me to my latest issue with my throttle body and the throttle position sensor.  After finding a salvaged throttle body online so that I could replace the sensor - which isn't sold individually - I've now been waiting 2 weeks for a part that will take me about 10 minutes to replace. 

My fingers are crossed that this replacement will actually work out as smoothly as logic says it should, but it's hard to say for certain without trying it.  In the meantime, the issue has been finding rides to work and borrowing vehicles from my parents.  I'm exhausting favors left and right, and I've begun having really strange dreams about my car and this repair.

The thing is that all this waiting has shifted my frustration about my car to frustration with the postal service and customs.  I mean, come on!  I could have driven to the States to pick up my part dozens of times by now.  Actually, given this post, we all know that's not true. But, still . . .

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Goodwood Racing Poster 1952

This beautiful racing poster from 1952 features an illustration of a Jaguar C-Type.

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