1997 JAGUAR XJ6 adding oil

3261 Jaguar XJ6
Weekly checks0•11
Engine oil level
Before you start
4Make sure that your car is on level ground.
4Check the oil level before the car is driven,
or at least 5 minutes after the engine has been
switched off.
The correct oilModern engines place great demands on their
oil. It is very important that the correct oil for
your car is used (See “Lubricants, fluids and
tyre pressures”).
Car care
l If you have to add oil frequently, you should
check whether you have any oil leaks. Place
some clean paper under the car overnight,
and check for stains in the morning. If there
are no leaks, the engine may be burning oil
(see “Fault finding”).
lAlways maintain the level between the
upper and lower dipstick marks (see photo 3).
If the level is too low severe engine damage
may occur. Oil seal failure may result if the
engine is overfilled by adding too much oil.
If the oil level is checked
immediately after driving the
vehicle, some of the oil will
remain in the upper engine
components, resulting in an inaccurate
reading on the dipstick!
The dipstick is located at the rear of the
engine on the left-hand side (see “Under-
bonnet check points” on page 0•10 for
exact location). Withdraw the dipstick.Using a clean rag or paper towel remove
all oil from the dipstick. Insert the clean
dipstick into the tube as far as it will go,
then withdraw it again.
Note the oil level on the end of the
dipstick which should be between the
upper and lower marks. The “M” mark is
for use when checking the oil level after the
vehicle has been standing overnight; in this
case the oil level should be between the “M”
and upper level markings.Oil is added through the filler cap.
Unscrew the cap and top-up the level; a
funnel may help to reduce spillage. Add
the oil slowly, checking the level on the dipstick
often. Don’t overfill (see “Car care” left).
12
34
Warning: DO NOT attempt to
remove the expansion tank
pressure cap when the engine
is hot, as there is a very great
risk of scalding. Do not leave
open containers of coolant
about, as it is poisonous.
Car care
lAdding coolant should not be necessary on
a regular basis. If frequent topping-up is
required, it is likely there is a leak. Check the
radiator, all hoses and joint faces for signs of
staining or wetness, and rectify as necessary.
lIt is important that antifreeze is used in the
cooling system all year round, not just during
the winter months. Don’t top-up with water
alone, as the antifreeze will become too
diluted.
Coolant level
The coolant level should be checked only
with the engine cold. The level is checked
in the expansion tank on the left-hand
side of the engine compartment. Remove the
expansion tank pressure cap and check that
the coolant level is upto the base of filler neck.If topping up is necessary, add a mixture
of water and antifreeze to the expansion
tank until the coolant level is upto the
base of the filler neck. Once the level is
correct, securely refit the pressure cap.12

Heating system
The heating system consists of two blower
fans, one under the dash on the right and one
on the left, and a heater core located within
the heater/air conditioning assembly which is
under the dash and behind the console.
Hoses connect the heater core to the engine
cooling system. Heater function is controlled
by the heater/air conditioning control head on
the dashboard. Hot engine coolant is
circulated through the heater core. When the
heater mode is activated, a flap door opens to
expose the heater box to the passenger
compartment. A fan switch on the control
head activates the blower motor, which forces
air through the core, heating the air.
Air conditioning system
The air conditioning system consists of a
condenser mounted in front of the radiator, an
evaporator mounted in the heat/air
conditioning assembly behind the console and
under the centre of the dash, a compressor
mounted on the engine, a filter-drier which
contains a high pressure relief valve and the
plumbing connecting all of the above.
A blower fan forces the warmer air of the
passenger compartment through the
evaporator core (sort of a radiator-in-reverse),
transferring the heat from the air to the
refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant boils off into
low pressure vapour, taking the heat with it
when it leaves the evaporator. The
compressor keeps refrigerant circulating
through the system, pumping the warmed
coolant through the condenser where it is
cooled and then circulated back to the
evaporator.
2 Antifreeze/coolant-
general information
Warning: Do not allow antifreeze
to come in contact with your
skin or painted surfaces of the
vehicle. Rinse off spills immediately withplenty of water. Antifreeze is highly toxic if
ingested. Never leave antifreeze lying
around in an open container or in puddles
on the floor; children and pets are
attracted by it’s sweet smell and may drink
it. Check with local authorities about
disposing of used antifreeze. Many
communities have collection centres which
will see that antifreeze is disposed of
safely. Never dump used antifreeze on the
ground or into drains.
Note:Non-toxic antifreeze is now
manufactured and available at local car
accessory outlets, but even these types
should be disposed of properly.
The cooling system should be filled with a
water/ethylene-glycol based antifreeze
solution, which will prevent freezing down to
at least -20° F, or lower if local climate
requires it. It also provides protection against
corrosion and increases the coolant boiling
point.
The cooling system should be drained,
flushed and refilled every 24,000 miles or
every two years (see Chapter 1). The use of
antifreeze solutions for periods of longer than
two years is likely to cause damage and
encourage the formation of rust and scale in
the system. If your tap water is “hard”, i.e.
contains a lot of dissolved minerals, use
distilled water with the antifreeze.
Before adding antifreeze to the system,
check all hose connections, because
antifreeze tends to leak through very minute
openings. Engines do not normally consume
coolant. Therefore, if the level goes down, find
the cause and correct it.
The exact mixture of antifreeze-to-water
you should use depends on the relative
weather conditions. The mixture should
contain at least 50-percent antifreeze, but
should never contain more than 70-percent
antifreeze. Consult the mixture ratio chart on
the antifreeze container before adding
coolant. Hydrometers are available at most
car accessory outlets to test the ratio
of antifreeze to water (see illustration). Use
antifreeze which meets the vehicle
manufacturer’s specifications.
3 Thermostat-
check and renewal
2
Warning: Do not attempt to
remove the radiator cap, coolant
or thermostat until the engine
has cooled completely.
Check
1Before assuming the thermostat is
responsible for a cooling system problem,
check the coolant level (Chapter 1), drivebelt
tension (Chapter 1) and temperature gauge (or
light) operation.
2If the engine takes a long time to warm up
(as indicated by the temperature gauge or
heater operation), the thermostat is probably
stuck open. Renew the thermostat.
3If the engine runs hot, use your hand to
check the temperature of the lower radiator
hose.
Warning: Do this check with the
engine off. Do not get your
hands near the fan blades. If the
hose is not hot, but the engine
is, the thermostat is probably stuck in the
closed position, preventing the coolant
inside the engine from travelling through
the radiator. Renew the thermostat. Do not
drive the vehicle without a thermostat. The
computer may stay in open loop and
emissions and fuel economy will suffer.
4If the lower radiator hose is hot, it means
that the coolant is flowing and the thermostat
is open. Consult the Troubleshootingsection
at the front of this manual for further diagnosis.
Renewal
5Disconnect the battery negative cable.
Caution: If the stereo in your vehicle is
equipped with an anti-theft system, make
sure you have the correct activation code
before disconnecting the battery.
6Drain the coolant from the radiator (see
Chapter 1).
7Remove the bolts from the thermostat
cover (see illustration). If the cover doesn’t
3•2 Cooling, heating and air conditioning systems
3261 Jaguar XJ6 2.4 An inexpensive hydrometer can be
used to test the condition of your coolant
3.7 Remove the two bolts (small arrows)
holding the thermostat cover to the
housing (large arrow)