That oil leak... And another thing!

The strange thing about the oil leak is that although oil was dropping out of the car, the level wasn't dropping on the dipstick. Also, our engine oil is mucky, sludgy stuff whereas the oil collecting on the subframe was beautiful clean golden virgin oil. Turns out that the PAS system on the XJ-40 is filled with HMSO oil rather than the stuff that is deemed to be good enough for all other cars on the road - hence the golden hue.

Anyway, being as it's not gushing out I couldn't see where it's coming from until I cleaned the engine block, which is what I did today. Spent an hour of so with a paint brush, engine de-greaser and a high-pressure hose underneath the block and also from the top, into the engine bay. It's all clean now so I'm waiting until tomorrow to see where the oil is coming from. There was a slight brown-trouser 'oh-no' second when it wouldn't start after the cleaning but a brief drying of the coil and distributor solved that problem. And I haven't broken any of the electrics today. Not a warning light to be seen anywhere.


I also took the Daimler on a bit of a jaunt out into Suffolk today, just for the hell of it and have found another little problemette: at speeds of anything over about 60mph, there is a wind-whistling sound from the rear windscreen which gets worse and worse with speed. I investigated the window and was surprised to be able to pull the seal off with my fingers. Hmmm, loooks like there's nothing holding our rear screen in place! I think I'll be gluing it in before it gets sucked out by air pressure.


Simon