Bonnet Vents & Water Ingress

[Anonymous]

Ok, I’ve taken one of the vents out, quite easy but as others have said, a bit fiddly as there are several clips that all want to snap back into place!




The actual vent holes now look even smaller.



I’ve decided just to block them off with tape for the time being and see what happens over the next few weeks.



Guess I’ll find out. Also worth noting that water seems to get in around the edges of the vent finisher as it’s not a sealed fit, just plastic against the bonnet, as evidenced by the dirt left in the top two pictures above.

 

[RPSN]

Worth keeping an eye on how the tape reacts to the heat from underneath?

I hope the blocked vents don’t have any adverse effects on the car?

With regards to the edges of the vent finisher where water seeps in, 'Roger T' sealed under the outer edges and not the vent holes themselves.

Here’s the link https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4816

 

[Anonymous]

Worth keeping an eye on how the tape reacts to the heat from underneath?

I hope the blocked vents don’t have any adverse effects on the car?

With regards to the edges of the vent finisher where water seeps in, 'Roger T' sealed under the outer edges and not the vent holes themselves.

Here’s the link https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4816

Interesting read thanks RPSN, I see you have the really open mesh vents and not the shrouded ones like mine. I will be keeping an eye on the tape of course but I’m interested in how much water gets around the edges. I don’t really want to put sealant around the edges as this could effectively glue the vent to the bonnet or put too much strain on the fragile plastic clips.

I will update this thread when I have more info.

 

[RPSN]

Yes, I have the ‘open mesh’ vents.

Rather than putting sealant around the edges of the vent, ‘The Jagster’ put a layer of clear vinyl (anti-stone chip stuff) on the paintwork before covering it up with the vent trim. He didn't seal the vent holes themselves though.

Here’s the link https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1286

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have the ‘open mesh’ vents.

Rather than putting sealant around the edges of the vent, ‘The Jagster’ put a layer of clear vinyl (anti-stone chip stuff) on the paintwork before covering it up with the vent trim. He didn't seal the vent holes themselves though.

Here’s the link https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1286

Thanks again, hadn’t seen that thread before. Mine don’t have any foam padding and are a very close fit. Even a clear film may put extra stress on the clips that hold them in place but definitely something to think about. Mine aren’t rubbing paintwork at all as you can see from the photos, although they do have a small square of thin black rubber at the pointy end which must help.

 

[RPSN]

 

[RPSN]

There have been numerous V6 owners who’ve reported that water ingress through the bonnet vents has been the cause for corroded/seized-in and failed fuel injectors etc.

The water ingress shouldn’t affect the vehicle as it's supposed to run off the engine's plastic covers and drain away, but some of it is reaching these areas.

It's normal for water to enter through the 'open mesh' bonnet vents on my car i.e when it's raining or when I wash it. Also, the car isn’t garaged.

Although I’ve had no issues with the fuel injectors, I decided to look into this matter further in case my car develops the same fault? As they say......'prevention is better than cure.'

On the attached photos of my engine cover, you can see the lighter colour around the areas where the ‘supercharged’ badges are on both sides of the cover. These are directly beneath the bonnet vents and water that passes through them appears to be dripping down through the cut-outs in the engine top cover (arrowed) and eventually onto the fuel injectors etc?

From reading some other reviews, it appears that fuel injector numbers 4 & 5 are those which often fail and this corresponds (approx) with the areas numbered 4 & 5 on the photo of the engine cover.

To help prevent this problem, I’ve temporarily applied black (50mm width) duck tape over the affected areas of the engine cover (this doesn't hinder the removal and replacement of the cover) as I didn’t want to seal off the bonnet vents which should be kept open for cooling and ventilation of the engine bay. As the duck tape now covers the cut-outs in the engine top cover, any water that passes through the bonnet vents is much more likely to bypass the gaps between the engine top and side plastic covers then drain off, instead of finding its way onto the fuel injectors etc.

At first, I was concerned about whether or not the duck tape could withstand the heat in the engine compartment but after quite a few journeys (which included some ‘spirited’ driving) and bringing the engine up to normal operating temperature, the tape is unaffected. The tape has a maximum operating temperature of 93°C which isn’t too far off what electrical insulation tape is. Insulation tape has already been applied by the manufacturer in various locations in the engine compartment including the top of the engine (underneath the plastic cover).

Even so, as a precautionary measure I’ve ordered some black aluminium foil adhesive tape (50mm width) which has a max operating temperature of 150°C and is flame retardant & self-extinguishing. One this arrives, I’ll be removing the duck tape and applying it instead.

Hope this is helpful to anyone who has the bonnet vents water ingress issues with their car.

 

[Horti]

This looks like some sort of solution and a nice bit of neat taping to boot! Would still be good to have a more oem look about it though, no offence intended on your work.

 

[RPSN]

It could well be a solution.....or help towards one?

No offence taken!

If anyone can improve on my idea that's great, as long as they know I patented it :lol:

 

[RPSN]

Having the same vents on my V6S 2014 model I have been watching this thread with interest.

Rather than the option of blocking where the water is coming in with possible cooling implications would it be practical to stop where it is going?

Looking at GusA's 3rd picture I wonder if a shield could be designed to go over the 2 injectors or slide under the engine cover to prevent water getting there. A possible 3D printer design.

I agree.......rather than blocking where the water is coming in through the bonnet vents (with possible cooling/ventilation implications) it would be more practical to try another method.

The 2 injectors that you mention in GusA's 3rd picture are actually the intercooler feed lines (coolant) and there are two of these on each side of the supercharger unit. They are marked as number 4 (hose) on the attached diagram.

The fuel injectors are lower down underneath the plastic side engine cover (shielding) and aren’t visible in the photograph. Water may be seeping in behind the shielding and onto the injectors etc?

 

[daveyc86]

I'm surprised at the concern in this thread.

As part of the assembly line process these cars go into what is in essence, a massive washing machine that throws hundreds of litres of water at them, to check for ingress that would cause an issue.

As others have said, water in the engine bay isn't a problem.

Personally, unless there have been lots of reported issues, I don't think I'd be taping stuff up etc. My 2p.

 

[scm]

As part of the assembly line process these cars go into what is in essence, a massive washing machine that throws hundreds of litres of water at them, to check for ingress that would cause an issue.
As others have said, water in the engine bay isn't a problem.
Personally, unless there have been lots of reported issues, I don't think I'd be taping stuff up etc. My 2p.

But the massive washing machine doesn't then wait for several years to check that any water hasn't corroded injectors or spark plugs into the block. And if the engine's hot, then water isn't a problem as it'll just evaporate away, but in the real world when a car is parked outside in the cold and the rain ....

And the RWD does seem to be prone to such issues, from the reports I've seen on here. Maybe that's why Jaguar repositioned the vents on the AWD when they had a chance to reengineer the hood/bonnet to acommodate the extra height requirement?

 

[daveyc86]

All fair points

 

[RPSN]

But the massive washing machine doesn't then wait for several years to check that any water hasn't corroded injectors or spark plugs into the block. And if the engine's hot, then water isn't a problem as it'll just evaporate away, but in the real world when a car is parked outside in the cold and the rain ....

And the RWD does seem to be prone to such issues, from the reports I've seen on here. Maybe that's why Jaguar repositioned the vents on the AWD when they had a chance to reengineer the hood/bonnet to acommodate the extra height requirement?

Well explained scm.

In response to daveyc86:

Even though these cars have (apparently) been thoroughly tested for water ingress, the concern in this thread has been due to issues that some of the V6 RWD owners have experienced such as this......’Failed and stuck in injector problem’ https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4816

It's normal for water to be entering through the 'open mesh' bonnet vents on my car and this is ok providing it's not causing any problems.

I've had nothing go wrong with the fuel injectors etc so far, but as my car is parked on the driveway (in all weather conditions) it could just be a matter of time. My philosophy is ‘prevention is better than cure’.

Since my experiment on taping off the grooves/cut-outs in the plastic top engine cover, more of the water that enters through the bonnet vents now appears to be draining down the outer surface of the plastic side engine cover instead of getting behind it and onto the fuel injectors etc (see photos).

I wouldn’t consider totally sealing up the ‘open mesh’ bonnet vents on my car as they are required for cooling/ventilation of the engine bay etc.

 

[PhilB]

I wouldn’t consider totally sealing up the ‘open mesh’ bonnet vents on my car as they are required for cooling/ventilation of the engine bay etc.

Just playing the devil's advocate here.
If your open mesh vents are needed for cooling and ventilation then why don't all V6's have them instead of the virtually closed ones we have seen in other photos ?

One thing that also comes to mind is that the hoses on the sides of the cover next to the tape have been identifies as coolant hoses in previous post.
Perhaps someone could remove the cover and get a photo of the injectors so people can see where they actually are ?

 

[RPSN]

Just playing the devil's advocate here.
If your open mesh vents are needed for cooling and ventilation then why don't all V6's have them instead of the virtually closed ones we have seen in other photos ?

One thing that also comes to mind is that the hoses on the sides of the cover next to the tape have been identifies as coolant hoses in previous post.
Perhaps someone could remove the cover and get a photo of the injectors so people can see where they actually are ?

If, after driving my car for a while then parking it up, I put my hands over the ‘open mesh’ bonnet vents, I can feel the heat that is coming from them. This is enough to warm my hands up on a cold day, so the vents are definitely serving their purpose. Sometimes, you can also see the heat waves rising up from the vents into the air, which is nice!

As we’ve seen from GusA’s photos of the bonnet vents on his P380 R Dynamic RWD Convertible MY20, the open vented area on them is much smaller than those on my own car. I don’t know the reason for this?

Yes, the 2 hoses on each side of the engine top cover are the intercooler feed lines for the supercharger unit. The fuel injectors are lower down below the plastic side engine cover (shielding).

Here’s a few links on the removal and replacement of the seized fuel injectors which include some good info, pictures and a short video showing the injector removal.

http://www.apautodiagnostics.com/petrol-injector-removal-seized

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f-type-x152-72/how-injector-removal-step-step-220006/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0KjT27zxUg&ab_channel=JaguarEnthusiast

 

[Anonymous]

As @scm said, they redesigned the bonnet for the AWD models to put the vents further forward, perhaps because of the injector issues?

I think they have done the same for all 2021 model cars too (standing by to be corrected on this).

Maybe they made the vent holes much smaller on later V6 cars like mine so that the engine stayed warmer for longer in order to evaporate more of the water stuck down by the injectors? No heat comes out of them at all after switching off and the small holes seem only to be there to prevent water from pooling in the vent itself.

Since taping up no water has got in at all so will continue as I am for the time being.

In a previous job I used to work with British and American designed electronic control units for vehicles, the British ones had drain holes to allow any water to drain out, the American ones were sealed and didn’t allow water in in the first place - you can guess which ones we had most problems with....

 

[scm]

As @scm said, they redesigned the bonnet for the AWD models to put the vents further forward, perhaps because of the injector issues?

The pedant in me has to point out that, AIUI, the bonnet was redesigned to accommodate the requirements of the AWD system, any vent repositioning may have merely been opportunistic.

 

[Anonymous]

As @scm said, they redesigned the bonnet for the AWD models to put the vents further forward, perhaps because of the injector issues?

The pedant in me has to point out that, AIUI, the bonnet was redesigned to accommodate the requirements of the AWD system, any vent repositioning may have merely been opportunistic.

You don’t have to, you know?

I’ve no idea what the bonnet has to do with turning the FT into a 4x4 and apart from the vents, what other differences are there to the bonnet? To me it’s just styling (with side effects) :|

 

[scm]

I’ve no idea what the bonnet has to do with turning the FT into a 4x4 and apart from the vents, what other differences are there to the bonnet? To me it’s just styling (with side effects) :|

I believe the engine sits a bit higher in the AWD to make room for the front drive stuff, so the bonnet needed more clearance.