I am following up on this issue of the higher silicon content from my January oil report for my Jaguar XKR. For a variety of reasons it has taken me until this weekend to check the air filters. Lo and behold both air filters showed signs of damage and wrinkling of the corners, allowing in a bit of unfiltered air.
I mentioned previously that the air filters were not easy to get to in this car. Removal and replacement involves a unique design. I now realize that I installed the air filters incorrectly the last time. The filters need to be placed into the frames and situated inside the air boxes BEFORE the bracket is wedged in; previously I had placed the frames inside the brackets and then slid the whole thing into the air boxes. I recall it being very tight and needing to use a mallet to tap it into place. When properly installed it is still very tight but goes in with hand pressure because the gasket of the filter isn’t proving sliding resistance. In any case I have now discarded the damaged filters and replaced them correctly with new ones.
THANK YOU for the quality of the analysis that Blackstone provides! I would not have checked on my air filters for probably many thousands of miles had it not been for the elevated silicon finding. I am hoping that there hasn’t been any long term damage to my engine from the approximately 5,000 miles driven with these improperly installed air filters, but there might very well have been if I continued to drive for many more thousands.
