Hey all, I bought my first XF just a month ago and after our first rain in SoCal I decided to check for leaks. Well, the passenger floor was damp so I pulled the carpet back and found that the floor was covered with an oily substance. I also found this random hose laying in there.
1) can anyone tell me what this hose is
2) anyone else encounter some sort of oil in the footwell.
Thanks.

 

I think that hose connects to the amplifier, it is an air cooling hose. It comes from the black box beside the battery, inside the box is a small fan. It is the box with the RCM in it.
Oil in that area can migrate from a leaking engine oil level sensor up the sensor wire and into the car.
I am not too sure of the facts without refreshing my memory.

 

You are correct 180.😃

 

The car is leaking some sort of non-engine oil. I thought it was power steering fluid but maybe it's transmission. I'm not sure if it's related but I'll start with your suggestions and see if it's all the same source. Thanks.

 

Transmission fluid has been known to show up in that area due to the fluid wicking up the wiring harness to the TCM due to a leaking transmission connector.

 

I hate reading about problems that never seem to have a conclusion but if someone reads this months or years down the road, yes my transmission was leaking at the electrical adapter plug and was wicking up the wires. It's all changed out now so hopefully it's all fixed. Thanks for all the help.

 

If that area near the amplifiers damp as you stated in your first post, It often happens that the drain in the cowl is clogged with leaves/trash. When the drain is plugged water finds its way into the car. You should remove the cowl (between the hood and the windshield) from the outside and be certain the drains on both the driver and passenger side are clear. You will need a pulley puller to remove the wiper blades from their shafts to get the black plastic cowl removed. It is a common and recurring item that should be addressed at regular intervals particularly if you park near trees.

 

Steve, I have removed the cowl cover on 3 different cars and did not need a puller on any of them.
I just removed the nut, raise the wiper then rock the arm up an down and it comes loose.
Maybe I've just been lucky ?

 

Hi George, You just have strong hands than I !! Generally when I start rocking something that should come off easily I end up breaking something else.
Separate Question: Inside the RCM box with the small fan do you have a filter on that exhaust port where the fan exhausts into the box? I looked in mine the other day and there seems to be clips designed to hold a filter, but there is none. I can look down that pipe and see the fan blades.

 

No, we don need no stinkin filter !
That fan PULLS air into the box from the passenger foot well, serving two purposes :
1. keep air flowing around the Infinity amp and the TCM
2. pull cooler air into the RCM/PTCM/BCM box to keep it cooler than the underhood temperature.
Since the air is coming from inside the passenger compartment, no filter is needed.

BTW, did you know that Max is jumping ship after the first of the year ?
He's selling the Crossfire and getting a VW GTI.

 

That makes sense; Thanks George. I did notice a light dusting of very fine red dust on that plastic pipe which got me thinking about it. I'll try to find the entry inside the car and be sure it is clean in and about that area. I'm sure 7 years of driving up and down the dirt roads around here have gotten some unwanted dust up into that footwell area.

 

Swampotter...If you remove that cowl to clean out the drains take a little extra time to do something that will really make your Crossfire special. Put the missing rubber grommet on the wiper shaft in front of the driver. NONE of the cars came out of the factory with one on the driver's wiper. NONE. Not even the right hand drive ones in the UK. The dimensions for the plastic cowl piece were apparently wrong and the hole wound up off-center. The factory just decided to skip it. I ordered one from the local Chrysler dealer for $3 and change. A few minutes with a Dremmel to re-center the hole and you'll have a unique Crossfire.

 

This is how to do it using a simple template.
CLICK
Get two isolaters while at it and you can replace the one on the passenger side, after all it is getting old and rubber can deteriorate pretty fast.

 

I learned something new today!

 

That means the day was not completely wasted then.