Hey guys,

First let me apologize for the long post...but I want to give you as much information as possible...

I have a 2003 Jaguar X-Type 2.5. When I bought the car a year ago I changed every seal from the valve cover gaskets, IMF o-ring seals, spark plug seals...I changed PCV hose, brake booster check valve and hose...also changed ALL ignition coils, and spark plugs. And it ran fine...for a year. The only thing that I have done recently (about 3 weeks ago) is get an oil change, and a Fuel system flush to keep injectors clean.

A couple of days ago on my way home from work I noticed a hiccup in the engine when I accelerated. It was small at first and got a little worse as I got home. The check engine light was off, but I was low on gas and figured maybe that was the cause.

BUT...the next day, on my way to work after filling up, the hiccups got worse. The check engine light started flashing, then went off. On my way home, the check engine light came on and stayed on and the hiccups got much worse...didn't think I'd make it home. When I put it in a lower gear and drove slow, the hiccups seem to stop, and that's how I got home. There was no smoke or strange smells coming from the car.

I checked the codes and got P0305, P1313, and P1316.

Here's my problem. Everything I looked up tells me to check things I've already fixed and I think should be good. I don't know where to start. I'm baffled. Does the error code P1316 mean the problem is in the 6 cylinder, like P0305 means the 5 cylinder? What should I look at first?

Please help...and don't spare the the technical language just cause I'm a Mama Bear

 

Mama, just because the coils are new and the plugs are new, does not mean that they are still good. Odds are, you are looking at a cylinder that got some oil in it and that is causing the one cylinder to misfire, leading to the hiccup.

What I would say is to remove in the intake (sounds like you know how to do this) and then remove the coil for #5 cylinder (back against the firewall, far right as you are looking at the engine). I am placing money that you are going to find some oil in that plug well. Clean up the oil by putting a paper towel down the plug well and clean things up. Make sure to wipe off the end of the coil too. To fix this, you will have to put a new set of valve cover gaskets on (making the assumption that you are finding oil there). From there, you can reset the codes and see if any come back. I bet you will find that all wlll be good in the world again.

 

Thank you Thermo ( ).

I will take a look first thing in the morning and let you know what I find.

 

Thermo, you're a Godsend to this forum . I did indeed find oil in the spark plug wells. I guess I will have to get another gasket, and install it.

Quick question, or all gaskets made the same or is there a difference between brands? I got Fel-Pro gaskets last time, and I shudder to think they would only last a year. Is there anything I could do to make sure I'm not doing this repair every summer?

 

Mama, I think when you start looking at gaskets, you are not going to have a lot of choices. You are probably stuck with either the Felpro ones or the ones the dealership has. I see that there are some made by OES, but that is only the one for the outside, not the rings for over the plug wells. So, just be cautious when getting the kits to make sure that they have the required pieces.

As for making the kit as fool-proof as possible, I would recommend getting some black RTV gasket maker. This is designed for high temp/oil situations. Putting a little bit on the gaskets and then installing them will help make sure that you have the best seal possible. I would also make sure that the surfaces are free of any oil. A rag with a little bit of cleaner or IPA will make sure that the surfaces are free of oil.

Need any more help, let me know.

 

OK...I decided to revive this post because...well because I'm still chasing the same problem. Thank you Thermo for helping me track it down. Sorry its taken so long to follow up, but this is what I've done and where I'm at now:

I DID find oil in the spark plug wells, so I removed all the plugs, cleaned them and the wells. I also replaced the gaskets and added some RTV silicone for some added seal. I still got the hesitation and the same misfire code So I went back in....

Next I decided to make sure the coil pack was working, so I moved the coil pack from one cylinder to another to see if the misfire changed. It did NOT (stayed on cylinder 1). So I figured the fuel injector might be the culprit and changed it. It worked well for about 2 days, then the hiccups started coming back slowly. Next day the engine light started blinking and I was back to the drawing board...

Today I changed the cylinder again (to a new one just to be sure) and checked the cylinder compression and it was within specs.

So now I'm stuck again. I replaced all of the spark plugs last summer to Denso platinum plugs, and they look fine to me now, so I'm assuming it's not them. Am I looking at chasing down a wiring problem (please noooooo)? I honestly don't know where to go from here.

 

Bearing in mind this all began shortly after a fuel flush and that your original fault codes all include fuel delivery problems as a possible cause, I have to think that could well be part of your problem having addressed Thermo's points.

I'd start with a fuel filter change plus a fuel pressure check if you have either a scanner that reads that pressure, or attach a pressure gauge to the schrader valve on the fuel delivery line. Should be a steady 55 psi.

 

Mama, you may want to pull out the plug for cylinder 1 and clean it up. It is possible that it has some carbon or whatnot on it that is leading to problems.

After that, I would be looking at the wiring near the coil. You are specifically looking for exposed copper or the wiring making a funny bend (ie, sharp bend like it got bent over a knife edge). This would be a classic sign of a broken wire and it is being held together by the insulation.