So it seems like a common story. Moved the car in the driveway to wash it, the next day it wouldn't start. I've read about this common problem and the fix of putting a few drops of oil into the cylinders and cranking it wide open to rebuild compression. I have done that, along with changing the battery and spark plugs. The plugs did have a strong smell of fuel, so it maybe flooded. It was running fine before this issue.

The starter spins but it doesn't sound like the engine is turning over. Is there an easy way of checking whether the engine is turning? It has spark, it has fuel, the MAF and throttle body were just cleaned a month ago and appear to be functioning normally. I'm thinking its a problem with the starter, but its tough to get to just to pull it to test it.

Any ideas? Much appreciated.

 

Have someone observe the serpentine belt while you operate the ignition switch or vice-versa.

The cylinder wash was a lot more of an issue with the AJ26 engine and its fuel mapping program but continued through the Nikasil era due to the the reduced tension of the rings which relied on a oil coating for compression.

Try this:

Originally Posted by steve11

"The 1997 to 1999s had a serious problem with this exacerbated by fact that the cold start fuel cell algorithm was programmed overly rich.

First, you have to make sure that the battery is charged up so it doesn't die in this process. Next, try to start the car with the accelerator pedal held to the floor. Do short 20/30 second tries, letting the starter rest 30 seconds in between and continuing to hold the pedal to the floor.

Holding the accelerator fully opened shuts off the fuel delivery so you don't continue to wash oil from the cylinders which destroys compression.
It should eventually start (maybe 4/5 tries). This is a factory approved method for cylinder wash, a well known and documented condition.

There are (actually) two processes used to revive an AJ26 from cylinder wash, one factory approved and one developed by the shade tree mechanics. The proper way is to hold the gas pedal to the floor which shuts off the fuel, then cranking in small increments until cylinders dry out and compression is restored and the engine will eventually fire. The improper way involves removing the spark plugs, adding oil to each cylinder reinstalling the plugs then hoping for a start, but this method can have detrimental effects on the cats from the unburned oil pushed into the cats.

AJ26s had a poorly programmed cold start fuel cell algorithm when under certain conditions, would overflood the cylinders with too much fuel. This caused the oil to be washed off the cylinder walls and caused a temporary loss of compression. Without the oil coating the engine would not start, but fuel would continue to be injected into cylinders making the situation worse. Jaguar never fixed the problem in the AJ26s, but by the time the AJ27 came out the ECM had a corrected cold start program. Cylinder wash occurs when the AJ26 is cold started then shut off before the engine warms up.

Any time an AJ26 cranks but doesn't start, this is the first and easiest process to perform. It will save a lot of wasted time chasing fuel or ignition problems that very seldom are the cause. In my shop I see this condition several times a year - customer calls which I describe the restart procedure over the phone."

. . . and welcome to the forum!

 

Thank you for the info. It was a little rough, but the fix worked. I had to perform it several times to recharge the battery and in between I opened the throttle body to try and let it dry out. On the third round after sitting for a few hours, it fired right up. Little blue smoke out the back from the extra oil, but I let it get up to temp and no CEL. So far so good. I should know by know to check here before calling the mechanic. Thanks again for the fix.