I took a short drive this morning, everything fine. Got back in the car (01 XJ8L) and wouldn't start, seemed to be out of gas - trying to start, very rough, stalls.

It was low on fuel, not out, so I put in a couple of gallons. A little better, but still won't run right, stalls. Can get it up to 2k RPM but still rough with a knock before stalling with engine light on.

Purred one minute - agonizing death throws the next. Good oil, water, belt, etc.

Any ideas before I drag it to the dealer?

 

The engine light is the key. The CEL will provide a code pointing to the problem. Most auto parts stores will read your codes for free. Get that and post back.

 

In trying it again, I see that the engine light isn't actually coming on until it finally stalls. I will need to tow it so it looks like it is going to the dealer.

Thanks for your advice.

 

Keep us informed, we'll check in on you after. Good luck.

 

I've decided to get a ODBII code reader, they are so reasonable! I will post results and appreciate the input greatly...

 

Here are the codes I am getting:
P0301,2,3,4,5,8(misfires); P1313,14 (catalyst damage Banks A&B), P1111 (drive cycles completed).

The possible misfire causes include fuel system issues which I suspect, but curious that no misfire codes on cylinders 6 & 7. Blocked injectors/ contamination might explain those cylinders firing normally? I would like to rule out the fuel pump if there is a good way to do that short of pulling it out.

I did run it low on fuel. I will add another couple of gallons to make sure I am pulling fuel.

I am concerned about the P1313-14 codes: do these necessarily indicate I have caused some serious damage?

I would be very interested in your thoughts and possible solutions or additional diagnostic steps. Thanks!

 

One more follow-up:

I just added some more fuel, and cleared the codes. I ran the code reader again and got only the P1000 code. When I tried to crank it, there is now no firing at all, but it turns over normally. I tried for a minute or so, pumping the gas pedal, holding it down, no pedal, but not one single hint of ignition. Ran the reader again and still just the P1000 code.

Is this sounding more and more like the fuel pump? Perhaps there was some fuel in the system before when I was getting a little ignition and now there is none?

At this point I have almost half a tank of fresh premium fuel in the tank.

 

Easy to test the fuel pump. Buy a $10 fuel gauge at most any auto parts stores and screw it on the valve on the fuel rail. Needs to be 42psi +-.

Check this post for the full list of things to check on 'no start': https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=30792

 

Thanks I will try that, the fuel pump seems to be a good place to start.

 

If it is the fuel pump, do yourself and the mechanic a favor and don't fill the tank up with fuel AND THEN replace the pump. The fuel tank is heavy when full and the fuel should be drained to change the pump. You have no idea how many times a customer told me "I thought the fuel pump might be acting up so I filled the tank to see if that would help". Now the tank weighs 150 lbs and I have to remove the fuel or reach into fuel up to my elbows to change the pump.

bob gauff

 

Hey, I resemble that remark!

I had to remove around 15 gallons of gas to change my pumps. Did exactly what you said, thought it was low on gas and filled it. I was at my daughters house, so it was a challenge to find enough containers to siphon the gas into. And, it added about 2 more hours to my job since the only hose I could find was about 3/8 inch.

 

I hear you - only 4 gallons in there, give or take. I am not looking forward to pulling the tank, but can always use more character building.

I still need to confirm it is the pump using the fuel relief valve and listening for the pump powering on. This weekend it begins. I love my car.

The tool that is used to remove the fuel lines - is that a common item at the auto parts store?

 

I was not aware there was a tool... Would have also saved me much time. I pulled the tank out without disconnecting the lines. I had read somewhere this worked if done carefully.

Unfortunately, I had my Son-in-Law helping, 6' 6" and all muscle. Just at the last moment, he pulled really hard and pulled one of the lines out of the bottom of the tank. It was VERY hard to get it back in because it got bent and as you will find, there is NO space to get your hands up in there. But after a few more hours, I got it bent back into shape, and it inserted back into the tank and has never leaked since.

I was very fortunate. I thought I was going to be buying a new tank, or at the least the fittings on the bottom.

Hopefully, you will find it to be something else simple, or a relay/fuse. I believe there are two relays, one for each pump, and fuses.

 

This is for an xk but might help http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairFuelPump.htm

 

Thanks for the input! At least I will not be expecting this to be a walk in the park.

That link will no doubt be helpful, Gus, even if specifics may vary for my XJ. I will plan to do step by step pics as well, since the removal on an XJ seems to have gone undocumented as far as I can tell. I really appreciate mechanics who do that!

Will certainly rule out the relay, fuse, and everything else before doing the tank pull...

 

All of my pages are part of the FAQ on the xk8 page at the bottom. Every time I make a procedure I send a link to Matt to get it posted. You may want to look at the xk8 FAQ to see what they have.

 

If you want I can make a pdf file and post it along with the other. Just send it to me.

 

I have been able to rule out the fuel pump using a pressure tester. I am getting 42 pounds at ignition on and steady at 40 lbs after 2 seconds.

I will move on to electrical systems, starting with related fuses. Then pull a plug and see if we have spark.

Other suggestions are welcome. I am not getting any codes at this point, other than the P1000.

 

One thing I ran into about 2 weeks ago that might be related. I accidentally left my hood open overnight outside. Well, that night it rained and got the engine wet. No big deal, I thought. Wrong... The next day when I drove it, I could not get over 45 MPH and it was missing horribly. I took it straight home and read the codes. It said Cyl 8 misfire.

I pulled the coil pack cover off the left bank, and water poured out. There was just enough water in there to cause the #8 Coil Pack to short out. The ONE cyl missing was enough to cause the whole engine to run poorly.

Not sure if this could be it. Did you wash the engine lately? The gasket to the cover on the one side was leaking just enough to let a little water in. Dried it out, and it ran perfectly! Added a little silicone under the gasket so it seated firmer. No problems since.

 

I pulled a coil and plug for a spark test and am indeed getting spark. The plug was dry and lightly covered with black carbon. The spark wasn't blue, but it was reasonably strong - I could see it from inside the car in broad daylight. The plugs have 75k on them and will be replaced while I am into this, but I don't think plugs are the problem here.

So, to recap, I have 40 lbs of pressure at the fuel rail and spark, but no ignition. What's that leave? Throttle body cleaning? I did spray carb cleaner into the throat and butterfly, but guessing there is more to it than that.

Injector cleaning? Is that something that can be done at home?

Any other clues, recommendations, or insights will be appreciated. Thanks -