Guys! Thanks for all the help many of you have provided on my recent tranny thread. There are quite a number of smaller problems you have helped with. Much appreciated!
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I noticed this right before I bought it about 4 weeks ago. I turn the key, all the bells and whistles come on, continue turn to start and nothing. I would turn back to off, turn back and let all the lights and buzzing do it’s thing, it would start right up.I figured no biggy... maybe just a little short somewhere. I then turned off the memory function for seat and steering column.

The battery was purchased 07/2012.

This has continued to happen from time to time. This morning was different though. I went thru this cycle about 4 times and it would not start. It finally started strongly and easily letting me know the battery is good but it seemed to take longer to fire(5 secs) when normally it fires immediately. Engine sounded perfect. No dash warnings.

I have been searching and reading about this apparent problem all morning. Here are some responses on different threads... I welcome any ideas to try. It is like it is a short or loose wire somewhere. Please be very specific because I don’t know squat except what I’ve read on the web site. Thanks in advance!
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I had a similar problem, though my car would not even click and it was intermittant, maybe 3 times a month, but very inconvenient. Like I say, no click, but dash lights came on. My battery is practically new. I figured it had to be a battery problem or ground, so I cleaned and lubed every stinking ground and post, and still had this intermittant no start, but I could get it to start if I screwed around with the battery posts. So, last time it happened, I almost burned the cr@p out of myself when I touched the ground (neg) post. So, I research a little and found that people had had problems with the braided ground strap and solved it by either replacing the ground strap, or soldering the crimped ends to the braided cable. Long story short (too late now), I took option 2 and did some soldering, and have not had the issue since.
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Try wiggling the shifter while you hold the key.

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Do you have another key? There is a security transponder that can get dodgy- or the switch that activates the security system can fail intermittently.
Good luck.
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I've been looking at so much jag material today. I am in awe of the complexity of these machines.

All the fuses, relays, and various components and accessories that allow you to have a very pleasant driving experience. I'm very impressed with this 98 in many ways along with the great care each owner has taken. I think I'm #4.

I digress! After work, turned key and it would not start. Prayed, turned key again and it started.

Got home and checked the battery and all cables. Attempted to move them all and everything was secure and looked like brand new.

Jumped in and was able to crank it twice with no problem.

Of course from what I've read here... IT will come back!

 

The cables being secure is not good enough. The best way to handle this is disconnect the battery, then remove all the +/- cable connections and clean them. I know this sounds like BS, but a corroded connection can be tight. And include the starer connections. Aren't Jags fun?
RJ_____________
97 XK8 86K mi

 

Right!

I'll try anything. It's a new batt and still has the grease on terminals but...

I don't even know where stinking starter is. I looked... still couldn't find it and the AC compressor is way down there. I finally saw a pic of the throttle body and recognized it from the little black cup. My gosh!

In fact, I'm going to check every connection, fuse, and relay. I did recently discover that the coolant level sensor had dropped from it's home and simply plugged it back in.

After knocking around tonight, it has cranked successfully at least 5 different times. Be curious to see it sit overnight with temps in the 60's.

 

I have 3 keys. Green and black seem to crank each time I turn them.

 

I have a 1998 XJ8 and had the same problem along with the battery sometimes being dead. Turn the key on and nothing. I found out after checking cables and grounds that the main cable off of the alternator was loose and arcing when trying to start. Unfortunately, I did not track it down before doing fatal damage to the bolt on the back of the alternator. Replace the alternator and cable nice and tight, no more key problem.

 

So far it has cranked first time every time.

However, I don't know if changing keys or wriggling various wires fixed this. I assume if it was a loose connection(nothing I could see), the problem will return.

 

Wow! I now have a total of 3 whole weeks of driving time in this cat.

Tranny is shifting fine now and car is cranking as it should. I want to get to a point where I'm not thinking to myself... what's next!

It is a great pleasure to drive but still feeling a little insecure.

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that your cat won't make any trouble again.

 

I deleted your duplicate post, it's a curious feature of the Forum that users can't delete their own posts.
If you look at the top right of your post there's a 'Report Post' button.
Use that and explain it's a duplicate or daft post + we'll sort it out.

I'm not sure you ever get rid of the feelings of impending doom when you turn that key - as you say the more you get to know about the car the more unreasonable it seems that it should work at all.

 

Mine is having this same thing. Started happening in July. Its very random which defies testing and diagnosis.
The battery was replaced in May and tests fine. ( I really do not suspect the battery because when the battery WAS going bad, it did not behave like this. It just cranked slower and slower until it didn't have the strength to turn the starter anymore, just like any other car. )

Being scientific, I first disconnected, cleaned and reconnected every connection between the battery and the starter even tho it all looked like brand new.
A few days later, same thing so that wasn't it.

Next I ordered and replaced the ground cable from the engine to the chassis that was mentioned above.
I was ready to call it fixed, but about two weeks later, it did it again.
Next I disconnected, cleaned and reconnected all of the throttle body connectors, but it did it again the next day, so that was not it.

The only pattern that I have noticed is that it is much more likely to misbehave when the ambient temperature is very high, being much more likely after work when the car has sat all day in the summer sun and being much less likely in the garage in the morning.
It appears to have nothing whatsoever to do with the engine temperature.
The frequency of these episodes seems to be declining as the fall temperatures are arriving.
Its been more than two weeks since the last episode.
Given the evidence, the random error messages on the screen, yet no codes, the buzzing and clicking noises emanating from the instrument cluster when this happens, and the relationship cabin temperature, I'm leaning toward thinking there's a fault with the instrument cluster module.

I'm more or less waiting for it to fail completely to be able to diagnose it.

 

Thanks! It is a complex machine but a lot has happened in 14 years.

I just need a car with a bit of reliability for a few years. Quite a lot of money has been spent the past few years on it before I retained it. Hopefully, I can now take advantage of this and get the same enjoyment many have had with their jags without me mortgaging my house.

 

Pdupler- have you replaced the battery with a new one?

 

Yes, I mentioned that I did, but somehow my paragraph structure is all messed up.

 

Try replacing the main ground strap with a regular old-fashioned cable. It worked for me, and it's cheap.

 

I know that you are having an intermittent starting problem and this procedure is geared towards a total no start but I think it might help and I hope it does.

Link JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

Update:

I have had no starting issues for at least a week. I checked a number of fuses and cables plus now using the green key. Nice turning the key and getting an immediate start up.

 

Morph,

Knock on wood, I'm going on three weeks without an incident now, but I suspect its all about the cooler temperatures. I just wish I knew what part in the starting circuit/system check cycle is so sensitive to summer daytime heating. Oh well, I'll be perfectly happy to put off repairs until next July if I can be so lucky.

 

Ha! Mine did not crank(or turnover) 2 times this morning. I got my black key, it cranked right up. Don't know if this made a difference.

Guys! Are the keys on these 98's putting out some type of signal?

 

Most modern car keys have an RFID chip in them. I'm not an expert on the Jag system, but some gizmo near the ignition switch sends out a magnetic pulse that actually energizes the chip in the key and makes it transmit back its code. Because its easy to fake a metal key, its extra security. I've read threads about replacing the "exciter ring" or key transponder coil. Its on my list to check and supposedly not terribly expensive to replace.