Check Engine Light 96 XJS
#1
Check Engine Light 96 XJS
Well group as some of you know I just drove over 1500 miles in the 96 XJS Convertible 2+2 I purchased up in Syracuse, NY about a month ago.
I did the trip from Syracuse to Cleveland,(picked up wife at other daughter's home) and we drove back to Venice, Fl.
Absolutely no issues, UNBELIEVABLY RAN GREAT AND EVERYTHING WORKED)
Yesterday my wife wanted to go to the outlets in Ft. Meyers, about a 150 Mile round trip.
Car ran great the entire trip there and back. We ran into a huge rain storm on I-75 heading back up to Venice...couldn't see 5 ft in front.
Car ran great...No Issues....
When we got home I decided to run up and top off the tank
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON!!!!
Don't have an OBD reader so I went to Advance Auto. The young fellow ran the scanner and the the Isse " Multiple Mis Fire".
The car does not have a misfire!!!!! Runs perfectly!!!!!
I asked for him to erase the Check Engine Light and he stated that he couldn't.
OK..... No issue in that I would disconnect when I get back home.
Disconnected then hooked back up the cable.
Started the car and the light came back on.
Pulled the coil/plug cover
What I saw was a couple of wires coming out of different connectors to the coil packs were frayed and exposed. I took some electrical tape and did my best to recover the exposed areas.
Disconnected the battery again and rehooked up after a couple of minutes
Started up again and the light came on....This thing is running really smooth.
WHAT GIVES?????
Any and all comments are appreciated
Thanks
Softball Paul
I did the trip from Syracuse to Cleveland,(picked up wife at other daughter's home) and we drove back to Venice, Fl.
Absolutely no issues, UNBELIEVABLY RAN GREAT AND EVERYTHING WORKED)
Yesterday my wife wanted to go to the outlets in Ft. Meyers, about a 150 Mile round trip.
Car ran great the entire trip there and back. We ran into a huge rain storm on I-75 heading back up to Venice...couldn't see 5 ft in front.
Car ran great...No Issues....
When we got home I decided to run up and top off the tank
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON!!!!
Don't have an OBD reader so I went to Advance Auto. The young fellow ran the scanner and the the Isse " Multiple Mis Fire".
The car does not have a misfire!!!!! Runs perfectly!!!!!
I asked for him to erase the Check Engine Light and he stated that he couldn't.
OK..... No issue in that I would disconnect when I get back home.
Disconnected then hooked back up the cable.
Started the car and the light came back on.
Pulled the coil/plug cover
What I saw was a couple of wires coming out of different connectors to the coil packs were frayed and exposed. I took some electrical tape and did my best to recover the exposed areas.
Disconnected the battery again and rehooked up after a couple of minutes
Started up again and the light came on....This thing is running really smooth.
WHAT GIVES?????
Any and all comments are appreciated
Thanks
Softball Paul
#2
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#3
malc4d,
I was intrigued by your thought that it could be the fuel cap. I can't work out how that might be. It may be different on cars destined for the US, but UK XJSs don't have any electrical circuits on the fuel cap. The MIL is only set, I thought, by defined error codes being thrown. Do you know which error code gets thrown by the fuel cap being open on a US car?
Tks
Paul
I was intrigued by your thought that it could be the fuel cap. I can't work out how that might be. It may be different on cars destined for the US, but UK XJSs don't have any electrical circuits on the fuel cap. The MIL is only set, I thought, by defined error codes being thrown. Do you know which error code gets thrown by the fuel cap being open on a US car?
Tks
Paul
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#4
Disconnecting the battery will not clear the codes.
I don't know what you mean in that paragraph I quoted. It does not make sense to me.
You should buy an OBD2 reader, they're less than $20 on Amazon, and clear the codes to see if they are in fact returning.
Its plausible that you had a short from the exposed wires and its fixed, but until you clear the codes, you won't know for sure.
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#5
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#6
#7
Check Engine Light
I forgot to answer your question regarding the wires.
Out of each coil over there is a two (2) wire conncector coming out of the side and running into a harness.
Out of two (2) of the coil packs the wire jacket must have become brittle and craked exposing the raw copper wire.
I taped these up as best I could to eliminate any potential shorts.
I would have thought if they were shorting out I would feel while the engine is running.
Thanks
Softball60 Paul
Out of each coil over there is a two (2) wire conncector coming out of the side and running into a harness.
Out of two (2) of the coil packs the wire jacket must have become brittle and craked exposing the raw copper wire.
I taped these up as best I could to eliminate any potential shorts.
I would have thought if they were shorting out I would feel while the engine is running.
Thanks
Softball60 Paul
Trending Topics
#8
This one seems to get good reviews
I own this one:
I think at that price point, they're all the same.
A bare wire could have caused a momentary short setting off the code, I suppose.
I own this one:
Amazon.com: Excelvan U480 Car Auto Diagnostic Scanner OBD2 OBDII CAN-BUS Code Reader Memoscanner: Automotive
I think at that price point, they're all the same.
A bare wire could have caused a momentary short setting off the code, I suppose.
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#9
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#10
Paul, l was told that on a lot of cars nowadays (not sure about our XJS's) but the fuel cap is included in the emissions set up.
The Five Most Common Causes of a Check Engine Light and What You Should Do About Them
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/151
The Five Most Common Causes of a Check Engine Light and What You Should Do About Them
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/151
Last edited by malc4d; 09-19-2014 at 05:30 PM.
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#11
#12
Paul,
The XJS works on a three times positive reset principle. That means that after an error code is thrown which turns on the MIL, the system checks each time you turn on the ignition again. If it has 3 consecutive starts in which it hasn't seen the error code thrown again, it will extinguish the MIL, but retain the error code in memory for retrieval and clearance later. So if your light us still on after four subsequent starts, the error has re-occurred since the first time.
Hope that makes sense.
Paul
The XJS works on a three times positive reset principle. That means that after an error code is thrown which turns on the MIL, the system checks each time you turn on the ignition again. If it has 3 consecutive starts in which it hasn't seen the error code thrown again, it will extinguish the MIL, but retain the error code in memory for retrieval and clearance later. So if your light us still on after four subsequent starts, the error has re-occurred since the first time.
Hope that makes sense.
Paul
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Softball60 (09-19-2014)
#13
#14
Update,
Still have not received the scanner.
The engine fault light went out.....
1. Don't know if it was the fixing of the exposed wires coming out of the coil.
2. Added a couple of cans of Fuel Injector Cleaner over the last two (2) tanks.
Either way it is running good!!!
Just waiting for my auxiliary fan.....From another post.
Thanks
Softball60
Paul
1996 XJS 2 + 2 Convertible
1957 XK140 DropHead Coupe
Everyother British Sports car known to Mankind
Still have not received the scanner.
The engine fault light went out.....
1. Don't know if it was the fixing of the exposed wires coming out of the coil.
2. Added a couple of cans of Fuel Injector Cleaner over the last two (2) tanks.
Either way it is running good!!!
Just waiting for my auxiliary fan.....From another post.
Thanks
Softball60
Paul
1996 XJS 2 + 2 Convertible
1957 XK140 DropHead Coupe
Everyother British Sports car known to Mankind
#15
softball60, my car is identical to yours and it throws codes quite often. I just clear them and we motor along fine for quite a while. Not than there was any indication of anything wrong with the engine light on. The car runs perfectly. My anti-lock light is also fond of coming on too. It goes off the next time I start the car though.
It is a trip to drive these old Jags. Only their beauty keeps us putting up with the little niggling things they do.
Cheers, RagJag
It is a trip to drive these old Jags. Only their beauty keeps us putting up with the little niggling things they do.
Cheers, RagJag
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Softball60 (10-03-2014)
#16
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Softball60 (10-03-2014)
#17
softball60, my car is identical to yours and it throws codes quite often. I just clear them and we motor along fine for quite a while. Not than there was any indication of anything wrong with the engine light on. The car runs perfectly. My anti-lock light is also fond of coming on too. It goes off the next time I start the car though.
It is a trip to drive these old Jags. Only their beauty keeps us putting up with the little niggling things they do.
Cheers, RagJag
It is a trip to drive these old Jags. Only their beauty keeps us putting up with the little niggling things they do.
Cheers, RagJag
One of your wheel sensors probably needs to be cleaned. Next time you pull a tire off, you'll have to disconnect the ball joint, you should clean it out. For me it happened to be the front passenger's side.
If it doesn't bother you, then I don't think you're hurting anything. You should know that the ABS will not work when that light comes on.
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Softball60 (10-03-2014)
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