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Just acquired a 1985 xjs he, has been sitting for about a year according to last owner. Cleaned it up as it was sitting outdoors for at least a year, hooked up new battery, and predictably it would not start, although it sounds like it wants to. Whats next ? Do I drain the existing gas ? Or add water remover and a few gallons of 93 octane ? Also about 5 minutes after i hooked up the battery and began attempting to start it, a steady alarm began sounding that i could not turn off until I disconnected the battery, any idea what that would be ? I am probably over my head with many of the repairs that this car will need, couldnt resist picking it up, love the car. I have 3 xtypes, and looking forward to driving a "real" Jaguar. Thanks in advance for any help.
Just acquired a 1985 xjs he, has been sitting for about a year according to last owner. Cleaned it up as it was sitting outdoors for at least a year, hooked up new battery, and predictably it would not start, although it sounds like it wants to. Whats next ? Do I drain the existing gas ? Or add water remover and a few gallons of 93 octane ? Also about 5 minutes after i hooked up the battery and began attempting to start it, a steady alarm began sounding that i could not turn off until I disconnected the battery, any idea what that would be ? I am probably over my head with many of the repairs that this car will need, couldnt resist picking it up, love the car. I have 3 xtypes, and looking forward to driving a "real" Jaguar. Thanks in advance for any help.
I've got an 89 xjs and the only alarm is the anti-theft on the radio.
I had a series of very similar problems to yourself.
Immobiliser/Car Alarm wouldn't stop 'Beeping' but most of all 'The Engine Wouldn't Start'
The fact that you say She is 'trying to start' seems to rule out the Immobiliser as the cause of the problem, which could be as simple as putting a new battery in the Key Fob.
Or you could do what I did and disconnect a wire from the Car Alarm Horn to stop it from driving you Crazy while you are trying to get her running.
I'm guessing your Car is a 'Lucas'
Switch on the Ignition and then Flick the Throttle Capstan round by hand.
Can you hear the Injectors 'Click' when you do so?
If not then it sounds like a problem with the Ignition Module, which is a little Silver Box down by the Headlight Nacelle.
On a UK Car its on the Right, so yours might be on the Left, in any event its not that small and so you cannot miss it and in the bottom of this is a Push in Plug.
When this little Box of Tricks goes wrong, then your Car won't Start as it Controls the opening of the Injectors.
Unless it has somehow burned out, which seems very unlikely (as your Car is trying to Start) the Fix is easy.
Pull the Plug out of the Box and then once having done so, then unscrew the Silver Box and take it out of the Car.
Having done that, give the Plug and Socket a really good clean, don't skimp on this you want all those Pins and the Socket they go in all nice and shiny.
Then having done that put the Silver Box back, with the Plug in the bottom.
You could try Flicking the Capstan Round to hear if the Injectors 'Click' but not much point in doing that when its just as easy to Turn the Key and try and Start Her up.
As unbelievable as it sounds, that may be the only thing that you need to do to get her running.
Please report back if that doesn't work, as the next thing to check is the Fuel Supply to the Engine.
Which could be (1) The Fuel Pump (2) Blocked Fuel Filter (3) The FPR on 'B' Bank (Fuel Pressure Relay)
Any of those Three things can prevent her from Starting and we can talk you through what to do, if you don't know your way round the Engine.
You can also look at the Problems I had and how we eventually fixed them and got my Car running again.
I would add that All the expertise came from 'Greg' and 'Grant' and I was just the 'Hapless Wrencher' following their Instructions, as I am not a mechanic myself.
So the Credit for getting her running all goes to them.
I had a series of very similar problems to yourself.
Immobiliser/Car Alarm wouldn't stop 'Beeping' but most of all 'The Engine Wouldn't Start'
The fact that you say She is 'trying to start' seems to rule out the Immobiliser as the cause of the problem, which could be as simple as putting a new battery in the Key Fob.
Or you could do what I did and disconnect a wire from the Car Alarm Horn to stop it from driving you Crazy while you are trying to get her running.
I'm guessing your Car is a 'Lucas'
Switch on the Ignition and then Flick the Throttle Capstan round by hand.
Can you hear the Injectors 'Click' when you do so?
If not then it sounds like a problem with the Ignition Module, which is a little Silver Box down by the Headlight Nacelle.
On a UK Car its on the Right, so yours might be on the Left, in any event its not that small and so you cannot miss it and in the bottom of this is a Push in Plug.
When this little Box of Tricks goes wrong, then your Car won't Start as it Controls the opening of the Injectors.
Unless it has somehow burned out, which seems very unlikely (as your Car is trying to Start) the Fix is easy.
Pull the Plug out of the Box and then once having done so, then unscrew the Silver Box and take it out of the Car.
Having done that, give the Plug and Socket a really good clean, don't skimp on this you want all those Pins and the Socket they go in all nice and shiny.
Then having done that put the Silver Box back, with the Plug in the bottom.
You could try Flicking the Capstan Round to hear if the Injectors 'Click' but not much point in doing that when its just as easy to Turn the Key and try and Start Her up.
As unbelievable as it sounds, that may be the only thing that you need to do to get her running.
Please report back if that doesn't work, as the next thing to check is the Fuel Supply to the Engine.
Which could be (1) The Fuel Pump (2) Blocked Fuel Filter (3) The FPR on 'B' Bank (Fuel Pressure Relay)
Any of those Three things can prevent her from Starting and we can talk you through what to do, if you don't know your way round the Engine.
You can also look at the Problems I had and how we eventually fixed them and got my Car running again.
I would add that All the expertise came from 'Greg' and 'Grant' and I was just the 'Hapless Wrencher' following their Instructions, as I am not a mechanic myself.
So the Credit for getting her running all goes to them.
. Thanks , today I disconnected the fuel line and tried to start the engine, i had no fuel coming from the line. It almost started when I sprayed starting fluid into the air filter. So it looks like fuel filter blocked , fuel pump died, or no power to pump, the relay i guess? Did not hear it click on when turning ignition to 2, or 3 . So next day off i'll fool with the fuel pump, happy to take any further advice or suggestions, thank you for the help, this is gonna be a long term project, should keep me out of trouble for a while.
Replace the Fuel Filter anyway as they are only about £10 (uk) and as for a New Fuel Pump you are very lucky as the one used on the XJS is 'Generic' and as such used on lots of different Cars.
No need to buy OEM for around £200-£250 these pumps are all over ebay for around £35.
Disconnect the Battery and take it out of the Car, before you start to mess around with the Fuel Pump or Fuel Filter, as you will get a lot of Vapour in there which means you only need a Spark to have both you and your Car go out with a Bang!
When I replaced my Fuel Pump and Filter, I blew out the Boot/Trunk with Compressed Air and even then l left the Boot/Trunk open.
I'm sure you probably know all this but just saying in case you don't.
If you buy a 'Generic Fuel Pump' don't start panicking if it doesn't work, as the one I bought had the positive and the negative Terminals on the other way round, so just a matter of Changing the Spade connectors on the Wires to the Fuel Pump.
When you've got that all rigged up and disconnected the Fuel Pipe under the Bonnet/Hood, Petrol should come blasting out like a Fire hose, when you turn the Key.
So wrap some rag around the end of the Pipe, so that it doesn't spray all over the place, although it operates for only 3 Seconds (approx)
and always have a Fire Extinguisher handy just in Case.
Then reconnect the Fuel Pipe and make sure there is no wet fuel or any fumes under the Bonnet/Hood (especially in the 'V') Then try and Start her up.
If that doesn't work then it could be the FPR Fuel Pressure Regulator but before we get into that, let us know how you got on.
Since you know She wants to go, stay away from the 'easystart' or it could wipe the Oil off the bores.
When you have everything in place, then She should Start on the 'Button'
Replace the Fuel Filter anyway as they are only about £10 (uk) and as for a New Fuel Pump you are very lucky as the one used on the XJS is 'Generic' and as such used on lots of different Cars.
No need to buy OEM for around £200-£250 these pumps are all over ebay for around £35.
Disconnect the Battery and take it out of the Car, before you start to mess around with the Fuel Pump or Fuel Filter, as you will get a lot of Vapour in there which means you only need a Spark to have both you and your Car go out with a Bang!
When I replaced my Fuel Pump and Filter, I blew out the Boot/Trunk with Compressed Air and even then l left the Boot/Trunk open.
I'm sure you probably know all this but just saying in case you don't.
If you buy a 'Generic Fuel Pump' don't start panicking if it doesn't work, as the one I bought had the positive and the negative Terminals on the other way round, so just a matter of Changing the Spade connectors on the Wires to the Fuel Pump.
When you've got that all rigged up and disconnected the Fuel Pipe under the Bonnet/Hood, Petrol should come blasting out like a Fire hose, when you turn the Key.
So wrap some rag around the end of the Pipe, so that it doesn't spray all over the place, although it operates for only 3 Seconds (approx)
and always have a Fire Extinguisher handy just in Case.
Then reconnect the Fuel Pipe and make sure there is no wet fuel or any fumes under the Bonnet/Hood (especially in the 'V') Then try and Start her up.
If that doesn't work then it could be the FPR Fuel Pressure Regulator but before we get into that, let us know how you got on.
Since you know She wants to go, stay away from the 'easystart' or it could wipe the Oil off the bores.
When you have everything in place, then She should Start on the 'Button'
Thanks, i ordered a new fuel pump, being shipped in a few days, All advice is appreciated, no detail too small, i am a newbie and have very limited experience, this will ge the first time im doing repairs myself .
Have you checked the inertia switch on the driver door pillar just where your knee would be. This removes power from the main relay, and thus the ECU and fuel pump.
Pull it up and then push it back down again. The main relay is in the boot RH side of the battery, there are 2 relays one is the main and the other is the fuel pump relay.
Today i did change the fuel filter, still waiting for my fuel pump from rockauto. I did look but could not locate the fuel pump, where exactly is it ?
It is in the boot (trunk) next to the battery but on the floor. Remove the spare wheel, and the battery, and the metal sheeting below the battery, and you will see the pump, the fuel sump tank which is gravity fed by the main tank (needed to ensure the pump always has a supply of fuel on corners, braking etc etc). You will see the filter behind the spare wheel, (when you change it be CAREFUL to note which flow direction it is in). You will also see the feed to the pump coming out of the sump tank via a pipe held in by a locking ring. carefully knock this ring anticlockwise and then remove the pipe. It should have a filter on the end, which you must change, as they do deteriorate and prevent fuel flow. Look inside the sump tank, and if it is not clean but has bits inside, it must be cleaned out. If so, post again.
Here is a diagram of the bits concerned: Fuel Sump Tank - Parts For XJS from (V)139052 to (V)179736 | Jaguar Classic Parts UK
The Fuel Pump is just underneath the Battery Holder (correction just to the side of @ Greg) but before you can get to it you have to remove a metal plate that is blanking it off.
This is really dead easy to do as its only a couple of Bolts and once removed you will also see the Fuel Filter.
There is just a Clamp round the Fuel Pump so changing it is very easy but its gravity fed from the Fuel Tank, so either Clamp the feed pipe off or have something to Block off the Pipe, or else you will have Petrol everywhere!
So much better to drain the Fuel Tank in the event that you haven't already done so but have lots of rag at the ready to catch any Petrol draining out of the Tubes and when you replace the Filter, make sure that its on the right way round!
Do be 'Extremely Careful' of any build up of Petrol Fumes in the Boot/Trunk, as just one Spark is all you need to Blow you and your Car to bits!
Once you remove the Blanking Plate only a Clamp holds the Fuel Pump
Changing the Fuel Pump is easy
As is the Filter which is just to the Left on a (UK) Car.
You can easily change the Fuel Pump and Filter in about an hour, so think yourself lucky you haven't got a 'Facelift' with the Fuel Pump in the Top of The Tank, or that little job could then be measured in days!
Last edited by orangeblossom; 11-12-2016 at 03:22 AM.
The Fuel Pump is just underneath the Battery Holder (correction just to the side of @ Greg) but before you can get to it you have to remove a metal plate that is blanking it off.
This is really dead easy to do as its only a couple of Bolts and once removed you will also see the Fuel Filter.
There is just a Clamp round the Fuel Pump so changing it is very easy but its gravity fed from the Fuel Tank, so either Clamp the feed pipe off or have something to Block off the Pipe, or else you will have Petrol everywhere!
So much better to drain the Fuel Tank in the event that you haven't already done so but have lots of rag at the ready to catch any Petrol draining out of the Tubes and when you replace the Filter, make sure that its on the right way round!
Do be 'Extremely Careful' of any build up of Petrol Fumes in the Boot/Trunk, as just one Spark is all you need to Blow you and your Car to bits!
Once you remove the Blanking Plate only a Clamp holds the Fuel Pump
Changing the Fuel Pump is easy
As is the Filter which is just to the Left on a (UK) Car.
You can easily change the Fuel Pump and Filter in about an hour, so think yourself lucky you haven't got a 'Facelift' with the Fuel Pump in the Top of The Tank, or that little job could then be measured in days!
Thanks, still waiting for the pump, changed the fuel filter, here are sone pics, Have a lot to do, if everything goes well mechanicially, I'll paint it in the spring, I'll take any advice on color and type of paint
She looks nice, I think I would probably keep the Colour the same if it were me but does She really need Painting, She looks very tidy to me from what I can see.
Looks like She's Rhodium Silver, which I think is a very nice Colour.
Last edited by orangeblossom; 11-13-2016 at 05:30 PM.
She looks nice, I think I would probably keep the Colour the same if it were me but does She really need Painting, She looks very tidy to me from what I can see.
Looks like She's Rhodium Silver, which I think is a very nice Colour.[/QUOTE
Champagne , the previous owner told me , it has some rust spots, and the driver door needs work, Will get it in the air hopefully after I install the new fuel pump, my friend has a lift in his garage. Want to get it moving then I can see what else needs work mechanically, maybe I'll luck out and just have to tune it up and change the fluids and be ready to work on the cosmetics. Its a 1985, is there a place to plug in a code reader, or is it too old for that ?
Car looks good over all, the paint job looks nice, I would hold off on painting or just keep it that color. Work on getting it running, and you may want to change the fuel lines as well as the injector hoses. when I put mine up for the past 3 years, I changed all the fuel lines as well as vacuum line and cooling hose. along with many other things, But take your time tackle thing one at a time and before you know it you have a CAT thats Purring.
like others here thanks to Greg' and 'Grant for their help and advise, along with others
Want to get it moving then I can see what else needs work mechanically, maybe I'll luck out and just have to tune it up and change the fluids and be ready to work on the cosmetics. Its a 1985, is there a place to plug in a code reader, or is it too old for that ?
Do not kid yourself! The car will need suspension bushes, steering rack bushes, VERY careful work in the engine bay to change plugs, HT leads, dizzy cap and rotor probably, lots of iffy/semi cooked wiring will be found, connectors cleaned or changed, radiator and thermostats and hoses sorted, earth points cleaned, new shocks probably. Brake disc and caliper work. Remember, you have a 30 year old supercar of its era, if you want it to be reliable and they are if properly serviced - in spite of what the in-knowledgeable say - you just have to accept that 30 year old components will not cut it, even though they may work for a bit longer. At the end of all this work you will understand the car and have a wonderfully good one too.
Greg
Do not kid yourself! The car will need suspension bushes, steering rack bushes, VERY careful work in the engine bay to change plugs, HT leads, dizzy cap and rotor probably, lots of iffy/semi cooked wiring will be found, connectors cleaned or changed, radiator and thermostats and hoses sorted, earth points cleaned, new shocks probably. Brake disc and caliper work. Remember, you have a 30 year old supercar of its era, if you want it to be reliable and they are if properly serviced - in spite of what the in-knowledgeable say - you just have to accept that 30 year old components will not cut it, even though they may work for a bit longer. At the end of all this work you will understand the car and have a wonderfully good one too.
Greg
Dido on that. that why after the second year of ownership, I put mine up and did all Greg mentioned plus rebuilt my injector harness and placed it of the valley
11-08-2016, 09:29 AM
New XJS owner
