Do I need to pull all 8 plugs, or can I accomplish the same fix with just removing 4 sparkplugs?

 

I've heard tell of folks doing only one side, and there is a no-oil procedure in here somewhere that talks about holding the accelerator pedal to the floor and cranking for a looooong time.

 

Any throttle angle that exceeds 70 percent while cranking appears to trigger injector shutdown to clear a flooded engine. This also appears to have a maximum time limit of 10 seconds.

 

You could be lucky but for the additional time it takes to pull all eight plugs, may as well do them all and get it started and running evenly at the first attempt.

I certainly wouldn't consider pulling only four plugs on the same side........!

Graham

 

only do 4, or risk hydrolocking your engine and busting a rod or rod bearing

 

No one is going to hydrolock an engine by putting a couple of ml of oil in each cylinder. This has been done many times.

The owners manual does recommend flooring the throttle and using short bursts of the starter to overcome 'flooding', and it does work, but maybe not all the time.

Note that Jaguar did not call it bore wash or cylinder wash, don't want to disturb the customers.

 

4 always works, just a few drips

 

Adding oil to the cylinders is not a problem when using it to increase compression but you will need more than a few drops more like a teaspoon but no more than that. This is a link to a procedure that will help.

Link JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

Interesting that refers to Nikasil but really it's the lack of oiling isn't it? (I know they added extra squirters on the STR etc.)

Repeated bursts of WOT cranking has worked for multiple S-Type 4.0 owners without taking out the plugs but you may need to recharge the battery.

 

Called bore washing.

 

I meant to ask why it even mentions Nikasil since it can happen to non-Nikasil can't it?

Yeah it's called bore wash on the forums I tend to be on.

 

Nikasil engines are more susceptible because the coating is very low friction and porosity, therefor easier to wash the oil away.

 

A little reading about nikasil. RJ237 hit the nail on the head. Yes it can but not as often.

Link JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

Aha - thanks.

 

One of the features of the nikasil lining are the rougher edge silicon particles, that allow oil to stay.

Iirc there was an ECU update for the 4.0 cars, that should reduce the chances of bore wash.

 

This is a copy/paste of the bore wash resolution I wrote up in a newer post, after reading everyone's response to THIS post.


Scenario first, then the resolution.

Last Monday I went out to start my car before work. It fired briefly then nothing, the engine spun and it sounded like the starter wasn't engaging the engine, only louder. After work (drove the wifes car) I hopped on the forums and started searching for "No start", and what I found was exactly what I had done. I had moved Kitty the day before, started it up, drove five feet to make room for the ladder (Christmas lights) and shut it off. The result, after reading the forums and comparing scenarios, BORE WASH.


The resolution-You will need a long socket extension, a spark plug socket and some very thin tape. A regular socket wont be as helpful as sparkplug sockets have a foam insert to grip the spark plug, and trust me, you want to grip the spark plug. Use the thin tape to tape the socket onto the extension to hold them together. You must use thin tape, not packing or masking tape because the plug wells are snug with the socket. If you skip this step, you will be fishing the socket out of the plug well with needle nose pliers after you reinstall the plugs.


This is what I did, following the instructions in the forums, disconnect the battery, positive and negative terminals.




1) On the drivers side, I removed the coil pack cover, which is the cover on the valve cover with the word "Jaguar" - 8 small bolts. Remove the bolts and using a screw driver, pop the cover off. The two bolts closest to the windshield are the hardest, but not difficult, just a tight spot. Place the bolts in a secure container.
2) Pull the threaded coil pack wiring harness retaining clips away from the valve cover. There are two of them on the upper edge of the harness that hold the harness to the valve cover. They are attached to the harness so you cant loose them.
3) Each coil pack has two bolts, remove all and place them in the same secure container. They are longer than the cover bolts so you can't get them confused.
4) Beginning with the left coil pack working to the right, pull all the coil packs away from the sparkplugs, but don't pull them away from the engine yet. Once you have them all loose, pull them away and drape them over the top of the engine. No need to unplug anything (1999 XK8 anyway)


5) Remove the spark plugs and squirt a teaspoon of oil inside of each cylinder. The plug wells are fairly deep, and the sparkplug hole is a good 6 inches down inside. You will need either a long tube, or what I have, which is a lever pump oil can with a flexible spout. I recommend the oil can as you can pump the oil into a teaspoon before hand to determine how many "pumps" it will take. In my case, 6 pumps.
6) Replace the plugs and coil packs. don't replace the cover yet just incase.
7) Reconnect the positive battery terminal and then touch the negative cable to the positive post for ten seconds. This will perform a "hard reset" required (?) after removing the battery cables.
8) Get in the car and place the key into the system check position and press the accelerator fully to the floor. This is the default "shut off" for fuel if the car isn't started. With the accelerator to the floor, turn the key and turn your engine over for 10 to 15 seconds and turn the key off. (accelerator still to the floor) wait 10/15 seconds and repeat 3 or 4 times. You should hear the compression building in the cylinders.
9) At this point, turn the key off and lift your foot off the accelerator, turn the key to the on position and push half way down on the accelerator, and turn the key to start the car in 15/20 second intervals, resting the starter for 10/15 seconds. You will hear the car begin to "stumble", trying to start. After about 4 cycles of doing this, the car will start and white smoke with come out the exhaust, caused by the oil in the cylinders. Feather the gas to keep it running if required, and after it starts, hold the RPMS at about 1500 for 10 seconds or so, and slowly left off the gas.


With the car running, replace the coil pack cover.



I ONLY removed the 4 spark plugs on the drivers side, didn't touch the other 4 on the passenger side...





KITTY IS ALIVE!!!!!

 

Adding oil to one side is not a problem and I am pleased that you got it running. However, if that does not work do it to all 8 cylinders.

Now that you have it started I would recommend using Engine Restore as a preventative to limit the possibility of experiencing the same cylinder washing from reoccurring again.

Kudos to you!

 

If engine restore would fill up the rough silicon edges, which are supposed to be for oil, it wouldn't be a good combination I would think.

 

Using Restore has been a hot topic on this forum for years and you can do a search to find all the posts if you wish. To date we have not had any ill effects do to the use of Restore in any Nikasil engine in fact we had several reports that it improved performance.

Restore is not snake oil it really works. I would not recommend it if it were.

 

If engine restore works as advertised, it will fill the oil retention places. and that goes against from what is known to be good, as you need the oil there.

My personal view would be to not use this product unless you already have developed a problem, then its a different ball game again.