My new to me 2000 XJ8 vp is lying dead in my driveway. Last night I started it up and it ran for a few seconds and died. It will not restart. The error code says both cylinder banks are running lean and no more error codes. What can I do to get it running?

 

The lean reading makes me think that 02 sensors may have given up the ghost. Odd that both banks would go at the same time. Before jumping of on that, I would clean the throttle body and see if that changes the condition at all.

 

Carefully look at the big black plastic hose from the air filter housing up to the engine. Make sure it is secure on top of the engine (mounts onto throttle body), and that there are no openings. It will only take a small amount of air entry to flag the codes you have, and alot of air to prevent the engine from starting. Look for the big hoseclamp down by the air cleaner housing, that secures the intake duct onto the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAFS). If you haven't found an obvious problem yet, go get some CRC brand MAFS cleaner. Take off the air filter housing andthe MAF, spray it liberally. If the small black hose (full load breather tube) that goes to the cam cover is broken, that will also throw two lean codes: it won't keep the engine from starting. Beyond that it's not a Do It Yourself fix to my way of thinking.

 

My cat is alive!! I got the Jag back today and for only 500 buckaroos it is running great. The cheap spark plugs the original owner used were fouled and it needed the throttle body and airflow sensors to be cleaned. It cost me but it runs great now. Hopefully I won't have anymore big bills for awhile. Thanks for the help.

 

Glad to hear you're back on the road, sorry I couldn't help more.

If that's all they did for $500, they gave you good service to diagnose and correct the problem but are charging prices that are on the higher end of the scale. Might want to ask around your area to get additional info on service providers, and be fully prepared for the next emergency. They won't happen often, but when they do they are rarely DIY situations. Happy Motoring!

 

The actual bill for the service was $340. The rest was in parts, oil change, taxes and stuff. That checked out all the systems and minor adjustments. At $85 /hr shop rate it works out to about 4 hrs work. He is a highly recommended mechanic and lots of the Jag guys use him. I even let him work on my Rolls.