Pretty much at a total loss. Another code came up. P1396. Has to do with timing most likely. It’s at the shop right now. No idea what the will say I will update you all tommorow. If the timing is screwed up this car is going straight to a junkyard. Hopefully my entire years salary doesn’t come to an end here.

 

Wow!
With an hour to spare, I read through all 60 posts here, then relaxed by banging my head against the wall until needing to lie down , , ,
What a litany of rabbit holes and potential red herrings.

I offer the following with great respect and with no desire to offend, but correct me if I'm wrong . . .

• you have been beset with a weird variety of DTCs that come and go - some reporting insufficient voltage or readings out of range;
• when asked back in post #2 about your battery, you did NOT confirm it was fully charged (ie remains at 12.9 to 13.0V overnight);
• you admit that it sagged overnight to 12.3V but assumed it was OK because the car often started and ran (albeit horribly at first);
• is it possible that the "clicking" you report recently is the poor starter solenoid telling you that your battery voltage is disappearing?
• finally, after ignoring it for 60 posts, in your most recent, you "wonder if it's my battery?"

Like others here, there are so many unanswered questions, or checks either not done or values not reported, I am also frustrated for you.

Colin, if you learn little else, tattoo this on your arm . . . "whenever my S-Type misbehaves, ALWAYS first check the battery voltage", The weirder the APPARENT fault, the more LIKELY the battery charge is inadequate. It may not be the culprit. Often, it's not . . . but it is the FIRST thing to check. There are three elements to that check . . .

• fully charge the battery, disconnect and measure B+ voltage . . . what is the value? hopefully, at least 12.9V;
• leave it connected in car but off charger overnight, then measure B+ again . . . what is the value? minimum 12.6V;
• if battery fails either above, take it to battery shop for a (generally free) bench test for CCA (Cold Cranking Amperage).

Even Lazarus will not resurrect a dying battery - especially one able to start engine (easier if pre warmed, lubricated and boosted by alternator) but incapable of correctly starting electronic modules or correctly reading sensors on which the powertrain relies. A new battery of correct spec is not cheap so these checks are imperative to avoid unnecessary expense, However, if a needed new battery saves your car from the crusher, it is worth every penny.

Cheers and best wishes,

 

Battery is #1 suspect unless proven to hold a great charge as above stated.

 

When the fuel pressure regulator failed on my 2005 STR. I unhooked it. The measured fuel pressure with a mechanical gauge went to 70 psi and stayed at that pressure. At idle or accelerating. A default of some kind?

BUT the car was throwing code P0193 pointing to the FPR so no surprise there.
Without any FPR codes it does not look to be a FPR problem?
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Where did you connect the mechanical gauge? Wasn't the test port deleted on 2003+ models? If so, did you have to rig up an adapter? Can you provide details?

For troubleshooting, it would be very helpful if Colin could verify the actual pressure with a mechanical gauge. It's one of the basic checks for troubleshooting and it's a shame to skip it.

FWIW, fuel pressure out of specs may not necessarily set a code for the sensor. If the feedback from the sensor is inaccurate, the computer will happily adjust the pump output to match. For example if the pressure was low, the computer would increase the injectors' on time to maintain the same overall fuel delivery and keep the O2 sensors happy. The poor computer might easily misinterpret this as an air leak and flag P0171/0174 instead. I like to say computer control systems can be really really smart and really really dumb, all at the same time.

 

Step back from the ledge! Don't jump!

Need you to stop whatever you're doing at the moment and grab a broom. Not a pushbroom, but one like this:


Turn the broom upside down, so the handle is facing the ground. Next, hold the broom over your head and swing it back and forth several times. The general idea is to push away that dark cloud hanging over your head.

The odds of having some insurmountable problem with your car? Pretty slim. This thread is chock full of known problem areas that need to be investigated, plus some inexpensive troubleshooting steps you can try long before calling the wrecking yard to come pick her up.

Battery? This is a well known issue, especially with the intermittent oddball codes you're getting. Doesn't matter if the starter speed seems adequate. See post #13 for a simple suggestion. Hook up a proper battery charger overnight (NOT a trickle charger). Leave the charger connected, start the engine, and then disconnect the charger. See if that makes a difference. If better, the present battery is an unwieldy paperweight and needs to be replaced. Zero dollars to test like this, only your time.

Fuel filter? That's just a basic thing to rule out with rough running, and well worth the $15 gamble. Suggested way back in post #13.

Oil filter? See post #43 for my long-winded treatise on how an oil filter could be causing a rattle at start-up. Another $15 gamble.

That's $30 so far. Save the receipt for the broom and return it. Use that same money for the filters.

If unsure what to do, pick something and try it. Doesn’t have to be from the list above, but do try something. Report back with results, good or bad.

 

JLR dropped the fuel test port for the 2006 models and up. My 2005 was the last year the 4.2L engines had it. As always they start "de contenting" the cars when they are on the short list to be cancelled.
Here is my thread and sorry I did not post pictures of how I attached the mechanical fuel pressure gauge.
P01293 FPR Code

I posted in the past as Tbird6 so that's a bit confusing too!
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I don’t own a battery charger, also what is b+ voltage?

 

I don’t own a battery charger. I also would like to say that the car starts perfect like 50% of the time. No matter what the battery is at, I’ve had it start horrible at 12.55 volts and perfect at 12.25 volts. It’s not very easy to convince my parents to let me buy anything let alone a charger/battery. Neither of my parents are mechanically inclined and my dad wants nothing to do with this car, so I’m on my own if they even let me buy those filters. Do you have a link for them? Also shop said the rough running was a misfire due to a bad ignition coil and spark plug. But I don’t understand how that lines up with the p1396 code.

 

Well, sorry to be so blunt, but you may be in a bit of a bind. We come from very different worlds. I am the son of a mechanic. My first three cars came home in pieces, and two of them even left under their own power. My Dad taught me just enough to keep myself safe, and then let me start making mistakes on my own.

The tools we keep pitching, such as a scanner and battery charger, are just some of the basics you would need for any car. Your car is not some exotic, such as a Lamborghini or Maserati, but still has a few more quirks than a garden variety Toyota or Honda. But if you're going to be handicapped from doing even some of the rudimentary tasks to troubleshoot and keep an older car on the road, you may have to re-evaluate your situation. Once again, I seriously doubt anything major is wrong with your car, but we don't want to see you butting heads with your father or becoming a drug dealer to support paying a mechanic.

 

Just got the car back from the shop. replaced one ignition coil and one spark plug. Immediately, the engine light comes on, and the worker comes over and just clears it. I drive it home, and legitimately every single symptom it had before is still there, as well as a new check engine light code. It now has p0171 and p0174. For the two months I have had the car the p0174 code has never came on. The coil and spark plug he replaced were in cylinder six, which is bank 2, right? I'm trying not to become very frustrated with this car but it is very hard. I'm going to have to switch mechanics because this shop said they will diagnose the check engine light, aswell as a oil leak I had. They didnt fix the engine light, gave me a new light, and when I asked him about the oil (he has already replaced the oilpan gasket) he said: "Yeah, I sealed around the oil pan with a special sealer, but you need to check the engine for oil leaks." Um what? Isn't that what I brought it to you for? I didnt really register what he said until I just got home, but holy crap. Anyway my bank account has depreciated to 300 dollars, which is why im gonna ask are these codes okay to drive with for a little bit?

 

You are very lucky. I have always been into cars and wanted a profession that has to do with cars, and even tried to get into a halfday community college class that my highschool collaborates with, unfortunately, I applied too late. Anyway I did get the scanner, but I dont understand why a battery charger would be very useful unless you get an older car like this? My parents only buy new cars because they literally hate anything that has to do with a mechanic so we have never had a problem with a battery, but I guess if you own older cars its just something handy to have? I feel like I would buy that and then it just sit in the garage for 2 years before i use it again.

 

Somehow i think he created a vacuum leak when changing the coil. You can look around the engine for any disconnected or broken lines

 

Probably nothing but is something supposed to go here? Side of air intake box.

 

This thing is making a pretty loud squealing noise too. Sounds like air being sucked in or out

 

Had to chuckle at your comment about "older" cars. My 2002 is my newest vehicle. (The oldest is a 1948 ****** CJ-2A)


Do you need to surrender your man card? Before purchasing any tool, it is verboten to consider whether you'll ever need it again. Need a valve spring compressor for a '96 Lincoln 4.6L V8? I've got one, even though I haven't owned that car for almost 20 years.

All seriousness aside, a battery charger is just one of those basics any aspiring mechanic should have. With any kind of electrical issue, I'm always preaching to charge the battery before any troubleshooting. New or old vehicle, it doesn't matter. In my over-inflated opinion, I think newer vehicles are much more sensitive to battery problems.

I bet I use my charger a half dozen times per year. It's such a handy thing, my son recently "borrowed" mine and I need to go hunt it down. Two simple rules in my house: Never get between me and my coffee cup. Put my tools back where they belong.

 

the plug is for a supercharged car going to the extra air flap i believe. The ufo thing is part of the pcv system. It is unusual because it is not a one way valve as most are. It is a diaphram that regulates vacuum flow into the throttle body as it scaveges blowby gases. It is sealed to the cover with two o rings. The hose is sealed to the valve with an o ring. It is very possible the valve was removed to change the coil. If it is original those o rings would be hard. Now possibly broken. Check that out because if bad it would cause your new codes. They can whistle. I replaced mine on my 06 str and it quieted down a lot. Search the forum for 4.2 liter pcv valve. A smoke test would reveal a lot. There are a few plastic lines related to vacuum and all are brittle by now and even just a hard nudge can crack them. Check all connections to the main air intake from air cleaner and the connecting hose from cleaner to throttle body removed from engine for any damage

 

Need a valve spring compressor for a '96 Lincoln 4.6L V8? I've got one, even though I haven't owned that car for almost 20 years


same thing here Karl. I have a special ring compressor piston installer for a 1991 jeep 4.0. I have not had that vehicle since 2004. Rebuilt the engine and gave to ex so she could have a ride when she had our kids every so often. Another story altogether. Grab a bag of popcorn for that movie

 

If you want to mess with cars .... You need to aquire tools. I've been tinkering with cars since I was about 12years old (we moved to land, and my father told me if I wanted a paddock bomb, to put a car together myself. He'd pulled five Renault 4s into a million bits years before). So I found a body, a chassis... a motor etc... and tried to sort of bolt them together. Do you know a car won't start if you wire the plugs 1, 2, 3, 4 ... but it sure does incredible backfires.

I think I currently have about four battery chargers here ... one on wheels you can also use as a jump starter. They are very cheap these days on amazon. I've never worked as a mechanic, but now how a shed full of tools slowly aquired over a lifetime of tinkering with car. If you have the "car" bug you just can't help it.

You are lost without a code reader if your going to mess with modern cars. I prefer cars that are waaaayyyyyyyyy before OBD ports, it make life much simpler. Tools aren't aren't something that is a "cost" for now, that if lost money (like buying computer games), they are something you will use over your entire lifetime.

seeya
Shane L.

 

good information. I’m going to get a smoke test done soon. Gotta find time for it. Also did you replace them on your str because of the codes or just the noise? Or maybe even other symptoms? I’ve looked at a few cases where Pcv was the problem and I can relate to a good amount of those symptoms but who knows it could be 4 separate problems.