I have been searched through the posts on this great site since I started having an issue with my X-Type. There have been several similar issues, but none seem the same. Hopefully the experts here can steer me in the right direction.

First off, my car is a 2003 X Type, AWD, 2.5l, with a manual 5 speed. The car has about 165,000 miles on it. For an older car, it drives well and has plenty of power. To this point there have been no major issues.

Here is the problem. When I am driving the car will stall in two situations. First, if I am driving on the high way and take my foot off the gas to slow down using the engine for braking. Second, when I take my foot off the gas during a shift it will stall. Besides for these two situations, runs like a champ.

To try and diagnose the problem I bought a blutooth OBDII sending unit and the torque app for my phone. I have monitored several different aspects of the vehicle and found that the problem is fuel pressure. When I remove my foot from the gas, the fuel pressure dips...sometimes to zero. After the pressure drops, the car will stall and then restart after a few minutes of 'rest.'

Not sure what is going on. Any input will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe

 

I would start at the cheap end and check for a funky fuel filter.

 

Thanks Bud.

I should have put this in the first message. Already replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump fuse, and the fuel pump relay. Also spent an afternoon chasing vacuum leaks and expertly installing a bottle of fuel injector cleaner (it's all in the wrist).

Thanks again,

Joe

 

You don't mention if you are having any check engine lights when this happens. Do you have any codes that show up? If so, please post as that could be a great help in diagnosing your problem. I would think something is showing up as you mentioned having vacuum problems. I'm sure before too long someone here will be able to get you on a path to getting your X back in good running order.

By the way, welcome to the forums. If you haven't already done it, please introduce yourself to everyone here in the new members section.

 

Pull the fuel filter again and dump it out, see if it just didn't fill up right back up with crap.

There could be an incredible amount of water in your tank if an ethanol blend fuel was used, on the order of more than a couple of cups. You might have to dump water out of it repeatedly until the problem is resolved

Even though you've swapped out the old filter, your description of the problem is still a classic fuel starvation due to a plugged filter.

 

These were the symptoms I experienced when my fuel pump first started to give up. I never did figure out what it was about lifting off the throttle that caused the pump to quit. Wait a couple minutes for it to cool down and it fired right up like nothing ever happened. I figured the fuel pump might have been heating up enough to barely seize (this was in the summer). Anyhow a month or so after this started and about 6 random occurrences just as you described, the fuel pump failed altogether.

Twice it happened in exactly the same spot- right where I started to coast to exit the freeway. 2002 2.5 X-type

 

AlphaDude:

No engine error codes anymore. There were codes for lean on bank one and misfiring on multiple cylinders. Once I sealed the vacuum leaks, the codes have not returned.

The only code that I have at the moment is for the rear wheel speed sensor. I must have bashed it when I changed a wheel bearing. New sensor will get installed this weekend.

Bruce:

I will try replacing the filter again. Will the filter on a gas engine collect water? Thought that was a diesel thing. Either way, it will be $10 well spent if it helps.

Thanks all,

Joe

 

PS I'm a master tech (not Jaguar) and after my final incident I shopped around a bit for fuel pumps. Jagbits had the best deal going even with my shop jobber rate on parts. Just FYI.

 

Batman:

That is my fear...fuel pumps cost a bundle to replace. Will the pressure drop when the pump is on it's way out? My fuel pressure is typically between 50 and 55 psi.

Joe

 

I think 45 - 50 psi is good when it's operating normally. I would expect to see it drop when the car is dying. I never had a fuel pressure gauge hooked up when mine was randomly dying, but after the fuel pump failed completely the pressure was less than 10 psi.

 

Yes, the fuel filter will collect water and block off the flow of gasoline. The water molecules are much larger than the gasoline molecules and do not pass through the filter media, and that effectively plugs the filter.

When the engine dies or is turned off for a few minutes, those water molecules fall off the the filter media and gasoline can again flow through.

The main culprit for water in the fuel is ethanol blended gasoline, especially if the tank isn't kept full all the time. The ethanol is hygroscopic - it readily absorbs moisture (water) straight out of the atmosphere. If the tank isn't completely full of fuel, that water can condense back out of the fuel and collect at the top and sides of the fuel tank, and pretty soon you end up with a lot of water in the tank.

If you pull the filter again and indeed find water in it, just slap the new filter in and put the removed one some place warm where it will dry out (as long as the stuff that came out of it wasn't filthy, too). You might have to repeat that a number of times, if there is an excessive amount of water in the tank.

A 16 oz can of Seafoam brand gas & oil treatment in a full tank of good, non-ethanol premium gas can help "dry" the tank out, too. (Heck, the Seafoam just might be all you need to fix the problem, too. Works great!)

Of course, if you don't find water in the filter, as Batman mentioned you might be looking at a new fuel pump.

Best 'o luck!

 

Joe kelley the reason you car is stalling is because of the speed sensor. Abs light on right? It is a known fact that the abs reluctor ring corrodes on the rear drive shafts and falls off. When the ring falls off, the sensor has nothing to pick up, so it thinks the wheel is not turning. Check out the uk forum

www.jaguarforum.com/f26

There is more information regarding your x type there than any other forum on the net.

Ryan

 

If you find it is the fuel pump, it looks like Airtex now has an offering under $300. It wasn't available when I did mine years ago.