In Torque free version, hold the screen to get the Add Display option then add a display for "Drive cycle status since DTC clear widget". That will tell you which drive cycles are completed and which are not completed. The ones that are not completed might be detecting problems but not yet sure of themselves enough to turn on the CEL. Some of the drive cycles take some highway miles at speed which it sounds like could be a problem for you. Good luck!

 

The way the car was running when it almost left me on the hwy, I don't even want to start it up (miss fires, wouldn't rev, sulfur smell) I've talked to my muffler shop and he quoted $1,650 for parts and labor. But, he said if it's miss firing I better make sure that is bc of the cats, bc If he replaces the cats and it misfires and throws raw gasoline into the hot cats, it could ruin them.

So, what came first the miss fires or the bad cats? Do bad cats cause miss fires?

This car is ready for a spark plug change (last done at 90K miles, now have 150K miles) and I have the parts to do it including coils, I did not replace those when I did the plugs at 90K miles, so car is running on the original coils.

I've been convinced it was the cats up until now, but I'm thinking since I was going to do a plug change, and, this is upstream from the cats, I will do that first. Then start it up and see how it goes. If I have new plugs and coils I most likely cover the miss fire. If it still runs like crap, I'll drive straight to the muffler shop!

 

So common explanation is misfires damage catalytic converters, not the other way around. Extra fuel ignites in the cat and causes damage. Hence the warning "do NOT drive car with flashing MIL".

The sulfer smell is a tell tale sign the catalytic converter has been damaged and/or is failing.

 

Btw, Parts Geeks have cats for around $200.

 

Yea, maybe this whole thing started with miss fires. I need CA. cats for my car as the Catalyst sticker under the hood shows. The direct fit version are $475 each. Parts Geek doesn't seem to have CA cats.

In any case, I'm proceeding with the tune up first and I'll see what happens. Sharing my wife's vehicle this week. I see Uber in my near future.

 

So, I'm into the tune up and I pull out the final plug and it is dripping with oil, how Fun I thought They all looked pretty toasted and fouled which I expected given all the miss firing and stalling that had taken place over the course of the week of doom. But on the last plug the oil must have seeped up into the coil boot (capillary action). The well wasn't terribly wet with oil, but on inspection of the other wells, 3 had a little oil in them. So, I figure the valve cover gaskets have a few small breaches and the miss fires must have started with this oil dripping spark plug.

I used a long wood handled swab to sample down past the spark plug hole and touch the top of the valves down there, the tip did not come back with oil on it, so I don't think the oil got down past the spark plug threads. Honestly, two weeks ago this was a great running car.

I ordered the valve cover gaskets: Fel-Pro VS50615R on Amazon for $60. Does anyone have a simple diagram showing the banks and firing order, piston numbers? I figure bank 1 is the front bank near the radiator.

 

Patterson, bank 2 is near the radiator, bank 1 is against the firewall. The #2 cylinder is behind the right hand side headlight with cylinders 4 in the middle and 6 nearest the battery. Then on the back, 1 is under the IMT valves, 3 in the center, and 5 near the brake booster.

I have updated this after seeing a contrary post. Found I was wrong.

 

Thanks Thermo, do you happen to know torque specs for the valve/cam cover bolts? They have those rubber grommets btwn the bolt heads and seating surface so I imagine there's a certain torque for those bolts.

 

Cam cover gaskets.doc

 

Standing in front of the car bank 1 is against the fire wall with cylinders 1, 3 and 5 left to right. Bank 2 is closest to the radiator with cylinders 2, 4 and 6 left to right.

Firing order - 1,4,2,5,3,6.

 

Thanks!

 

Patterson, they should be torqued to 10 nM, or 7.4 ft-lbs. If you get them to 7.0 to 8.0 ft-lbs, you will be fine. The big thing is making sure that all the bolts are set to the same torque. If you get them off by a little bit, it can cause leaks.

 

I just replaced these gaskets too due to oil in the spark plug wells. For me it was all 3 plugs on bank 1, against the firewall, with puddles of oil. The bank 2 plugs where fine but I bought the gaskets anyway and did both banks. The firewall side gasket around the spark plugs was beat, clearly not making much of a seal. The valve cover gasket was in rough shape too. The front valve cover gasket and spark plug gaskets were pristine, I couldn't tell them apart from the new ones. I don't know if the previous owner changed them or maybe the rear ones have a tougher environment? I find it strange that the firewall side valve cover is aluminum and the front side one is plastic.

 

Given that the front valve cover is easier to take off than the rear, probably a safe guess that they were changed. How long have you had the car? How many miles on it now?

Are you saying that the valve cover that the oil cap screws into is plastic?

 

I've had the car about 2 years. 125k miles roughly, only about 4,000 miles of those are mine.

The valve cover on the firewall side I believe is cast & machined aluminum. The valve cover on the front side is thinner and lighter...like a stamped or formed part, and is coated so it is black. There is some plastic around the oil filler neck but the part itself is not plastic. It just struck me as odd that they were so different in weight and appearance. I think the exhaust manifolds are also different, cast iron in the back and stainless in the front? One bank was designed in Coventry and one in Dearborn?

 

Thanks for the Word.doc Dell. I got the FelPro gaskets yesterday.

I have a question, Do I add a bead of gasket sealer to the valve covers before installing the gaskets?

I read the instruction from Dell and it sounds like you squeeze a bead of sealer along the gasket seat and then put the gasket on top of that.

 

Yup, the WS..... Whatever silicone gasket sealer meeting Jaguar specs. Pay heed to the instructed size of beads and where.

 

WS?

I'll look it up to see if this conforms to JAG specs, but a friend recommended Right Stuff gasket seal.

I might just call the Jag dealer to see if they sell the actual sealant I should use.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Permatex/775/...waArY_EALw_wcB

 

Too arcane I guess =

Jag spec WSE-M2C908-A silicone gasket sealer or meeting this spec

 

WSE-M2C908, when entered into Google brings up a 50wt oil. I'm thinking you lube the gasket seat surface before you apply the gasket, or silicone. Similar to putting a film of oil on the oil filter gasket prior to installing the oil filter.

So far, I find people swear by Right Stuff silicone sealer. I haven't found that it specifically meets a Jag spec, but only the following info.

OEM specified by Honda, Nissan and Mazda. This product is resistant to powertrain fluids (oil, coolant, and ATF) and operates in environments to 450°F (232°C) continuous; 500°F (260°C) intermittent.