Bought a 2003 2.1 x type auto some 9 months ago
The previous owner assured me it was running so I said if you can drive it onto a transporter I would buy it.
After much tickling and fiddling, when it arrived, It started on the transporter and I drove it into the yard, That was the last time it started.
Since then and with numerous calls to any mechanic that would listen, Ive changed the Crank Angle sensor, a cam sensor, coil paks and plugs,
with no improvement to the situation, I then paid a mechanic to put his you-beaut scanner on the car and he diagnosed a bad ECU. I then sent the ECU to a specialist that told me it was bad and got a second hand one and put all the settings off the old ECU onto the new one. After two attempts and problems with the PATS system, the car now turns over with no spark,
I have checked the power to the coils and power is at all coils but no spark. I have run an ohm meter over as many power circuits and earth circuits as I can find, I have cleaned every earth point in the known universe with no success. I have tried starter fluid with no success, but the fuel pump sounds to be working fine and will pump copious amounts of fuel with the schroeder valve removed.
I changed the ac compressor as that was a fault in the car that I was aware of.
The car only throws 2 abs wheel sensor codes
Any thoughts on this would be welcome, as I am running out of ideas
Many Thanks in advance
John

 

JCzaban, by applying starter fluid and the car still not starting, that is confirming that your problem is a spark issue. With this being said, I have some checks for you to do.

As for tools, what you are going to need is a multimeter and either a set of probes with a long, thin point to them or a standard set of probes and a sewing pin. If you have a set of alligator clips, then this will make things easier if you are working by yourself. But, you will definitely need the sewing pin then.

What you are going to do is to find cylinder 2 (as you are looking at the engine bay with your knees at the front bumper, it will be the cylinder nearest you on the far left, should be really easy to access). What you are going to do is find pin 4 on the plug (should be a green wire with a blue stripe on it). You are going to take the sewing needle and slide it along the insulation (not into) until you feel it hit something solid and if you can, wiggle it around a little bit so it slides in just a little further (this will ensure you have a good electrical connection). Now, touch/clip your red multimeter lead to the pin. Connect the black lead to any metal part of the car. With the multimeter set to monitor 20VDC, you should be seeing around 12 VDC right now (engine not turning). When you crank the engine, you should see this voltage drop slightly (to say around 9 VDC). if it does NOT drop, then the ECU is not commanding the cylinder to fire. If you do see it drop, then the coil should be putting out a good spark. If you should be getting a good spark, just below where you are working (on the block of the engine), you should see where a bunch of wires join together and are bolted to the engine block. Undo the bolt and clean those connections (make sure they are all silver in color and the point on the engine block does not have rust on it). Tighten things up and see what you have then.

If you got no change in voltage, when you are starting the car, there is a red light on the center console, is this lit? If so, then you have a security issue still.

Lets see what we have at this point because from here, we get into a lot of possibilities and I don't want to flood you with information that half of it is not going to matter.

 

To Thermo
Thanks for the helpful advise
I hooked up a volt meter to pin 4 and the pin gave me 8.3v ( a little low?)
When the engine was cranked the voltage dropped to around minus 40 volts, every time the starter was engaged
I could not find the bunch of wires earthed to the block, only the one at the top of the alternator mount, so I recleaned it and
recleaned the two earths under the left headlight, had a good look over and under the car for anything like that but no good
There is no PATS light on the console
That goes off around 5 seconds after the ignition is turned on
Look forward to your reply
Thanks
John

 

When you roll key to position II (not start) does the mil, (little engine icon) come on and extinguish or does it stay on without going out?

 

 

jczaban, those voltages are doing what they should be. I just wasn't sure of the exact voltages. The big thing is there is a change. So. that is telling me that your coils are trying to spark, but why is the spark not getting to the plug. This is where I can think of 3 issues that would cause this. 1) The coil did not get seated on the plug, 2) damage happened to the plug when it was installed and you have bent the electrode on to the center conductor, causing no spark to happen, or 3), you have either a bad rubber boot or there is something in the plug well and the coil is sparking inside the plug well vice inside the cylinder. To have all 6 coils go out is almost unheard of. You mentioned that you just recently changed the plugs, so, that is where the electrode could be the issue or the coil is not sitting properly on the plug. Both of those would cause what we are seeing. This is where pulling off the coil that you can get to is going to tell us a lot.

 

So, if the engine icon goes out (mil) with key at position 2 (not started), that is an indicator the "immobilizer" is activated.

 

Hi Dell
Yes the little engine icon disappears from the dash after 3 seconds
Where to now?
Your thoughts would be appreciated
Thanks
John

 

Hi Thermo
New plugs and new coils were installed and carefully seated
Have tried to see if there is any spark by putting a plug to coil earthed on motor - no good
How do you feel about Dells post about an immobilizer problem?
Would appreciate your input
Regards
John

 

If the engine light extinguished, that is an absolute Jaguar proof the immobilizer is in play. Thus, no spark. Usually no fuel as well, at least on gas/petrol engines, not sure on diesels.

Here's a quote from a Jaguar tech in another forum=

"The Check Engine Light (CEL) is output by the ECU. If this does not remain illuminated after the other dash lights go out when the ignition is turned on then the car is immobilised and will not crank or start. When the ignition is switched on the ECU will perform a number of checks and security is just one of these. If the ECU detects a fail, the CEL extinguishes."

Try this as a start. Reset the immobilizer relay. Located on (LHD) in the passenger side footwell outboard side. There's a opening on top where you insert your finger and press the reset button. There are posts here where hitting a pothole has tripped it or moving it off a flat bed tow truck bed.

Also, to clarify something for sure. If you roll key to position 2 (MIL extinguishes), you roll to 3 (start) = nothing. Now without changing ignition position from this point, does the PATS light completely extinguish or does it perhaps blink a series of blinks. Like 1 pause 3 (2,3,4, etc), 1 then 3 a few times?

 

Oh, and Jaguar will also give you advice if this happens to insert your physical key in the door. Lock and "arm" security then unlock, doing this several times OCCASIONALLY resets the immobilizer. Again OCCASIONALLY.

 

 

Thanks for you interest
The car was very reluctant to start and flattened the battery readily, aso i gave it a brief squirt of starter fluid and added a battery pack,
and the transporter driver gave me all sorts of crazy instructions on starting it, about which buttons to push etc, through his own trial and error reckoning.
Any way after a few minutes we got it firing on 2 cylinders and then intermittant firing on 4-6 cylinders (Hence the first thing I did was to replace plugs and coil paks)
The car ran almost decently by the time i drove it 100 yards into the yard. Failure to fire has plagued me ever since and it seems that the more i do to correct the issue, the worse it becomes ,
Replaced the starter solenoid, had the ecu replaced and cloned, that sorted out a pats light that occured in the centre console,
So now no pats light, starter works, no spark
When this thing works youll here me yell from your place
Thanks for your help
Look forward to your comments
John

 

Hi Dell
Sorry for the long wait before I answered, just a huge workload hit all at once,
The car will crank, and the PATS light stays off
No Spark evident,
Will try resetting the immobilizer when I get a chance to get to it
Thanks John

 

Have tried to reset immobilizer but would not push in
Feel as though its been pushed all along
Am running out of ideas
Where to next?
Thanks in advance
John

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...wchart-tsb.pdf

 

Hi All
An update to my ongoing dilemma
I have scanned the car with a mongoose and the ecu tests OK
I have checked the wiring from the ecu plug to coils and they test OK
I have replaced and tested crank and cam sensors OK
The PATS light on the console extinguishes after a few seconds of ignition
Throwing no codes
New MAF sensor fitted - found faulty
What would stop signal from ecu to coil packs?
Cant see any definite reason being evident
All help would be gratefully accepted
Regards
John

 

Apart from fuses, relays, wiring etc - need to check all with care - immo would be it and in that case you'd have a PATS flash code if you wait.

I'm a bit surprised you have no pending codes. You should always have P1000 or P1111 - and in this case probably some other(s).

If you really have a cloned "ecu" that would be #1 suspect for causing non-start.

 

Did you do the PATS diagnostic flow chart?

 

Hi
Thanks for your reply
Just a quick not to let you know where its at
After talking to the technician that cloned the ecu, he built me another one, and i installed it today , Pats light went off after 2 seconds as it should but again no spark at the coil. This ecu performed as the other one did. My question is then why do i need to reset the immobilizer when arguably the clone has the same settings as the original? With the Pats light off and the inputs established , where to next. Why would an immobilizer reset be indicated?
Sorry to be a pain, my logic is going a little astray at this point. Any explanation would be gratefully accepted
Thanks in advance
John