Jaguar x-Type 2.2 litre Classic. Car broke down in the extreme cold a couple of days ago. Engine stopped and wouldn't turn over. Now thawed out but still not starting and sounds like a wheezy old man.
Suggestions for a quick cheap fix please.

 

Sorry Jaguar and Cheap are not words that ever occur in the same sentence

 

Thanks. That's true by unfortunately not helpful.

 

Coach66, I would start with seeing if you can make it start using some starter fluid. If you can get it to run for a second or two on that, then you know the problem is fuel related. After that, I would say to remove a coil or two and see if you have oil in the plug well.

When you say that it broke down, what happened? Maybe that will give me an idea of what may be an issue. If you think that you have a compression issue (due to overheating or lack of oil), then you are going to need to get yourself a compression tester to put in place of the spark plug and see what the cylinder compression is. If it is up around 150-185 psi, then the cylinder is good. If it is down around 60 or less psi, then you have a compression issue. You should also test all of the cylinders to see that all of them are relatively the same value. Having something low in range does not necessarily indicate an issue as long as all the cylinders are close to each other.

 

Much appreciated. I was driving along at about 60 when power dropped. Pulled off the road and it failed to start. It was last Friday so the coolant pipes were frozen - my own fault, I know but I needed to get back home after being away for three days because of the weather - tow boys topped up oil and discovered the battery was flat. Coolant has now drained which suggests a blown pipe but it should still start.
Any ideas? I've ordered some head gasket sealant just in case.

 

 

I think someone is pulling someones leg.
Why on earth would you start out on a journey knowing you had no engine cooling. You are not going to get very far!

 

What do you mean "the coolant pipes were frozen"? You mean you had just water in your cooling system and not a coolant/antifreeze? And if so, how do you know the "pipes were frozen"? Were there leaks where teh frozen water burst through? Water on the ground? Did the car overheat before it stopped? Need a lot more details on this before anyone can help you properly.

 

Coach66, if I am understanding your situation correctly (had ice inside the coolant pipes, started engine, ran until the motor stopped, etc), then odds are you actually overheated the engine and this has most likely resulted in a failed head gasket. This would lead to a low/no compression issue, loss of coolant, inability to roll the engine, and a general lack of ability to start the engine. I know it sounds hard to have an engine overheat while there is ice inside the pipes, but it can happen. Unfortunately, based on this new info, I would start with the compression checks and see what you have there. But, if they are low (as I described earlier), then you are looking at a fairly expensive repair bill (replacement engine or having your current engine rebuilt).