Upon starting, the engine idled rough for a few seconds, then died.

I pushed the inertia fuel shut off reset, and checked all engine-related fuses. This was no help, engine continued to only crank but not start, and cranking didn't sound right.

So I called Jaguar Roadside Assistance (800) 452-4827, and they sent out a flat bed truck to carry it to the closest dealer repair facility (18 miles). Then it took three days for them to even get to my car, because so many other Jags are in line to be repaired.

When they finally look at it the tech tells me the fuel system was overpressurized, and washed the oil from the cylinder walls, thus there is no compression and it won't start. He also says the repair is $130 and accomplished by injecting oil into the intake manifold, to recoat the cylinders, at which time presumably the motor will start and run. I asked isn't this a warranty, and he replied you are under the extended warranty (6yrs 100k) but not the factory warranty, so coverage is only when parts are replaced.

Major questions here:

1. If the cylinder walls had enough oil removed to lose compression, wouldn't the pistons moving up and down score the cylinder walls?

2. If after they put oil in the intake manifold the engine runs fine and there is no internal damage, will this situation occur again? I was lucky it happened in my garage and I have a spare vehicle, what if I was thirty miles from home in a bad neighborhood? The Jag dealer is proposing to get the engine running, but didn't say anything about keeping this from occurring again.

3. The tech told me he knows this has happened to other Jags. If there is a serious engine problem (fuel system overpressurizing and washing oil off cylinder walls), and they have no permanent fix for this, they are asking for a class action lawsuit.

Ford/Jaguar made an awesome vehicle in the XJ series. Yes it should have had a V-12 instead of the Ford AJ V8. But nothing is perfect, and hopefully Cerritos Jaguar in Southern California can get my Jag back up to speed.

 

There is something seriously wrong with this diagnosis on its surface. I don't want to disparage another tech especially when I haven't seen the car, but cylinder wash is an old AJ26 issue that just doesn't happen on the 4.2. Also, spraying oil into the intake manifold is barbaric, a non-factory approved method and can cause all kinds of other issues, one of which is fouling the MAPS on a 4.2, and possibly other emissions management devices. The MAPS is going to be expensive to replace if he's coated it with oil spray. The sensor alone is $200, then if you're not good using a mirror, you'll have the entire intake manifold off.

Also, something very wrong about a shop so busy that they cannot quickly diagnose an issue like this in less than 3 days. Might say something either about their capabilities or their dedication or both. I'd get the car out of there. If you're out of warranty, get to a good indy in So Cal.

BTW - the AJV8 is a 100% Jaguar designed engine. Ford did nothing but watch them do it and pay for it, then bought it for use in two Ford models - the Retro T-Bird and the Lincoln LS. I agree with you about the V-12.

 

V12 is my fave engine model but last year they made V12 was 1997 and XJR could be faster than V12 although it came with as half cylinder as V12

 

I didn't mean Jaguar's 1997 version V12. I was thinking more like this one. Bentley's W12 wouldn't be such a bad choice either.

 

If they were right, and the fuel pressure caused this, the fix would be to replace the fuel pressure sensor to correct the problem. As Steve said, don't let them work on your car, do some research and find a place that has a good reputation for the car type and get it there. The proper way to restore compression to a washed down engine is to remove the plugs and squirt a bit of oil in the cylinders. This car should not normally have this problem, something doesn't sound right.

 

I have taken mine to the Jaguar dealership in Pasadena. The foreman, Scott, seems very knowledgeable and as a dealership I am impressed with the level of service and know how. You may just want to give them a call and see what they say.

 

The previous 4 litre V8s could suffer from a peculiar fault whereby if an owner started the engine then only ran it for a half minute or so, the car would not start the next time without the owner going through a 'purge' routine, (normally the call-out guy did this). However, it was supposed to have been sorted out by a re-program of the ECU.

As said here, if oil into the bores is the answer, it needs to go in via the sparkplug holes. However why the fault in the first place, that is what you want to know.

 

The service rep called and left a message, as I had my cell phone off while taking a law school final exam. The message said the car is done and ready for pick up, and didn't provide any info on what they did.

I'll start it up, and if it idles smooth and has no engine faults, I guess it must be ok.

The question I'll have for the tech is; how do we ensure this doesn't happen again? Evidently there was or is a problem, and I didn't hear him say anything was going to be done other than coat the cylinders with oil to get compression back up.

After I get the car tomorrow, I'll post anything new I learn.

 

I'd be very interested in a followup because I'm very sure cylinder wash is not the issue on a 4.2. One thing that is discouraged is injecting oil into the intake manifold, TB or cylinders. There is a factory process to correct cylinder wash that won't cause potential damage to emissions components, but still this all should be unnecessary on your engine.

 

I picked up the car, and it started and ran normally. The service rep didn't have any information for me on what the mechanic did, but here is verbatim from the customer receipt:

So the write up doesn't say anything about what the service rep initially told me they would do, which was inject oil into the intake manifold to coat the cylinder walls, and get the compression back up.

I don't know if there is any damage to the cylinder walls that won't show up until later, if the oil is contaminated and should be changed, and if the problem will return.

 

Well go back there and talk to the tech then! How much did the repair set you back?

If I were you, I would do an oil change ASAP.

P.S. I didn't realize you had a rotary XJ (complete with a flooding engine)!

 

They charged me $130 for the repair. The car is under the factory extended warranty, so I felt it should have been covered, but the service rep said no. I didn't argue, because the amount isn't large and not worth fighting over.

I've looked under the XJ, and didn't see where the oil plug or filter was. All I see is what looks like a large sheet of rigid plastic under the engine, which I presume is to smooth the air flow under the car. Also I think I need an o-ring, for the oil filter. My 4x4 pickup is an easy oil change because it sits so high you can crawl under it, not so the Jag, unless the person's name is Twiggy.

 

Just let the dealer do the oil change then. My dealer had a $49 special!

 

"clearing the cylinders" is aircraft lingo for cranking with fuel off.....flooring the throttle and cranking until it starts which is the right thing to do with this engine. Flooring the throttle without the engine running actually stops the injectors from pulsing and clears the fuel by evaporation.