I have a no start issue with my 1997 XJ6.

The engine turns over on the starter but will not catch and fire off. It sort of chuffs and acts like it is going to start but does not actually run.

I checked the codes and there are only stored codes and no pending codes.

The stored codes which I believe have been stored in the system from a while ago are:

P0460 - Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Malfunction
P1187 - O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Open - Inferred Fault
P1193 - O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Open - Inferred Fault

I don't believe any of these would actually prevent the car from starting. If anyone knows different let me know please.

 

Listen for the fuel pump to turn on for 3 - 5 seconds as you turn the key to only the on position ( before start position ) and then the pump turns off by design . It turns back on after the ECU sees engine rotation with the crankshaft sensor . So if you put your finger on the fuel pump relay you should feel in click 3 times in the start sequence . If you crank it over do you see RPM's with the same crankshaft sensor ?

There is fuse for the O2 heaters as well as a common bad connector as well as a grounds , The ignition also goes through this connector Papa Indy 1 - pin 4 ( White / Pink ) wire

The fuel pump control also goes through this connector

Does your have the Supercharged engine ?

 

Another no-start thread. This is all too common for the X300 model. We need a simple check-list so anyone having no-start, difficult-start, engine performance issues can refer to it and have a go first before posting unresolved problems or unusual observations here. The possibilities are;
- battery or poor connections, ground points, loose wires
- faulty crankshaft position sensor (may not show up in DTC check)
- faulty cam position sensor
- fuse/relay failure (fuel pump, starter)
- faulty Body Processing Module (BPM) - usually comes with other symptoms
- shift stick not in parked position (not in your case if starter turns)
- inertia switch activated
- hose in fuel tank disconnected
- ECU fault (corrosion, check ECU and connectors)
- poor coils, spark plugs
- starter stuck (rust)
- engine stuck (if standing unused long)
- faulty fuel pressure regulator
- fuel pump dead, clogged fuel filter, fuel injectors and/or rusty fuel rails
- water in tank

Perhaps we should start building a check list with matching symptoms, pictures, location map, parts numbers, etc., and group all no-start threads in one place.

 

Make sure you have a fully charged battery of 12.77 volts as the ECU goes south below 11.5 volts

 

This is a standard non-supercharged car.
As the engine is cranking, the tachometer does indeed move.
I cracked the fuel supply line at the rear of the fuel rail after doing quite a bit of cranking and only got a couple dribbles/drops of fuel when the connection was loosened. I would expect actual gush of fuel here if the fuel pump was keeping the system at factory pressures, so I do believe I have a fuel supply problem.

This no start issue first occurred here in a parking lot just north of Pittsburgh on the night we had cold snap of 11 - 15 degrees so initially I figured it was a frozen fuel line (water in the fuel). However I have had the car sitting in an unheated garage at above freezing temperatures for 4 days now and no change in the symptoms.

I had this same issue one other time about nine months ago and then it was a loose relay in the trunk but I just double/triple checked that relay just now and still no start. I did not actually swap out the relay but when I have a second person to help I will have them turn the key so I can listen in the trunk for the fuel pump.

 

If you listen for it you can hear the pump from the driver seat

You can swap the relay with the rear windshield defrost relay

Fuse # 7 / 30 amp green . Do not swap with cooling fan unless you keep track of it missing

This requires a good battery charge for the ECU controlled relay

 

This car has the rad fans wired so that as soon as the ignition is turned on the fans start up so they are too loud to hear the fuel pump from the driver's seat.

 

You can remove both fan fuses to test and use it's fuse as a temporary configuration

LH engine fuse box # 11 and 17 / 30 amp green

If results are negative you can hot wire power directly to the pump bypassing the relay and it's control circuits and crankshaft sensor input ( it can fail partially as it does many thing without flagging a code )

The wire out of the relay to the pump is the forward most socket just jumper positive power from the battery or the fuse box terminal post . High current arc hazard so use a blade terminal and not just bare wire in the socket and make your last arcing contact with the battery or terminal post

 

Thanks for the excellent suggestion. I will go try this and report back what I found.

 

Make sure you have a fully charged battery as Jaguars like full tummies

 

Crankshaft position sensor is rarely a bad shout with X300, especially with sudden onset problems.....

 

I would think this is the most common problem with x300. Another thing it might be is that the TPS needs to be recalibrated (my situation, but now fixed).

 

Easiest less expensive things first as building diagnostic information . With the dribble of fuel when cracking the fuel rail , starting from that observation . I could be wrong in that it may be a partial crankshaft sensor failure but that would take money to find out . I'm a really cheap guy

 

It is just reasonable to start with the easiest and cheapest fix. JensenHealey's no-start problem is obviously fuel-related, and hope it is not the fuel pump but just the relay or fuel filter.

 

OK, new information. The fuel pump does indeed pump fuel both when flicking the key on and off as well as when I bypass the fuel pump relay in the trunk by jumping to 12V power as suggested. However it does not have enough pressure to start the car. A good amount flows out as far as quantity but the pressure is just not up to spec.

Do I have a problem inside the tank? Either with the hose or a weak pump?

To me it seems like I have to pull the tank out of the car unless someone has other suggestions. I seem to recall that the hose connections under the car on the bottom of the tank on the X300 are a real pain to disconnect. Info on that would be most appreciated.

 

Replace the fuel filter by the left rear suspension . You can siphon the fuel out of a X300 as it doesn't have a anti - siphon fill neck and a $ 10 bulb siphon kit from the auto parts store . The pump should put out about 43 PSI and bumps up with throttle up . Make sure you use 2 wrenches on the lines as you don't want to replase the lines . Spray the fittings overnight with some penetrate as they are commonly stuck with dissimilar metal corrosion .

Check the fuel pumps ground stud beside the battery . Just follow the wires .

Inspect the fuel pump electrical connector sockets .

If you had the supercharged engine you would have 2 pumps to play with

There is a way to remove the pump without removing the tank someone may link to you .

I'll link you with a document containing the Jaguar Vrom , Vrom V12 Vrom ,Vrom engine Vrom , Vrom did I mention Vrom , Vrom regulation that you would skip to see the AJ16 engine regulation , Vrom . Don't look at the V12 that comes as a factory option with the X300 . See page 60 :

The lines under the tank are quick disconnects and a commonly available tool can be modified to work

I'll get you a diagram of the other components in the fuel system as there are 2 versions on the X300

http://www.jagrepair.com/images/Trai...20-%202000.pdf

 

I have had the fuel tank out of a 1994 XJ40 car a number of times and I found that removing the rear seat and parcel trim panel on the X300 to be much more difficult than the tank removal on the XJ40. Really it is this special modified tool for the X300 quick disconnect lines that bothers me.

The type of quick disconnect on the XJ40 was very simple to deal with and I really wish Jaguar had NOT changed the design for the X300.

 

The clips on the tank outlet and return are 1/4 turn to release, you do NOT have to remove them. A good pair of long nose pliers are a great help I mean looong pliers.

 

I have not experienced the joy of replacing the fuel pump other then straightening out a miswired relay control circuit by the previous owner . Theirs worked for awhile until their repair degenerated and failed .

I did measure the fuel pressure by drilling a hole in the output ( fwd ) side of the fuel pressure regulator and epoxy in a tube hooked up to a $ 5 tire pressure gauge to give me some information on the health of the pump . By no means a permanent installation and in this way I didn't compromise the hard to find fuel rail . Couldn't find fittings to go that route .

In the big picture with the time to make the fuel pressure tester you might as well replace the pump as they don't last forever . But do change the fuel filter . Easier said then done .

Depending on where you measured the fuel output it may be that the regulator has failed to the low side as they don't last forever as well

So my recommendation would be :

1. fuel filter
2. pressure regulator , based on where you saw the flow conditions
3. fuel pump and the anomalies inside the tank

 

Agree with Parker on the relative priorities suggested above. However, should go for a permanent fix because the fuel pump will fail any time. There are many well documented threads in this forum on how to replace the fuel pump with or without removing the tank. If it were my car, I would try the short-cut method and avoid messing with the pipes under the tank. My horror story includes breaking a trunk-to-cabin harness buckle while wiggling the tank out, and damaging the fuel pipes underneath the tank...