I'm looking to buy a 1995 XJR with a no start condition. It cranks kind of slow and I noticed that the headlights and running lights are all lit as soon as the key is turned in the ON position. The car is a Canadian car with daytime running lights but this still seems to be very unusual. The lights even stay on during cranking.

 

Hi David,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

We don't have the DRL mandate in the U.S. so I don't see cars with that option, but I seem to recall that it is a function of the Body Processor Module (BPM). It is possible that the headlamps remaining on during cranking is related to the no start, but a far more likely suspect is the battery. Jaguars need strong, healthy, fully-charged batteries, and often will not even respond to jump-starting if the battery in the car is weak. If the voltage sags too low while cranking, the engine control module (ECM) will not trigger the ignition to fire.

There are plenty of other possible causes, including the fuel pump, contaminated fuel, crankshaft position sensor, etc., but you really need to rule out the battery.

I hope you acquire the car and that we'll see you on the forums soon!

Cheers,

Don

 

Lights coming on is normal for a Canadian car. These cars are sensitive to battery voltage, so charge the battery before trying to start it again, or it will probably flood and not start.