Apologies for another one of these but I've already read several other threads and I'm getting really stuck. Car sat in the garage for a little over a year while I fixed my front subframe mounts, shocks, etc... and did my brake upgrades. I finally went to test drive the car and the battery was dead. 0.08V. I got a new battery, still no dice. I've chased a couple of leads with no luck.

Battery voltage: My new battery was dropping below 11V while cranking. I tried adding my jumper pack (nothing), I tried jumping it to my running Saturn (nothing), and I tried it on a trickle charger all day today. I finally got it to stay above 11V, but still nothing. The car cranks strong, and I can crank it for a long time. Its never felt like a weak crank on the new battery.

Crank Position Sensor: I have no RPM while cranking, but I've tried 3 different CPS now with no luck. The plug is clean, the wiring in the engine bay is not damaged. I have cleaned all my main grounds in the past and the car has been inside all this time anyway. ECU is not water damaged, I checked previously.

Inertia Switch: I tried jumping it and nothing happened.

Fuel Pump: I can hear whirring from a fuel pump when I turn the key to accessory. I tried switching fuel pump relay #1 for the relay right next to it. I've also checked for blown fuses in the trunk, under the rear seats, and on both sides of the engine bay.

Key: Thought maybe the key became un-paired but that's not the case, I locked and unlocked the car several times.

Park Interlock: Makes its proper clicky clack noises.

So um.... yeah. Thoughts please??? At this point I'm thinking I just buy more CPS until one works?

 

The sensing leg from the CKPS is from the ECU so the ECU must be powered

The CKPS is an inductor

Place your finger on the small right engine bay fuse box relay # 9 , this is your 1st power to the ECU

Place your finger on the large # 5 ECU controlled relay , this is your 2nd power to the ECU and some sensors and the injectors

Both these relays must click in your fingers as you rotate the key

Or have the key in the run position and the # 9 small relay must click in your finger as you remove the relay back to open

The # 5 large relay is unknown to how it would behave but a click would be good

In the starting sequence the fuel pump will only run for 3 seconds then off , this will charge the fuel rail different then priming the cylenders

This fuel charge / pressure will be trapped by the fuel pressure regulator up front and both your in the fuel pumps check valve ( any of the 2 fuel pumps check valve can lose your trapped fuel pressure )

This trapped fuel charge is consumed by the injector pulses as it drops in pressure and by then the CKPS will see enough engine rotation to turn the fuel pump back on for sustained combustion for the duration of your drive

You may have to rotate the key 3 or 4 times to reestablish the fuel charge pressure that has been lacking over a storage period

After a stoage period the cylinder walls may be in a bore wash condition where they lose their compression for follow-through combustion cycles

Bore wash can come from dried up oil film ( static storage ) on the cylinder wall or raw fuel that does not combust washing the film off

To overcome bore wash as the first step is to hold the gas pedal to the flor and the ECU knows to cut out the injectors to let the cylinders recover the lubrication from under the pistons as you crank the engine over a few cycles or maybe longer

release your foot and start normally

Lastly , if your l# 5 large ECU control relay does not close your injectors will not be powered to be able to timed open

Your good CKPS will read about 1300 ohms resistance as a basic reading with a meter on sockets Black 23 and Black 26

Your starter sag voltage can be contributed to bore wash to some extent

 

With a car that has been sitting I would suspect the fuel pump? Do you have fuel pressure at the engine?

You don't list any codes? Without doing that first your just loading the parts cannon with no real reasons why?
That's an expensive way to fix the car? Do you have a crank sensor code?
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Unfortunately , the crankshaft sensor code PO335 does not always show on this model from reading others

To plumb in a fuel pressure gauge is not so easy also

But he can drain and change the fuel , but it probably is not fhat old of fuel , filter change if not recently been done

It can also have some condensation water contamination lowering the fuel effectiveness

a frozen line is possible but if he gets a gurgle sound in the fuel tank as it circulates back into the tank ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

One thing he can do that might improve the fuel pump performance is to jumper the relay and inspect the connector for burnt sockets on the pump motor connector

With his 2nd fuel pump on the SC model he can jumper the # 2 fuel pump relay to directly power the pump in the starting sequence

The # 2 does not normally turn on until 4000 RPM

 

Small update: there's no codes as the car hasn't been started, and its always been very reluctant to throw a code anyway. RH side relay #9 clicked, RH relay #5 did not. Found replacements for dirt cheap on autoreservejaguar. I don't have a great way to bench test relays, I can tell the coil is fine but I don't have a 12V power supply to click it on the bench.

 

You can swap the large # 5 relay with a headlight , foglight , AC clutch and such as long as they have the same part #

The large relays can be stuck in their sockets / penetrating spray on the split seams.

In the end a relay can click verifying it gets the correct command ( still installed ) and the pulling coil moves the power contacts

The power contacts can be pitted compromising the current it can pass

This happens to the fuel pump relay as the fuel pump motor fails

 

The large relays can have their mounting position swapped around

Would have to look at the wire colors underneath

Mine had one of the wires insulation removed

 

The power that passes though # 5 relay is # 11 right engine bay fuse box

The control pulling coil is fuse # 6 right engine bay fuse box

 

Hi SC Chinchilla,

It would be worth trying some starting fluid if you haven't already. Disconnect the air intake pipe at the elbow so you can squirt a little starter fluid into the intake downstream from the MAFS and see if the engine will start. If it does, suspect a fuel or fuel delivery issue.

You can test for power to the injectors and ignition coils with your voltmeter. With the key in the ON position, there should be power between ground and the fuel injector Black wires with Light Green tracer stripe, and between ground and the ignition coil White wires with Pink tracer stripe.

Cheers,

Don

 

A note on starter fluid is that it can worsen a bore wash condition ( if present ) but is certainly worth trying

I had a engine bay fire with starter fluid on M'Lady Penelope as she had a spot of stumble under her bonnet

Oh No

 

Another update, nothing good. I tried starter fluid but it still didn't even stumble. I used my foglight relay (my foglights did work, tested) in place of relay #9. I tried cracking the fuel line above the main rail towards the firewall, and there was not much pressure, maybe just 3~5 psi? Seems like it should be higher. (Stole pic off google, this isn't my actual engine).




The other thing on my mind is, I'm remembering that as you start the car there are 2 clicks? There's one loud one from the center console for the park position sensor, and one from the gauge cluster. But I can't recall since its been so long whether or not this is true. I only have the clack from the center console now.

 

There is one solenoid to unlock the shift lever

And one solenoid on the actual ignition key barrel , place finger on it

The key barrel solenoid will click when you slightly move the shift lever sideways away from the " not in park " switch < this proves the switch

The shift lever lock is with the brake switch, I think

Both of these solenoids are controlled by the Body Processor Module which is hot at all times with fuse # 5 / 10 amp trunk fuse box

There is a reset of the BPM with precations

On the fuel line pressure test try it with pump running at all times with relay jumper between socket 3 and 5 , use blade type connectors for best pump perfpmance

This test if you have the initial 3 second fuel charge bleeding off and the engine can't catch itself

Check to see that the vacuum hose from the top of the fuel pressure regulator is dry

The FPR diaphragm can be leaking from the fuel side to the air vacuum side

 

Well, it's sounding like your primary fuel pump has died. Parker may have already mentioned this, but a quick test is to remove the fuel pump relay, which I think is located in the same spot in the supercharged cars:



Identify terminals 30 and 87 in the relay socket or base. If they are not numbered, look at the relay for the terminal numbers and match the spades on the relay to the slots in the relay socket. Terminal 30 connects to a Brown wire with Yellow tracer stripe. Terminal 87 connects to a Red wire with Yellow tracer stripe.

Terminal 30 should always be hot, with battery delivered through Fuse #7 in the Trunk Fuse Box. The key does not have to be in the ignition switch at all. You can force the fuel pump to run by jumpering terminals 30 and 87 in the fuel pump relay socket. An easy way to do this is to bend a large paperclip into a U shape and carefully insert one end into the terminal 87 slot and the other end into the terminal 30 slot. The fuel pump should run on battery power. If you don't hear anything, inspect the wiring to the fuel pump between the Trunk Fuse Box and the connector on the top of the fuel tank. There is a black through-panel connector above the fuel tank through which a Pink/Brown wire connects the Fuel Pump Relay to the Engine Control Module (ECM).

I don't know if you have the wiring schematics, but you can download them at the link below, thanks to our member motorcarman for uploading the file and our member Gus for hosting it at his website:

Jaguar X300 Electrical Guide 1997

It is quite common for one or both fuel pumps to seize while sitting for a year, so I won't be surprised if that's what you find, but rule out a wiring issue first.

Cheers,

Don

 

If the fuel pump is fading out / failing it can pit the inside of the fuel pump relay power contacts , so the relay is recommended to be replaced as it's condition will have a underperforming newly installed pump

It will also burn the sockets on the fuel pump motor connector , so if you see that , it is a sign

Tried # 2 pump relay jumper ?

Your # 2 fuel pump relay is directly fwd of the battery by itself with an # 2 fuel pump relay control module next to the # 2 relay

The # 2 normally will not come on until 4000 RPM by this dedicated relay control module ( nothing to do with starting sequence )

But I have faint recollection of someone mentioning if the engine fails to start after a point in time or maybe tries the # 2 will come on to get you started

Storage time may have froze open one of your two fuel pumps check valves , any one pump's check valves will ruin whole system fuel pressure holding during start sequence.

Some have placed a single check valve outside the fuel tank and left the original fuel pumps alone

 

Well still no success and I'm growing steadily more confused, but I tried a few things today. I cracked the fuel line just before the regulator, there was only a few drops inside. I stuffed a bunch of shop towels underneath and cranked the engine, and the rags soaked up a bunch of gas. I repeated this again to be sure. Seems like I am getting fuel after all?

Inside the car I do not have any sort of clicking coming from the key barrel. I've taken off the steering column panels and the ski slope panels for access. When I put my foot on the brake I get the expected click from the shifter solenoid, and I can see it moving a lever. As expected, I can only move out of park when I press the brake. When I put the shifter in park the "P" lights up, the microswitch makes its tiny click sound.... but nothing from the key barrel area or dashboard. The car only cranks in park, which makes me think the park switch is fine. I can also see on the opposite end of the keyhole, under a black cap, there's some electrical switch components for the "key-in" chimes. They seem to be working? But I can't hear or feel anything from the key barrel solenoid.... except when I take the key out there's an audible click. That's the only click I can get out of it.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about a click from the steering column. The fact that the starter will crank the engine rules out a problem with most or all of the security features.

The old acronym of things required for starting is FAST: Fuel, Air, Spark and Timing. Have you checked for voltage to the fuel injectors and ignition coils?

Have you checked the air filter box for an obstructed filter or rodent nest?

Have you inspected all the wiring in the engine bay for possible rodent damage?

I can't remember if you've tried cranking it with the accelerator pedal held to the floor?

You could test for spark by removing an ignition coil and spark plug, fitting the plug into the end of the coil, and grounding the threaded body of the plug to a good ground point with a jumper cable. Have an assistant crank the engine while you watch for spark (easiest to see in dim or dark lighting).

It is possible that the fuel injectors are clogged with old fuel and cannot atomize the fuel, especially if your fuel pressure is low.

It's very likely that your fuel pressure regulator is worn out. One simple test is to remove the vacuum hose and inspect for wet fuel at the vacuum hose fitting, which indicates failure of the diaphragm and raw unmetered fuel being inhaled into the intake causing a rich condition.

Sorry to offer random ideas but you've got a real mystery on your hands!

Cheers,

Don

 

When removing a coil to visually checking for spark the valve cover is not a good ground

The valve cover is electrically insulated from the engine block

You can use a battery jumper cable and the 2 rear engine firewall large ( 13 mm nuts ) terminal post are battery power and not a ground

 

Fuel pressure regulator worth a thought too? If it fails, you struggle to build pressure

 

Someone was able to clamp the FPR return line in varying degrees to get the car started

Maybe vice grips with the knurl knob and plenty of battery recharging

Watching for starter duty time

Then maybe bore wash condition being induced by fails to start ?

This proves the FPR to be changed

 

For now, I've just been testing things like a madman. Took out all 6 injectors and bench tested them hoping they were gummed up. They all sprayed perfectly, right pattern and good flow. I also made myself a relay tester from a 12V wall outlet power supply, and tested every relay under the hood and in the trunk. Also tested the two small relays right in front of the shifter base. They're ALL good. All clicking, all have continuity in both on/off positions.

I will try out the FPR test once I get my new O-rings in, I still have the whole fuel rail apart.