Hello All,

I have been poring over the X308 threads for the last few months now, as I'm trying to get a 1997 4.0 X308 (106k on the clock) back on the road. It's my father's and he left it on the drive when he bought a 'stop-gap' 5 series, that was 7 years ago and it hasn't moved since.

I have made several half-hearted attempts to get it going over the years, but as I live about 30 miles from them, it has been somewhat sporadic. I have been given an ultimatum to get it off the drive, so this weekend I went to work.

1) Put new battery in
2) Put £14 worth of petrol (so around 9/10 litres) in. Had attempted to siphon any old petrol out, but nothing seemed forthcoming
3) Drained and changed oil, now has 6.5 litres of new oil in.
4) Replaced all spark plugs, and added a capful of oil in cylinder in case cylinder washing had been the problem.
5) New Air Filter, clean of MAF, and throttle body
6) Gave it a go, lots of turning over of the engine, but no spark.
7) Listened for Fuel Pump when ingition turned on... Thought I heard something priming. There was a definite whir from the fuel tank when key was turned
8) Checked fuel pressure at the rail - Did it the 'naughty' way of pushing valve with screw driver. Absolutely zero fuel came out.
9) Thought this might indicate problem with fuel injectors, so sprayed starter fluid in air intake, got my dad to turn key, and hey presto, we briefly had the engine running!! Did this twice, and ran both times.
10) Checked fuel pressure at rail again to see if we had coaxed fuel along the pipes, but still zero pressure.

So... Positives: The engine will spark and run for all of three seconds, but obviously starter fluid is not a long term solution. I just wanted to see if it was possible for any fuel to make it to the cylinders.

Negative: Petrol does not seem to be getting from the tank to the engine.

Conclusion: Fuel Pump and Fuel Filter replacement?

Question: Before I order the new parts I just wondered if anyone might have any suggestions for something I've missed. Is it possible that I just didn't put enough petrol in for it to actually get going?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Even though I haven't posted before, all the things on previous X308 threads were really helpful for me this weekend.

Cheers.

 

Obtain an appropriate pressure tester and check the fuel pressure. If there is no fuel pressure, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.

Perform a search of this forum for fuel pump replacement procedures.

You may also want to drain and flush the cooling system once the vehicle is running.

Have the primary and secondary timing chains, guides and tensioners been replaced? If not, failure of the secondary tensioners can lead to catastrophic engine failure.

 

If it had "no spark" then starting fluid would not cause it to start. All indicators point to a failed fuel pump in the fuel tank. Sometimes hitting the tank with a rubber mallet and having the key on can free up a seized pump. Once running, have the brake fluid flushed as well.

 

To check if you have fuel pressure from the tank to the injectors, unscrew the cap on the Shrader valve and with the ignition on depress the Shrader valve, there should be around 40psi there and you should get gasoline shoot a foot or more in the air.

A more sophisticated method is to attach a fuel pressure gauge to the Shrader valve and monitor the pressure.

If you have no pressure/fuel at the Shrader valve it is very likely that you need to replace the fuel pump in the fuel tank.

 

Thank you for the quick reply NBCat. Just checking that your comment re tensioners is more for once it is up and running, rather than reason it may not stay running now? Good thing is the car has been in the family since 2002 so I can go back and look through old receipts to see if the aluminium tensioners have been installed.

 

Thanks everyone for replies.

I had more or less settled on the issue being the fuel pump, but was hoping for some confirmation. Will definitely try a little bump with a camping mallet.

Can i just confirm that 10 litres of new fuel would be enough to get things up and running in a car that has been sitting for years?

 

If there is old fuel in the tank and lines, it could gum up the injectors. I would remove the fuel sender from the back wall of the tank, siphon all fuel out and even reach in with a rag on a stick and wipe the bottom of the tank to see how much residue is there. put new fuel in and save what you removed to add over time or use in another vehicle. That's providing it doesn't smell like varnish.

 

Thanks RJ237. Will give that a go next time I’m there.

 

Good replies so far.

Plead for more time if needs be - this car sounds eminently fixable.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Shown my parents the replies and we seem to have convinced them there’s life in the old girl yet.

I’ve been looking into the fuel pump replacement and the joy that comes with trying to disconnect the fuel lines and wondered if it might be worth trying to replace just the fuel filter before going the whole hog and replacing the pump as well?

Is it possible for the filter to get so clogged as to prevent any fuel getting to the injectors?

Also, could anyone point me to any how to’s on how to clean the fuel lines?

Cheers!

 

It could be the fuel filter. Easy enough to change and test out.

 

If you replace the fuel filter first, still check for fuel pressure at the schraeder valve.

Make yourself a nice cuppa and have a read of this page about replacing the fuel pump on an X100 (XK8):

JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

While it's slightly different on the X308, you will at least know what's involved.

Contact a Jaguar main dealer or specialist to get an idea on the labour charge.

 

In case you don't already have the X308 Workshop Manual, here is a link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9aid15mx5t..._1998.pdf?dl=0

Refer to page 1733 of the PDF for the fuel pump replacement procedure.