Hello, my dad's 1999 XJR won't start. He's had it for about a week. It ran fine everyday and has been sitting outside every night. Last night it rained moderately heavily (lots of leaves falling as well because of fall). And in the morning when he tried to start it it would start for a short time and then turn off. I tried to start it tonight and it sounded like it was turning over but then it stopped and wound down with a very weird/bad sound like a whine for a short time. Any suggestions? Could it be that some leaves got stuck somewhere they shouldn't be and that's causing some problems?
Thanks

 

Wrong sub forum, you need to post this in the one for your car. This is the 2003-2009 XJ forum. Good luck !

 

Hi Stonevs,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

I have moved your post from the forum for the X350 to the forum for the X308, which is the Jaguar factory project code for your Dad's 1999 XJR. Here you will find knowledgeable owners of similar cars who will be happy to offer suggestions.

My first suggestions would be have the battery load tested, and if it checks out OK, then see if you can borrow an OBDII scanner to check the car for any stored Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) that may point you in the right direction.

Probably the most frequently reported cause of starting problems for Jaguars is low battery voltage, either due to a failing battery or problems in the charging system (often corrosion on battery power connections and ground points). If you can test the battery voltage while cranking the engine, that will give you a clue.

The heavy rain could definitely be a clue since water ingress to sensitive circuits can cause problems, but without knowing if any codes are stored, you (and we) will only be guessing, and the list of possibilities is long.

Check with your local auto parts stores to see if they have an OBDII scanner available on a loan or rental basis. Most stores will also load test batteries for free if you take the battery to them.

Cheers,

Don

 

This may or may not be a part of your problem, but another thing that's fairly common on these year cars.... Especially when rain and falling leaves occur. If you open the gas door access lid, there should be a tube with a screen sticking up right next to the gas cap. Many times on customers cars these years that I have worked on have that drain clogged with debris. Clogged drain, moderate rain or worse can allow water in the gas tank even when the gas cap is on. I've seen it happen many times. Water is therefore heavier than gas and since the fuel pump sucks fuel from the very bottom of the tank, water can and will be pumped into the engines combustion chamber. Just tell your dad this and he'll be proud of you that you thought of this. : )

 

That would be my guess also.

 

When it starts, does it run really slowly for a few seconds? Like it is only running on a couple of cylinders, then cut out?

I think your fuel pump might have died. A quick check of fuel pressure will confirm.

I am told that you can remove the primary fuel pump relay on the XJR, and the computer will figure this out and switch to the second fuel pump, allowing you to limp to a repair facility.

However, my problem was that the second fuel pump was dead too, so this trick didn't work.