I am sitting in a hotel room during a snow storm near Lancing Mi. and the car won't start. (xj8 98)

I drove the car from Indianapolis the day before yesterday with no problems. Yesterday morning the outside temperature was near 0 F and the car started with no problem however the low oil pressure light was on. I did not want to shut the engine off immediately because I believe the car can experience cylinder wash so I did tach it a little to see if the oil pressure indicators would go out but they did not. I allowed the engine to idle for another 5- 10 seconds then the RPM's dropped slowly and the engine quit. I would estimate that the engine ran for a total of 20 seconds. There was no abnormal noise. The engine turns over sufficiently to start and a couple of cylinders fire at times. Yesterday evening I pulled the left bank plugs and put some oil in the cylinders but this did not produce any change. This morning I disconnected the battery for a period of time with no results.

I have checked with a local shop but they are swamped with cars from all of the storms and can't give me any help for several days. Thought that someone might be able to make some since out of all of this.

Ideas?

 

Really need some more information. What is the oil level? Car cranks but will not start, right? Is there fuel pressure at the schrader valve? What happens when you hold the gas pedal to the floor and crank it?

My guess: frozen gas line

 

Thanks for the reply. The oil level is at the full mark. The car is cranking over and at times it is hitting on a couple of cylinders. I have held the pedel to the floor a couple of times with the same results, it may hit on a couple of cylinders. I have not checked the shader valve but I will. If I have fuel at the rail should I try starting fluid?

 

NO Starting fluid. You can damage the intake manifold.

 

Is it possible that some condensation has frozen in one of your oil passages? It is still 20 deg. there so maybe if you got one of those block heaters that goes in the dipstick?

 

Thanks for the replies. I did check the fuel Schrader valve and there was a very small amount of pressure with the key in the run position, I am assuming that is not normal. A Chevrolet dealer across the highway said that if I can get it towed they would put it inside.

 

Fuel should spray out with some force when you press the valve- maybe a frozen fuel line?

 

Or the fuel pump is failing. Don't like to say that, but the dealer will be able to check the pressure when it warms up.

 

Got it inside and they they are putting charge on the battery while it warms up. I am going to do a little research on the Forum concerning fuel problems while I wait.

Thanks for the help an concern.

 

If it needs a fuel pump the tanks needs pulling I'd suggest getting a copy of JTIS off the forum and print off the process for whoever does the work - too many now coming on here with botch jobs and odd fueling issues from tech's journeys of discovery, it's simple IF you know what you're doing.

And don't cut the car up to get at it like some on here suggest

 

In my initial post I mentioned that the low oil pressure light was on, do these engines shut themselves down because of low oil pressure? If so, does the fuel shut off?

Thank those who have offered help.

 

This ids so true. I bought my XJR not running. What started out as bad fuel pumps took the previous tech/person on a jorney. When they pulled tank they did not disconnect lines from tand. Kinked one and didnt know it. They threw ECM, Air mass meter,relays at it...

If you just "RTFM" it is easy.

 

I had the car put on a flat bed and transported to a shop that said they can get to it in a few days. I rented a car and drove home last night.

I believe that it is the fuel pump, after sitting in the shop for 4 hours there was very little preassure at the schrader with the key in the run position.

I will post an update when I know something for sure.

Thanks for all the help.

 

After almost two weeks I drove the car home yesterday. The shop determined that cylinder wash was the reason that the car wouldn't start but that doesn't explain why the car stalled after starting. Since the pump was ok, I think that there is a good chance that the fuel line was frozen.