hello.....i have a 98 xj8L and when i accelerate the car stalls for a second and then proceeds to normal acceleration speed.........asc will show on dash at the same time stalling occurs.......have not run for codes and will like to know what could be the culprit for this problem........could it be related to the wheel sensors..........any help will be appreciated before i have to run to dealer with vaseline in hand........thanks

 

Does it behave any differently with the traction control turned off?

 

i dont know where to even look for the switch rob to turn off........im a novice for the most part and thanks for the reply...........

 

No problem, it's above the radio, on the right side I think, labeled "TRAC" or something like that.

 

A little correction. It's ASC OFF. Check the picture.

This ASC means Active Stability Control - it's a special system that stabilizes the rear side of the car when the tires are drifting, or the car is over steering, or it's slipping (on ice, snow etc). The system is playing with the brakes (most of all) and it's reducing the acceleration when it's necessary. By default the ASC is activated every time you start the engine. If you want to turn it off, just press the button ASC OFF - if the red light on the button is on - than the system is disabled.

 

It depends on the variant.

There are some markets where there are more buttons on that row and the only marking is "TRAC" without any on or off notation because the button is much smaller.

 

Yeah, mine has the seat heater buttons on that row as well as the "TRAC" off button. But if you disable the TRAC or ASC I believe it does the same thing and turns them both off.

 

There are 2 versions of traction controls, the basic one ( ASC, Automatic Stability Control ) that, using the ABS sensors as input, reduce power and power only, to the rear wheels by a combination of: 1/ throttle, 2/ ignition and 3/ fuel.

The most advanced system, ( TRAC) add the possiblity of actuating the brake on the spinning wheel.
Obviously the labelling on the switch as nothing to do with the size of it but rather with wich system the car is equiped.

TRAC is a much,much better system:

Let say that you have 1 wheel on snow/ice and 1 wheel on dry pavement:
With ASC you will go nowhere, with TRAC, as in a locking/limited slip rear differential, the spinning wheel will not spin and the power will only go to the wheel that has traction

Plums: My 01 XJR has the wording "off" on the switch and the switch is the small 1 since i have heated seats. Are you sure that yours don't have the word off?

 

Thanks guys for the input my has trac off and it has been off all the time.....i am assuming when the red light comes on its on'........my first indication would be the wheel sensors so I pulled them out and checked for any dirt or gunk and none was there...since I had then all checked I cleaned them also and put them backed in'..... I did notice on the front left one where it connects on the rubber the rubber was a little torn but connection seemed fine........i again drove it to check if the problem persist and it still does the same thing........i will run for codes and give detail on it soon.......could it be a blown fuse or something with the abs module like connectors......thanks guys for input

 

I had the same issue becuase of Mass flow meter, fixed

 

what is mass flow meter, and where is it located........do i need to replace it or check for.........what..........vincent

 

It's Mass Air Flow or you can find it as MAF sensor. It's located inside the plastic tube for getting the air for the engine. The MAF sensor is just next to the air filter (check the photo I'm attaching). Make sure to disconnect the wire first. Then you can easily remove the plastic tube and find the MAF inside - it looks like aircraft engine inside. Be careful when cleaning the sensor as it's very sensitive and you can damage it! Better do this with a special spray for cleaning.

If you want to check if it's working, then you'll need to get a multimeter and measure the values WITHOUT disconnecting the MAF.

Nope... I said it earlier in my reply - the default statement of the TRAC/ASC is ON. When the red light comes on it means that the stability system is OFF.

 

I think there's two possibilities. Since the ASC light comes on when it
is stalling, either the ASC itself is bad, or you're having intermittent electrical issues, something these cars are known for.
I would pull the fuse for the ASC/TRAC system and if that doesn't work, search the threads here on battery issues.
You'll find the common problems are a loose/corroded bulkhead feed through under the hood, same thing with the engine grounding strap, or sometimes just a weak battery.

Good luck!

 

i turn the trac off and the stalling stopped when i took it for a spin..........what does this mean........trac or asc does not work.......tommorow will be the first day in a while i have time to tackle all the advices you guys have given me and i appreciate everyones input and feedback........i also now realize that the cruise control has been on all the time and me driving in the city with all the stop and go.......i am assuming this because the light on the switch was off (no red light) and you mentioned when the red light is on the device is off for the trac so i guess is the same for the cruise control........is it the button in the console between the 2 front seats with the S on it........

 

trying to upload a pic of my baby girl........i call her "alimony"

 

Just to confuse matters, when the red light is on in the cruise switch, then cruise is turned on. It isn't engaged or anything, that's what the steering wheel buttons do. When the cruise switch is pressed in and the red light is off, cruise is disabled. Strange, I know, but since the TRAC switch is labeled "TRAC off" it makes sense that the red light means off.

Your failure is a funny one since a wheel speed sensor failure usually just puts on the ASC not available message, but has no effect on the engine. Maybe others here have more experience with TRAC.

 

ok cool...........so i will push the button and leave it the way it was thanks avt.........so at least now with the trac off it doesnt stall.......i now need to see why failsafe engine mode light is constantly on with amber light..........they told me it could be related to a bad brake switch.......

 

Damn, this white XJ8 is just ABSOLUTELY beautiful I like the style and the exclusive look thanks to the rims! Great car.

Just wanted to add something - next to the Cruise Control button there is one with S on it - this is the Sport state of the gearbox. It is on when the red light is on It's good to know that.

 

is this suppose to be on........so the cruise is the other button on the left......if pushed in is on?

yeah when i bought the car it didnt look right with the factory rims so i always had a vision for these rims and i found them at a local shop......big difference in the look now and it turns heads now.........these cars are a treasure to have if working right.........mine was sitting for a while cause from one day to the other it did not want to crank up.......it would turn over but not start.........so i took it to different shops and every shop diagnose a different issue......i replace ecm, gas pump, chain tensioners, crank shaft sensor, spark plugs, battery, alternator was rebuilt........none of this was the issue........even took it to dealer and they couldnt figure out what was wrong........then i found this guy who is mobile and he came and in 20 min had the car running.......it turns out that connectivity issues with the relays, sensors and wiring harness were at fault........i still have the asc issue which i have recently turned off button and it does not stall anymore and the engine failsafe mode with amber light on all the time......other than that the car runs GREAT. I dont know too much about cars and their mechanics but since i found this forum and lurking along with the help from all you guys which i thank much for the time and posts i have gradually learned alot about my car......cleaning the engine and connectivity points will be my next move.......what lubricant cleaner would be best for the cleaning of electrical connectors and sensor points.......

 

i have a question.........this morning i turned the car on and in park i heard a clicking sound every time i pressed on the brake........seems to come from the middle console where the gear box is in the middle of the 2 front seats............is this an issue........