2000 xj8 vdp l

i don’t even know what to call this or even how to search for this, so my apologies if there is a post already concerning this exact problem.

it starts fine. It idles smooth while in park or neutral. It will idle fine for 15 minutes even after a drive around the neighborhood. I say this because I initially thought the problem had to do with the car being warm

a few weeks back, I replaced the part load breather hose. Unfortunately I kinked it badly while installing, where it does the 180 back to the throttle body. With the intermittent problem, I’m hoping this is the problem. I’m taking it to a reputable mechanic Tuesday, if I can get it there. I bought a new hose for them to install.

Ive only taken it out of the neighborhood three times since replacing the part load hose. Once was to Walmart, about a mile away. No problems.

last week I took it to Kroger’s, about 2 miles each way. It was raining. Drove there fine. Twice, on the way back, it acted like it downshifted suddenly or didn’t have gas. Only lasted about a second each time. When I got home, I pushed on the part load breather hose connections, and tried to pinch open where it was kinked. Drove it for ten minutes around neighborhood, and it didn’t happen again. So didn’t think of it really again.

yesterday, went to menards, also about 2 miles away. Drove there fine. On return trip, about halfway, stopped at stoplight. It died. Put it in neutral and started right up. Turned, died at next light. Started right up, but driving, it kept “sputtering”, like it wasn’t getting gas. It just kept cycling, maybe a second each cycle... go, hesitate, go, hesitate.

next light, I put her in neutral, and she didn’t stall.

all the way home, it kept this up, with varying durations. Sometimes it would go 10 seconds before hesitating, sometimes one second.

sorry, idk how to really explain it.

i was also thinking bad gas. It sat for 3 months until I got her running again. It had half a tank, and I had put some heet in. First thing after getting her running, I took it to sams and filled her up. So maybe not...

Maybe fuel filter?

ive taken her around the neighborhood a couple times, every few days, so she doesn’t sit inactive too long. I’m at high risk, so only go out when I have to... 3 times in 4 weeks. But it won’t do it on demand.

i even took it out of sport mode, but no difference. I know it shouldn’t make a difference but this cat is finicky and I think it hates me, even though I’m slowly replacing, cleaning, and fixing all the little things. Last week I replaced the drivers side chrome wing and fixed the plastic headlight surrounds. She should be happy with me!

No codes

i also replaced the maf sensor again. When I got the cat back from the idiot mechanics (long story), they had for some reason or other, removed it, but had installed it kind of **** eyed. I didn’t trust that they didn’t break it, or bend the little sensor, or stuck it in their bum. This shop, among other idiotic things, couldn’t get the car started... because they forgot to put the serpentine belt back on. Seriously.

i don’t know where to look or how to proceed, except for the kink in the part load breather hose. It’s been a problem since I bought the cat.

Is this even a symptom concerning the hose?

Sorry for rambling and not being able to describe the symptoms technically. The mechanic shop had tested the fuel rails, and they said that they were fine.

thank you, and any suggestions are greatly appreciated

joe

 

You do need to fix the PLB hose, but it sounds like you have a failing fuel pump.........although you could get lucky and it just be the fuel filter.

Fuel filter is MUCH easier to replace than the fuel pump so you could try that first, but you probably have a fuel pump replacement in your near future.

You could check the fuel pressure at the fuel rail when the vehicle is "spluttering", it should be 38-42 psi.

 

spoiler alert: it’s probably your fuel pump

Now for the good news. With one easy trick, you can replace your fuel pump in 20 minutes and have half the forum hate you.

 

Xalty, I don’t mind people hating me. I’m old and just don’t care anymore. Please tell.

carnival kid- I have a k&n? filter lying around. One of the projects on my growing list. It was $5 more than the others, so figured that it was better lol. Hopefully it’s good. I’ll give that a shot, if it ever stops raining. If we get the $2k a month stimulus that is being discussed, I’m talking the wife into building a garage!

thanks

joe

 

Watch this hooligan show you the easy way out of your problem. The X308 is slightly different from this early X300 in that it uses a real seat belt for the middle seat, there's a clip to detach it I believe.

 

Xalty- nothing shows. Could you please repost?

shes at the shop now. I had them do the fuel filter, because it looked tricky with my physical problems. They removed the throttle body to more easily install the plb hose, and discovered that there was no gasket, which probably isn’t exactly good.

ive cleaned the throttle body, but never removed it, so I didn’t lose it.

im thinking that the mechanic shop that I had taken it to, in March,probably intentionally removed it.

i honestly think that they were running up a bill in the hopes that I would just sign the title over to them.

among all the fudged up things they did, like not putting on a serpentine belt, here are some high lights. One of 3 things that I took it in for, was to remove and replace the plb hose. It was broken in two places and was held together with clamps and tape, which I had to fiddle with every time I went somewhere. They didn’t even look at it. Weather didn’t allow me to do it myself, without a garage. Second, the crank sensor and wire needed to be replaced. It was just a ball of tape when I got it. They did replace the sensor, but never got to the wire because they didn’t have time, they said. They had it 2 weeks. The wire connector was broken, the wires in the harness had shorted and melted... but they didn’t think that this might influence intermittent starting problems. This was item 2 that I took it in for.

They called and said the car wouldn’t start, I went over but they wouldn’t allow me to look at the car. I explained the bore washing process and how you hold the gas down routine, they dismissed me, said that it wouldn’t make a difference.

they told me it was a timing chain and at least 1 piston. $1600-2200 just in labor.

engine only has 40-45k on it, replaced 3 years ago from a wreck with 32k on it. Chains upgraded around that time.

i called bs and towed it home. Put it back together, used above procedures, and she started.

they really tried to talk me out of towing it home. I honestly think that they were inflating the bill, and would even sabotage the cat, like removing the throttle gasket, so I’d give her up.

rant off

 

Do you have access to a fuel pressure gauge with a 90’s-2000’s adapter?

 

Ford adapter. Sorry

 

Sorry for delayed response, life has been so hectic

i do not have a fuel pressure gauge, but can probably do a borrow at autozone or such

the mechanics did new jaguar maf sensor. The one I just put on didn’t work. Also, they said that it didn’t have air temp sensor.

that seemed to fix it

but, my bonnet is stuck closed, which they will fix free for me

ive only driven it 3 times. One back from mechanic, two trips to Kroger. I thought that I could smell gas each time, and went through 7 gallons of gas to go about 10 miles total.

its leaking at the fuel filter that they replaced.

took 3 hours, half inch breaker bar, 5 foot pipe, 5 lb sledge to get one lug nut off.

now trying to figure out which way the nuts go to tighten it.

 

New fuel filter seems to have fixed the problem.

broke a 1/2” breaker bar and bent the 5’ pipe, but got the lug nut off

we’ll see what breaks tomorrow.

Never changed a filter than had 2 nuts on each end. It was confusing me lol

just got my jd mower running again, and deck decided to freeze up yesterday. If I didn’t have bad luck... sigh