My 1999 Jaguar XJ8 has been flawless. Drove it daily and as recently as last night. This AM, I started the car and while it fired up my hand slipped off the key for a fraction of a second, car still fired up, I involuntarily turned key forward again, heard the starter slip, took my hand off the key, and the car died. Now, it cranks over just fine but will not fire up. I didn't want to kill the starter or the battery by trying again and again and again so I left it in the garage for now. Any ideas? I know I'm not giving much information here but that's all I know. Super strange because it was running perfectly as recently as last night and still turns over strong. It is as if it has no spark or no fuel.

 

My guess would be "bore wash" i.e. enough petrol to wash some oil away, leading to low compression.

Have a read on the forum and see if it makes sense / what to do.

 

Sounds like bore wash to me, the rich mixture washes away the oil seal between the pistons and the bore - very prevalent on Nickaseal bores. Try putting the loud pedal flat on the floor, which cuts out the fuel supply and cranking for 10 seconds or so a few times and then try starting it normally again. If that doesn't work, the recommended methos is to remove the plugs, put a small amount of oil down each bore, turn the engine over a few times without the plugs in the distribute the oil, put the plugs in a start it up. A word of warning, make sure you are not in an eclosed space when it starts, the amount of white smoke is rediculous. Good luck.

 

Thank you for the quick response. I tried the accelerator flat on the floor to 10 seconds repeatedly and then starting but no joy. I don't hear any audible difference after mashing the accelerator, turning it over for a while, and then starting again. I don't hear anything or smell anything. Just the starter motor turning it over and over again. Strange.

 

It's unlikely, but possible, that your fuel pump has failed. An easy test is to remove the passenger-side plastic engine cover, unscrew the blue Shrader valve cap, turn the ignition on, and either with your fingernail or the end of a pen or similar, depress the Shrader valve................gasoline should squirt two foot in the air. If no gasoline squirts out there is no pressure in the fuel rail, indicating a failed fuel pump. (have some clean rags ready to soak up the gasoline!)

It's easy to do, and costs nothing, so worth a try.

 

Thanks everyone for the assistance. I tried everything suggested and eventually had the car towed to my mechanic. Turns out, it is a blown fuse in the ignition system so there was no spark at all. He said he'd never seen it before and was in agreement with the forum suggestions of bore wash or bad fuel pump until he saw the car in person. Bizarre. I'll post back which fuse blew once I get the car back so others can check this fuse in the future on a no start issue.

 

The bill says "Found Failed Fuse for Central Ignition System... Remove and Replace Fuse". That's it. Car is perfect now.

 

Sometimes, if you are lucky, there are easy fixes!