I've been using my '93 XJ6 sparingly during Winter weather, it hadn't been driven since December 27, I took it for a 32 mile run yesterday with no issues. Today I was more ambitious and took a 2 hour primarily highway drive between 60 and 80 MPH, stopped for about an hour and a half, and after setting out on my return, I noticed the "Check Engine" light, and the code identifies as "14 / Fuel Fail." From what little info I could glean from the owner's manual, it seems this code is related to my unpleasantly ongoing saga of trying to solve the coolant issue. The coolant doesn't seem to leak (a drive in December and the one yesterday, there were no drips in the aluminum pan I put underneath the engine.) There is a Jaguar nearby that probably does service the old cars. Would it make sense to tow it there? Is this driveable? I exited the highway as soon as I noticed the warning. It is running at temperatures within range. Oil pressure gage hasn't been wonky for the first time in a while. Just uncertain on how to proceed. I think I need to travel another 70 miles or so, which could be done on side roads without problem. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I just soon not be stranded. Cheers all.

EDIT: The Jaguar dealer is 20 minutes away on back roads. Tow, drive, or other suggestions?..... I just found a place to pull off to turn the car off, try to research the issue, and post here. The car has been starting with no issues. The only other weirdness that may or not be associated is that the locks were going up and down, though I have had the electrical jokers pranking me when the car has been sitting for a while.

 

The fault is with the COOLANT TEMP SENSOR CIRCUIT.

I would drive the car and pay attention to the engine coolant.
The INSTPK sensor is still working so just keep an eye on it.

It is the ECM sensor that is faulting, not the gauge sensor.

Timing and fueling will be affected.

 

Hi Bob, Thank you!

I had done some research while waiting for an answer, decided it would be safe to drive 10 miles down the road to a dealership as the coolant leak seems to be addressed, and the gauges weren't faulty. Long story short, the mechanic trained on these cars reassured me that as long as the coolant was full, I was fine. Service had just closed for the day, but he gladly answered my concerns. Thanks for identifying what I need to do when I stop at my own shop. He mentioned that the cam cover should be warm to the back of the hand as a way to make sure it is actually functioning all right in limp-home mode.

 

A failed or defective coolant temperature sensor doesn't affect the coolant level or actual coolant temperature in my experience.

You can think of it like a "choke" in the old carburettor days and it's function is to inform the ECU whether the engine is cold or warmed up to normal temperature. When it fails, it affects the engine performance as the ECU can think the car is cold when already hot and overfuel the engine leading to high fuel consumption etc. Fortunately the sensor is a common and inexpensive item and easy to source - Just make sure engine is cold when you replace it!

Your car is probably not actually in limp mode just running very rich.

Larry

 

Thanks Larry. It had a tune up in November, but I haven't noticed a real improvement in performance. I feel more confident with the situation now as I slowly sort out the maladies that pop up occasionally. As I always wanted this generation, I did my research and time and time again, the durability factor gave me confidence, and I haven't been disappointed. It needs to go in for brakes and an oil change, so just another add on to the list. Fortunately for my garage, it won't be the frustrating headache addressing the coolant problem saga of the last two visits. It was disconcerting to have the engine light go on, but it works out for the best. Cheers.