My series 3 4.2 is not getting fuel. Mechanic told me it needed an ecu. Got one, still nothing. Fuel pump seems to he working fine. Wondering if its an injector problem. That being said I cant even get the car to fire off with starting fluid or carb cleaner at all. Just cranks and cranks. Any ideas?

 

Why the fuel focus? ECU swapped, fuel pump running, doesn't start with spray injection. I guess you could check for fuel pressure at injectors but everything you have said so far would steer me more towards spark (assuming this is a working car that just stopped)

 

have you checked the Inertia Fuel Cutoff Box?
it can cut off fuel supply to engine if it tripps.
It's like a house Breaker in the electrical panel.

 

If it does not fire under ether then you have no spark. Test for12v at the coil, and take it from there diagnosing the ignition system.

 

It is getting spark, even checked the timing. I did eventually get it to fire off with carb cleaner. Still no fuel to engine though. Pump is good and it the injectors are getting power. Could be bad injectors but it would be hard to imagine that all 6 went bad. Also tried the inertia switch. Nothing.

 

It does have spark, even pulled the plug out and tested. Got it to fire with carb cleaner after messing with it a bit. Still not getting fuel to engine though.

 

I did indeed try it and still nothing. Wondering if there is some sort of relay that went bad. Never really worked on one of these much before so not sure where to begin. Pump is working and the injectors are getting power.

 

Fuel related possibilities: Screen on the end of the fuel pickup tube in the tank is plugged with rust/crud. Large filter on outlet side of pump is plugged. Pump runs (?) but is worn out or inlet plugged with rust/crud. Fuel pressure regulator is stuck open. I don't have a Jaguar engine so I can't tell you where it is exactly, but it will be where the return fuel line and the fuel rail feeding all the injectors come together. If there is a Schrader valve in that line, that is where you would screw on an fuel pressure gauge and see what you have when the pump is running.

You haven't said what the recent history of the car has been. When was the last time the engine ran normally? What has happened since that time? The only relay I can think of is the one that actually runs the pump when the key is turned. If your pump runs, then that relay is working.

Dave

 

Were the plugs wet when you pulled them out? just because the injectors operate it doesnt mean they are controlling anything if fuel under pressure is absent

 

I will definitely check those options out. Car ran back in september, was driving it on a 300 mile trip home when the battery dies due to the alternator being bad. After getting the battery charged up I couldnt get it to fire again. After messing with it I brought it to a mechanic. They messed around with it for 6 weeks before giving up as they couldn’t locate the problem. The car does have 2 new gas tanks so I dont think the lines got clogged from the tank at all. Thank you for the help though, will definitely check those out tomorrow.

 

My son had a similar problem in his S3 XJ6. The pump was running but the engine would not start. Checked with starter fluid and it fired up OK
I cracked a fuel line and there was no pressure. It turned out that the electric motor was running but the drive to the pump section had internally sheared
Suggest you check for fuel pressure

 

Fuel pump wired backwards? It's not hard to do if someone replaced the pump and got one with different connectors from OE.

 

A means o determining if the injectors actualy squirt fuel in to the cylinder. No fuel at the rail? Injectors clogged with debris.