After an unexpected prolonged absence the car I was able get back at it recently. First the good news. Previously I was not getting ANYTHING when I turned the key. I mean nothing. I was even thinking that maybe the ignition switch had gone bad or the starter went suddenly kaput. The battery is new. Well when I went back the car it turned over immediately and repeatedly so all those issues are debunked.
Now the bad. It still won't start. Fuel pump is working. Plenty of fuel. It turns over easily but doesn't want to catch. More trouble shooting later this weekend. I am just thankful that it is not a ignition switch or starter issue. Now back to electronics and fuel supply.

 

Next I would check for spark. If the pickup is bad, then there is no signal to the ECU to fire the injectors, so no spark can equal no fuel.

 

well I was able to get back at it today for a bit. I located the final two screws holding the instrument cluster in place behind more little access tabs. Undid the two plug clips and pulled it out. I'll clean the contacts. The speedo unit was acting intermittingly and then quit working last summer. Tach and all the gauges work fine. Not sure if there is anything else I can do.

As I mentioned before it cranked over after not doing a thing for a period of time. Not sure if it was just a loose connection as suggested on the gear shift lever or what but it does crank so my fears about the issue being either an ignition switch or a starter are put to rest.

Right now the issue appears to be fuel supply. I replaced the entire fuel system last spring/summer (tank, aux tank, pump, filter) so pretty sure its not that. It has gas in the tank but not sure yet if it is coming up from the aux tank to the filter. I pulled the fuel rail hose off the 1A connector to check for fuel supply and it was dry. When I turn on the power you can hear the pump come on for a 2-3 seconds before cutting off as normal. That's my next check. Fuel from the aux tank to/from the filter.

 

Brad,

Has this engine run since all taht fuel work?????????

I got caught here way back with a replacement fuel pump.

The old had the Neg terminal as the LARGE, and the Pos as the SMALL.
The new was opposite way around.

I did not study the markings. Pump ran just fine, just not pumping fuel to the front, NO start, WTH, it was running, just a noisy pump.

3 days later, I found the issue, swapped the wires, and oh boy, away we went, and still running today.

Since then I have heard of others here in Downunder, and elsewhere getting caught the same way.

 

If the rail is dry, work your way back like any electrical problem. Do you have fuel pressure at the filter?

These pumps typically lock up, but I suppose its possible its broken in a way that allows it to free spin and come on without actually building pressure.

Isn't there also a possibility your pressure regulators are bad and the fuel is simply going back to the tank? I would think there would still be SOME evidence at the rail in that case.

 

Thanks guys.

Yes the car was running wonderfully after I did all the fuel system refurbishment which makes this all the more puzzling. In fact I had put about 250 miles on the car making progressively longer trips as I tested all the systems and conditions.

The new fuel pump did in fact have the + terminal as the larger of the two and I made the switch.

This weekend I will work my back from the filter to the pump to the aux tank to find out where the supply issue is.

PS...I had just put 5 gallons in it 10 minutes before it cut out so I'm relatively sure it's not a case of being out of gas. (I know some of you had that cross your mind. lol)

 

Have you any photos of your car ? Sounds a good colour combo.

 

Not sure if the photos uploaded.

Thanks, I've always thought it was a pretty color combo. You don't see it very often.

Too few cars have interesting color combo's these days.

 

And she is now back to running smooth and normal again. Hooray!!!!!

Now to reinstalling the instrument cluster and the radio. Then on to the transducer and t the two parking light turn signal light issues and finally the wiper motor re-install. fingers crossed.

 

So what was it?

 

Agreed, what Gremlin do we add to the long list????????

 

Really stupid owner, i.e. me.

On the good news front after removing the float to check inside the tank and then re-installing it me friend noticed vapor trace along the bottom lip of the float ring. That prompted us to tighten up the locking ring even more. Using a flathead screw driver and a hammer to tap on it we were able to get it to move another 3/8" which really tightened it up. This eliminated the fuel odor in the trunk I had been experiencing since last summer.

 

Confess!! You will be among friends!

 

Come on, we only bag that sort of thing for a year or 2, if you fess up early.

 

Well this is hard to admit but it was out of gas.
I had just been to the gas station about an hour before and put a few $$'s in and only drove around about 10-15 miles before coming back. The car was just idling as I was checking different things out, gauges, noises, systems etc... and then it just shut off.
Being out of gas didn't cross my mind.

I turned the key a couple of times with no luck and then it stopped even trying to crank. It was completely dead. No sound of any sort when I turned the key. I panicked thinking maybe the starter or an ignition switch.

All fall I was testing out different combinations of fuse relay replacements. Using a lead probe to see if I had electricity to various connectors. All with no results.

Finally about a week ago I tried the ignition switch and the starter turned over but ignition so I checked the fuel supply at the B bank fuel rail hose inlet and it was dry.
This told me I had a fuel supply issue. (see I am smart - lol) So yesterday I went back over to the car and started working back thru the system beginning by removing fuel sending unit and looking into the tank. Staring back at me was some gas but not high enough to get to the fuel pipe. So off we went to the station with a 5 gal can. Came back and poured it in. Turned the key, cranked over two or three times and then caught. Vroom, vroom........ran smooth and strong. let it run for about 30 minutes as I went and celebrated and planned my next actions to put the car completely back together over the next couple of weeks. Nice Christmas present to me. I used to be a paratrooper so being an idiot comes naturally.

 

Don't feel so bad. I had mine idling in the driveway for about 5-10min while I ducked up stairs to grab something, the car cut out and would not re-start. After another 15-20min fiddling with everything I could think of I coasted the car down the driveway onto the road (my driveway in that house was sloped down to the road) to get my wifes car out.

Anyway there was fuel in the tank but with the car pointing down the drive the fuel was low enough (about 1/4 tank) that the swirl tank emptied and did not gravity fill until the car was on the flat road.

 

By the way, beautiful detailing, Brad! Gorgeous looking XJS

(I once started seriously panicking after experiencing No Start issue. Turned out I accidentally knocked off an electric plug on the lead wire to the battery. But this community sorted it out fairly quickly)

 

I was taking my car out of storage container, and since they are narrow and a tight fit, I just pushed the battery cable on the battery and thought I'd tighten it later, when I had the proper wrench. Backed the car out, drove home and forgot about the cable.

Then did a long road trip with 2 other couples and the car ran great. Pulled in for gas about 250 miles from home and the car wouldn't start. Lots of poking about and I finally saw the battery terminal just resting on the battery and not seated.

I had wondered what was happening, as when I would go over the expansion joints on some bridges my cruise would drop out and I'd have to press set to get it to re-engage. Turned out it was the battery cable bouncing off the battery and the cruise quitting due to no power.

 

Found my dipstick resting in the side gully a week after I had checked the oil.

 

Some years ago I wondered why my V12 had turned into a gutless wonder. After a few miles I opened the bonnet and found I had not replaced one of the capstan rods having done something or other on the engine.