Hi John,

Not sure which Jaguar workshop manual you're using but it doesn't seem to be the correct genuine one for the 4 litre to which I've been referring?

As you've told us throughout, that you have strong spark and fuel injectors spraying, the suggestions that you may have fuel pump, inertia switch or other failures are not really valid, as these would preclude the fuel and spark combination that you have.

With the CPs aligned correctly, I'm also struggling to see how it can be an ECM or CPS issue, although I stand to be corrected. I'd have thought even with injector pulse duration errors, it would still try and splutter into life.

You've also confirmed that it's definitely fresh fuel and you've also confirmed that the spark plug leads are definitely positioned correctly, and you've also confirmed that the rotor arm is definitely in the right position. And valve timing is right, and compression is good, and you don't think you've got a an air leak on inlet manifold. So...???????

I'll have another read tomorrow through the ECM spark timing and fuel delivery sections in the manual and see if anything jumps out. Then I'll join you with my own branch to berate the car!

Cheers

Paul

 

Hi Paul,
My thought of replacing the CPS, is that the ECU delivers spark and fuel injection, based on the signal from the CPS. Since I have spark and fuel injection the ECU is getting a signal from the CPS, but if that signal is not fully accurate, spark and fuel injection is not occurring properly. Also I am going to empty the fuel tank and put new gas in. Even though the gas in the tank is not old, I might as well make sure.
John

 

John,

In my (limited) experience, the CPS either works or it doesn't. As you've said that you have strong sparks all the time whilst cranking, it's not where I'd start looking. You also mentioned that you reset the crank woodruff key and checked the positioning of the CPS, so even more reason not to suspect it.

Cheers

Paul

 

Paul,
There you go using logic again. I drained the fuel today and even drained the fuel rail and fuel filter. I will probably have to crank it a few times to get any old fuel, out of the fuel lines. So I pull the plugs and dry them off and wait a couple of hours before the next try. Miami has very high humidity and temperature levels, so any sitting fuel can condensate quickly I suppose.
But what still baffles me, is that even starting fluid does not work.
John

 

I assume the car ran before you took the head off? Are you absolutely sure you were at the top of the right stroke when you set up the cams? It seems to me that if the crank position sensor thinks its the power stroke but the cams think its the intake stroke you'll get the symptoms you have. You have spark, you have fuel, but it doesn't run. I'd love to be wrong, because its a pain in the *** to fix. But I don't think throwing more parts at it will fix it. Can you turn the engine over by hand until the first cylinder is on the top of the stroke? Then see if the valves are open or if the distributor rotor is pointing at the right lead. If both or neither, that's the problem. If only one, then it should be ok.

 

Thanks G,
yes it ran previously. When the head was off, only the upper timing chain was removed, and the lower timing chain, stayed connected to the crankshaft and the intermediate shaft. So when resetting the head I rotated the crankshaft until the #1 was at tdc, and then set the camshafts and upper chain per jaguar specs and the cam shaft setting tool. However, I did not consider, where the teeth on the harmonic balancer were positioned. So are the missing tooth spaces (3) in the harmonic balancer, which the CPS reads, in the same position every time the #1 comes to TDC? If not, then the crankshaft also has predetermined power stroke. So the crankshaft and cams could be 180 degrees out from each other, so you bring up a good point that needs checking. I will pull the cam cover and rotate the crank by hand and observe the position of the teeth, as the #1 comes to TDC twice, thru a complete revolution.
John

 

Update: I rotated the crankshaft by hand and the teeth of the harmonic balancer are in the same location, when #1 is at TDC on both strokes. So the crankshaft does not have a predetermined power stroke. So setting the camshafts per Jag specs. with #1 at TDC establishes the power stroke, which is what I did. So I have everything correct, cams, #1 at tdc, rotor, and distributor. There is one "old school" trick I am going to try next, I will post results when done.
John

 

Update 5/12: Used the "old school" trick and engine fired up. Took some engine restore oil and put a small amount in each cylinder. Pulled the fuel pump fuse and the coil main wire and cranked the engine, to coat the cylinder walls and the top of the pistons with the oil. Let it sit overnight, connected the coil and fuel pump and cranked the engine. I expected the oil would foul the plugs on the first attempt to start, so pulled the plugs, cleaned them off, and the engine fired up. Thanks to all would offered advice, and especially Paul, as the distributor setting was very important.
John

 

Wow!

 

I've been following this thread and great that you resolved this with the great help here on the Forum.
But.... I'm just not quite sure what the problem was and how you solved it?

 

Chris,
I had the head off, and when put back together had crank but no start. Then because it is a Cat, I had to check and eliminate any possible and numerous reasons for no start. Sort of like the old Chinese torture of "death by a thousand cuts" which cut was the fatal one? lol So the experience of everyone on the forum helped identify and eliminate many possible no start reasons. In the end I think the CPS air gap and the distributor setting was the main culprit.
John

 

Oh! and by putting oil in each cylinder, that temporarily increases the compression and helps with ignition