Hey all!

Last week I put about 300 miles on my new to me 1988 XJS. The new 115 amp Bosch alternator is awesome btw!:-)

However, I noticed a slight hesitation on the highway when nearing home. Traveling at 70 mph most of the trip, I noticed that the slight pedal pressure needed to maintain 70 mph was giving slight hesitation near end of trip. I got off highway. On side streets the car was still hesitating a bit. When I turned a corner on side street and started going uphill the car died. I was stuck there for about 30 minutes while investigating. Cranked fine, no start, seemed definite fuel issue.

I did think since I purchased this car that the fuel pump was extraordinarily loud. If you sat in car with engine running you could actually hear the pump running. Kind of a loud whirring noise with a bit of "nuts banging around in coffee can" thrown in. Now, when car died I was running low on fuel.

Since that episode I have not let tank go under 1/4. My thought is that the pump may have been sucking up junk from tank and getting blocked? Also could be the pump is on it's way out? No idea if it's ever been replaced.

Read through some threads on here to see what diagnostics I could do (while wishing I had Bernie Embden's garage, tools and experience!)

Lastly, since that episode I have driven about 200 miles with no more noisy fuel pump and no mishaps, save a couple times when I thought there was a slight hesitation, again seems to be with slight gas pedal pressure to maintain a speed. 98% of the time this baby roars down the road!

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the fuel pump anyway but wanted to get everyone's thoughts on what else to check/replace. I found a Bosch fuel pump on AdvanceAuto.com that, after a discount code would come to $133.00 which seems reasonable. Buy Bosch Fuel Pump 69414 at Advance Auto Parts

Any thoughts? Thank you!!

 

Im sure it is made with differing quality of parts but I don't think i'd shell out 185 bucks on a bosch. Not unless you are going to go all the way and clean out the fuel tank as well.

My car was parked for over a decade when i got it so it has always had fuel issues. One day my pump just up and died. I replaced it and the filter and even cut the filter apart to inspect it.
Not surprised but I am arriving there again only 10k miles or so later. I replaced my pump with a 40 dollar one and its noisy after more than a 30 minutes run. I don't blame the 40 dollar pump, but my ancient rusty gas tank that needs to be cleaned and etched.

If you think its not too bad, and sitting just killed it off, replace the filter and get a 40 dollar pump online so you don't break a 200 dollar one instead.

 

Agree with what is already said.

I only use Bosch, that thing is too heavy to push if one dies in the middle of our outback, my usual haunt.

Being a Coupe, you have a small "sump tank" under the battery. Inside that tank is the pick up pipe with a fine mesh filter over the snout. This filter blocks up easily. Drain that sump tank thru the hole provided in the floor (after that main tank is drained FIRST), which should give about 12ltrs of fuel remaining, and remove the pick up pipe, and clean that small tank, and the filter, then ensure that the filter sits on the pipe correctly.

OBVIOUSLY FUEL SPILLAGE WILL OCCUR, SO TAKE THE REQUIRED PRECAUTIONS PLEASE.

The main fuel filter will be starving for replacement, and they are cheap. I do all ours every 2 years.

 

Sidescrollin - thanks for the insight!

Grant - Thanks for the detailed instructions. Just to clarify, drain the main tank prior to tackling the sump tank?

Thanks again!

 

FIRST of all. hit the disconnect for the fuel pump, it is found near the front of the door jamb on the drivers side. You can also disconnect the hose for the fuel pump. Try to start the car to get rid of fuel pressure. NOW you can proceed.

Remove the cover, battery, and batter tray. You should now have access to the fuel pump and the adorable little sump tank. Clamp the hose going to the pump and disconnect for drainage. If you don't have a clamp and don't want to pinch the hose then disconnect the hose at the fuel filter first and let that drain some. You will probably do best by draining the hose where it connected on the left some and then plugging it with an appropriately sized screwdriver and retightening the clamp and then disconnect the right side (unless I cannot remember and reversed these sides)
Basically you want to disconnect the hose going to the pump last. When you have that all sorted out you now drain fuel from the pump more easily. Once this has settled see about disconnecting the actual pump and sump tank.

The tank has a screen that catches all the big debris, just clean it out and replace.

 

Thanks for the detailed instructions Sidescrollin! I had come across the "depressurize" info somewhere else on the net as well. But thanks for sharing it again! Any idea why a small sump in addition to the gas tank on these cars to begin with? Also, which $40 pump are you using. I'm probably not going to replace pump at this point as it hasn't acted up since that day. I'm figuring it was crap getting caught on the mesh since I was way low on fuel, and facing up steep incline at the time. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a $40 spare pump just in case. As this cat, and Jaguar, is new to me I carry a decent toolbox in the trunk anyway till things are sorted out. Thanks again!