I have a 1989 Jaguar XJS 2 door convertible. It has the V12 5.3L engine in it.

I have been having problems with power. I have almost no acceleration. At stop lights people honk at me and I have it floored. After driving it awhile I cannot get it to start, then it will start after letting it sit awhile.

So I want to replace the fuel pump. I also would like to replace anything else that I should once I get it taken apart.

Which fuel pump should I buy? They vary in range from $25-$100 on different sites which seems cheap to me. Is there a certain brand and model number I should use.

I read Kirby's but it was unclear as to which fuel pump I should order for my vehicle.

I'd also like to know if there are other things I should replace when I replace it. If you could give me a list of parts and/or part numbers I would appreciate it.

I really wish I could find a good Jaguar mechanic here but there is nobody in St. Louis, Missouri.

Thanks

 

Are you sure it is running on both engine banks? That sounds awfuly similar to what happens when 1 bank isn't getting combustion and in that event you need to pull over and stop the car IMMEDIATELY before it catches on fire.

You'd know if the pump was failing for sure if it sounds terrible, and generally in my experience they just keel over and die. Your describing something like partial loss of ignition power.

 

Sound svery much like a Marelli ignition problem due to lack of maintance...

 

I'd go to page 159 of Palm's book, read and follow his inspection and repair procedure concerning the Marilli ignition system before you even start the car again. This story could have a very bad ending otherwise.

Thanks,

John
1987 XJ-S V12

 

The car was running ok before it got like this. I felt like maybe my cats were clogged causing some power loss, but nothing like this.

When the transmission is not engaged in park it revs fine. Once I put it into drive it drives very slow. If I drive it around for awhile it starts to drive a bit better and pickup improves.If I drive it for awhile though, once I stop & shut the engine off, it doesn't want to start and I need to wait a little bit and then I can start it again.

I haven't been driving it. I stopped when it got bad.

I can definitely smell fuel odor. I have been able to for awhile. I know that can be a bunch of things.

In Kirbys it said that there's an issue with the way the fuel gets cooled when it returns back to the fuel pump and that a weak pump will have these exact problems. Since I'm keeping the car(had it over 20 years) and it has 125,000 mile on it, I figured changing the fuel pump wasn't a bad idea anyway. I did have plugs and wires replaced less than 2000 miles ago as well as fluid changes. It has a new fuel filter on it.
Does anyone know which fuel pump is the best to order for it?

VancouverXJ6 when you say Bank 1 is that the drivers side or the passengers side? FYI Mine is a 1989 XJS like yours, same color even, but with the double round headlights...strange.

Daim what maintenance should I do to the ignition system?

JCR, read it. Not sure if it applies as I think I've got Lucas.

I don't think it's MARELLI, I believe it's LUCAS. The distributor and electronic ignition says Lucas.
I'm attaching photos.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions so far.

Also My AC went out so last year I took it to an AC "specialist" he put a new compressor in it. It shot out sparks when I went to pick it up and he disconnected it. He told me it'd be $2000 to fix the AC and after that I didn't want him touching it again. The AC compressor is disconnected to the Compressor. Would that cause any problems? I read someplace about the AC compressor cooling the fuel that returns to the fuel pump, but wasn't sure if that was the case or if that applies to my engine.


.

Lucas ignition, right?


Lucas ignition, right?


AC compressor, disconnected

 

I've been trying to reply, but it keeps saying that an admin needs to approve the message. Is that because I added photos as attachments?

 

Ok I'll try a response and put the photos in a separate post. I also don't know how to reference a person directly by username, do you just put an @ sign before the username?

It didn't have great power before this and I thought it might be that my cats were clogged. I also had a mechanic tell me that I had an exhaust valve stuck in place. But it was driving so so with all of that going on. Nothing like that lack of power I have now. Now it takes forever just to reach 20-30 mph.

VancouverXJ6 Which side is Bank 1, drivers or passengers? FYI my XJS is also a red 89, but mine has double round headlights...strange.
Daim I think I have Lucas not Marelli, photos in next post
J_C_R Also I think I have Lucas, not Marelli. photos in next post. I read pg 159, not sure what I'm supposed to do.

I read in Kirby's that the excess fuel gets cooled as it returns to the fuel pump and that a weak fuel pump or bad fuel pump wiring can cause the exact problem I am having. I am going to keep the vehicle either way and it has 125,000 miles on it so I might as well replace the fuel pump anyway.

Also I had an AC "Specialist" replace my AC compressor last summer. After he was done sparks shot out of the compressor so he disconnected the compressor. I also read somewhere that the AC has something to do with cooling the fuel going back to the fuel pump. Is that an issue with my car?

Is there anything else I should do when I replace it?
What brand is the best replacement for my XJS?
Is there a place on this site that I can find a Jaguar mechanic in my area?

 

It just did it again without photos attached. I'm really confused. I guess I'll wait a day to see what happens.

"thisorthat
Thank you for posting! Your post will not be visible until a moderator has approved it for posting."

 

Moderator approval is needed until you have a certain number of posts.

As Daim said check ignition first. If your car is Marelli ignition It'll have 2 modules on top of the radiator support, if so do the following.

To see if its dropped a whole bank pull the HT lead from one coil and start the car, if it starts, turn it off and plug the lead back in, remove the other HT lead and start the car. If its dropped a bank it will not start with one coil disconnected.

 

Well, that certainly does look like a Lucas distributor cap, which makes the problem that much more interesting (not that you want that).

I took the fuel cooler off my '87 V12 about 5 years ago. I've not noticed a difference.

I replaced my fuel pump a few years ago. I'll take a look today and see if there is any documentation on the pump that might get you started in the right direction.

Having said that, the fact that you are smelling gas is still disconcerting. Can you isolate the smell, is it in the boot, or the engine compartment.

If you remove (not just disconnect, but completely remove) the cable that goes from the coil to the distributor, you should be able to crank the engine without it starting. If you can have someone do that while you examine the engine compartment you can look for any fuel leaks around the fuel rail/injectors. Only try that if you personally feel it's safe, and you have a fire extinguisher handy. And don't try it in your garage.

Thanks,

John

 

Oh...did you check to see if your existing pump is getting full voltage? If it's not you may have a wiring issue which could be causing the pump to deliver less fuel than required. But that doesn't explain the gasoline smell.

John

 

did you check the filter in the surge tank

 

If the car starts and ticks over, it is unlikely the fault is the ignition amp. You do have a Lucas ignition car. As Rex said, your first stage is to clean out the fuel system from the main tank to the surge tank under the battery, including changing the filter within the surge tank and cleaning out that tank. Next change the fuel filter, but before replacing it, blow out the fuel line from the filter TO the engine with compressed air. Undo the fuel line in the engine bay on the US Passenger side where it attaches to the FPR that side (there is one both sides) before blowing it through.
Replacing the 1/2 pipe from the main tank to the sump tank is a very good plan, as it collapses inside and starves the pump of fuel.
Then reassemble the filter and add clean fuel and with a helper, see if your pump blasts a goodly jet of fuel out of the (still unattached) fuel line in the engine bay. The pump will run for 3 seconds each time you turn the ignition on and off, have the friend doo the key, and you hold the container and watch for the fuel pressure as it comes out. If fuel flow is good, then you need to check rail fuel pressure, if you do not have the lit to do it, you have two options:
Remove the rail and injectors completely and refurb them, or, just remove one of the front two injectors by carefully cutting the flexible. Then having bought a new flexible, REMOVE THE IGNITION HT LEAD FROM THE DIZZY TO THE COIL and holding the free but connected injector turn the engine on the starter and and see if that injector is flowing a decent spray.
IF it is, all good, if not then either the US driver's side FPR is duff, or the injectors are blocked, or the injector loom is bad, or all three. If any of these are the case, then replace the LHS FPR, clean and refurb the injectors, and replace the injector loom. If the loom shorts to earth, the injectors stay open, the car will not run, you get a huge fuel smell.

 

Hi thisorthat

While many (as in most) 1989 Cars are Marelli, Your Car is most definitely a Lucas (like 'Greg' said) and 'B' Bank is on the Same side as the Oil Filler Cap 'as in your Photo'

So being a Lucas you won't be having that 'Marelli Fire' problem to worry about

Also in your Photo is the 'B' Bank FPR (Fuel Pressure Regulator) if you ever get a problem with an FPR then it will be with this one and not the one on 'A' Bank which Jaguar did away with on later Cars (where by way of a bonus its the cheapest one of the two)

As far as the Fuel Pump is Concerned, You've lucked out on that one as well, as these fuel pumps are 'Generic' and fitted to loads of different Cars, so no need to splash out $200 when a $30 will do the job just fine (get a $30 off ebay)

Mine has been going 3 years without any problem BUT sometimes the Terminals on these 'Generic Pumps) have the + and - Terminals on the wrong way round, so all you do is swap the Two Wires over in the Boot/Trunk (easy peasy lemon squeezy)

Don't go pulling Fuel Pipes off in the Boot/Trunk without draining the Tank First because the System is Gravity Fed to the Fuel Pump and as such you would have Petrol running all over the place

So disconnect the Battery First in case of any Fumes and don't do this job in the Garage do it outside (again like Greg said)

If you are going to Fit a New Fuel Pump and a New Fuel Filter, you need to drain the Fuel Tank and Clean out the Sump Tank and the Filter @Greg (preferably get a new filter if you can)

So where is the Sump Tank and how do you drain it?

The Sump Tank is under the Battery and the drain **** for this is Underneath the Car, under a Rubber Grommet (see photo)



The Drain **** for the Sump Tank is in that hole and undoes with a Socket
Loosen it off first, then push a piece of tubing over the Spout and then undo it a bit more and drain the whole tank out

Inside the Boot/Trunk the Sump Tank looks like this (see photo)



When the Fuel Tank and the Sump Tank have both been drained off, then Tap that locking ring round with a hammer and a piece of wood (to avoid any Sparks)

Underneath that locking ring, is the Sump Tank Filter which you can clean or change out

Also while I think of it, if your 'Shop' changed the Fuel Filter (The Big one that goes to the Fuel Pump) did they put it on the right way round? (very easy to go and get that wrong) so worth a double check

 

That is then no 1989 XJ-S. More so an 88 or earlier... 88.5 saw the Marelli introduction.

 

My fuel pump has nothing on it, so I suspect I just picked up whatever the local parts store had.

Thanks,

John

 

Those pics were not there or I could not see them , Forget what I said as that is not a Marelli car. Marelli was introduced about Feb/Mar 1989. Mine is a very early Marelli as an April build.