#2 is the most economical workaround, although that means driving with the prospect of having the engine stop suddenly when getting close to the half tank mark and the gauge not telling accurately. I experienced that on the highway and it doesn't feel nice.

The garage is not keen about cutting the steel tank open and welding it back. I guess during a very hot summer day (they are REALLY hot here June-August) that would put too much pressure inside the tank which could put some stress on the repair. They sell plastic fuel containers here that are used by off-roaders in the desert, so I assume they must be safe enough! Yet not excited about filling it up roadside every so often :-/

 

Taking a quick look at the service manual it appeared to me that all of the internal components of the tank (pump,lines,etc.) are removable when the tank is out of the car. Whether they sell individual components is a different story but you should be able to remove the guts . You would have to look at a Jag dealers parts list on their computer to see how it is broken down.

 

I was told the components inside the tanks can't be sold individually, and where they are connected in the other part of the saddle tank is impossible to access from the one and only hatch on one side. If that's true it's not the best design ever...

 

I guess I would challenge that assumption. I don't believe the internal parts are assembled in half of the tank and then they weld it up. Also how do you replace the fuel level sending units (2 of them) . Do you need to buy the whole tank. Same with the fuel pump and fuel screen. https://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts...ad=47433948012

 

Here is a dealer parts list. https://www.jaguarlandroverrenoparts...omponents-scat

 

Fuel pump can be changed separately from the top hatch in the tank (I got that one changed already!) but I don't see the subcomponents inside the fuel tank listed. Looks like they really can't be procured separately. The fuel pump connects to my faulty pipe from the top, but the other end that sucks up fuel can't be accessed once the tank is sealed.

 

Just for fun has anyone tried to blow compressed air into the tube you say is bad. When you remove the fuel pump assembly what do you see inside the tank. Are the lines you are talking about welded to the inside of the tank. If you buy the $2200 tank do the lines come in it. I would then go back to Ranch's post and cut a hole in the top of the tank and replace the lines . Then just weld the hole back up which is a simple operation if done correctly and purged during the process.

 

Air flows through that tube, meaning it's either slit or disconnected. When the pump is removed you can see a stack of tubes and cables, that are slotted into a plastic piece at the top of the saddle tank. That piece blocks the view to the other side when looking inside the tank with a mirror. Apart from cutting a hole there is no way to access that side, but the garage guys don't want to mess with it.

And yes the lines come with the new tank...

 

By the way, the fuel tank is made of stainless steel (which might be harder to weld vs. mild steel).

Perhaps you might look into whether a used fuel tank is available in Europe or the Middle East, if you don't want to buy a used tank from a US source?

 

At the end of the day, regardless of your choices (new / used tank or repair) I'd still fix the car. The canister system on the back of the tank takes care of pressure issues.

 

Many thanks for the forum. My 2007 xk has been missing, stumbling, stalling. Local independent shop had not been able to locate the problem. After reading the post about the connecting tube in the fuel tank that collapses and fuel can't get to the other side at 1/2 full, I checked my gauge, and the car was at 1/2 full. I topped the tank off and the car ran GREAT. I had replaced the fuel filter, cleaned the MAF, but no help. So I don't need a fuel pump, but I'll need to pull/replace the tank and that little hose. Good news, bad news.

 

Can a port be put into the tank that flows with a line that flows to another port on the good tank? Tanks become self leveling then.
No welding. Just drill, gaskets and fuel nipples and lines. Or a small transfer pump between the two tanks with a toggle switch for below 1/2 tank. In the airplanes we have cross feeds for this purpose. Everything can be external.

 

Well it's 2025 and I think I may have a similar problem. I have a 2008 XK N/A 4.2. I turned at an intersection and a few hundred yards down the road the car cut power completely. Car was low-ish on fuel ~1/8th tank. When I went to restart the car immediately after it died I had the same symptom as OP. It started then would chug for a few seconds and eventually die. After trying many times, giving it throttle as well, eventually the battery got too low and wouldn't crank at all. To me this still points to fuel starvation. Luckily, I was close to home so we just towed it back.

After I got it home I disconnected the battery terminals because the hazards were permanently on (limp mode?) and I needed them off. Unfortunately after doing this the check engine light that came on when the car stalled was now gone. I borrowed my friends OBD 2 scanner and no codes were stored.

The only battery/electrical issue I noticed was a loose cable on the positive supplementary terminal (where the trickle charger quick adapter connected to). This explains the trickle charger throwing an error and the battery being a bit lower than usual from not charging correctly. This is the only loose connection that I noticed and I have since checked most if not all main grounding points for the car. I don't know if this is enough to deem as the culprit just yet.

Here's the curveball: After the debacle, I got it back on the charger overnight, we added maybe another 1/8 of a tank from a can, and the next morning it started right up no problem. I have not been able to replicate the stall since. It may seem silly to want to replicate it but I do not feel comfortable driving the car where I could be stranded at any moment at any time again. I want to try my best to conclude what happened.

+ One suspicious newer gremlin: When in AUX mode the main door speaker on the passenger side intermittently cuts in and out. (I have the Jag Wrangler Bluetooth adapter installed) It works fine on CD mode. This could be completely unrelated but could also be sign of a voltage issue.

I have replaced the fuel filter and cut the old one open. No sign of major blockage there. The battery is 2 years old and that is probably my next swap. I will look into alternator. If I can conclude anything that it is indeed the venturi line described in this thread I will most likely buy a second hand fuel tank and swap that out.

If you read through this and somehow managed to stay awake, congrats and thank you for reading. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas or if there's something super obvious I'm missing. Just trying to get back in this beast and rack up some more miles!!



Thanks,
David