Hey you all, I wish I would have read up on here about that pesky ticking noise I was hearing. I guess I owned too many beaters in the past that lived for years making bad sounds; it just didn't really register until one day too late. I'm pretty sure at this point that my tensioners failed and then more parts failed quite soon after...

2001 XK8 Convertible, cold started just fine, 20 seconds later the engine just stopped abruptly; without much fanfare or gut wrenching noises - more like, as if Thor grabbed the crankshaft with his hammer grip.

However, as I tried to start it back up, it turns over fine, but it sounds like a wheezing jet engine. It never fires. Came across a youtube video of an engine with no compression, and that is pretty much what mine sounds like.

I live near Seattle (Issaquah area specifically) and I'm curious if anyone in this general area would recommend a shop that will treat me fair and help me get my cat back on the road? I'd like to get it into a shop that could diagnose the definite issue and not overcharge me to fix it, as well as deal with mechanics who know their Jags as this one has a couple of other idiosyncrasies I'd love to get cleared up (mostly related to misleading dashboard error messages about ABS problems and low coolant...)

I just put a bunch of work last summer into getting the convertible top re-hosed and working again, and I was so ready for this great summer coming up, but now...

Thanks for any tips or recommendations.

Scott

 

You have a SLIM chance that there is no valve damage- are you confident that you would not be able to do some initial troubleshooting and diagnosis? If you know exactly what you need it tends to lower the bill rather than dropping it off and asking...

 

+1 and there are plenty of experts (not usually me) here to lend advice.

The ABS and Low Coolant lights are very common gremlins. Get it back on the road first and then search the threads. Tons of info on how to correct these problems without paying the local mechanic to do it.

 

Well I started pulling off the valve covers, but even that seems harder than I expected. There are a few bolts that are aiming right at the shock towers and they're super hard to get a wrench on. But let's say I get the cover's off.. and I do or don't see some bits of plastic floating around in there.. how can I diagnose valve damage, at least to the extent that I know that I have a real problem?

Thanks for the hope

Scott

 

There are other reasons for your engine to quit......loss of fuel would be one, and could explain your symptoms. Get those covers off (yes, you have to fiddle and improvise to get a couple of bolts free) and let's see what it looks like before getting too worried about engine replacement.

 

Scott, Once you get the covers off take some pictures and let the forum collective give their opinions.

 

Okay guys, thanks for the tips. I'll get those puppies off tonight or tomorrow and see what lies beneath

 

Once they are off rotate the engine by hand so that the cam flats line up- then take a pic.

IF a chain snapped or the cams do not line up, you can remove the exhaust cam on the broken side and it *should* be obvious if there is a bent valve because the lifter bucket on the bent valve(s) location will be lower than the rest with the cam removed. (can also be checked with cam in situ, but harder to see) If everything checks out ok, but the chain was broken/cam flats do NOT line up you can do a compression test with the exhaust cam off (along with the secondary tensioner/chain). If you get a 0 reading on any cylinder, you have a bent valve- good readings across, you are in luck.

 

FYI- I bought a set of those tools that click into the socket and provide a wrench head to turn with a box ended wrench, they do the trick on the hard to reach cam cover bolts.

 

Hi, I live in Fall City and have just had major engine work done and have sent you a PM, maybe I can help.