My 2001 XK8 won't start. The last time it ran it died within 30 seconds of starting normally, and it hasn't fired since.

I took the valve covers off and found the secondary tensioners in okay shape, the cam chains are held tense anyway and nothing was loose or had any play.

I put in new valve cover gaskets and put it back together. I tried spraying some starter fluid into the induction hole on the intake but still there is no firing, though everything turns over okay.

I made a video of what it sounds like if anyone would watch / listen and let me know what to look at next?

It has plenty of fuel.

I did discover the LHS wiring harness resting very nearly on the LHS exhaust manifold, some lazy owner or mechanic in the past must have mis-routed it. The plastic wrapper is brittle, and the individual wire insulation seems intact but brittle. Not sure if this could be my problem or not, or how to confirm. See the images at the end of the video - I zoomed in on the wiring harness.

- video of car not starting

Also attached pics of wiring harness, wasn't sure if I had the points to do that yet

Thanks for any tips!
Scott

 

Have you done a compression test?



Dave

 

No I haven't. I could do that this weekend. Not sure if I have all the right tools for that, or what I should look for on the compression gauge?

 

Take all the plugs out, prop the throttle body open, and remove the fuel pump relay. I believe the spec is 160 on the 4.0 and they should all be reasonably close together. But as it isn't starting they would have to be very low.



Dave

 

Just asking, are the belts moving when you try to start. The video sounds like just the starter running to me. However I'm sure you would have noticed this.

 

The belts are all moving - that's why I took the video in the first place, to see for myself if the starter motor was engaging. It sounds so odd to me. When I took the valve covers off I expected to find the secondary tensioner blown on one side or the other. I guess my next step is to do the compression test. I'm not a schooled mechanic but I've worked on and fixed a few things in my time. I'm not sure how I could lose compression across the board with the engine block integrity (it holds oil), the top end looking clean, and the cam chain tension looking so good.

Is there a blown fuse that could cause something like this?

 

Soultec, you said you used some starter fluid, so a fuel issue should be out. I would try the inertia switch, just for the sake of it. Those wires look suspect but the sound is different???
Oh, wish you had put the new metal tensioners in while you were in that far. Any codes showing up?


Wayne

 

Those wires would more likely cause a miss on one or more of the cylinders on that bank. If one of the lower chains broke or came off it might have knocked the other lower chain off also. If the cam covers were still off you could crank it while doing a video and see if the cams are turning.



Dave

 

Thanks Dave, I'll pull them back off and do another video capture. Will oil go flying out of there if I crank it with the valve covers off?

 

Thanks for the suggestion Wayne, where do I look for the inertia switch?

 

This might be a stretch, but... after I did my tensioners, I tried to start the car before I put the air cleaner back in place over the throttle body and my car started for a few seconds but then quit... and then it wouldn't start again. Once I put the air cleaner hookup back on to the throttle body the car fired up. I am not sure why that would happen and I didn't really do any research into the cause, I just found it weird that the car wouldn't start until I put the air cleaner all back together and covered the throttle body with it. Weird...


But that wiring does look like a mess for sure. Maybe get one of those spark plug testers that plug into the boot and clip to ground... you can then look for spark on that side one plug at a time as someone turns the car over.

 

With your air intake off the mass airflow sensor hooked isn't up. It's the only electronic device between the air filter and the throttle body, so just look for wires going into your intake tube. This device meters the air for the ecu so it gives the proper amount of fuel per unit of air.
Also I don't know how much starter fluid you sprayed down the intake, but you have Nikasil liners and may have cylinder wash, where you would loose all of your compression. I would try installing the air intake with the MAP first. If that doesn't work you'll need to take a compression test if there's no compression squirt oil in each cylinder and try starting.

I would definitely address the wiring harness and the first generation tensioners, just read all of the post about people that ignored replacing these tensioners.

 

Hi,
Just watched the video, sounds very much like bore wash to me. My XK8 will not run with the MAF sensor not fitted correctly.

Good Luck

Steveeasy

 

Inertia switch is behind the drivers side kick panel.

 

Thanks Jandreu, been tired up all day.


Wayne

 

I would first be looking at the melted wire harnes. You should never use starter fluid on this car you can and will crack your intake manifold. It did sound like cylinder washing and would recommend that you read my procedure on no start.

Link http://jagrepair.com/JaguarXKXJSTypeNoStart.htm

Gus
Www.jagrepair.com

 

Defo sort your tensioners out with the new generation ones.

Also if it is cylinder wash and you say theres plenty of fuel spraying engine start spray will make it worse. Try the oil in the plug trick

 

Oil in the cylinders is the trick but first find out if you have fuel and spark and repair the known problems such as that wiring issue. Take Baby Steps! One thing at a time.

Also I see nothing about the OBDII codes and you post them. Anything less is guess work and that may not put you on the real problem.

 

Many have had cracked intake manifolds including myself by the use of starter fluid. I did not do this it was done by a garage without my knowledge years ago. Learn from my mistakes.

 

Does it verify I have fuel pressure if I push down on the valve stop and fuel sprays out/up onto the fuel rails? I have a fuel pressure gauge but mine doesn't have the adapter that pushes down on the valve stop.

I'm taking the plugs out for a compression test, and found that all are pointy tipped at the spark gap - never seen all the plugs in a car with pointed posts. Is this normal?

I'm taking off the cam covers to film a start attempt to verify if the cams are turning over. Not sure what to expect with respect to oil spray during this procedure - hope its not too messy.

Thanks all for your input and ideas, I'll post an update later today.

Scott