Today I shut off my car for a couple of minutes and the car wouldn't restart. Car was driven 20 miles in 70 degree weather prior to this. Realgauge temp was 200. Car will fire for 1 second, then barely turn over at about 200 rpm's before dying in 10 -15 secs. Only code I got was "idle less than expected" which doesn't help much. I'm letting it cool down now. Any thoughts? I had something similar in the Volvo, turned out to be the MAF sensor. It doesn't seem like cyl. wash because it will fire briefly and then die, which is the opposite of what I've experienced with cyl wash.

 

More likely the fuel pump. Check for fuel at the schrader valve, using a rag to avoid mess, with ignition on. Fuel pump failure is one of the few things that does not result in a code.

 

About to to do that now. Thanks.

 

Plenty of fuel pressure (whew!). Car has been sitting 1 hr; turn key - fires right up, revs to about 3,000, and immediately dies.

 

if it was my boat I would suspect a fuel filter.

 

Changed fuel filter 1 yr ago. In the few seconds it runs, it seems smooth with no odd noises. I hope I didn't skip a tooth on the timin chain, but the uppers were done (by me, so we can't rule that out totally) 15.000 mi ago. Can a bad throttlebody connector or similar cause this? I'm stuck in my condo garage where repairs aren't allowed, so I can't tear things down too much.

 

Can't see it being a timing issue - wouldn't run smoothly. I'd check all the tb connectors plus the MAF connector. Have you checked actual fuel pressure at the rail whilst running or just depressed the schraeder fitting and seen fuel squirt?
I've had the same symptoms on two previous cars(not the XK8) - one was an intermittent earth to the fuel pump the other was a faulty ECU(sorry).
My initial thoughts are that it sounds fuel related..............

 

I still think fuel pump, also. If it's failing, it could provide enough pressure to star, but not be able to keep up once running.

 

Off to get a gauge tomorrow. Thanks for your thoughts. My research is leading me in that direction also. Seems odd that a pump could build up enough pressure but lose it once the injectors start. Seems it would be an either work/doesn't work kind of situation. We'll see.

 

The information in this link should help

Link JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

Thanks Gus, read it over very carefully already and it seems it is the fuel pump....today with the car cranking, barely a dribble came out of the schrader valve. So, seeing as I have a convert., it's off to the garage for a fix. Has anyone figured out a way to get at the tank through the inside of the car in a convertible? My next thought is that, due to the difficulties involved in pushing and winching the car out of the underground garage to get it up on the towtruck, I was thinking of rigging up a small fuel pump to the schrader valve running to a small OB motor gas tank on the front pass. seat, running the fuel line out the pass. window. Hopefully this would get me out of the garage to where I'm allowed to work on the car or be more accessible to the tow truck. Will this work?

 

There was a thread on cutting a hole in the parcel shelf to replace the pump. Not many members like the idea, but it does work. As to your rube goldberg rig, I wouldn't recommend it, but I would try it myself if in your situation. Too many cars have been damaged by tow operators.

 

It has been looked at but it is not an option on the xk8 conv.

Just as a side note my xk8 has been on a rollback several times without any problems.

 

Gus, there was a thread here a couple of months ago by someone who cut a hole in the shelf of a convertible to replace the pump, and he didn't have to remove the top.

 

Would really like to put that link in my personal file.

 

I have seen it for the XJ and XK8 Coupe but not convertible.

 

I think Gus is right.

 

Speaking as convertible owner who had a failed pump. The $1k+ paid to indy was well worth avoiding that task. Cutting hole in structure under parcel shelf seems like even more effort. But to each his own.

Steve