After just idling for 10 or 15 minutes my 2003 XK8 gives off a very strong smell of gasoline when I shut it off; this is also true after being out on the road for an hour or more. I've tested that the carbon canister purge valve is functioning and it is. The engine idles very smoothly and runs well under load. The check engine light isn't on and there are no codes when I check the ODB2 port. So I'm looking for your experience with similar symptoms and what you did to resolve your problem.

 

Jaguar issued TSBs for faults. You should find and read every one.
Many faults are addressed in the TSBs and solutions or at least an understanding of the systems are offered.
Try this one first.

 

I didn't make it clear that there isn't a gasoline smell inside the car, it is outside the car. Does the bulletin still apply?

 

I'd say there are 2 immediate source of leaks. If the smell is strong, it is likely raw fuel leaking from the pressured fuel rail, and should not be too hard to locate. One possibility is a leaking fuel pressure sensor. It is located at the end of the fuel rail, passenger side. Sometimes, the body just leaks. Super easy to replace, maybe a bit over $50. Other possibility is much more of a pain. Each fuel rail has a damper that sometimes leaks. There is a lot more work involved to fix this, either by replacing the damper (kinda expensive and not certain to seal), or even having these dampers removed and opening welded shut. There are several threads describing this predicament. Dampers are where you would expect them to be, one on each bank, in between the 2 middle injectors. Either way, you will have to take the plastic engine cover off and look around. Free-roaming raw fuel in the engine compartment is not your friend, most obviously (you are keeping your car outside for the moment, right?).

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

Gas cap OK?

 

A couple of good items to troubleshoot... thanks for your suggestions.

 

I had a leak from my fuel pressure sender. It would 'seal' itself after a bit of driving (warm areas expand). Raised the hood and saw it dripping when cold, replaced it and all was 'almost' well.
I started getting pressure too high warnings...but after the computer learned the newer parameters the fault messages no longer appeared. It is easy to replace, find the leak and fix it quick. Fires aren't your friend when we're talking about cars/people/property.

wj

 

Thanks for the advice. This and several other suggestions have given me a good checklist.
I greatly appreciated it.

 

One of the possibilities is that the Carbon Canister purge valve isn't working correctly which is where I started this thread. Looking at the typical parts suppliers it states that a reflash of the ECU is needed after installing a replacement valve. This doesn't make sense to me; it's not a smart device, it just a solinoid valve. Am I missing something?

 

If you are leaning towards the purge circuit, the best path is to do a smoke test. There should be a Shrader valve somewhere to inject it (typically green). Smoke under light pressure makes its way up and down those lines and should be visible where it escapes the normally closed circuit. The "usual suspect" are short rubber hoses by the gas tank. To my knowledge, purge valve typically freeze/rust open or shut and trigger a diagnostic code.

For your question, there is apparently a long list of reversions Jaguar released over time. Some even came with a wrapper blanket to muffle the clicking sound. The general operation is for the ECU to control how much of the valve opens (PWM) and for how long (1 min every 2 min I think), depending on engine parameters (load, rpm?). I believe installing a new valve design in an older car requires that reflash. Unfortunately, you might have to open the driver-side wheel well lining and first check what part made it in your exact car, and go from there.

 

I had gasoline smell, and second @brobin 's question on the gas cap. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was wrong, gave up and found a mechanic who couldn't find anything. Turned out it was the gas cap

 

I already got into the wheel.to determine if the valve was working, which it seems to be. It's a Denso item wrapped in a blanket. What I searched for using the usual Jaguar parts suppliers is the same item with the statement of having to reflash the ECU. My question is, changing like for like item, does anyone have the experience of having to reflash a dumb periferal switch, it's either open or closed or does the ECU vary the voltage to the valve which may only partially open it. What am I missing?

 

It is kept partially open by the ECU by cycling the valve quickly on and off (pulse width modulation). It does that for a minute, and then it stays off for a min. You can ear it at idle at a light. One would assume that if you are changing like for like, your ECU is already flashed with the proper code for that valve. You can check jagrepair.com for the TSBs regarding these purge valves. From memory, there was a time when a replacement valve was plumbed differently, hence the reflash.

 

I got into the habit of securing a fire extinguisher somewhere convenient in every car I own. This was required for classic car shows and is a cheap way to avoid expensive repairs.

 

Thanks for your response, that really clears my confusion. I know have a lengthy checklist to work through thanks to input from numerous people.
Thanks all.

 

I ordered a gas cap a couple of days ago; it looks like a low cost place to start on the checklist while I troubleshoot the other items that have come up throughout this thread.
Thanks.

 

I don't remember what year, but one day many years ago I received an unexpected package from Jaguar containing a new gas cap with instructions to replace the one on my XK8 immediately. The new one is the larger one on the right in the photos.

 

Thanks for the additional information on the gas cap. I looked at mine this morning and it is the larger one you show in the photographs.

 

More info (TSB).
Finding and reading ALL the TSBs for your car will help diagnose many problems.

 

It looks like I have the correct fuel filler cap but it's original to the car so I have ordered a new one. Hopefully it helps.
PS: I'm not getting a dashboard MIL..