Having fitted the new front springs and wishbone/shock absorber bushes and froze my nuts of working outside the bloody thing wont start now. Was running perfect before I started work about 10 days ago any ideas where to start looking? turns over fine but will not fire up.

 

Meet me halfway what model and year car are you talking about?

 

Sorry 1999 XK8.

 

At times cylinder washing can cause this problem. Did you start and run your car for a short period of time to position it for the work you were going to do? When attempting to start the car does it sound a little different like spinning freely? You should make a few checks prior to your assuming cylinder washing is the problem and this link will help JagRepair.com - No Start I hope this helps.

 

Thanks Gus, I will have a go at a few of the checks tomorrow when I have daylight.

 

. . . and make sure you have a fully charged battery!

Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

Working on your car outside in Lincolnshire this week. Hard as nails or mad as a hatter!

As well as spark, battery and compression covered by Gus and Test Point, also check you're getting fuel through. With the temperatures we've had over the last couple of weeks, if there's any water in the tank or lines, it'll be ice.

Graham

 

Ha Ha GGG, I think mad as a hatter. Got home from work about 15-30 today nearly tee shirt weather after last week, floored the throttle put a booster pack on the battery hoping it was bore wash problems but still will not start. Maybe a bit of oil into the cylinders next and try again. Will post up an update with any news or which scrap yards its going to. LOL

 

We've gone from -10C to +9C and it looks like the whole of the East Coast down to Suffolk is similar. If only you hadn't been so impatient and left it for a week.

After trying to start unsuccessfully a number of times, you're going to have to squirt some oil in the cylinders. I also like to warm the plugs in the oven on a baking tray to get them dried out. Not certain this is absolutely essential but it certainly winds my wife up.

Good luck. (if it doesn't go well, can I have first refusal on the rebushed upper wishbones?)

Graham

 

Hi Graham Whats for dinner? lamb and plugs!!

If the fuel pump relay was removed and the engine cranked afew times would that get rid of the neat fuel in the cylinders.replace relay and fingers crossed

Cheers Al

 

Al,

Never liked the idea of cranking an engine on dry, oil-starved cylinder bores. I just flash any unburned fuel with a lighted match at the plug hole. The HSE would probably have a fit.

Graham

 

Well there's an added bonus to that procedure.

 

Looks like I have no spark at any plug through any coil pack. Looks like another search coming up.

 

Take your ignition relay and swap them with another relay and see if that works. At times it just takes a little movement to get them seated properly. http://jagrepair.com/images/AutoRepa.../jagxk1999.pdf Look at page 35

 

No spark, sounds like you didnt connect your transmission rotary switch. Check that !

 

It is in the no start procedure.

 

For relays, the two most likely culprits are:

1. Ignition: Driver's side fusebox at the end of the fascia - Brown
2. Engine Management - engine compartment passenger side fusebox in the bulkhead extension - Brown

There's a number of further relay / fuse possibilities. If you haven't got the Vehicle Care Manual you can download it from my MediaFile account. The full list is in the following thread:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-2003-a-67827/

There's several other circuits protected by the same type of brown relay. Gus advised swapping with a known good one. The headlamp ones are good to use for this as you can easily check they are working.

Graham

 

Good news , the car is now running, Gus you are a star thanks for your help, GGG many thanks for your help, also and your good humour. The thought of having to scrap the car and sell you my newly bushed wishbones made me more determined to get the thing running LOL. It did turn out to be a loose relay, must have come loose with all the hammering trying to remove the fulcrum pin on the front wishbone in order to remove rebush and put on the new springs.Thanks to all other people with help also. With hindsight I should have looked for a lack of spark earlier but it all seemed to point to borewash as the problem

 

Kudos to you! On the road again!

 

Good result

Shame about the wishbones

Graham