My car was running fine, 1997 XK8, it sat for a few weeks and won't start. The mechanic says that the piston rings are causing it to have no compression which is why it won't start. He says they have to pour some stuff in the cylinders, let it do it's thing and then it will start and clean the carbon out as it runs, for this they want $700. The last time it was serviced they change the CPU, The alternator and the spark plugs. Has anyone heard of this happening?

 

If you could list the model and year of your car it would be easier to help. Also post any codes you can pull. It could be the sign of a "blow by" due to the liner or as the mechanic says. Is he a Jag mechanic?

 

what year is your car? So you had a mechanic look at it and there is no compression?

 

It sounds exactly like a case of bore wash. That is, if he has checked the compression and it's very low. I suspect your mechanic does not know Jags very well. Another common problem is fuel pump failure, so make sure he checks for pressure at the schrader valve on the fuel rail.

Of course, I'm guessing that you have a XK8.

Do a search for bore wash and explain it to your mechanic.

 

Bore wash seems to be the problem if this is a pre-2002 vk8. Though I never heard of them doing it just from sitting???? If I recall when mine did it when the timing chain stuff bit the dust they fixed all that then put oil in the cylinders and let it sit for a bit to create some compression to get it going again.
If this is the issue, when you went out to start it after it sat for that time you said was it not starting and you kept on trying to start it and it didn't???

 

And bore wash can happen if you start the car for a few seconds and immediately turn it off and let it sit. I had to squirt several shots of oil into each cylinder for it to start. I'm now using Restore Oil Additive to help prevent it.

 

That 700 is alot to pull a couple covers. coils and plugs to squirt oil in the cylinders, all this is pretty easy stuff you can do yourself. Be careful with any coil; harness as they become brittle over time. Good time to change plugs also. Do a search on bore wash as stated above and look in the DIY sticky thread at the top of the forum. Good Luck.

here's the link http://www.jagrepair.com/NikasilNoSt...derWashing.htm

 

This exact thing happened to me, and I can almost guarantee I know how it happened to you. I will bet that either you, or your prospective mate started the car up, moved it out of the way and then shut it off, without letting it warm up. That's what I did when I was putting up my Christmas lights last year...bore wash.


Bore wash happens when the engine is started then shut off prematurely (prematurely = not warmed up past the blue on the temp gage). The engine is not hot enough to vaporize the residual fuel in the cylinders and the fuel washes the cylinder walls removing the thin oil film left from starting the engine. Nikasil engines are extremely slick and need the oil film for proper compression


To fix this (and I have a post here on the forums on how I fixed it), take the spark plug cover off of one of your valve covers, remove the 4 sparkplugs and with a pump lever oil can that has a long neck, pump a good single squirt of oil, yes , oil, into each spark plug hole. Put everything back together, get in your car, floor it and turn the key until the engine begins to gain compression. (The reason you floor it is with the accelerator all the way down while not running shuts the fuel pump off.)After the compression begins, continue for about 5 seconds. Stop turning the engine over, take your foot off the accelerator, turn the engine over and press the accelerator half way down and keep cranking. In about 20 seconds your engine will begin to fire like it's out of gas. Keep going and your engine WILL start. You only have to do one side of the engine to accomplish this.


This procedure will take you about 45 minutes if you have a decent set of socket wrenches and the type of oil can. Search this post for bore wash and look for my name for a complete description.


THAT is what your mechanic wants to charge you $700.00 for, there's no "Letting it do it's stuff"

 

Question to the gang:

If his car ran fine before, how likely is it that all eight cylinders would be effected simultaneously? Isn't it more likely that one or two cylinders would degrade beyond some given threshold of trouble, while the others were still OK? In that case, wouldn't the engine still start and run, albeit poorly?

Disclaimer: I have no experience with "Bore Wash". So please forgive my ignorance in asking the question.

 

The rich fuel mixture is introduced to all the cylinders by the injectors, not just one or two. There will be variations in compression, but previous threads have indicated that all cylinders are likely to be too low to fire.

 

I thank you so much for posting up the link. There is great information on this site.