Hey guys,

I have a 1998 XK8 which I just put back on the road after 6 months. It started fine and drove down the road a small bit before getting a 'Low Brake Fluid' warning. I parked my XK and switched off and got some brake fluid for it. Now it just won't start...

When I put the key in the ignition the ABS light stays on and the following warnings: Stability Control Fail, Traction Control Fail and Failsafe Engine Mode.

The car cranks but will not start. The battery is fully charged and tested.
I'm running out of patience with this thing!! Any ideas??

Thanks in advance!

Christopher

 

Check the sticky FAQ's for 'Engine (General) - Cylinder wash'. If you didn't give it time to warm up, this is likely to have happened.

Further checks are detailed in the recent thread 'Wont start now'.

Graham

 

I gave it about 20 mins to warm up! Just thinking it could be a the wire on the gearbox (just had it replaced) the car wont start if thats not connected I've been told.

 

So this isn't a car which you 'just put back on the road after 6 months. It started fine and drove down the road a small bit..........'. It's actually had a gearbox (or perhaps just a gearbox partial rebuild) during this time!

Have the codes read and post these together with details of exactly what has been done since it last ran or ran properly.

Graham

 

sorry for the confusion! Yes, just had the gearbox replaced, has been off the road for 6 months. The only work that was done was gearbox, gearbox fluid and engine oil and filter.
It started fine and I drove literally 1 mile down the road and back home due the brake fluid being low.
I got a reading last night of P1111-IAT intermittent high voltage.
It started last night for me, first time in almost a week after trying every evening, but an oil pipe burst and all the oil out. Gonna have a look tonight and see if i can locate the probelm.
Having some very back luck with this car recently!!

 

Your initial one mile down the road and back would be more than sufficient to warm up although, after a week of subsequent failed starts, it's amazing it fired again without further attention.

P1111 confirms 'system checks complete since last memory clear' and no other stored codes is good news. With an erratic temperature sensor, the ECU will set strange fuel trims. it could be this or fuel delivery problems.

Good luck with finding and fixing the burst oil pipe first.

Graham

 

filled with oil again so i could try to get to the bottom of the leak but it does not appear to leak when the car is off. has been sitting there for a full day and not a drop. started it up again (no problems starting any more) and the oil blasted out of the front of the engine. Any ideas or clues as what pipes run along the front of the engine??
Heres the mess it made, and yeah, the belt slipped off :/

 

Only leaking under pressure and from the front. Could be oil cooler / oil cooler feed pipe / oil cooler return pipe:



The cooler sits below the radiator and the pipes go round on each side of the engine valances.

Graham

 

Thanks Graham, I'll have a look at it tomorrow!

 

Are you sure it is oil and not coolant?

 

Gus,

absolutely certain it's engine oil, dipped it before and after. It completely drained out

 

The diagram that Graham provided in post #8 should help.

 

Gus,

It might help a lot more if he could see it! Didn't realise it was such a small scale.

Here's one that doesn't need a microscope:

1999 XK8 - Oil Cooler & Pipes.pdf

Graham

 

If I recall the hoses have had a tendency to fail and a few on the forum found them leaking and changed them prior to a catastrophic failure. It should be on the list for everyone to check and I am on that list.

 

Here's a drawing of the oil cooler and brackets in relation to the radiator:

JTIS - Oil Cooler.pdf

This, together with the parts diagram in my previous posting should make it easier to locate.

Graham

 

thanks for all the help guys, found the problem at last! just waiting for the replacement hose
Thanks again guys!
Chris