Changing the filter is easy. Please bare with me I am stating this from memory There is a clamp on the filter itself, I would remove it. Before you begin look on the old filter and find which way the arrow is pointing , the new filter will need to point this way as well (that arrow shows the direction of flow). Then each side is a hose or tube with a pressure connector that clips on. If you look at the new filter you can see the ridges where the hoses clips on to the filter (the picture on the last page has them too). Be aware there will be a little pressure so it will spew a little gas, have a container ready for the liquid and have goggles on so it doesn't get in your eye. You can also put a rag over it when you disconnect to prevent some fluid from spraying out too. When you are under there it will be obvious which one side to take off first due to the flexibility in the lines. One side has a flexible hose and I believe the other side is mostly a tube and a little ridged, at least it did on my car. All you need to do it press in on the connector, both sides, while pulling the filter away from it. Look at the new filter and it will show you an arrow, reinstall in same direction as old filter then your done. Be aware that it may take a few turns of the motor before it will crank do to the pressure loss. Then check the filter and make sure there are no leaks. I would check it several times during the day.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need further explanations and remember this may or may not help your problem but it is a good starting point.

 

Hey Grim

thank you for the awesome illustration and instructions. I will try and get this done by next week and I will definitely keep you guys updated.
thanks again!

 

Thanks Grim, I did replace the fuel filter. You were right, it is easy but I had trouble getting the 1 screw back into place, I was lazy and did not jack up the car.

But the car still stalled on me. so I guess the next option is the plugs? anyone else have any ideas?

 

In my 35 years of tinkering with cars..I never heard of one stalling because of bad plugs..they will run rough and stutter, but never really stall...It maybe an issue with the pressure reg on the fuel rail of maybe an ECM needed to be reflashed...But I think my next move would be to check the MAF..that will cause all sorts of bad running and even stalling..

 

I have to agree with Dennis, I don't think the plugs are the cause.
It does sound air/fuel related and not spark related. A bad MAF or
throttle position sensor could give bad info to the ECM under certain
conditons causing too much or too little fuel to be delivered and
causing the engine to stall. You did mention that the MAF was changed?
Why was that done? Is there a specific condition that the stall seem to
happenthe most? How often does it stall?

 

I replaced the MAF about 1 year ago because it would go into "limp" mode and my indy mechanic told me that the code was for the MAF. so he replaced it and it never went back into the "limp" mode.

I do think it has to do something with the fuel/air mixture. the car will stall whenever I let go of the gas and try to step on the accelerator. Happens at random times, making the diagnosis even harder. Sometimes it will stall 3 times on the way to work on the highway, and other times none at all?

Since I replaced the fuel filter, MAF was replaced, I think I should take a look at the throttle position sensor? is this easy to do?

thanks

 

This sounds exactly like what my friend went through with the bad fuel pump. With the throttle body sensor won't the car tell you it is bad since it is a sensor. I was under the impression that all sensors were registered in the ECM. You may also be able to take the sensor out and do a quick check to see if it is bad with a multimeter, not sure how but most sensors you can do that with.

On the cutting off part. Did you ever find it hard to start when it cuts off. Several times when my friend's car shut off it would take about a minute or so to be able to start again other times it would crank right back up, it was as random as the shutting off itself.

I haven't taken a throttle body sensor off but I did order the cd repair manuel so If I get it before you figure it out I'll post what it says about how to remove it. I should get it first part of next week.

 

Hello Grimm,
thats exactly my symptoms! usually it will crank right up after the engine stalls but on occassions it will take several cranks to start her up and that in itself is as random as the engine stalling.
you mentioned that your friend with the same problems had problems diagnosing the faulty fuel pump, was this at the Jag Dealer? Do you remember if the faulty fuel pump left any codes? and did he have to wait till the pump completely failed before they figured out that was the problem?
thanks!

 

Unfortunately the fuel pump doesn't have a sensor on it, the only way to know isif by chance the dealer is doing a diagnostic on the car and it starts acting up. My friend wasn't for sure what the problem was until it gave completely out. They even checked the fuel pumpduring the first sign of trouble and since it didn't act up they had noway to know that was the problem.The only code that was given was for the instrument panel which is where all the interesting stuff happens and it was generic enough that the dealer said he wasn't for sure it had anything to do with the instrunment panel itself. All this was done at the Jag dealer. What they need isride along diagnostic gear, something they can hookup and just leave until it does the problem and then they have an answer

 

Hello,

You may want to see if this happens when you have little fuel in your tank. If it only happens when your fuel tank is not over half, then it will most likely be your fuel pump. The fuel pump should be located inside you fuel tank and is kept cool by the gasoline. If there isn't enough fuel to keep it cool ,it will become "overheated" and will not perform as needed. Do as others have indicated, and get a fuel pressure gauge, and check your fuel pressure. You can pick up a guage at most auto parts stores for about $30, and you will be able to check your fuel pressure whenever you car fails. Getting a fuel pressure reading at the dealer or a mechanic shop will cost you about the same as getting your own gauge. Good luck.

-Al

 

Update: my independant mechanic said he had gauges when it stalled out on him and he said that it was the fuel pump since the pressure just stoppped.

Here is his quote:
fuel pump - $360
Fuel Pressure Regulator - $102
6.2 hours at $75 per hour - $465
total - $927 before taxes.

anyone have a spare fuel pump or regulator or know anyone that sells it cheaper?

and is this job really take about 6.5 hours?

thanks!

 

He's on crack....
let me double check the book.....

 

Ok, here is the info: New pump 360, 5.2 hrs is the standard to replace. You don't need the fuel pressure regulator because it doesn't have one. Well it does but it's built into the 360 dollar pump.

Hope this helps.

 

Racerx yes that does help. thank you. I will shave off another $102 dollars for the fuel regulator and tell him not to replace the regulator.

I called the dealer and they told me $1,500 for just the pump alone. The dealer said that does not include miscellaneous gaskets and washers that may need replacing. are there gaskets involved in replacing the pump or is he just blowing smoke up my ****?

 

No external FP regualator? That is different.
How does that work?

So how does your independant mechanic know if the
pump is bad or if it is just loosing the power to it?
Could still just be an intermittent electrical connection
in the fuel pump circuit.

My experience with fuel pumps (not Jag specific) is they
die and don't come back on.

I'd make sure this guy is going to stand by the work and keep
working on it until it is fixed if the pump does not do it.
I'd also make sure you get the old pump back!

 

I was waiting for the resolution on this one but...same question. Pumps usually just stop working, not resume working after they stop, don't they? I'mwondering about an electrical problem that is causing intermittent signal. How would we diagnose that?

 

I wish I knew the answer to that question. My mechanic said he doesn't know of a way to diagnose whether its the pump or some kind of electrical problem such as a relay.
Jaguar was no help either. but the parts Jaguar parts guy told me that he keeps these pumps in stock meaning that its a fairly common issue. He said he has never sold or even looked up the fuel pressure regulator.

I thought it was the pump from the beginning because I had the same exact symptoms as Grimm's friend's Jaguar. Same identical problems. I will letyou guys know as soon as I get my car back, hopefully in about 1 week. I told him to keep the car and make sure that was the problem before I pick it up.

 

Well a fuel pump relay would be ALOT less expensive to try then
putting in a whole new pump.

 

All theories above are somewhat true. The pump either works or it doesn't...simple right...wrong.
In the jaguar case, the pump can be working, but not provide enough pressure. Kinda like a hose with water running through it. You can see the water coming out, but sometimes there is no pressure because you didn't pinch the line or added the spray nossel to it. it can have enough power to start the car, keep it running for days, but the moment you step on the gas, it craps out.

Anyway, in the jags case, the pressure is regulated in the pump via the computer. There is a pressure switch that senses the pressure when you're driving, when you "gun" it for more power, the sensor senses low pressure and tells the pump to start turning faster providing more pressure, all this happens in approx 4-5 secs. When you're at a light idling, the computer tells the pump to slow down.

Most cars have the external regulator that controls pressure, hence the reason most pumps only cost 100 bucks or less, and are not computer controlled.

If the mechanic is not sure that it's the pump, i would find another one, or get a second opinion. The process is simple, the book says you need to have 50 psi fuel pressure at idle, and 60 when in drive doing 55 mph (numbers are not accurate, there for example). If the pressure is not there, then the pump is bad. Period. Example, I had a vehicle where pump pressure was 45, book said needed to be at 50. Customer complained that the vehicle was sluggish. I completely disregarded the pump becasue I thought 5 psi would not be a big deal. WRONG! lol.

If all pressures line up and are dead on, then he needs to be looking elsewhere. Diagnosing is very complicated and can take days, if not weeks to simulate the exact problem.

He needs a good diagnostic computer that connects to your OBDII vehicles adapter. It will tell him the exact pressure and volts the pump is putting out...simple. If he doesn't have one, he's searching in the dark for a dead bug...or something like that.....