I purchased a 1997 XJR NON RUNNER.The info I was given by the seller was that they tried to jump start the vehicle because the battery was flat. After this the vehicle would not start. It has been standing for 9 years . I would appreciate some ideas at what I should start to look for. I am hoping there is something simple that has blown.

The car is in excellent condition. An auto Electrician did have a look and seemed to think the ECU is blown.

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1997 X300 (XJR) (added by GGG)

 

Peter,

I reckon the answers will be in the XJ6/XJR X300 Tech Section. They will know what may have gone AWOL.

A simple repost, or wait for GGG when teh planets align, and he will "move" it for you.

Security module has been a popular item from memory, but after 9 years the list could be longish.

Good luck.

 

Peter,

1997 was a model change year from the 6 cylinder X300 to the V8 X308. If you confirm which you have, I'll move your question to the relevant forum.

Graham

 

Hi , my car is the 6 cyl, X300 .Sorry I did not post correctly I am not very good at posting .
Thanks for your help.

 

Thanks thats a start.

 

Peter,

Thanks for the clarification. I've moved your post to X300 forum and added model details to your original post.

Does the engine turn over or is it completely dead?

Graham

 

As Grant suggested, the list could be a long one, but isnt necessarily so, and if all else fails, I know of a home for a rust free RHD XJR!
A good place to start would be to connect up a fully charged battery and noting what you find. Any and all traces of electrical activity are clues as to what might be wrong. Whether the car refuses to crank, or cranks but doesnt start is a key piece of information, and both scenarios are extensively covered in threads on here. ECU damage is indeed a possibility, particularly if the battery polarity was reversed in the past, but they are otherwise relatively robust especially in a drier climate.
You will note that there are clues available from the instrument cluster beyond the obvious, such as when the check engine light goes out, and how the rev counter needle moves.
These are fabulous cars, and well worth whatever effort is required !

 

I bought a car in almost the exact same circumstances, except the car would run, but occasionally flooded and stalled. When the previous owner attempted to jump start the car he connected the leads backwards and damaged both the ECU and the air flow meter.

Replacing just the ECU or the AFM individually didn't fix the car, both needed to be replaced. When you're shopping for an ECU the 1996 and 97 cars had EGR, the 1995's didn't, so the ECU's are different. Also Canada/USA cars did not have immobilization, rest of the world did so those ECU's are different as well.

A second thought is these cars are sensitive to low voltage, if you have a weak battery the car can crank but not start because the voltage drops too low during crank.

 

Completely dead.

 

Thanks , seriously think that might be the easiest. The car is a Johannesburg car with no sign of rust.(that is selling it)

 

Peter,
Rather counterintuitively, completely dead may not be such a bad place to start!
If there is no electrical response of any sort to the connection of a healthy battery, then you are most likely looking at something fairly basic, probably in the boot area. Troubleshooting such a fundamental problem would definitely be at the easier end of the spectrum, and shouldnt require much dismantling, or specialised knowledge.

 

If your car is completely dead when you turn the IGN on and you have a good battery then check the relays in the rear heel board fuse boxes. They are IGN relays and control power to most of the rest of the car.

Cheers,
Jeff.

 

I just happen to have a good ECU for am XJR 6 that I can sell you, if it turns out you need one.
it is a north American one however.
But it sounds like you have a much more basic problem than a ECU.
But just putting it out there, as R ECUs can be rare.

Darryl

 

Peter, for what it’s worth I have a ‘97 XJ6L that I bought as a parts car for my ‘96 XJ6. It was none running when I bought it and with lots of help from the forum I finally got it running which definitely makes it easier to move around. I live in Washington state (damp and wet winters) and the car had been in several different areas of the country including very humid. I ultimately changed out the Body Control Module which is behind the glove box and it roared into life again. I spent many happy hours checking fuses, relays, connections, neutral safety/auto trans switches, body grounds I could go on and none of them looked bad/tested bad or apparently helped. I found a very inexpensive BCM from a California wrecking yard, plugged it in and Bobs your uncle it resuscitated the car back to life. I hope you have an easier time than I did but the satisfaction of hearing it run again was worth all the hair I pulled out. Sadly my car has a lot of rot and will likely never be more than a parts car. The part number I used was LNA2500AA. There is LNA2500BB too. I think the BB is the later one most likely used on your ‘97. It’s not difficult to access and the number is clearly marked on the BCM. The least expensive one I could find this morning is from Quality Auto Recylers in Dallas TX. Email address is parts@qartx.com
Good luck with your new project.

 

In the past the the main fuse and holder have been a problem, esp. if some one used the incorrect battery without a remote vent or neglected to install the vent tube assembly. This will be on the POSITIVE lead at the battery. I have seen them in what appeared to be perfect condition only to take them apart and find a thin layer of corrosion preventing anything resembling a good connection (usually the plastic holder will show signs of overheating once disassembled) Also the same goes for the various connections in the harness in the battery compartment. Hopefully it is as simple as a good cleaning and a fresh battery. But before you go and do this it would be wise to drain the fuel tank or at minimum disable the fuel pump. After 9 years I am betting that which once was petrol has now turned into a corrosive and toxic mixture. The fuel pump will likely not be happy but you definitely do not want it to get the fuel any further in the injection system. Granted that which is in the rest of the fuel system may not be great but has a better chance of not being as sour as that which in still in the tank.

Good luck and keep us posted! And welcome to the forum!

 

megafuses in the battery compartment good?

 

Check battery link near brake booster in engine bay, this fixed my x308 not sure if x300 is the same?

 

yes but it uses the actual firewall instead of the plastic one the v8 cars have

 

Some Jaguar models have issues with "jump starting". I have heard it can blow an ECU, and if it didn't. The ECU will shut down the system.
With that said, the first thing to try would be a hard boot. After nine years, I would think the battery was dead. Normally I would disconnect the battery
and wait a few minutes. Reconnect the battery, then turn the key to the first position. Allow the car to go through the system checks. Then try to start
the car. It's a good place to start. At least you'll have a better idea where you stand.
If this car has sat for nine years. Even in excellent condition. I would think you will have issues. I would want to crank the engine over but not allow it
to start. You could have fuel related issues. I hope you have patience.
But your in the right place. So many of the Jag owners on the forum are very well versed and know these cars well. If this is your goal.