I am new to the forum. My son's XJ8 2001 with 130,000 miles was purchased from an owner who had taken very good care of the vehicle. It was performing beautifully until about a week ago when it would crank but would not start. The valve on the fuel rail showed pressure when cranking. I had scanned with A cheap OBD2 and only got a P1111 code. I took it to my local mechanic who says he got an error code of P1260. He reset the system by touching the battery cables together, and it no longer has a P 1260 code but it still won't start. He says that it's in the chip for the PAT system or key, and I will have to take it to a dealer to get the problem fixed. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

I forgot to mention that after resetting the system, the only account that shows up is P 1000. There previously were no error messages on the bottom of the tachometer but it now reads ASC off and TRAC off.

 

Try another key??????(please don't reply that you only have ONE key)
Maybe the transponder in that key is damaged.

Sometimes the KTM 'forgets' the key programming. Electronics can do strange things.

You will ALWAYS have either P1000 (readiness not completed) or P1111 (every thing is good). Disconnecting the battery will erase P1111 and replace it with P1000 until the drive cycle monitors have been completed.

You might see if the ASC/TRAC button is OK. (not faulty)

bob

 

ASC/TRAC is probably due to low voltage from all the cranking (and no charging) you've been doing. Do yourself a favour, and charge the battery.

When I finally fixed my no start condition, I then had to get a new battery. Let it get too flat.

 

+1 on the battery, from experience.

On the 'cranking, not starting', issue, are you sure it is key related?
Are you not experience an example of bore-wash?
I think more common on earlier x308's, but still possible, specially if you don't have any codes.

 

I am not sure of anything, especially whether this is key related. I have a Nother key that I think is the valet key but appears to have the same type of chip, and that did not work. I have another key that I think is the valet key (green not black) and that did not work. I checked and I'm getting spark although not a strong blue spark. I've got 40 pounds of pressure on the fuel rail. I am curious as to what exactly the PAT
(Passive Anti Theft) does if the P 1260 code has disabled the car: is fuel cut off from the fuel pump? Is power to the spark plugs cut off? is power to the injectors cut off? In other words, how does the PAT disable the car? I pulled all the plugs andi've attached a picture of the oil on the plug (pardon the mess on my truck floor). I'm going to check the compression today.

 

I have been charging the battery after each attempt to start. It registers 12.4 Volts.

 

Two things...

One is, do you know if the factory plastic secondary timing chain tensioners were replaced with the upgraded aluminum secondary timing chain tensioners?? In my experience, the factory plastic tensioners break upon startup. Just from what you have described to us, I don't believe that this has happened. However, I wanted to broach this subject just in case you weren't aware of this being problematic with the earlier cars. Make sure you get a valve cover off and get it checked out. Tons of threads on this matter. Perform a search.

Second, as stated earlier I believe you have bore wash. This occurs with a marginal battery typically and makes all the ECU's in the car unhappy during engine cranking. All the ECU's need to have adequate voltage and amperage during engine cranking. I have a battery tender on my wife's 00' XJ8 when we don't drive it and I drive my 98' XJR pretty regularly and neither of them have a problem because I have lots of experience with these cars. If you have this bore wash which it sounds like, you need to locate the fuel pump relay (or fuse also) in the trunk and pull it out. Get a battery charger that can assist in cranking the engine over. I have tried doing what everybody said in pulling the spark plugs and pouring a tablespoon of engine oil down each cylinder. Everytime I have had to pull the spark plugs back out, clean and reinstall at least twice and then maybe.. eventually.. It might start up. The best way was to leave the spark plugs in, pull the fuel pump fuse or relay, crank the engine over multiple times in 10 second increments, listen for the engine to go from a freewheeling to a pulse like cranking engine, reinstall relay or fuse and it should start up.

 

I thought you got the same by flooring the accelerator pedal, which cuts the fuel supply.
Luckily never been there, hence my careful advise, but I think that does the same as pulling the fuse.

 

If the plug(s) came out like that, with oil in the bore, then that will be your next job .
Valve cover seals / spark plug seals deteriorate, and only replacing them will prevent oil leaking down, and the bad consequences of that.
Besides, pulling the covers is a perfect opportunity to check on your tensioners as mentioned by Addicted2boost.

 

Tensioners were replaced with metal tensioners by previous owner

 

Eric, when you say "Valve cover seals / spark plug seals deteriorate, and only replacing them will prevent oil leaking down, and the bad consequences of that." The "them" your referring to are the valve cover seals,or also the spark plugs, or just the spark plug seals?

 

Addicted, I have read a teaspoon not tablespoon of oil down the cylinder.

 

Eric, you are right. This however was my preferred method was to disable the pump and bleed out fuel pressure thru the fuel rail schrader valve.

 

It's a little challenging getting such a small amount if oil down that long spark plug port. I have not been very successful getting the AJ26/27 engine running by lubricating the cylinders. My way was by far the fastest, least amount of work and most successful way of getting these cars running again. This of course is just my opinion.

 

These issues won't keep it from starting. Reread Bob's comment on your key. It probably needs to be reprogrammed (when this happened to me, it started with my second key - not the green valet).

Also check the inertia switch, which cuts off fuel.

01s rarely have bore wash; try starting by holding the pedal all the way to the floor.

 

I did compression test. 120 on side with oil filler cap, but here are the numbers starting from the cylinder closest to the passenger compartment on the opposite bank: 30 psi; 100 psi; 100psi; 30 psi. I squired oil into combustion chambers and got these up by about 10 psi. For all the tests, oil on the threads when compression tester removed. I took the fuel pump fuse out before tests were performed. HELP!

 

Peter, seems the oil-leaking is only a secondary problem right now.
If you do come to that point, it is the seals around the spark plugs which are leaking over time, but I should always replace them together with the valve cover seals.

On your problem, I guess you will need to go back to basics and be absolutely sure on the existence of spark, fuel and air first.
Only after that, you will need to follow further leads on the keys, camshafts, and whatever else will come up.

I understand that the problem did happen out of the blue, not slowly developed over time.
Ur measured compression is not good, but will in itself not create a out of the blue problem (IMO).

However, I am not sure if a skipped camshaft still can generate 100psi on the inner cylinders, but I guess an advise to pull the covers and check the alignment will perhaps follow shortly from one of the specialists.
Not the first time previous owners said they had been replaced, only to find out they were not.

By the way, the suggested inertia switch is a 1 min check, just do it to be sure. It is located in the passenger foot well.

 

Eric, inertia switch found and checked. Per driver's manual, I pushed down on the rubber top with ignition at 0, turned ignition on for 30 seconds and back to 0.

 

Tried to start after Compression test using foot to the floor for 30 second intervals. No luck. I hooked up OBD2 and got error code P0112 intake air temperature sensor – circuit low input, and P0102 MAF mass airflow or VAS volume airflow sensor -circuit low input