First, my stupidity is embarrassingly on display but necessary in order to hopefully obtain an accurate diagnoses. Left Jag (excellently) running in driveway to retrieve something in house. Got distracted (easy to do at 79 y/o); forgot car was running. Two days later discovered car was out of gas with key still on. Put some new gas in tank and tried to start. Dash information lights came on but when key turned to start, not a sound except for "10 chirps" somewhere in the center of dash board (behind radio and a/c controls), followed by silence and dash info lights off. Just in case, put three days of 8 amp charge on almost new battery. Again, "10 chirps" followed by silence. Came here hoping that perhaps a very wise wizard may associate the 10 chirps with a known problem and fix ?????? Thanks in advance

 

I do not know about the 10 chirps, but after letting the tank empty itself and letting the battery sitting there with "ignition on" for a few days, I'd say your battery is dead (regardless of how long you try to revive it). I.e.: Get yourself a new battery and try from there... - plus, put at least 10L of petrol into the tank - the fuel level of 5L after an empty tank might still be too low...

PS: Also, letting the tank run empty might have collected dirt from the tank, and might have pumped it thru the system to the effect that the fuel filter is blocked now...

 

Thanks Peter , hot battery not engaging starter. Other electrics (radio, windows, seats) operate normally.

 

Expect flat battery, probably won't charge to really full.

 

At idle, even two full days should not have emptied the tank unless it was very low to begin with.
I would start with reading any codes that might have appeared with a code scanner.

 

I would disconnect the negative battery terminal first then the positive terminal. I would touch the two cable terminals together for about 20 seconds then install the positive battery cable on the battery and tighten then install and tighten the negative battery cable. Go back inside the car and try to start it again.

 

Thanks JagV8 and Randy. My meter shows green but it's a cheap meter and it's old. Had hoped to avoid trucking it to the only mechanic shop in our little town, because the only other Jag in town has been on display there for over a month, awaiting parts. I'll try to get the mechanic to do a house-call with his code reader. Thanks again.

 

Thanks for the suggestion Addicted. Followed instructions twice. 20 seconds then full minute. Same 10 chirps then dash info lights off and silence. Key off, key on, dash lights on, 10 chirps, key to start during chirps, silence and dash lights off, (key to start after chirps, dash info lights off)

 

Without knowing the codes stored in the engine management and the instrument pack, were kinda guessing here so just be patient. I have a few ideas.


1) Do you have another key for the car that you could try? That red circle is the immobilizer chip in the key.

2) Whatever key you do have, turn the key on then look down by the shifter. Since I’m sure the car is in park, the letter “P” should be lit up. If it’s not, get the transmission into neutral and see if the letter “N” is lit up. If it is, with your foot on the brake pedal, see if it’ll crank over.

3) Maybe your Inertia switch needs to be reset? If you were sitting on the passenger side front seat, where your right foot is at, it’s behind that kick panel to your right.

 

Did you put anymore fuel in the tank? I know it won’t really matter for now but, maybe 2 or 3 gallons for now until you get it running.

Also I forgot to mention that it’s entirely possible that you may need to get your keys reprogrammed to the car as the software may have been corrupted. It’s just a thought....

 

Charlotte, I just woke up (here in Australia) - I have been thinking about your issue over night...:

To start with a little funny story: I am the one, who works on his Jags every day. But not my wife, she has other interests. But once I friend asked her:
"How much do YOU know about cars and Jags meanwhile?"
And she replied: "More than I want to!"

And I think, she is right:
I told her your story yesterday... and she asked: "Wouldn't that have damaged the fuel pump?"
And I replied: "Well no, because without fuel, the engine stops and with that the fuel pump."

But thinking about that over night, I am pretty sure that I was wrong there:
I think there is no question about that your tank was utterly empty after those two days (and your battery too...).
I never thought about a situation, such a yours, where the car runs on idle unattended running on empty...
I could only think about a situation, where one overlooks that the tank is empty and then drives it empty - if that would happen, the person might briefly try to restart the engine after it ran out of fuel, but then give up (either realizing that the tank is empty or not), and switch the ignition off....

But your situation was different: Your "ghost car" was running by itself for hours and days, but when it ran out of fuel, the was no ghost in the car, who could switch the ignition off...

And if I am not very mistaken, the system works as follows:
If you put the key into "ignition on", the fuel pump will activate to build up a pre-defined fuel pressure and the fuel pump (which is a little electric motor submerged in the fuel) will run and run until this pressure is reached and then stop. And it will obviously run again, when the car starts and drives, as fuel is being used and therefore the fuel pressure gets reduced, hence the fuel pumps gets activated again to get back to that predefined fuel pressure setting.

I would like to think that my above description of how the fuel pump system operates under normal conditions is correct. And then I continued thinking, what a system, which is set up like that, would have done, when your Jag ran out of fuel...: Well, I think, even with the engine off (as there was no more fuel), your fuel pump (that little electric motor) would have been eagerly "pumping" to get that fuel-pressure back to its predefined level, because the ignition was still on.
But the pump had only air, which it could "pump" and no fuel, hence the predefined pressure setting was never reached and the electric motor of the pump was running and running and running until it self-destructed. Under normal operation-conditions that little electric motor in the pump is getting cooled by the fuel, which surrounds it. But now it did not get cooling and did not get a break (as the desired pressure setting was unachievable)...

Hence, what I am saying is: I think, your fuel pump needs to be replaced.
I have not jet been digging around in my 1998 XJ8 to see where the fuel pump is located, but if it is where I just saw it in a youtube video, it is in you boot, behind the rear seat cushion for your back. This is, where the tank would be in a XJS - in an X-Type it would be under the bottom-seat cushion). SO it would be a matter of putting that tank out and then remove the top mounted fuel pump.

But before you do that, have someone turn the ignition from off to on (after it was off for a while), and I think that when the key get switched to ignition on, you should be able to hear the electric motor in the pump, if you are standing right next to the tank. So I suspect that you will not hear that electric motor (as it is burned out). But maybe someone else here in the forum can confirm, what it is, that you should be able to hear, by checking that on their X308 (I don't want to un-cocoon my X308, as it is nicely wrapped at the moment).

 

One could suspect the fuel pump if the engine cranks but does not fire-up. "butchNcharlotte's" engine does not crank at all which is not related to whether the fuel pump is good or gone bad but related to some other electrical/electronic problem.

Otherwise, the fuel pump will run for 2 sec (not to any particular pressure) when the ignition is switched "on". After this initial brief run, the fuel pump will be activated again during cranking of the engine and continue running as long as the engine is running. The operation of the pump during cranking and during engine running is controlled by the engine ECU based on the signal from the crank sensor which tells the ECU that the engine is turning. If the engine runs out of fuel and stops, the fuel pump will automatically stop because the signal from the crank sensor will stop.

Operation of the fuel pump can be verified by listening at the open fuel cap while the ignition is being switched "on". Brief pump humming could be heard.

Another way is to bridge the fuel pump relay sockets corresponding to the relay pins 87 and 30 (or 5 and 3 depending on how the relay pins are marked). When the said sockets are bridged, the pump will run continuously so it will be easier to hear its sound. There is no need to switch the ignition "on" for this test.

 

OK, good to know, M.
So it looks like the fuel pump might still be alright, which - as you wrote, and I wrote myself - can be verified by listing to the humming of the electric fuel pump motor when switching ignition on - which would be a good test to do, as there could be multiply overlaying issues... (and by listening to the pump-motor, one could at least confirm that the pump is still OK.)

 

You need to have the key (s) reprogrammed. See if a local locksmith can do it.

 

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. We're still waiting for the local mechanic to make a house call with his code reader. Called a locksmith who said a Jaguar dealer would be my best bet to reprogram key. The closest is 100+ miles away. Thanks again.

 

I lost track - are we sure now that the culprit is the transponder in the key? If so, why?
@Charlotte: I assume you did attempt to start your car with all the different keys you have? (2 keys are normal - I have 4 for each Jag)

 

Thanks Peter, no we're not sure of the culprit. We only have one key since it was a not so wise sentimental "online" purchase chasing memories of our original '98 VDP that was lost to hurricane Ivan in '04. So far, before this mishap, the old girl has performed well, considering numerous ghosts and several wounded modules. The nearest Jag Dlr is over 100 miles way and I hesitate the wisdom of shipping to them and their descretion checking her out? $$$$ ? Fortunately, we don't have much $ tied up in her yet (less than the value of the engine alone if parted out) and hope to keep it near there. Still waiting for the only auto repair shop in our little (pop: 3000) town to take a shot at her. Thanks again for your intetest. bNc (I lean toward an anti-theft security issue, ie: "10 chirps under dash and no starter engage, on each key turn to start)

 

Any update to this situation??

 

Thanks Addicted, no progress at this time. We both have been grounded due to health issues. Suspect it will be after New Years before we can get back on the chase. Plan to ask local mechanic if 12 volt jumper can be attached direct to starter? Happy Christmas & a safe New Years. bNc