Good day all you Jaguar experts.

I am new in this forum and relating on your advise. My XJR seems to have a major problem: When I started the car after a couple of days without driving it, a heavy cloud of smoke came out of the exhausts. The display showed RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE. I changed the sparkplugs and at that occasion I tested the compression of all cylinders. All showed about 8 to 9 bar but cylinder7 only about 2 bar. An OBD II test gave the following error readings:

P0307 Cylinder 7 misfire
P1346 Unknown fault
P0222 Knock sensor bank 2

After this test I checked engine oil and cooling water. Both in good state, no mix.
Please give me some advise what the problem is and how I can overcome it without changing the complete engine as it was done during the manufacturers guarantee. Best regards in advance

Ernest from South Africa

 

Sorry. The error code reads P0333 Knock sensor bank 2

Ernest

 

If Cyliner 7 only has 30 psi, I think you may be stuck. The other 7 cylinders all show about 120psi which is normal. Before condeming anything though, I would do a cylinder leakage test to see where the compression is leaking.
I wouldn't worry about the knock sensor code yet. You will need to replace it likely as normally the code is only there when knock sensor is bad. Make sure you torque it down well. It is a crappy job as the supercharger needs to come off. However, if you end up replacing engine due to the lack of compression, it is easier to do it out of the car.
Hope it works out for the better. Anyway, do a cylinder leakage test (cylinder pressure differential test you may call it) and repost with results. Possibly leaking out a valve, head gasket or exhaust. If you dont know how to tell where it is leaking, let us know. Sounds like you are a mechanic of some sort anyway, so you should be ok.

 

Thank you for your prompt reply. No, I have only little knowledge about the high sophistication of a car like the Jag, but I try to do it because I cannot trustthe South African Jaguarworkshop in Cape Town after having made my experience. Please can you describe in detailhow to makethe cylinder leakage test

 

Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your dealer. The car is not that sophisticated really. An engine is an engine and you are having basic engine problems.
You need a cylinder leakage tester. You hook it up to compressed air and thread it into spark plug hole. You then see if it holds the air that you put in there. If it is leaking, you look in coolant reservoir see if it is bubbling, feel at exhaust to see if leaking that way or check to see if leaking through intake.
First off you need the tester. Rest is easy.

 

Thank you for the way of executing the cylinder leakage test. As soon as I have done so I will report to you. Once again thank you.

Ernest

 

I have done the cylinder leakage test three times just to be sure thatit is a leaking piston on cylinder 7 as Isuspected. About 8000 kms back the same happened at cylinder 3 and Jaguar Cape Town put in new rings on piston 7. It costed me a fortune for this work and I had to wait hardly 3 months to get the car back. I never drive the car to the limit. I can't understand why this happened. Are the cylinders in the center, near the supercharger thermically higher stressed than the outer ones? Can I do the job myself altough I have only a very normal garage, no bit, no hoisting equipment. Can I get the piston out under these conditions? And if yes, which special tools do I need? Looking forward to get good hints!

Ernest

 

so where is it leaking from? if it is piston then will have to remove engine from car

 

You can do engine swap with basic tools. The piston replacement will be far more indepth and will require special tools.
Do you have junk yards there? Engine swap much better option than swapping piston unless you are willing to do some major work.

 

I"d defiently go Eng Swap Before Pistons lol
Just make sure the engine your getting has a warranty of some type before you purchase it and understand that warranty completely before you purchase and install engine

 

Lol Genius, I always forget to ask the obvious. Knowing where it was leaking would definitly help.
And right on ibjags..... Warranty is always important when getting new engine.

 

I performed the leakage test again. The air is neither going through the intake nor through the exhaust. Also the cooling water vessel shows no signs of bubbles at all. But I cannot identify where the air goes actually. I listened carefully at the oil dipstick tube as well as at the breather nozzle at the right bank but to no avail. The only sound was a hollow noise of the air inside the crankcase. Thats why I removed the valve cover, checked that all 4 valves on cylinder 7are really in closed position and did the test again with the same results. Finally I did the leakage test at another cylinder at the left bank. It sounded completely different. Instead of this hollow noise the air pressure moved the engine until exhaust valves opened and the air went through them.

So, I am certain that piston rings have to be replaced as recently done on cylinder 3. You made me no hope that I can do it myself without professional help. Because I do not trust Jaguar Cape Town anymore, may be you know a Jaguar expert in Cape Town or nearby with whom I can make this job. What will be the price for a set of new rings in England? Awaiting your advice, many thanks in advance

Ernest

 

In South Africa there are no many Jaguars. I am quite sure that no engine for replacement will be available. What if I would purchase an engine in England. For what price approx.? In Cape Town the replacement of the engine had cost me Pound 8000,- plus cost for installation (last time, when rings broke at cylinder 3). I relay on your advice. Many thanks.

Ernest

 

i guess it's expensive to be different. get a used one from england.. new ones are very expensive..

 

I agree. You should be able to get a used engine for half of what the repair was done for previously. If you are fairly knowledgable you should be able to do engine swap yourself.

 

Thanks, Factory JaguarTech and ibjags, so far for your advice. I checked in the Western Cape of South Africa, much to my regret there is no junk yard at all around here, which might have Jaguar parts. So, I have to make the big job and swap piston or rings at least. Please let me know, if you are so kind and tell me where in GB I can get parts or tools to affordable prices. Thank you in advance,

Ernest

 

If you look at the previous post above this "I did timing chain tensioners myself" you will need those tools that Ken sells.
I was trying to think for you the easiest way to do this job. You will need to remove engine and put it on a rotating stand. On the plus side, it makes it easier to do timing chains etc out of the car and also to get crankshaft bolt out.
You will need to source all the gaskets. ie, cam covers, cylinder heads, intake manifold, throttle body, timing cover, exhaust, bedplate to block, etc.
Once engine is removed, take off the cam covers, intake manifold (including supercharger which you will also need seals for) take off front pulleys etc, remove timing cover, remove the chain tensioners (these shoudld also be replaced while you are in there), remove timing chains.
Remove the cam bearing caps, loosen slowly in rotation so as not to snap camshaft, keep in order as you remove them.
Remove the cylinder heads. The bolts are very tight. Get new head bolts also. Do not reuse the old ones.
Once the head etc is off, rotate the engine on the stand and remove the lower block. Remove only the crank bearing cap you need to get the damaged piston ring out of. When you reinstall, the bearing should be ok as you are using the same parts, only the piston ring should be changed.
Reinstall and you should be good to go.
Email me your email address and I will send you the correct procedure for pulling the engine apart. It is a HUGE undertaking and you will be doing this on your own. All I can say is good luck. I still think your best endevour would be to source a used engine somewhere and get it shipped to you and just replace it.

 

Also have you tried calling these people? http://www.jagweb.com/jagweb_entryview.php3?jwid=424
They may be able to help you.

 

Hi FactoryJaguarTech

I appreciate the patience you show in writing this particular description for me. Furthermore I am looking forward for the procedure to pull the engine in bits and pieces. But I am quite certain I will succeed as long as I have such good advise. My e-mail-address is lederer@telkomsa.net and ernst@ledcom.cc.

The link you sent shows a company in Johannesburg, which I contacted yesterday by fax, maybe they will quote me a fair price to do the job, then I will not hesitate to place an order to do so.

Many thanks so far

Ernest

 

please let us know how that place in Johannesburg works out. Always interesting to see how others operate.

I will email you the procedure soon.

I think we all wish you the best of luck.