Hello out there,

I recently purchased a 1988 Jag XJ6 3.6 L from my late aunts estate. This vehicle has 34,000 miles and has been serviced at all intervals by a Jaguar dealership
(I have detailed service records up to 18,000 miles+passport to service)

This car has not been started since around 2006. Since then it was stored in an insulated, semi heated garage. There were no leaks underneath the vehicle. All tires needed to be replaced, as they had gone flat.

Ive purchased an original repair manual, and have some mechanical aptitude so I had the car towed to my home/garage after replacing the tires, but have no experience starting cars that have not been run for a period of time, and am looking for advise on where to go from here to get it started without doing more harm than good.

I'm looking forward to getting this cat purring again.

 

Hi mulked,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums and congratulations on your low-mileage Jaguar!

You are wise to be cautious about starting the car before attending to certain details.

Off the top of my head, some of the things you will want to do include the following:

1. Ascertain, if possible, why the car has been sitting for 8 years. Was it due to your Aunt's failing health, or did it stop running and was simply parked and forgotten?

2. Check all visible wiring for any fraying, rodent damage (very common), etc., and repair any damage you find.

3. Check the level and condition of the engine oil, transmission fluid and coolant, and if their condition seems okay, you can probably just top them up for now. Once you've started the engine you'll want to drain and refill all the fluids. Remove the air filter for now - you'll want to replace it too once you've started the engine. Check the coolant hoses for cracks or other damage and replace any that are suspect. Check the drive belts for cracks, fraying and tension.

4. The battery is probably dead and beyond revival, so you'll need a strong battery not only to crank the engine, but to prompt the Engine Control Module (ECM) to trigger the ignition. If the voltage falls much below 11V while cranking, the ECM will not trigger the ignition to fire.

5. The fuel in the tank and fuel system will be bad, so I would strongly recommend that you remove all of it and replace it with fresh gasoline. You can probably siphon quite a bit of the fuel out of the fuel filter neck using an inexpensive fluid transfer pump from any auto parts store. Once you have the level below half a tank, you can remove the fuel level sender on the rear face of the tank for access to the lowest levels of the tank. Pump out as much of the old fuel as you can. Pour in a bottle of fuel system cleaner and reinstall the fuel level sender. Add a few gallons of fresh Premium gasoline to the tank.

6. For the intial startup, experts advise draining the coolant and replacing with water only (no coolant). If there is a problem with the head gasket, water leaking into a cylinder will cause less harm than a coolant/water mix.

7. Remove all six spark plugs and inspect their condition. Add a few heavy squirts of Marvel Mystery Oil to each cylinder through the spark plug hole. This will help clean and lubricate the cylinders, pistons and piston rings to prevent damage and promote compression.

8. With the plugs still removed, turn the key to Position II and listen carefully for the fuel pump to run for a couple of seconds. The pump is mounted above the rear suspension. Now crank the engine a few seconds to make sure the engine isn't seized and to help distribute the Marvel Mystery Oil in the cylinders and down onto the rings. If all seems well, install the old spark plugs loosely and let the engine sit for a few days while the Marvel Mystery Oil works on the gunk on the piston rings.

If the engine won't crank with the starter, you may need to try to turn the engine using the crankshaft pulley bolt to confirm that the engine is not seized, then track down the problem(s) preventing the starter from cranking the engine.

9. After a few days, remove the old spark plugs and crank the engine three of four times, waiting a few minutes between cranks. When no oil is being sprayed from the spark plug holes while cranking, you can install new spark plugs, torque them to spec, and firmly attach the spark plug cables. You'll want to replace the plug cables with new ones eventually, but you can probably use the old ones to start the engine.

10. Remove the distributor cap and inspect for tracking between terminals or other damage. Check the tip of the rotor button for wear and check the plastic body for signs of arcing down through the distributor shaft. You'll want to replace the cap and rotor anyway, so it would be prudent to do so now if you have the parts. Swap over the spark plug cables one at a time to ensure you get them in the right firing order. Reinstall the distributor cap and confirm the king lead is securely fitted at both the distributor cap and coil.

11. For the next step, it's a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy.

12. Now is the moment of truth. Turn the key to Position II and listen again for the fuel pump's priming burst. Now turn the key to Start and crank the engine. It will probably take a while to start, so don't crank so long that you overheat the starter motor. Give it a rest every several seconds. Hopefully the engine will start. It will probably run roughly - that's to be expected. Let it run for 3 or 4 minutes and while it's running, inspect the coolant hoses for leaks (watch out for the cooling fan and drive belts), and frequently check the temperature gauge on the dash and shut of the engine immediately if it indicates any sign of overheating. If you have an infrared thermometer, use it to watch the engine temps since the dash gauge may not be accurate after years of inoperation.

13. Shut off the engine and change the oil and filter. Include two bottles of CD2 engine oil detergent. You'll want to change the oil again after maybe 100 miles or so (I'm sure others will offer different opinions). Drain the water from the cooling system and replace with fresh 50/50 coolant/water mix.

14. Replace the fuel filter and air filter with new ones.

15. Before attempting to drive the car, carefully check the operation of the brakes. It would be best to jack up each wheel and test that the brake caliper is engaging and disengaging when the brake pedal is applied. You'll want to completely flush the system with new brake fluid as soon as possible. Check the power steering fluid level and top up if necessary, and if your car is equipped with the rear Self-Leveling Suspension (SLS), check the level of the Hydraulic System Mineral Oil (HSMO) and top up if necessary.

16. Drain and refill the transmission 3 times with the proper fluid. Before the third refill, drop the transmission pan and replace the filter and gasket, then top up the fluid so that it is exactly on the HOT line of the dipstick after a 20-minute or longer drive (park on a level surface, apply the brake, move the gear selector through all the gears, allowing a few seconds in each gear for full engagement, then return the lever to Park and check the level on the dipstick). Add the fluid a little at a time to avoid overfilling, which can cause performance problems just as low fluid will.

17. If the engine continues to run roughly, suspect a vacuum leak, air intake leak, stuck fuel injectors, stuck open EGR valve, lazy or stuck O2 sensor or coolant temperature sensor, seized idle air control valve (IACV) stepper motor, etc.


I'm sure I've forgotten something - but hopefully others will chime in to fill in the blanks or disagree with any of the above.

Cheers,

Don

 

…And that's why Don is the reigning expert!

Congrats on the car, mulked. Please let us know how it goes and don't be a stranger!

Cheers,
Scott

 

Cant add anything to that. Nicely done. Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

Thanks so much for the warm welcome!
I'm looking forward to being a part of the community.


As to they why of the car sitting...almost certainly due to my aunts declining health. Last I knew it had been started and driven a few times between 2003-2006, with 16,000 miles being put on between 1996(my last paper service record)-2006 but only my best guess.

As far as I know, I will be the first to attempt a start since 2006.

Something I noticed... The engine bay has some yellowish/blackish buildup on top of the wheel wells inside the bay, along with other various nooks and crannies. The car is white so this is easy to see. What could this be? Sign of some leak? or just dirt and buildup?

I did not note any leaks on the floor of the garage when I picked the car up.

Engine bay looks free of rodent infestation.

The oil from the dipstick is pretty clean looking, not black, but certainly darker than new oil, no signs of grime or gunk.

The Transmission fluid also is bright red, with no signs of grime or contaminates.

I believe this model has a metal plug on the underbelly of the fuel tank that should allow me to drain the tank completely. Don, can I bypass removing the fuel level sender in that case?

Also, should I be concerned about the integrity of my fuel lines?

As a side note, I believe the car was parked with very little fuel, and it has evaporated. When I rocked the back end of the car I could hear no fuel sloshing in the tank.

I am starting work on the car Sunday-Wednesday (I have a bit of time off work, and nothing sounds more fun than tackling this project)

Cheers,

Doug

 

Hi Doug,

I might guess evaporated and molded coolant, but that would only make sense on the left wheel well under the coolant reservoir. Could the buildup be mold or tree pollen that has decomposed?


It would be great if you find a drain plug, but I haven't personally seen one on an XJ40. The two fuel hoses attach to the underside of the tank high above the differential in an area that is inconvenient to access. That's why I suggested the fuel sender opening, which is easily accessed behind the spare wheel and trunk bulkhead carpeted trim panel. Let us know if you do find a drain plug on your tank.


Yes. That's one of the reasons I suggested having a fire extinguisher handy....

Please keep us informed!

Cheers,

Don

 

Running into a slight problem.

The damn alarm will not disengage!!!

After connecting the new battery all hell broke loose.

Not sure how to proceed with disabling the alarm.

On a positive note, odometer reads 31,000. I thought is was 34,000.

Thanks again!

 

I would assume there is a prodedure for disabling the alarm in the owner's manual. Let me know if you don't have the manual and I'll see what I can find.

In the meantime, maybe one of our fellow members who knows the answer will respond.

 

On the original bill of sale, the alarm is stated to be a dealer installed option.

No mention on any Anti-theft in the owners manuals.

Thinking Ill have to track down the power source and disconnect?

I have the original key set, the lock/ignition key is black with a round button like center. No FOB.

 

I went thru this same scenario with Champ car when we first got it.
No fob,working or not,it's not YOUR system.

Pull the passenger side scuttle and get out the book,gently undo whats been done,lock circuits,crank circuit,etc. have been altered in some way.

lose the horn.

+ 1 on everything Don said.All fluids changed.
There is a fuel tank drain bolt,not easy to get,I posted pics on"champ died"
17 mm head,where the fuel lines meet the tank,will drain it all.
See this thread on 25 year old fuel systems!
Cheers,Jim

 

A quick update on the last few days work.

Jim, thanks for the tips on the alarm, I was able to disengage after cranking the engine, the system must have recognized I wasn't trying to steal the car then. :P

Got the old fuel removed using a cheap siphon, fuel system cleaner added with 5 gallons premium.

Spark plugs out, and cleaned carefully around the exposed openings, added marvel oil and left sitting for a day.

Cranked engine, all seemed to respond accordingly. Marvel oil spat out each cylinder in the order they fire.

A couple of warning lights popped up, including low brake pressure and ABS failure. Other than that, all lights/signals worked, windows/seats, etc.

Moving on to next steps tomorrow, any additional thoughts before continuing?



Thanks again!!

 

Sounds like you're on the right track.
Plugs back in,fire it up!note oil pressure,bring it up to temp slowly and move it thru the gears.
You might find the brake light symptoms go away,as the boost for your brakes is hydraulic,requires a running engine.

Let us know how she goes....
Cheers,Jim

 

+1 on Jim's advice. Can't wait to hear it starts and runs like a sewing machine!

 

Another update.

Installed new spark plugs.

Flushed coolant, filled with water.

Turned the key.....and she fired right up!

Ran a little rough, but smoothed out after a few min.
All warning messages went away.
After running, exhaust was coming out clear, a few water drops off the tailpipes.

Temp and oil gauges remained within normal ranges.

Will be changing oil and coolant tomorrow, as well as fuel,oil and air filters

.

 

Doug,

That is outstanding! Congratulations! Now begins your real journey!

As soon as you can you should completely flush the brake system with new fluid since brake fluid absorbs water over time. It would be prudent to at least visually inspect the brake pad thickness and rotor condition.

Also do the transmission drain, refill, drive; drain, refill, drive; drain, drop the pan, change the filter, install pan with new gasket and refill the transmission until the fluid level is exactly at the HOT line on the dipstick after a good 20 minute drive or more. My personal recommendation for transmission fluid is Redline D4 ATF. The original fluid specification for your transmission would have been Dexron IIE or Dexron III. Redline D4 is the closest I've found to having the correct viscosity index, friction modifiers, etc. to make our transmission perform at its best.

I ran Dexron VI for years because it claimed to be backward compatible with Dexron III, but when I changed to Redline D4 on the recommendation of a fellow XJ40 owner, I was amazed a how much our transmission had been slipping with Dexron VI and I hadn't even realized it. Dexron VI and other more modern transmission fluids have lower viscosity indexes (indices for you good spellers out there) and different friction modifiers than the old Dexron III. With the Redline, the torque converter locks up much more solidly and gearshifts are smooth as silk. The Redline isn't the cheapest stuff around, but if you order three gallons from Summit Racing, I think your shipping will be free (you'll need three gallons to do the full flush I described earlier, because 4-5 quarts remain in the torque converter and don't drain out when you remove the drain plug):

Red Line Synthetic Oil - Automatic Transmission Fluids - D4 ATF

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/red-30505

It wouldn't be a bad idea to flush your power steering fluid. You can remove much of what's in the reservoir with your fluid transfer pump, then disconnect the hose that runs from the reservoir to the power steering pump at the pump end and drain the rest of the reservoir fluid into a bucket under the car. Reattach the hose, refill the reservoir, drive the car awhile and repeat the drain & fill a couple of times. Or, just clear and refill the reservoir several times and forget about disconnecting the hose at the pump. By the way, that low-pressure hose that runs from the reservoir to the pump tends to harden over time due to its proximity to the exhaust manifold, and as it hardens, it loses its ability to seal at the reservoir, pump, or both. It's easy to replace with any good 5/8" inside diameter oil-resistant hose from your local auto parts store. Take care when removing the old hose from the reservoir because it's easy to break off the plastic nipple. Use a sharp knife to carefully slit the hose to relieve its tension so it will slip off easily - just take care not to cut into the nipple.

Another thing that comes to mind is oil viscosity. Follow the guidelines in the owner's manual for your climate. If you run a thinner viscosity than recommended, you may find the engine leaks a bit. I run 20W-50 in the summer and 10W-40 in the winter.

Does your car have the rear Self-Leveling Suspension (SLS)? If so, we may need some other members to chime in with any advice for maintaining the system. Most XJ40s seem to have had the system replaced with conventional shocks because the SLS system tended to suffer from leaks.

How are the tires?

Okay, I'll leave you alone now and let you enjoy your nice Jag!

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks so much for all the assistance thus far, greatly appreciated!!!

Don, I believe that this car does have SLS, however I am unsure on how to verify this. Still waiting on Jag repair manual to arrive.

Thanks for the advise on the transmission fluid, this answers a question I had regarding the backwards compatibility to DEX3.

Ive attached an image of the Right Front of the engine bay. Forgive my poor edit, but the outlined hose is pulsating when the engine is running. Ive yet to receive my repair manual, and am ignorant to what this part is. Seems to be connected to mineral oil reservoir.

Tires are brand new. Had it towed to a tire shop on its way home.

 

Our '88 had already had the SLS removed when we bought it, so I can't help with SLS questions. Hopefully one of our other members will be able to help. If you don't hear from anyone soon, drop me a private message and I'll find some answers for you with some friends in the XJ40 community who don't frequent this forum.

Cheers,

Don

 

Well,I can't sleep,so might as well chime in,I pulled the SLS on Champ car,because the PO unplugged the system and just left it.

It rode too low,and mushy.Our Redd car is still equipped,still works,but will need done too.
The pulsing line is the high pressure from the hydraulic pump on the front of the engine to the valve that controls the fluid pressure to the rear shocks.

On your car this setup also provides power brake assist as well.You cannot just do away with this system.

Get some Castrol HSMO(hydraulic system mineral oil)this is the only product specified for these cars.
Refresh what is in the tank,Jack up the rear of the car,and inspect the rear shocks.

On the body of the shock assbly.there is a small phillips head screw for bleeding the shock body,each side,as well as a bleed screw located at the top of the union block where the lines branch to each shock.
It looks just like a brake bleed screw.

You will also see the Heim link to the electric switch that controls the pressure to the rear shocks.

With the car idling,pop the link and fool the car into thinking you have a full load,(carefully)and squeeze some fresh goo into the system.

Have someone top up the tank as you go,with some luck,the system may still be operational.

Good luck,keep us posted,Jim.

Back to bed.

 

Thanks Jim, when I get a second hand, will do.

Changed coolant, all went well there. Started to work on changing oil+filter, and running into some queries.

1. Cannot seem to find my oil filter? Total rookie question, I'm sure.

2. When I started the car to allow idle time before changing oil, now noticing a very rough, almost chugging idle (almost like its running 1/3 power, surging a bit, then back down, etc.) , along with very high oil pressure, almost max.

How should I proceed?

 

Hi Doug!

The oil filter is "conveniently" mounted on the left side of the engine block about half-way up the block. I normally access it from underneath since I have to put the car on ramps or jack stands to drain the oil sump anyway. On a LHD car, you have to reach up around the steering column. I use a metal-strap flexible joint oil filter wrench like this:





Some owners prefer to remove the air intake plumbing between the MAFS and the throttle body (the big plastic elbow and the corrugated hose to the TB) so the filter can be accessed from above. I personally don't find that to be much easier, but it does have the benefit of giving you an opportunity to clean the excess oil from the air intake pipes that arrives via the crankcase breather hose and tends to drip down into the throttle position sensor and foul it over time.



I can't explain the high oil pressure, but my first guess would be that it could have something to do with the oil pressure sender or its wiring harness.

Rough idle can be associated with lots of causes, such as an intake air leak, vacuum leak, stuck open EGR valve, lazy O2 sensor, obstructed air intake (clogged air filter), clogged fuel filter, problem with the fuel pump or its relay or power circuit, failed diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator allowing unmetered fuel to be inhaled into the intake manifold via the FPR vacuum line, fouled spark plugs or loose plug wires, loose king lead between the coil and distributor cap, worn distributor cap/rotor, leaking or clogged fuel injectors or loose or broken injector wires, problems with the idle air control valve and its stepper motor, and probably several other things I can't think of right now.

But since you just changed the coolant, if you also changed the thermostat, the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) is mounted on top of the thermostat housing, and if you disturbed the CTS wiring harness (damage to the connector or wiring is common), it's possible the Engine Control Module thinks the engine is cold even after it has warmed up and is continuing to apply cold-start fuel enrichment. Can you tell by looking at the exhaust if the engine may be running rich?

Hopefully someone else will have a better idea, but in the meantime you might look for any electrical connectors or hoses you might have disturbed while you were replacing the coolant.

Please keep us informed.

Cheers,

Don