Aaargh!!
I was on my way to work this morning and was about a quarter mile from the office. I made the turn into the airport where I work, and my car's engine stopped dead and won't restart. Is this indicative of a failed fuel pump?
Robert

 

Robert,
A bad fuel pump (or fuel pump relay), is one of many possible causes for your flameout.
Could just as likely be something in the ignition system.
Depending on the year model of your car (meaning where the fuel pump is located), you may be able to hear the fuel pump cycling for a few seconds when you turn the ignition switch to the 2nd click, but before you actually turn further to engage the starter.
That's the way it is on my 1990 model.
Later models with the pump in the fuel tank, I don't know if they are audible or not.

Then you have the question ... even if the fuel pump is pumping, exactly what is it pumping?
The XJ40 fuel filler situation was badly thought out at the factory. The enclosure traps leaves and debris, easily clogging the small drain hose for that area.
This causes the tank to become contaminated with water. Jaguars just won't run on water!

So you see, much like yourself at this point, we need more info to be of help.
Good luck ... keep us posted with your efforts or findings.
Regards,
Retro

 

Fuel issue somewhere.

Retro: Specializing in extremely poor life choices since 1945

hahahaha best signature I have seen!

 

I like retro's style much more scrumptious than Top Gear style lol

I had a hard laught at "Jaguar just won't run on water"

How hard can it be ? (to make it possible lol )

Hey Robert, did you try engine key (as if there were tons of keys for a car lol ) put in II and back to 0 , cycle this a few times and try to hear a sound some sort of humming ,if you hear it your fuel pump relay is good .

 

Hey, Cadillac.

I don't hear anything from the fuel pump when I turn the key. But then, I haven't really had an opportunity to do much on it. Hopefully, I can get on it tomorrow and check it out. By the way, where is the fuel pump relay on this car? I checked where the Haynes manual said it is supposed to be, but is it under the dash?

 

If your car is a '90 model, the relay should be under the right-hand side of the dash. The panel you remove to access that area should have a layout printed on the front, thusly:



I've emphasized the should's, 'cause after all, this is a British automobile. I've dealt with British machinery my whole life, and love my "bloke" cousins, (cousinettes too, mmmm!) but you can't assume that anything that went off the assembly line on a Thursday before High Tea necessarily bears any resemblance to what was produced that afternoon!

BTW, be aware there should be a fuel pump wiring connector under the rear seat, left-hand side. Convenient if you're checking continuity, power flow & etc. If you get that far, let me know and I'll direct you to the proper thread.

Again, good luck!

 

It is indicative of a fault with Fuel, Air, Ignition or Mechanical failure!!! Fuel pump, Burnt electrical connector in evaporative flange on fuel tank top, Faulty relay, Faulty Crank Position Sensor, Faulty Ignition amp, Failed ECU, Tripped inertia switch?? Wiring faults???? etc. etc. etc. We can all guess until???????? Diagnose, Diagnose don't guess!!!

Sometime there is an obvious reason for a fault (I hit something in the road and now my radiator leaks!!) but there are several hundred reasons for an engine to stall and not restart.

Disconnect fuel line from fuel rail, IS THERE FUEL FLOWING FROM THE HOSE WHEN THE PUMP IS OPERATED OR POWER APPLIED?

Pull the coil wire from the dist cap, DO YOU GET A SPARK WHILE CRANKING THE ENGINE??

I have seen faulty distributor rotors 'short-to-earth' and have me guessing for half an hour messing with fuel pressure and spark plugs until it dawns on me that I get spark from the coil but not the distributor!!! Sometimes it is simple but other times it is a process of elimination. Do some checking and let us know what you find!!

bob gauff

 

Okay. I've had an opportunity to do a little troubleshooting and t's not the fuel pump. I checked the spark and there doesn't seem to be any. Any suggestions?

 

I just went through an entire ordeal in trying to trouble shoot a "no Start". If you are getting good fuel pressure, check the spark on both the plugs and the ignition coil. It should be blue. If it's yellow, it's the ignition coil. During my troubleshooting, I replaced a lot of un-necessary components. As a last ditch effort, I replaced the coil with another one lying around the shop and VVVrrroooommmm. I'm replacing that coil with a new one tomorrow.

The thing that gets me is that I replaced that coil less than 2 years ago and I hardly put 3000 miles on the car. Go figure.........

 

Update: I disconnected the fuel line at the fuel rail and with the key turned on, fuel was pumped. So it isn't the fuel pump. Then I disconnected the number one spark plug wire and attempted to get a spark without success. Then I disconnected the coil wire from the distributor cap, held it near a bolt head, had my wife turn the key, and got a yellow spark. Looking inside the cap, I found a lot of powdery buildup at the contacts around the inside of the cap. Is the yellow spark and the powdery residue the result of a weak coil?

 

Does the inside of the distributor cap look worn? Check the rotor as well. They're prone to grounding out. Clean up what you can and grease the rotor shaft provided that everything looks good. Check for spark again. If it's yellow, it's the coil.

I was able to pick up a new one at a local Advanced Auto Parts (no affiliation) for a little over $30.

Hope this help you get that car started. : )

 

I just checked the local Advance Auto for a coil and they have a BWD brand coil, cap, and rotor for the price of just the cap in other brands. Do you know anything about BWD Automotive? I looked them up and it looks like they are a US manufacturer, but their prices are cheap!

As for the cap, I had sanded down the contacts about two weeks ago and it was running fine. Then - nothing.

 

I also inquired at the store about BWD. The guy said that their made in either China or Mexico....like most other things. What I really wanted was an MSD coil but no one could recommend one for our cars. They're the high performance coils that they use on muscle cars.

It's up to you if you need to do the cap/rotor. You shouldn't be sanding anything...unless it's worn, which for these cars, means it's time for replacement.

Just my 2 cents. ; )

 

This afternoon on the way home from work, I stopped at O'Reilly Auto Parts for a coil. All they had was a BWD coil, part number E504. I got it, but when I looked inside the coil had the number 903 on it. I asked the clerk and he said it was the correct coil, so I guess I will have to trust him. But my question really is that on the coil it says "Use with external resistor". Is that correct?

 

Rob,

I don't remember the year of your car. I have an '88 and yes, I have an external ignition suppressor attached to perimeter of the coil mounting bracket. It's cylindrical and has one wire off the top and connects to the (+) terminal of the coil.

When you remove and replace the coil, make sure you keep track on where all the connections go. There are grounds using both sides of the ignition coil bracket.

BTW, I installed my coil today. You are right that the # on the coil doesn't match the box but that's the right part. I noticed a difference in performance. Can't believe my old one died (well not really died, just gave less spark) before 2 years. I wonder what could eat a coil? The majority of the time my car is un-used and the battery disconnected.

 

Okay, I installed a coil but she still won't start. The way the car died, it can't be plugs or wires. It must be something between the coil and the wires, which would mean the cap and rotor. Is that correct? The spark from the coil is stronger than the old coil, but it isn't blue by any means. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Rob,

Hopefully you're battery is in good shape. These XJ's like to have 12 volts. Anyway, you claim that the spark from the coil is not blue. Is it yellow? You are not going through the distributor for this test. Therefore, if it's not blue, there's not enough spark. That could be the battery or even the ignition amplifier (right below the ignition coil, a wide connector attached to the chassis). These have failed for some in the past but I'm sure it may be related to power from the battery. Once you can get a good spark from the ignition coil (your testing it from the wire connected to the top of the coil and grounding it to the engine top while cranking the engine). Once you're getting good spark there, then you can test the spark plugs. The ignition coil wire will now be connected to the distributor for this test. Are the spark plugs getting the same color spark as the coil? If no, it can be in the distributor or the rotor.

Hope this helps.

 

Battery is good. But I can't see how you can get a spark from the spark plug lead. There's half-an-inch or more of rubber boot around the spark plug lead. Will the spark jump that distance?

 

Rob,

You can push that boot back a little. You will see that it's not attached completely but can slide with a little effort. As for the length of the wire, it should reach the head of the engine.

 

Well everyone, the Jaguar is back on the road and I couldn't be happier!! And it wasn't the fuel pump, it wasn't the coil, it wasn't the ignition module, no wires, cap, or crank sensor. It was the distributor rotor!! Apparently, these tend to fail quite frequently according to my local Jaguar repair shop. Ah, well.

A thank you to all who offered suggestions.