new plugs gap .0.25"

 

Ok. You have compression, a strong spark to, I assume, correctly gapped plugs, timed to the compression stroke, you have fuel to the cylinders and you add ether and you have only one ignition event per cranking.

I'm stumped. If it were my car I'd take a long sit in it, decide to keep it, and start over. Make no assumptions, and fix it. One thing at a time.

There's no reason for it not to run given all the systems you've reported as good are actually working as expected. I have to assume we have some system that checks out according to your testing methods but is actually failing.

So, if it were me, I'd start and the end of each system and work backwards. Spark, fuel, and compression.
Check each lead for a good spark. Use a tester don't just gap it to the block.
Regap all the plugs. Try cranking first so you can check for fuel on them.
Pull the fuel rail loose at the injectors and raise it as high as possible while still plumbed to the fuel lines. Test each injector. Disconnect all but one, ignition on position 3. Twist throttle spindle to get one pulse from the connected injector. You can keep the rail fully plumbed and raise it enough for these tests. Ensure they ALL work and produce a good comical pattern.
Check every cylinder for compression. Record your results.

There is a reason it's not running and there just aren't that many possibilities. Just have to repeatedly determine things that it isn't until there aren't any left. Then there's your problem, right there!

 

jigjag yes plugs are .025"

 

TB
You have not yet confirmed to the forum that your A1 spark is definitely happening on the compression strike. Have you checked this yet?

You also said you car is a "car is 1989 xjs conv with lucas ign, 5.3", normally 1989 cars have Marelli ignition. Do you definitely have the Lucas ignition (amplifier screwed to the B bank inlet manifold, 12 HT leads round the same edge of the dizzy?)

If you have confirmed the spark is on the CS, and confirmed that the injectors are pulsing properly, and you still think you have a spark of some sort, then as JJ and Rick said earlier up, the spark may be deficient. A new coil is the next thing to try. But BEWARE, you must have the correct low resistance coil (about 0.75 ohms from memory) or you will burn out the amplifier. If a Lucas ignition you have twin coils, one on the throttle pedestal on in front of the radiator stack; at this stage it is only necessary to change the one of the throttle pedestal.

 

TB!
I'm not shure if this will help. But it is a shot in the dark. I had more or less the same problem as you. Everything looked ok. Had petrol, ignition and air but still didn't start.
Had changed my distributor cap and rotot on my Pre HE engine. Your are a bit more modern so I'm not shure if you have the same system. On mine it was the New rotor. Got the wrong one without the magnet in the end. The magnet in the end of the rotor gives pulses to the injectors via ECU. So it started With the Cold start injectors but died when the other injectors should kick in. You may check if you have the same arrangement......

 

Hi Tony

Have you checked This?

Its the Coolant Temperature Sensor and if there is no Power to it, or it isn't working, then the Car won't Start.

Now while I know you said you Checked it, there have been occasions when someone has mistaken the CTS for the one that goes on the Air Cleaner.

So at this Stage everything needs to be double checked just to be sure.

You should also get a 12volt reading from both sides of the Injector Looking Plug that goes on it.

If your Car is a Marelli Ignition, then it more or less goes without saying that you pulled out the Multi Pin Plugs from both of the Coils to get to the

Spark Plugs when you changed all of them.

In which case you saw that these coils were sitting one on top of the other.

(1) Can you confirm whether your Car is a Marelli Ignition Car (Yes or No)

(2) If the answer is YES! its a Marelli Ignition Car.

Then are you 150% Certain that you put the right Multi Pin Plug back in the right Coil.

Although those Multipin Plugs will fit either Coil, they are not interchangeable and if you accidentally put the wrong Multi Pin Plug in the wrong coil, then 150% She won't Start.



The Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS)
If this isn't working, then the Car Won't Start.

 

its lucas ign i replaced the right sensor, not the one on air filter box, just been testing spark plugs bon't seam as good as last week when i tested them

 

The airbox sensor does not matter in this context.
If the coil is iffy, the spark will not go under compression. So maybe the coil is the problem we are searching for.
Greg

 

When you checked the rotor arm where was the timing mark on the crank damper.

Also as OB said the car will not start with a bad CTS. Check for voltage on the sensor with ignition on, if there is voltage then short the sensor wires in the plug this will tell the ECU the engine is at operating temperature, if the CTS is bad then it will start.

 

If your spark is "odd", I strongly suggest opening that Black Box on the LH inlet manifold, and please take care doing so.

In one corner, held down by a small "phillips" screw, is a condensor looking round "tin can".

Remove it. Simply undo the screw, unplug the wire from the module +ve terminal, throw it away.

Refit the cover, and replug the external connectors.

DO NOT yank or pull at the wires of those connectors on the outside of that "box", as old age is now at play with those wires, and one could break inside the loom, and the process of seek and find will begin once more.

That "tin can" is a noise suppresor, and they leak to earth, and since they are connected to the +ve terminal, do cause issues with a ballsy aspark not being available.

Removing that thing has reignited 7 cars for me over the years, 2 of them were mine.

The rotor suggestion is sound advice, and good to note, sadly, you dont have a D Jetronic system, yours is P Digital, so no magnet in the rotor heel.

 

removed tin can still no start, have just removed 4 plugs cleaned and refixed cranked car for five mins, removed plugs bone dry, i now no 1 b bank is getting fuel from inj, and no 1 a bank is, so im thinking are rest of inj working ???, im going to have to remove rail, any advice please,will i have to remove clips holding wires down for inj, so rail and inj can be lifted up Tony

 

My suggestion, as earlier, is to leave it in place while testing. Others may prefer getting the thing on a bench.

Disconnect all of the injectors electrical plugs. If they do not want to pull of with gently side-to-side wiggling while lifting then a pick can be used to lift the end of the retaining spring.

Undo the nuts holding the rail in place and gently work the injectors each loose in their ports. Leave the rail plumbed to the fuel lines. Raise the entire rail straight up a few inches. I used two six inch bar clamps, with rubber jaw covers, as legs.

This allows for hooking up one injector at a time for testing without building some fuel rig.

Do not start the car with the injectors out!

Connect one injector's plug at a time, momentarily put ignition switch in "run" ( warning lights illuminate ) to run the fuel pump up to pressure, then turn it off, twist the throttle capstan to pulse the connected injector. Rerun fuel pump as needed.

You could also buy a generic injector plug and wire up a 9V battery and momentary push button switch to make testing easier.

 

OK.

Removing that rail with the EFI wiring attached, is a MASSIVE task, and fraught with issues. Mostly the age of that loom in the bottom of the V, the wires will be crisp and crumbly NOW, no question about it.

I would raise the rail without the wires, support as best you can, then prime the rail, as in Ign ON, Engine OFF, 3 times. Use a 9v radio battery and 2 wires, and connect the wires to one injector, and "flash" the battery, and note the squirt and the pattern as best you can.

Heaps of rags in the V will be mandatory here, or you WILL have a fire.

Move down the rail ONE injector at a time, writing down your findings. Then do the B side. Apparently you have done similar with 1A and 1B, so start with 2A, and move onwards.

Now you will know IF the injectors are actually capable of squirting fuel. Do not get too fussy with the spray pattern at this stage of the game. As long as fuel is squiting at each strike of the 9v battery, the electrical section of the injector is working.

You will need to reprime the rail after maybe??? 2 injectors.

I DO NOT do it this way, I remove the rail from the car, and remotely test the injectors in a rough homemade test bed that is at least 30 years old, but works for me, I am OLD, more fussy than you could ever imagine, and thats how it is.

The fact you state you drove into storage for winter, and now it dont go, reeks of stale fuel, and everyone knows the fuels today do not store for very long at all, before becomong non-cumbustable. Jammed closed injectors due to this practice is soooooo common these days, it is scary. If your market has, or you use, Ethanol based fuel, even worse. The amount of tar like goo I have removed from car fuel tanks at work of late, I could pave a road from here the the UK, terrible stuff, and those cars were NOT regular drivers, much like winter storing up there without proper preperation, and that is where I reckon the issue may be.

2nd,

Look down at the LH engine mounting. You should/will see 2 braided earth straps. Engine to cradle, then cradle to chassis. Pleaae ensure they are not broken, full of grease, power steer oil, or any other gunk. They are a lousy earth path on a good day, and a lousy earth path will reek havoc with a ballsy spark, which your 12.5:1 comp ratio engine NEEDS to fire and run.

 

Hi Tony

This is how I cleaned all my Injectors, without removing them from the rail and it was all very easy, though you will need to fit new Injector Seals.

Get the Seals from Brit Cars, only about £5 for 12Land Rover Parts and Jaguar Spares | Britcar UK Ltd

There are various ways of Cleaning Injectors according to your own preference.

But here is the Link to How I did it on my own Car: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...122634/page36/

 

today removed fuel rail all inj working from a 9v battery and from throttle leaver, ?????

 

Great! Check that off the list!

So, assuming compression ( no disastrous noises from the block or oil spray out the exhaust right? ) you have a spark issue.

Wrong coil, bad coil, wrong plugs, bad plugs. You have new plugs If they are correct for the car and gapped correctly then you have a bad coil or one with an inappropriate resistance for the engine.

What plugs and what coil are you using?

 

JigJag, plugs are NGK R BR7EF, same as i removed, coil i have taken off was name on top Lucas only numbers on bottom are 35C6 45315J 0888, the new coil i told spares shop car make, model, year and reg , Thanks Tony

 

Weird. I believe that coil is a 6V unit.

Try the single coil replacement for both original coils...DAC3477

Edit: I don't see a voltage spec for that coil listed anywhere, but it is the spec'd coil for the 3.6 from 83-88.

 

Just be 100% certain that it is a low impedance coil and 1 ohm max, and that the spares shop can verify it is from the manufacturer's specs. Otherwise you will cook your ignition amplifier and other bits. The coil is a 12 volt one.
This is the Lucas version.
DLB198 (Electronic Ign.)

You will find there are two coil leads to each coil post, the second one comes from the extra coil mounted in front of the radiator. The two coils are connected in Parallel (ie + to+ and - to -), so ensure they go back that way. The negative connections should, repeat should, have a black stripe on the white insulation. The positive are all white.
Greg

 

Just refixed fuel rail all inj firing perfect , dis and leads, still no start, removed 2 plugs still not wet, I GIVE UP,,,,,,