XJ8 Ready for burning!

[karawara88]

Can someone offer some help before I set fire to the damn thing. I have a 1998 XJ8 3.2 with 66000 miles on the clock, its not long had a head gasket.

The problem is every morning it will start, cut out and then flood, the only way to start it is to remove fuse 20 (fuel pump) turn it over burn off fuel and then put back the fuse.

I have tried flooring the accelerator and if I am really lucky it will eventually start. But more often than not its fuse out. Phoned Jag and they said its a feature with the cars when "short shuffled" but I can do 300 miles in mine and the next morning same problem.

The only way I can think of dealing with it is to put a switch on the fuel pump at least I don't have to amuse the neighbours by getting out the car every morning

I am getting so close to setting fire to it, would never buy a Jaguar again.

Any help appreciated, even if its just the colour of the cable from the fuel pump.

>> Edited by karawara88 on Tuesday 24th January 02:04

[p700dee]

All the V8 Jaguar (98 onwards) are prone to flooding if started and stopped in a very short space of time. This is due to the car not completing its start up cycle (equivalent of the Choke). Your car obviously does it regardless, you do not have this problem. However have you had the fault codes read ? Is the fuel consumption high ? Perhaps yours is still running enriched and it never resets from the start up condition ? If you do not have a code reader and the tools to diagnose it is a trip to the dealers/an indepedent find out if the car is telling you anything. It is a car, an old car, they do get problems. It could be just a poor connection to a sensor or a poor relay, don't fall into the trap of replacing the engine management control as whilst this will probably fix it this may not be the cause. I would hate to have your insurance record if every niggling fault you get you torch your car !

[karawara88]

Thanks P700d the reference to burning the car was a joke. I am just sick of the damn thing not starting, niggling faults I can live with, it not starting every morning is not a niggling fault its a pain in the butt. Its the worst car I have ever owned, I also own an Audi 100 on a 1990 plate and that starts rain or shine and cost me £200 to buy and never given me a problem, yet a £7000 Jag has given me nothing but grief in the 3 months I have owned it.

Anyway thanks for your reply, it does seem to use an excessive amount of fuel, more so since the head gasket was changed so you may have a valid point and I will get it checked out.

>> Edited by karawara88 on Wednesday 25th January 09:44