Engine not starting

[dmcq73]

Hi

Tried starting car tonight and engine wont fire up. It was driving fine on Sunday. It doesn't seem to be battery just keeps making a clicking sound. Any ideas? Car is 4.0l 1993 model.

Thanks

Danny

[almcl]

Are you sure it's not the battery?

A clicking sound could be the starter dropping out as the voltage falls on atired battery. If you have a voltmeter, what's the resting state voltage on the battery. all loads off (I appreciate the boot light will be on while you check...) ?

If you don't have a voltmeter, switch the headlights on and try starting, if they dim appreciably then take the battery to your local factor and ask him to check it on his discharge meter.

If the battery has passed its third birthday, it's probably time for a replacement. Insist on a vented variety and fit the plastic vent tube: sulphuric acid corrosion of the boot may follow if not.

[dmcq73]

Ok update

After conceding defeat I left car for an hour or so and came back later put transponder key in and engine started thought it might be immobiliser. Drove car for a number of miles all good and put it back in garage. Today car won't start and engine check ff14 was showing. Any ideas? Battery is fine though front headlamp has blown (not sure if connected). So question is how do you fix FF14 problem.

Cheers

Danny

[iain1980]

FF14 is the trouble code for the coolant temperature sensor.
To trigger this the voltage has to be outside the 0-5V range.
It should read about 3.5V with the engine cold and 0.75V at running temperature.
Even with this it sould trun over, and would eventually start.

If the clicking is the starter motor not fully engaging and the battery is fully charged, I would take a guess and say that the engine earth straps (Engine to subframe, subframe to body) have gone high resistance. This could also explain the FF14 as a poor earth will put voltage to the whole engine when trying to start.

Connect a jumplead from the engine to the body (bonnet catch is a good place) and see if it starts.

[MARKPEARSON]

Hi Danny

A similar thing happened to me a few years ago clicking when trying to start engine, the engine did not turn over and the were instruments all over the place while trying to turn the engine over random fault codes appeared it even caused the gear box to go into limp home/safe mode.If when you try to start the engine does not turn over I would suspect the battery replacing the battery cured all in my case.

It might be a good idea to check to see if there is not a drain on the battery while the car is standing.

I took a few readings from my 1993 4.0 the car is totally standard no modifications and the car will stand over three weeks and start without being on trickle charger.

1, Nothing on boot lights off .2A (200MA).
2, Boot open boot lights on .64A(640mA).
3, Door open all internal lights on and boot 3.2A.
4, Electric ariel 13A to lift 2A to retract.

The reason I mention the electric ariel is that on occasions these get water into the mechanisim and can cause a partial short circuit draining the battery but not blowing any fuses.

Best Regards Mark.

[almcl]

Have you checked to see if there are any other codes, in addition to FF14?

Also, if you reset the computer, does FF14 reoccur?

[dmcq73]

Hi all

Thanks for all the advice. I think the battery is fine and have tried connect jump lead from engine to car body but still no joy. The electric ariel is working but I have't checked any voltages as yet don't have equipment at minute. I have reset the engine code fault and engine check has gone out. If it is the earth strap where would this be?

Could it me the immobiliser? The light by the cigarette lighter is on constant. I can't find information on alarm in handbook. Any thoughts.

Cheers

Danny

[almcl]

Do you have the Jaguar immobiliser? (1993 is on the cusp, I think.) If so, do you use it to lock and unlock? Perhaps not using it might give an indication.

There's nothing in my handbook about it, either, although I think the XJ40 used the same system (and got it a bit earlier) and has some info in the manual.

Another thought, could it be the gear shift interlock? Does changing form park to neutral when it won't start make any difference?

[dmcq73]

Hi all

The saga continues.. I have tried starting in neutral and no joy but while trying all the switches on and off I have found that the loud clicking or thudding gets lower when i switch on dipped beams and disappears when full beams are on. When the problem first arose one of the headlights (american style) went out its now working again. Immobiliser light still flickers on and off but not as strongly as before..

I do feel this is electrical and not mechanical and somehow linked to alarm so any thoughts..

Thanks for all suggestions so far.

Danny

[almcl]

Maplin have got multi meters on offer at under a fiver, perhaps investing in one and doing some voltage checks might confirm or deny the electrical status of battery, starter solenoid, starter motor etc ?

There's a checklist for 'no crank' here:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/nocrank.htm
it's actually for series XJs but the first four or five steps are applicable.

If there's no power on the red/white wire on your car when the key is turned to crank, then either the start inhibit relay isn't powering it (check white yellow lead) or the transmission rotary switch isn't grounding it (check earth continuity of the blue green wire.)

But just guessing if there's correct voltage on a wire is a bit dodgy, diagnostically.