[xj] Photos of the console/ 5 speed

Here are the pics of the console cover for the 5 speed. I took an
old cover, peeled off the already peeled wood veneer and closed the
back part of the opening by welding a steel patch there. An
upholstery shop covered it with black leather and made the boot.
Turned out well.

http://www.jag-lovers.org/v.htm?1191815742--
Bill Cooper, 2000 VDP, 1985 VDP, 1995 XJR, 1976 XJ12C
Charlotte, NC, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

I had two problems this weekend with my 1984 XJ6 VdP, the first was an
intermittent loss of engine power and the second was an intermittent
loss of electrical power to the instrument panel gages. I was away from
home at the time, didn’t have the tools or a place to work on the car
and needed to continue to make some scheduled events. Since the car
kept running, I kept driving it until we both returned home safely
yesterday afternoon.

I first noticed that the engine wasn’t delivering normal power while
pulling out onto a main road after having driven about 60 miles. The
car was very sluggish and accelerated very slowly. It was as if the
car was running on only 3 cylinders. At the first traffic light I
noticed that the idle was a little lower than normal and a bit lumpy so
I pulled over and opened up the hood to inspect things while the engine
was running. The engine continued to run and all gages were reading OK
and I didn’t see anything wrong so I continued to drive it. The car
was very slow to accelerate, and I had trouble maintaining speed going
up hills. It was possible to attain and maintain highway speeds of 60
MPH if the road was flat. I experienced something like this before was
when the power resister had failed. In that case I verified that all
spark plugs were firing but only 3 fuel injectors were firing using my
mechanics stethoscope. Since I didn’t have the right tools or a spare
power resistor with me this time, I continued to drive the car hoping to
make it home. This didn’t appear to be a clogged catalytic converter
since it was evident at all engine speeds and not just a loss of power
when high power was demanded. I considered that it could possibly have
been a clogged fuel filter, but thought this unlikely as I replaced the
fuel filter in May after getting the car back from the paint shop.

While driving home with the continued engine power problem I then
noticed that my speedometer and tachometer went to zero and that all of
my instrument gages had lost power. I put on my emergency flasher
(which did work) to pull over, but by the time I had started to pull
over, the speedometer and tachometer came up and everything was reading
properly again. I drove for another few minutes until this happened
once more, so I pulled over and again left the engine running to see if
I could detect a problem. Nothing was evident, other that the slightly
lumpy idle. All connections appeared tight, no hoses were disconnected
and everything looked as it should even the gages again.

As I started the final 30 mile leg home, the engine power mysteriously
returned to normal and the gages all read normal all the way home.

I started up the car today and everything appears normal.

As precautionary actions I plan to:

  1. Remove and replace the fuel filter. I’ll cut the old one open to
    inspect for anything that might have caused restricted fuel flow but I
    don’t expect to find any problems or rust/debris. Both tanks have been
    professionally cleaned and sealed.
  2. Remove and replace the power resister with a spare one checking the
    connector for any problems and wires for breaks or corrosion
  3. Remove the battery and bring it in to a local shop for testing.
    It’s about 3 years old but remains strong and the engine always jumps
    immediately to life within a second when starting.
  4. Remove, clean, oil and replace the ground wires on the back of the
    coolant rail
  5. Remove, clean and replace the lower grounding strap between the
    engine and chassis.

Is it possible that these problems are related?

Should I suspect the alternator?

Any other suggestions?

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

In reply to a message from Paul M. Novak sent Mon 8 Oct 2007:

Paul:

Well, it got you home, that’s the good part.

The devil of it is that the fault is no longer present, or at least
the symptoms, to track down?

I suspect ground issues. Do the battery to ground at both ends with
Jagmantra, same with the battery +. May as well do both cowl +
supply posts.

Did you notice any low reading on the voltage indicator when the
symptoms were present?

Good Luck!

Carl–
Carl Hutchins
Walnut Creek, California, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

In reply to a message from drbill sent Mon 8 Oct 2007:

Looks professionally made.

How is driving it?–
Brynjar, '91 DD6, Range Rover '04, M. Benz ML-350 '03
Reykjav�k, Iceland
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Carl,

It got me home, but I would have preferred a hard fault as it

would be easier to troubleshoot. Now that everything is working
properly again I will be guessing what went wrong (until it fails
again?).

When only the engine power loss was occurring the dashboard

voltmeter was reading about 13V, and the needle was in it’s normal
position straight up and down. All other gages were also reading
normal. When the electrical power problem started, the needles all fell
to their power off state. They didn’t stay there for long just long
enough for me to recognize the problem and signal as I started to pull
over. Both times the speedometer and tachometer came back up again and
then all the other needles returned to normal.

The funny thing is that I cleaned, oiled and tightened all these

electrical posts since getting my car back from the paint shop in May.
There was a fair amount of body shop dust throughout the engine bay, so
I did an initial top to bottom cleaning including the battery posts, the
coolant rail grounds and even the chassis to engine grounding strap as I
cleaned things up. I will of course take a good look at all of them
again to make sure I didn’t leave something off or fail to tighten
things properly. But I have put about 2K miles on the car since the
after repaint engine cleanup work and I’m more than a little surprised
that something would show up now and not sooner as I have been driving
the car.

I'm sure the car is just letting me know who's boss.   

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xj@jag-lovers.org [mailto:owner-xj@jag-lovers.org] On Behalf
Of cadjag
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 1:47 PM
To: xj@jag-lovers.org
Subject: Re: [xj] Engine and electrical strangeness, 1984 XJ6 VdP
{Scanned}

In reply to a message from Paul M. Novak sent Mon 8 Oct 2007:

Paul:

Well, it got you home, that’s the good part.

The devil of it is that the fault is no longer present, or at least
the symptoms, to track down?

I suspect ground issues. Do the battery to ground at both ends with
Jagmantra, same with the battery +. May as well do both cowl +
supply posts.

Did you notice any low reading on the voltage indicator when the
symptoms were present?

Good Luck!

Carl

Carl Hutchins
Walnut Creek, California, United States

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

In reply to a message from Paul M. Novak sent Mon 8 Oct 2007:

Paul, mine is a 1984 non-VDP.

Gauges: have you checked behind the dash, (removing the tachometer)
and checking the ground loom attached to the steel sub-frame, right
behind and above the Oil Pressure gauge? (you need to get your hand
in through the opening and feel for it, else use a flashlight and
ladie’s compact mirror until you see it).

Same by removing the Speedometer, there’s another ground loom above
and behind the fuel gauge. they should be very tight, 8mm bolt.

About the intermittent power loss, I doubt it is the alternator,
although it sounds like an electrical power issue. Sorry, this
symptom is beyond my knowledge, I’ve only had it happen when I
bought the car 17 years ago and I recall it felt like an ignition
issue, but it went away by itself. Later I was told it may have
been the Throttle Switch.

Zurdo–
The original message included these comments:

I had two problems this weekend with my 1984 XJ6 VdP, the first was an
intermittent loss of engine power and the second was an intermittent
loss of electrical power to the instrument panel gages. I was away from
Paul M. Novak


1965 3.8 ‘S’ 1984 XJ-6
Florida, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Paul, had you ever replaced/cleaned the ignition switch?–
Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

Paul M. Novak wrote:

Carl,

It got me home, but I would have preferred a hard fault as it
would be easier to troubleshoot. Now that everything is working
properly again I will be guessing what went wrong (until it fails
again?).

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Paul, if the alt went bad, you should still run on the batt ok – ask me! If
the batt went bad, but not shorted, you should run ok on the alt – ask me 2!

Sounds like electrickery to me. I’d add checking the rear of the ignition
switch, which can kill you surprisingly – ask me!

What color are the plugs when this happens, next time?–
Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

Paul M. Novak wrote:

I had two problems this weekend with my 1984 XJ6 VdP, the first was an
intermittent loss of engine power and the second was an intermittent
loss of electrical power to the instrument panel gages. I was away from
home at the time, didn’t have the tools or a place to work on the car
and needed to continue to make some scheduled events. Since the car
kept running, I kept driving it until we both returned home safely
yesterday afternoon.

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Nice, Bill. I’m sort of looking forward to one of our BWs dying so I can get
a 5-speed!–
Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

drbill wrote:

Here are the pics of the console cover for the 5 speed. I took an
old cover, peeled off the already peeled wood veneer and closed the
back part of the opening by welding a steel patch there. An
upholstery shop covered it with black leather and made the boot.
Turned out well.

http://www.jag-lovers.org/v.htm?1191815742

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Alex,

Yes.  I replaced the ignition switch in 2001 when the car died

in LA with intermittent “cranks but doesn’t start” and “doesn’t crank”
symptoms. I had the car towed home and while trouble shooting I
discovered a major meltdown to my ignition switch had occurred causing
that problem. It was then that I removed all the alarm and the mobile
phone wiring that was spliced into the ignition switch when the original
owner (a doctor) had them installed. A new ignition switch fixed that
problem and I haven’t had a problem with cranking or starting since (6
years and 60K miles).
I will remove and disassemble the ignition switch for a good
inspection, cleaning and lubrication as a preventative measure. I can
also check the wiring back there since I did recently clean and
reinstall the ignition switch cover, the under scuttle panels and the
fuse box cover to clean up all the dust after the repaint. I suppose I
could have displaced something back there, but I doubt it.

I did stop and start the car a few times in the evening and

again in the morning when it was having the engine power loss and that
didn’t make any difference. I never stopped the car when the gages
started acting funny for fear that I wouldn’t make it home.

I once had the bearing in the alternator in my 1969 E-Type

freeze up on me and I had to cut the belt to stop the squealing. I
drove that car about 30 miles how without incident and without a working
alternator. I figured I would have tried the same thing if it was an
alternator problem this weekend.

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xj@jag-lovers.org [mailto:owner-xj@jag-lovers.org] On Behalf
Of Cannara
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 8:05 PM
To: xj@jag-lovers.org
Subject: Re: [xj] Engine and electrical strangeness, 1984 XJ6 VdP
{Scanned}

Paul, had you ever replaced/cleaned the ignition switch?

Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

Paul M. Novak wrote:

Carl,

It got me home, but I would have preferred a hard fault as it
would be easier to troubleshoot. Now that everything is working
properly again I will be guessing what went wrong (until it fails
again?).

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Paul M. Novak wrote:

When only the engine power loss was occurring the dashboard
voltmeter was reading about 13V, and the needle was in it’s normal
position straight up and down. All other gages were also reading
normal.

This indicates that only ignition failed, Paul - usual reason is loss of
power to coil, though failed amp or coil or pick-up or their specific
wires will do the same…

When the electrical power problem started, the needles all fell
to their power off state. They didn’t stay there for long just long
enough for me to recognize the problem and signal as I started to pull
over. Both times the speedometer and tachometer came back up again and
then all the other needles returned to normal.

Which is a more widespread electric fault - involving also ground
straps, battery clamps and mains connections…

But both faults meet in an iffy ignitionswitch - as others have
mentioned. Though there is nothing preventing you from having two
entirely separate faults…:slight_smile:

But the alternator is competely innocent…

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Alex,

Good point about the plugs.  I plan to carry a socket set,

multi-meter, a long screwdriver with a wooden handle, a mechanics
stethoscope and a bunch of other tools with me when I drive the car
again (I’ll be driving the XJ-S this week until I work this out).

That way if I lose engine power again I can listen to the fuel

injectors and test, remove and inspect the plugs to see if it was a
spark or fuel problem. I will also be carrying a spare resistor pack in
case that is what is what failed again. When that failed on me before
the front three plugs were wet looking and the rear three were nice and
tan. The spark plug color lead me to test the spark plug wires (there
was a good spark at all six plugs) and that lead me to listen to the
fuel injectors and discover the front three were not firing.

In the meantime I will be installing a new fuel filter,

inspecting the ignition switch and getting the battery tested as
preventative measures to see if there is anything wrong with them.

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xj@jag-lovers.org [mailto:owner-xj@jag-lovers.org] On Behalf
Of Cannara
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 8:23 PM
To: xj@jag-lovers.org
Subject: Re: [xj] Engine and electrical strangeness, 1984 XJ6 VdP
{Scanned}

Paul, if the alt went bad, you should still run on the batt ok – ask
me! If
the batt went bad, but not shorted, you should run ok on the alt – ask
me 2!

Sounds like electrickery to me. I’d add checking the rear of the
ignition
switch, which can kill you surprisingly – ask me!

What color are the plugs when this happens, next time?

Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

Paul M. Novak wrote:

I had two problems this weekend with my 1984 XJ6 VdP, the first was an
intermittent loss of engine power and the second was an intermittent
loss of electrical power to the instrument panel gages. I was away
from
home at the time, didn’t have the tools or a place to work on the car
and needed to continue to make some scheduled events. Since the car
kept running, I kept driving it until we both returned home safely
yesterday afternoon.

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Frank,

The engine power loss was only a partial power loss.  The idle

was a little lumpy, but not terribly so. However there was such a lack
of power that acceleration was very slow and holding speed while going
up a hill was impossible. Would a failed coil, amp or pick up cause a
partial power loss like this? I would expect a complete engine
shutdown, which never occurred. That’s why I was suspecting another
resistor pack problem like I recently had when three fuel injectors
stopping firing while the other three operated normally.

I still suspect the resistor pack or possibly the wiring.  I

will be removing the resistor pack, replacing it with another spare,
cleaning the pins and cleaning the female connector next weekend when
other parts arrive.

Thanks for the vote of confidence on my alternator, I was not

looking forward to removing and replacing that, although I do have 3 or
4 spare ones in my spare parts collection now.

I will also check all the ground straps, but I just removed,

cleaned, oiled and retightened all of them after I cleaned up the engine
bay after the repaint. I will of course do that again in order to make
sure I didn’t forget something.

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Andersen [mailto:franksue@xtra.co.nz]
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 9:02 PM
To: Paul M. Novak
Cc: xj@jag-lovers.org
Subject: Re: [xj] Engine and electrical strangeness, 1984 XJ6 VdP
{Scanned}

Paul M. Novak wrote:

When only the engine power loss was occurring the dashboard
voltmeter was reading about 13V, and the needle was in it’s normal
position straight up and down. All other gages were also reading
normal.

This indicates that only ignition failed, Paul - usual reason is loss of

power to coil, though failed amp or coil or pick-up or their specific
wires will do the same…

When the electrical power problem started, the needles all fell
to their power off state. They didn’t stay there for long just long
enough for me to recognize the problem and signal as I started to pull
over. Both times the speedometer and tachometer came back up again and
then all the other needles returned to normal.

Which is a more widespread electric fault - involving also ground
straps, battery clamps and mains connections…

But both faults meet in an iffy ignitionswitch - as others have
mentioned. Though there is nothing preventing you from having two
entirely separate faults…:slight_smile:

But the alternator is competely innocent…

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Paul M. Novak wrote:

Frank,

The engine power loss was only a partial power loss. The idle
was a little lumpy, but not terribly so. However there was such a lack
of power that acceleration was very slow and holding speed while going
up a hill was impossible. Would a failed coil, amp or pick up cause a
partial power loss like this? I would expect a complete engine
shutdown, which never occurred. That’s why I was suspecting another
resistor pack problem like I recently had when three fuel injectors
stopping firing while the other three operated normally.

A natural suspicion, Paul…

But the items mentioned may certainly fail partially causing power loss.
Even an iffy key connection may be involved in various ways - with a bad
or intermittant connection it may reduce coil current or even make the
main relay flutter, interfering with injection. Intermittent
possibilities are without count - you were right in that a permanent
fault is much to be preferred…:slight_smile:

Frank
xj6 85 Sov europe (UK/NZ)===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Paul, are you sure of the wiring in the harness for the injectors and the
R-pack? All those orange wires! Maybe you need an LED on each injector.
:]–
Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

Paul M. Novak wrote:

Frank,

The engine power loss was only a partial power loss. The idle
was a little lumpy, but not terribly so. However there was such a lack
of power that acceleration was very slow and holding speed while going
up a hill was impossible. Would a failed coil, amp or pick up cause a
partial power loss like this? I would expect a complete engine
shutdown, which never occurred. That’s why I was suspecting another
resistor pack problem like I recently had when three fuel injectors
stopping firing while the other three operated normally.

I still suspect the resistor pack or possibly the wiring. I
will be removing the resistor pack, replacing it with another spare,
cleaning the pins and cleaning the female connector next weekend when
other parts arrive.

Thanks for the vote of confidence on my alternator, I was not
looking forward to removing and replacing that, although I do have 3 or
4 spare ones in my spare parts collection now.

I will also check all the ground straps, but I just removed,
cleaned, oiled and retightened all of them after I cleaned up the engine
bay after the repaint. I will of course do that again in order to make
sure I didn’t forget something.

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Following Frank’s lead, have you unplugged & cleaned/replugged the big block
connectors at the rear of the water rail, and the one into the firewall behind
the battery? What about the main firewall power post beside the batt?–
Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

Frank Andersen wrote:

A natural suspicion, Paul…

But the items mentioned may certainly fail partially causing power loss.
Even an iffy key connection may be involved in various ways - with a bad
or intermittant connection it may reduce coil current or even make the
main relay flutter, interfering with injection. Intermittent
possibilities are without count - you were right in that a permanent
fault is much to be preferred…:slight_smile:

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

In reply to a message from Cannara sent Tue 9 Oct 2007:

I wish this site had emoticons to express my impression. Wow! is
the word. Real nice. Real Nice. Seeing that console in there, plus
the stick is like porno to an enthusiast like myself. If only the
option was more readily available here in the US, I would opt for
the experience of owning a Stick. Well done Sir!–
Dalton in LA, CA 1987 XJ6 base model
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

This is a follow up on to my recent post (see below) about some
electrical problems I had with my 1984 XJ6 VdP. Thanks for all the
helpful advice.

As some of you might remember I disassembled most everything on the
interior and exterior of this car for a repaint. In addition I replaced
the instrument panel and replaced it with a NOS OEM burlwood dash, I
removed and replaced all the seats and center console and treated and
dyed all the leather and vinyl. For all practical purposes the car now
looks brand new. But of course lots of things had to be taken apart and
put back together properly.

I was definitely in a rush to get the car ready for the concours season,
so it wasn’t surprising that a few gremlins popped up.

It looks like I fixed both my engine power loss and instrument panel
power problems from the original post.

I believe the engine power loss was either a bad power resistor

or bad connection to the power resistor. I believe I was only running
on three cylinders as only three fuel injectors were firing. I removed
all the wires from my old cracked plastic power resistor connector and
replaced it with a good one from my spare parts car. In the process I
cleaned up all the dirty and tarnished contacts, oiled them with
dielectric grease and replaced the power resistor with a spare one.

I believe that the instrument panel gage power problems were due

to my removal of an aftermarket “Headlights On Reminder Buzzer” that I
removed right prior to the concours to avoid questions if the buzzer
should go off during the Operation Verification test. I think I must
have loosened the fuse. I reinstalled the “Headlights On Reminder
Buzzer” and haven’t had a problem with the gages since.

Of course I also removed, cleaned, oiled and replaced the

battery cables, the main power terminal post and ground, the gage
grounds at the rear of the instrument panel and the grounds at the rear
of the coolant rail. I took the battery in to a local auto parts shop
and it checked out good. Any or all of them could have been at least
partially to blame.

I didn't suspect the ignition switch as I replaced that a few

years ago and upon visual inspection it didn’t appear to have any issue.

I have put on about 500 miles since fixing things and everything was
been working correctly.

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xj@jag-lovers.org [mailto:owner-xj@jag-lovers.org] On Behalf
Of Paul M. Novak
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 1:14 PM
To: xj@jag-lovers.org
Subject: [xj] Engine and electrical strangeness, 1984 XJ6 VdP {Scanned}

I had two problems this weekend with my 1984 XJ6 VdP, the first was an
intermittent loss of engine power and the second was an intermittent
loss of electrical power to the instrument panel gages. I was away from
home at the time, didn’t have the tools or a place to work on the car
and needed to continue to make some scheduled events. Since the car
kept running, I kept driving it until we both returned home safely
yesterday afternoon.

I first noticed that the engine wasn’t delivering normal power while
pulling out onto a main road after having driven about 60 miles. The
car was very sluggish and accelerated very slowly. It was as if the
car was running on only 3 cylinders. At the first traffic light I
noticed that the idle was a little lower than normal and a bit lumpy so
I pulled over and opened up the hood to inspect things while the engine
was running. The engine continued to run and all gages were reading OK
and I didn’t see anything wrong so I continued to drive it. The car
was very slow to accelerate, and I had trouble maintaining speed going
up hills. It was possible to attain and maintain highway speeds of 60
MPH if the road was flat. I experienced something like this before was
when the power resister had failed. In that case I verified that all
spark plugs were firing but only 3 fuel injectors were firing using my
mechanics stethoscope. Since I didn’t have the right tools or a spare
power resistor with me this time, I continued to drive the car hoping to
make it home. This didn’t appear to be a clogged catalytic converter
since it was evident at all engine speeds and not just a loss of power
when high power was demanded. I considered that it could possibly have
been a clogged fuel filter, but thought this unlikely as I replaced the
fuel filter in May after getting the car back from the paint shop.

While driving home with the continued engine power problem I then
noticed that my speedometer and tachometer went to zero and that all of
my instrument gages had lost power. I put on my emergency flasher
(which did work) to pull over, but by the time I had started to pull
over, the speedometer and tachometer came up and everything was reading
properly again. I drove for another few minutes until this happened
once more, so I pulled over and again left the engine running to see if
I could detect a problem. Nothing was evident, other that the slightly
lumpy idle. All connections appeared tight, no hoses were disconnected
and everything looked as it should even the gages again.

As I started the final 30 mile leg home, the engine power mysteriously
returned to normal and the gages all read normal all the way home.

I started up the car today and everything appears normal.

As precautionary actions I plan to:

  1. Remove and replace the fuel filter. I’ll cut the old one open to
    inspect for anything that might have caused restricted fuel flow but I
    don’t expect to find any problems or rust/debris. Both tanks have been
    professionally cleaned and sealed.
  2. Remove and replace the power resister with a spare one checking the
    connector for any problems and wires for breaks or corrosion
  3. Remove the battery and bring it in to a local shop for testing.
    It’s about 3 years old but remains strong and the engine always jumps
    immediately to life within a second when starting.
  4. Remove, clean, oil and replace the ground wires on the back of the
    coolant rail
  5. Remove, clean and replace the lower grounding strap between the
    engine and chassis.

Is it possible that these problems are related?

Should I suspect the alternator?

Any other suggestions?

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1957 MK VIII Saloon
1985 XJ6 Vanden Plas (parts)
Ramona, CA
@Paul_M_Novak1

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: http://www.jag-lovers.org/lists/search.html

To remove yourself from this list, go to http://www.jag-lovers.org/cgi-bin/majordomo.

// please trim quoted text to context only

In reply to a message from Paul M. Novak sent Sun 4 Nov 2007:

of course the 1984 is the best of all Series 3 years, as a few of
us know, (just kiddin’), so I’m not surprised you got it fixed.

I was going to install a Lights On Buzzer, but since I always take
second or third looks at the car, I guess I can be my own alarm.

But I wonder if the existing Put On Your Seatbelt Buzzer can be
used for a Don’t Leave The Headlights Switch On Buzzer, since I
never forget to strap my belt On, but I do forget to turn the light
switch off, when I use the driving lights during the day.

Otherwise, I’m not worried about what any car show judge might
think of modifications made to my Jags. If there was Big Money
involved it would be one thing, but for a $7.99 trophy?? I have a
collection of those from when I was a champion Bowler and I have no
idea what to do with them. Can’t sell them, nobody wants them. I
don’t care for more trophies or awards. Excess baggage.

Zurdo–
The original message included these comments:

electrical problems I had with my 1984 XJ6 VdP. Thanks for all the
helpful advice.
put back together properly.
cleaned up all the dirty and tarnished contacts, oiled them with
dielectric grease and replaced the power resistor with a spare one.
Of course I also removed, cleaned, oiled and replaced the
grounds at the rear of the instrument panel and the grounds at the rear
of the coolant rail. I took the battery in to a local auto parts shop
and it checked out good. Any or all of them could have been at least
years ago and upon visual inspection it didn’t appear to have any issue.
been working correctly.


1965 3.8 ‘S’ 1984 XJ-6
Florida, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only

Hey Zurdo, I’ll trade you bowling trophies! Here’s what you do with the
lights – turn them off! Lights on during the day is a good way to create the
situation when, at night, one or more will be out.
;]–
Alex
79xj6L SII (BRG + wires)
86xj6 SIII (Black)
61 Sprite MkII (Red)
Menlo Park, Calif.

zurdo wrote:

In reply to a message from Paul M. Novak sent Sun 4 Nov 2007:

of course the 1984 is the best of all Series 3 years, as a few of
us know, (just kiddin’), so I’m not surprised you got it fixed.

I was going to install a Lights On Buzzer, but since I always take
second or third looks at the car, I guess I can be my own alarm.

But I wonder if the existing Put On Your Seatbelt Buzzer can be
used for a Don’t Leave The Headlights Switch On Buzzer, since I
never forget to strap my belt On, but I do forget to turn the light
switch off, when I use the driving lights during the day.

Otherwise, I’m not worried about what any car show judge might
think of modifications made to my Jags. If there was Big Money
involved it would be one thing, but for a $7.99 trophy?? I have a
collection of those from when I was a champion Bowler and I have no
idea what to do with them. Can’t sell them, nobody wants them. I
don’t care for more trophies or awards. Excess baggage.

===================================================
The archives and FAQ will answer many queries on the XJ series…
FAQs: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xjlovers/xjfaq/index.html
Archives: Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers

To remove yourself from this list, go to Jag-lovers Forums - Jag-lovers.

// please trim quoted text to context only