Car won't start

[YoungRestorer]

I left my beloved roxy (1997 xj6 manual) in the care of my parents for a month, and they didn't drive her once :angry:

I returned today, turned her on and she caught, then immediately died. The starter motor works alright, and engine seems to turn over, but won't catch. Anyone got any ideas for what it could be, or any checks I can do to narrow it down? After I had finished trying to start it, there was a nasty burny smell outside.

Help me!

Edited by YoungRestorer on Friday 14th November 23:41

[HaylingJag]

had this happen to my XJR TWR after a bit of a lay up, changed plugs, coil, dizzy cap etc, turned out to be the cam position sensor. Have heard this may recover with a warm up with a hairdryer though i didnt try!!

Darren

[Jaguar steve]

Crank position sensor is a likely suspect for sudden refusal to start. If it's ok you should see a slight flicker on the rev counter as you crank, if there's no movement at all then chance a are that's your problem. Trace the cable back from the sensor and disconnect. You should IIRC see a few ohms if it's good and open circuit if not.

[jeremyb]

How about checking the Inertial fuel cut off switch ?.
Roxy might have got 'bumped'. It'll be in the owners handbook, but probably in the foot well or the boot.

[YoungRestorer]

Thanks for the help chaps, I told my dad all of these things (being at uni myself) and he isn't mechanically minded, so he was about to call the AA. Then he thought he would try and start it again, and the last thing my mum saw of him was him driving it with purpose down my road... He didn't return for an hour!
Hopefully it was just moist spark plugs or something, and that regular useage will mean fewer problems in the future...

Does anyone know anything about the difference between a 3.2 and a 4.0 manual car in terms of performance and driving? And can anyone help me with a rough estimate for the going rate of an XJR manual? They never pop up and deals are normally done behind closed doors...