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Starting issues

JohnJohn

JohnJohn

Member #42
Location
Austin, Texas
Found the wife a beautiful used XJ today. 1989, 76k, automatic, 4.0L, cream outside with tan cloth, clean interior & body, new(tires, radiator, cap & rotor),did I mention it has a 44. :D all for $600

On to the problem:

Tried starting it, it won't turn over. Checked the wires, coil wire at cap was not snapped on. Tried starting again, same, won't turn over. Pulled dip stick and coil wire off the cap. Stuck dipstick inside the coild wire, and had friend start it, no spark. I was told the XJ was running great just 24hours ago, by someone not in any part of the sale.

Bad coil? what else could it be?

Thanks,
 
If i were you id buy it, take it home, and then figure out what was wrong with it. Tell the guy you'll give him $400 or $500 since it wont start. It could be the Neautral safty switch. My 87 has the same problem. It will start up fine one minuit and wont turn over the next.
 
yeah my bad i kinda skimmed over what you wrote in the beginning. The NSS is the first thing i would check though. My dad told me that there is an adjustment on it that you can turn and if it gets knocked off adjustment it wont start. The way i get my 87 started when its being gay is to hold the key in the start position and shift from park to neutral to park......untill it starts. It will take anywhere from 10 seconds to 5 min for it to work.
 
jeeppowermj said:
yeah my bad i kinda skimmed over what you wrote in the beginning. The NSS is the first thing i would check though. My dad told me that there is an adjustment on it that you can turn and if it gets knocked off adjustment it wont start. The way i get my 87 started when its being gay is to hold the key in the start position and shift from park to neutral to park......untill it starts. It will take anywhere from 10 seconds to 5 min for it to work.
Click to expand...

What about Reverse? Hold the key in start, run the shifter from Park through reverse to Neutral?

Thanks, JohnJohn
 
Yeah, theres no other way to go from park or neutral is there? Im only 17 so there might be an 18 and up secret that i dont know about. lol It wont do anything in reverse. Keep it in park for about 2-3 seconds and then go through reverse to neutral and keep it in neutral for 2-3 seconds and so on. Turn the key with your left hand and move the shifter with your right.
 
good find my friend. good deals are out there you just gotta be ready when they are there.
 
I must hate you now. I bought the same thing, 87, 4.0,AW4, D44, skids, etc. but mine is trashed inside and out, and I payed $1300! Grrrrrrrr.

Good luck, hope you get it running.
 
JnJ said:
I must hate you now. I bought the same thing, 87, 4.0,AW4, D44, skids, etc. but mine is trashed inside and out, and I payed $1300! Grrrrrrrr.

Good luck, hope you get it running.
Click to expand...

<snicker> When my buddy called me and said I have one for ya, I thought it was going to have everything trashed for the price he told me. This is the used car guy I got my old red '88 from, it too had under 80k, paid $1500 for that and it was a little cleaner than this one. Check the thread in the picture forum for some other updates.
 
JohnJohn said:
Found the wife a beautiful used XJ today. 1989, 76k, automatic, 4.0L, cream outside with tan cloth, clean interior & body, new(tires, radiator, cap & rotor),did I mention it has a 44. :D all for $600

On to the problem:

Tried starting it, it won't turn over. Checked the wires, coil wire at cap was not snapped on. Tried starting again, same, won't turn over. Pulled dip stick and coil wire off the cap. Stuck dipstick inside the coild wire, and had friend start it, no spark. I was told the XJ was running great just 24hours ago, by someone not in any part of the sale.

Bad coil? what else could it be?

Thanks,
Click to expand...


I thought you ment it wouldnt turn over like you said. I guess you ment start up.
 
I am confused.

Does the engine turn over, or not? "Turning over" means when you twist the key, the starter motor engages and the engine spins. "Firing" means it gets fuel, air and spark and sctually tries to start (maybe successfully, maybe not, but it at least kicks).

Your first post said it's not turning over, but later it sounds like it's turning over but not firing.

What's actually happening? If it turns over, the problem is not the NSS.
 
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