i have a96 xj6 that i got a week ago. the guy that i bought it from told me he drove it in the garage last summer and when he tried to start it this winter it wont start. i bought the car thinking it was something simple. i noticed that the battery drains after a couple of cranks and then starts to click. i charged the battery up and put it back in the car overnight so i could alarm it. i took out the crank sensor which was very dirty prior to this and cleaned it good. the next morning i put the cps in and tried to start it again. it cranked really slow and wouldnt turn over and then the battery drains again and then the clicking. i noticed that the battery voltmeter read 9 volts instead of 12. i figure that something is draining the battery. everything works on the car including the alarm. i am not getting any codes but i am getting a check engine light. does this sounds like a bad battery or alternator? also, will a bad ignition coil cause the car not to start as well? also, i see the tachometer move slightly but not much as the battery is too weak to turn the engine fast enough. please help as i am running out of options, thanks, any advice would be so much appreciated.

 

Replace your battery before you try anything else. Sounds like your battery has enough juice to light up the dash but not enough cranking amps available to turn the car over. If the new battery doesn't work check for draws (easiest way on these older cars is just to pull fuses until the draw disappears...once it does the fuse you pulled will point you to the component(s) creating the draw on the battery. If there is no draw...check voltage drop at the starter...you likely have a corroded positive wire or ground going to the starter

 

thank you for the quick response. i will swap out the battery and see what happens. also, where is the starter located? and if the cps is very dirty and its cleaned good ,( especially at the magnet) will that save it most of the time or how will i know that i will need a new one? thanx again for your help.

 

I find that cleaning the cps usually does little if any good. They're easy to replace in our cars and only cost around 100 bucks through motorcarsltd (if I remember right). You can clean it if you want, but a little dirt or grime on it won't hurt it's performance. It was designed knowing it was going to be exposed to the elements since it sits on the side of the motor near the harmonic balancer (and not enclosed under a plastic timing cover like on vehicles with timing belts instead of timing chains like our cars).

The starter is located on the drivers side of the car near the upper part of the tranny bellhousing under the brake master cylinder. It's a bitch to change...you need to pull out the dipstick to allow for extra wiggle room, plus drop the lower tranny v-mount. Without dropping the tranny down slightly you will never get to the upper bolt on the starter. I've changed mine once and hope to NEVER have to do it again...and this was back when I was still working in a shop and had access to a lift. I can' t imagine doing it here in the driveway...it's possible, but my back would not thank me for it

 

wow, sounds really tough. i checked the fuel pump and it sounds good and the starter seems to be ok. i'm really hoping its the battery since i dont think its ever been changed in the life of the car. i dont think it has enough cca as it is snowing and very cold here in connecticut so i plan on getting a optima battery for her. thanx again, really helpul insight.

 

Hello again P4. Good to see ya over here. Once you get that battery changed, I am hoping you will be amazed by the difference.

A badly worn or old battery will not hold cranking charge/amps at all even after you have had it on charge all night. The more a battery is force charged in this way the quicker it will deteriorate.

Until you have put the new battery on there really is little point in trying to delve any deeper.

Looking forward to the good news.

 

You're creating more work for yourself. Stop checking anything else and get a good battery in there! Then report back...I am 99% certain you just have a toasted battery

And nothing I mentioned in my above post is hard, very easy basic checks. I'm ASE certified and worked as a mechanic for 5 years so maybe my wording is vague, but I'll walk you through step by step on anything else you may need to do. However, I def am betting my money you're going to replace your battery and be good to go. I just replaced my battery (original Jag battery as well), with a simple Duralast from autozone for $100 bucks...can't go wrong at that price with the warranty

 

thanx guys , i really appreciate this. i'm leaning towards the battery as well. i love this car and am so happy i found this forum. i'm trying to get it ready for the spring. i will replace the battery and keep you posted and thanx so much.

 

hello, i posted a similar thread last month and got some good advice. my car would crank but wouldnt turn over and it was suggested that i replace the battery. i since then replaced the battery and now it wont do anything at all. i noticed that my dome light wont come on but everything else in the car works. when the dead battery was in the car the dome light and everything in the car worked as well but it didnt have enough juice to turn the car over and then eventually it would just click, click, click. i dont know if it is the starter or a fuse thats blown. its just weird that i put a brand new battery in and it wont click or anything, not even a dome light. i also noticed that with the old battery in that i could also hear the chimes as i would have the key in the ignition but with this new battery i dont even get that. the voltmeter is reading 12 volts. could the starter be gone that quick? i havent touched the car since i was told to replace the battery, please help!!!

 

ok guys, i replaced the battery and then i got nothing at all, not even a click. what i did was locked the car and alarmed it and then i came back an hour later and opened the trunk and the alarm went off. i then disarmed the car with the remote and everything lit up again but brighter. i tried to start the car and the same thing again, it just cranks ( a little faster and stronger) but it still wont turn over. i'm leaning on the cps now as it might have to be replaced. i did clean it good but it still might be defective. i checked all fuses and they are fine. i also dont have any codes showing up either. is there anything else i should check that may be preventing the car from starting?? also, is there a way to bypass the cps to get it to start?? again, any help would be very appreciated, thanks again.

 

ok guys, problem solved!! it was the crank sensor. i got one and replaced the old one and she turned over on first crank!!, awesome sound!! also i have no codes at all which is great. i did however pop one of my belts, i think the one to the alternator but i drove her around the block anyway and she rides great, other than that all is well, thanks again to the people from this forum.

 

Thanks for the update on your issue
Glad, your problem was fixed and happy trouble free driving