Hi Scotty. I think that you are awesome for making all these videos about fixing cars. I want to thank you for teaching me so many different things over these past few years. So, here is my story - I finally got up enough guts to buy a car from the auction that needed engine work. I pulled the engine, got the cylinders honed and replaced the piston rings. I also learned how to set the timing and service the heads, and then I put it all back together and dropped it back in the car. I am pretty sure I hooked everything up correctly, but for some reason when I go to start it the starter clicks but does not do anything. I pulled the starter and tested it, and it works fine. I even took the starter apart and cleaned it up, bench tested again, and it works great. I put it back in and it still is doing the same thing. I hooked up the little wire that connects to the ignition, the alternator and the battery line, all the way it should be. I even disconnected the drive shaft from the transmission so the car would not potentially jump when I started it. Being that this is my first rebuild I am wondering if there might be something else I needed to do beforehand, that I am missing - Is there anything you might be able to tell me about a jaguar xj 2011 351 8 cylinder ford motor company engine that I am missing and need to know to get this thing started and running?
Thank you again for being an inspiration and for all the help, you are the best!
Please don't use your email as your screen name. It becomes public information and exposes you to scammers, identity thieves and hackers. You can change it under your settings in thr My Profile tab. Thanks.
Thanks Justin, I just changed it.
Scotty - just a little more information for you, when I turn the crankshaft clockwise with the starter removed, I see the flywheel turning. I definitely hooked up the torque converter to flywheel properly - (not an easy thing to do, but I got it done!). Is there a way to bypass the ecm and fire the engine? but I am not sure how to cut it off after that...
Why not do the same bench test you performed with the starter installed?
Use jumper cables directly from the battery. Negative cable to a starter mounting bolt and the Positive cable to the large B+ threaded stud on the starter solenoid.
Then just use a screwdriver or a short piece of wire and jump the threaded stud (with the Positive jumper wire clamped on it) with the S terminal (the one that the little wire from the ignition switch goes to). You did this when you bench tested it.
That will take the car wiring completely out of the equation.
((just make sure that you're in Park or Neutral so you don't get run over))
If the starter doesn't engage and spin then you either have a bad battery or a bad starter. Try a known good battery and repeat.
But if the starter does engage and spin with your existing battery then you have a wiring issue.
You'd want to check for voltage drop in the Ground, Power, and start switch wiring.
Here's a 5 page tutorial that covers testing the starter. You've done some of this already but in the middle pages it covers checking for voltage drop in the 3 legs of the circuit from the battery and ignition switch.
https://easyautodiagnostics.com/misc-index/starter-motor-on-car-tests-1
If you aren't familiar with voltage drop testing, watch this video first.
Hi jack62! Thank you for your help, I appreciate the time you took to respond! - I tried exactly what you said with another battery (I disconnected the car battery to the starter), it turned the engine for a second but then it stopped. I tried it again and the cables were getting really hot and I was afraid I was gonna fry something so I stopped. I think you are right about the wiring issue, I am trying to learn about now because jaguar has so many sensors that are communicating with other sensors and tracing all these is difficult. any suggestions that might ease the pain?
Hi again jack62, I just watched the video you posted. This has got to be it! This is guy who made this video is awesome and I want to thank you for showing me this - I should have remembered this from physics but application of what we learned is quite different - I will change the wires and see what happens! I will let you know when I am done! wow, the video explained everything and made so much sense, sincere and most gracious thank you again
First, try to turn the engine over using the harmonic balance and a long breaker bar to see if the engine isn't locked up. Next, if that's OK, make sure you load test the battery. If that's good, check to make sure the negative battery cable is cleanly and properly grounded.
Thanks Doc! I sure did, the battery was at 12.56 volts and I set the timing after the rebuild, so she is holding oil and coolant right now, I just wish I could start her up!
Are you sure this was a load test and not a static test?
The starter was not clicking, it clicked once, does that mean that the battery is bad? I thought if clicked consecutively that it meant it could not handle the load which means that the battery is bad.
Yes. If it clicks consistently, it means there is not enough power to turn the starter motor over, only enough to energize the solenoid. That's when a jump start works. A load test is a different animal. The battery may have a dead (shorted) cell and may be incapable of being fully charged.
Is there a question here somewhere?
i am just still wondering about getting my engine to run after all the work Ive done so far and I was hoping scotty could point me in the right direction is all.
There's an electrical problem somewhere. Check the battery's date of manufacture. If it's close to 5 years old, replace it. The engine not turning over with a starter means either you botched something and it's locking up, or the engine is free and the starter/battery are weak.
Turning a gear in open air vs an engine is way easier on the starter motor than having the engine load. Air and bearing resistance are nothing vs a 50 lbs crankshaft and pistons compressing air.
Turn the engine over an entire rotation by hand to make sure it's completely free.
Reading voltage with a voltmeter doesn't tell the whole story about a battery. My zero turn mower wouldn't turn over the other day, but it had 12.3 volts. It was low, but it should've weakly cranked. I charged it overnight to "full" and it still just buzzed. To @Doc's point, I tried jumping it with a diesel truck, it started, then, a week later, even a jump wouldn't kick it. I replaced the battery and it fired right up. An old, sulfated battery might read a decent voltage, but it won't deliver amperage to turn the motor over, hence the clicking.
Let's try again. What is the question? There are probably a dozen or so highly experienced and qualified people here to help you.
i am just still wondering about getting my engine to run after all the work Ive done so far and I was hoping scotty could point me in the right direction is all.
You got good answers to your previous question -
Did you try out their advice?
😆 🤣 