I have been working on my roof last night and again this morning. I naturally had the doors open, as well as the hatchback. I got in and buttoned up everything to go and grab something at the store. I had a hell of a time starting the engine. It would crank, but wouldn't fire up. Once it did, it ran rough, and kept dying when I didn't have my foot on the gas. I made it to the store and back, same thing happened another couple of times.

Now for the coincidence part.

Last month, my family and I went down to the beach for the day, parking on the sand. We strung out a tarp between two XJs for shade. I had my doors open most of the day...and had the exact same problem when we got ready to go home. This XJ has never had any sort of issue other than an occasional water pump replacement.

What could be the common factor? And how would that effect starting and idling? The only thing that I could come up with was the wind was blowing through the open doors, and presumably the air system, for an extended period.

Please discuss.

 

Battery going south?

Mine would start hard ocaisionally (same symptoms you describe), especially if it had just rained, until I swapped in a new battery. No issues since.

Leaving the doors open for an extended period could be wearing the battery down a bit.

 

Don't think so, but I'll check. I kinda don't think that is it, I took ALL of the lights out last night when I removed my headliner, so nothing was on. I don't have courtesy lights under the dash either.

I might buy that at the beach, but not this time.

 

When you draw the power in your battery down it can wipe the computors learing curve out it then needs to relearn thus rough running and having to kept foot on gas or it will die out.

 

Hmmm...volatile memory in the computer? Didn't know that. I'll have to check my battery after it cools off a bit tonight. I just can't think of a good reason for it to discharge with no lights or anything else on last night.