So it looks as if no one is immune from the dreaded Jag electric gremlins. It's bordering on creepy and it's almost as if the darn thing gives you a honeymoon period of about 3 months and then says ' Aha! You've not suffered a gremlin yet. Who the eff do you think you are. Let me throw this one at you for starters and we'll take it from there!!'

This is the 3rd gremlin in as many weeks. The first was a locked up CD player - simply went away. The next was a TPMS warning when nothing was wrong. Removal and replacement of the fuse from behind the back seat sorted that and now my third. They say it happens in threes!!

Here's what's going on. I started her up for the usual 12 mile commute and noticed the passenger air bag light stayed on and then once she was rolling the seat belt warning chime kicked in. Well, my belt was on and I looked to my right and I had no recollection of a passenger joining me but as far as the XK was concerned someone was sitting there. No I didn't have a laptop, grocery bag or other such lightweight device on the seat - just fresh air! The only way to stop it was to strap in my phantom passenger but the ' passenger air bag off' light stayed on. Still no joy when I stopped and re-started the car. I'll check it out again at lunch and no doubt the phantom will have moved on to the next unsuspecting XK owner. Look out those who have recently purchased an 07XK coupe the phantom is on its way to you.

Anyone experienced this and knows what's going on? I did a quick search of this forum and got no joy. Maybe I was not using the right words. I did find a guy on you tube who'd videoed the exact thing but no indication of a fix.

My guess is that it may have something to do with my battery not being 100% and a voltage drop causing a malfunction. I'm assuming the battery is not 100% (I'm no electrical engineer and have no battery meter) because when I did the repair the other weekend to the broken damper on the glove box the battery drained. No way that should happen with just the interior lights on. So I jumped it and all seemed good - but now the gremlins.

Steve

 

sjt, this could be related to your issue, though of course not 100% necessarily, especially given the battery issues you rightly mention. Note the VINs as I noted that yours is an 07.

cheers
Andrew
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
No.JTB00049/2007
21 June 2007 Circulate to:
' Jaguar
All rights reserved.
Service Manager Parts Manager Warranty Administrator Service Reception Technicians
Subject/Concern: Passenger Seat Occupancy Warnings Model:
The New XK - All with Occupant Classification Sensor (OCS) VIN Range: B09097-B20051 Markets: All
Section: 501-10 Summary When the passenger seat is empty, and the safety belt is unbuckled, intermittently the passenger seat PAD and the safety
belt reminder lamps are illuminated, and the safety belt reminder chime can be heard.
The fault condition is flagging the lamp only, the supplementary restraints system continues to function correctly in all other aspects.
Cause: The OCS software calibration.
Action: Should a customer express concern, install a new OCS service kit and re-calibrate the OCS. Follow the Service Instruction outlined below.
Parts Required Description Part Number Quantity OCS kit - RH 10 way C2P 16006 1 OCS kit - RH 16 way C2P 16007 1 OCS kit - LH 10 way C2P 16008 1 OCS kit - LH 16 way C2P 16009 1

 

Thanks great piece of research. I'll check the VIN numbers. As usual with these gremlins they're intermittent. Since my post all has been OK but I did have the outside temp sensor read 0*F for a while but that seems OK again.

 

I believe there is also another TSB relating to the temp reading. I'll try to dig it up for you.

 

My guess is that it may have something to do with my battery not being 100% and a voltage drop causing a malfunction. I'm assuming the battery is not 100% (I'm no electrical engineer and have no battery meter) because when I did the repair the other weekend to the broken damper on the glove box the battery drained. No way that should happen with just the interior lights on. So I jumped it and all seemed good - but now the gremlins.

Steve
[/QUOTE]

If your battery needed a jump after such a short period then it wasn't the time your spent doing the repair that caused the battery to drain too much. he battery most likely was not performing at peak efficiency before the repair.

It's easy to get the battery checked for free at an Autozone or Advance Auto or any other chain/auto parts store.

Good battery is very important in these cars with all the convenience features and advanced systems. Computers need stable and adequately regulated power.

 

The 0 degree F reading could relate to this TSB.

Cheers.

Andrew

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
This reissue replaces all previous versions. Please destroy all previous versions. Only refer to the electronic version of this TSB in GTR.
This bulletin supersedes TSB JTB00065/2007 dated 04 October 2007, which should either be destroyed or clearly marked to show it is no longer valid (e.g. with a line across the page). Only refer to the electronic version of this TSB in GTR.
reissue
No.JTB00065v2/2007 06 November 2007
Circulate to: Service Manager Parts Manager Warranty Administrator Service Reception Technicians
' Jaguar
All rights reserved.

Subject/Concern: Infotainment Update Model:
The New XK VIN Range: B00001-B15397 Markets: All
Section: 415-00 Summary The significant issues seen by customers are as follows:
1. Following a battery reset or software download the navigation screen displays in kilometres when the instrument cluster displays in miles.
2. Ambient temperature reading of 0"F at 59"F.
3. Customer inadvertently enters the touch screen calibration mode.
4. The vehicle powers down after one hour when not in use.
This version has been issued due to a change in the Summary and Service Instruction.
Cause: Software issues. Suggested Customer Concern Code - C20
The three modules affected (Front Control/Display Interface Module (high level display front), Infotainment Control Module and Audio Front Control Module) must be updated together. Do not mix old and new software versions. If any of the modules are replaced, the other modules need to be updated.
Action: Should a customer express concern, re-configure the infotainment system. Follow the Service Instruction outlined below.

 

My vote - ghosts.

 

Any one we know err Mr Lucas maybe?????

He's alive and well and riding shot gun in my 08.

Tom

 

From my experience, you should lock the doors using the electric door lock EVERY TIME you leave the car. If you fail to lock the doors, all sorts of electrical stuff that you thought you turned off when you killed the engine, actually stays "on" for some 25 minutes until the battery save circuit kicks in and shuts everything down. Add a few short trips without giving the alternator adequate time to charge and wa la, the famed electrical gremlins come to visit or worse, a dead battery.

I learned this the hard way. Living way out in the country the way I do, I never locked the doors when I got home. After months of dealing with gremlins, I finally put the XK on a amp meter and monitored the draw after I shut the engine down but did not lock the doors. I saw with my own eyes a 25 minute + draw significant enough to get my attention. I next experimented by again hooking up the meter and watched as I shut the engine down then pushed the door lock button. The car instantly went to sleep and the draw dropped to virtually zero.

No gremlins since.....

 

Interesting. I haven't had any issues but I certainly could lock my doors on the Jag when I get home. I guess it doesn't occur to me because we park our cars in a locked garage. One time a few years ago our garage doors were left open overnight and both my car and my husband's was "broken" into. I had sunglasses, radar detector and anything of value stolen from inside the vehicle, including my purse that I had forgotten in the car that evening!! I never leave my purse inside my car anymore but it certainly couldn't hurt to lock the car both from a safety perspective as well as from a gremlin perspective!!

 

Thanks everyone. I've been locking the car recently especially when I'm not using it during the week with the current weather. It definately starts easier and so far gremlin free.

 

I'm having the same problem, and we have the same model year XK.

 

PLEASE, PLEASE pay attention to this: the XK must be locked when not in use. If you leave it unlocked there are systems running for more than a half hour; if your battery is more than 3-4 years old and you do not use a battery minder (such as a CTEK) you WILL start to have random symptoms of electronic problems - there is nothing wrong with the electronics in the vast majority of cases - it is all due to low battery voltage ("low" determined by the needs of the electronic systems, not the starter motor). The symptoms can relate to random warning lights, the touch screen, the seat movement, the windows, the electric top etc. etc.....these are not Jaguar gremlins (check other high-end electronic-filled car sites for proof of this)...these are all battery issues in the modern-car context.
Lock the car; keep the battery at full voltage and you will have no problems.
See the photo of my car sleeping overnight...note the cord for the CTEK charger, permanently installed. It is a 20 second process to unplug it. If you park where there is no secure electrical power then making sure the battery is always fresh is a bit more of an issue. Short runs, heavy electrical demands (apart from the background systems), cold weather...all of these will shorten battery life and result in less-than-optimal voltage (even though the XK will run just fine). Modern batteries have a normal life of 4-5 years and the failure is almost always sudden. It will be fine when you park it and the next morning it will be dead. I have had that in several cars - that is how I learned to use a CTEK unit. Since using them, not a single problem (in fact, not a single problem with my XK!).