My XK8 has been in storage for 5 months to the day, started it up this morning, no problem, started right up. I left it in the garage, trunk lid half open, just in case the battery went dead, did not lock the doors. To my surprise, it stated right up and purred like the kitten it is. Now if the salt and snow would go away, I'll be cruzin soon !!

 

I assume you had your battery on a trickle charger of some kind?

 

I'm in Rhode Island and I don't see the end any time soon. It's snowing again now on top of the 39 plus inches we got. I'm pretty sure you got more.

 

No trickle charger, just left the doors unlocked, trunk partially open and in a garage without heat.
Snow here is up to 109 inches so far since Jan. 1st. 5 more inches last nite. I will not be cruzin any time soon.

 

The XK8 nearly completely powers itself down after 28 days, so most of the drain on the battery after the initial month is just battery self-discharge. If you have a healthy battery it would be fine, though these long cycles take a toll on the longevity a standard lead-acid battery. An AGM battery would likely fare better in the long run with the winters off.

 

Here in the (all original) Hampshire we had 1/2" of snow last year, That shut the County down. By the time it got to 3" even the gritters couldn't get out of the yards, so we shut the borders, closed the curtains and went back to bed! At 6" UK inc. closed down altogether.

Now - 109"!!! You are kidding me? We haven't got mountains that high! If it's true, I'd start building something that floats before it all thaws out!

By the way - I've always wondered why gritters grit from the back. Surely they should grit from the front - so the gritter can run on the ice?

 

It's true:
The Boston Globe reported that the city had received 2 inches of snow by 2 a.m. Monday, when the heaviest part of the storm had passed. That brought the snowfall total to 104 inches, 3.6 short of the 107.6 that fell in the winter of 1995-96. Forecasters called for more snow to fall beginning Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday and possibly Thursday.

 

It's true:
The Boston Globe reported that the city had received 2 inches of snow by 2 a.m. Monday, when the heaviest part of the storm had passed. That brought the snowfall total to 104 inches, 3.6 short of the 107.6 that fell in the winter of 1995-96. Forecasters called for more snow to fall beginning Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday and possibly Thursday.

 

Well, in a earlier post I had said that my XK8 started right up after a couple of months in storage, well, I tried to start it this week end and nothing ! Dead.
So, my question is: Is it ok to call AAA and have them jump start it ? Do they know the gremlins that exsist in an XK8's electrical system ? What would you do ?

 

Jump starting might get it running but it won't get a full charge onto the existing battery. See if you can borrow someones battery charger and let it charge overnight (keep neg cable removed from battery while doing this) then perform reset next day (neg cable to pos term for 10 secs) then reconnect, reset you windows (doors closed, down button till click/up button till click both sides) and give her a go.

 

...and if the problem recurs, replace your battery. In the winter either keep it on a battery maintainer or switch to an AGM battery. As I said in post #5, standard lead-acid batteries do not take well to deep cycling over the winter.

 

Thanks for the info,if I do buy a new AGM battery, which I intend to do, will I still have to reset windows (doors closed, down button till click/up button till click both sides)

Thanks for any help

 

Anytime you disconnect the battery, or it gets weak, you need to reset the windows afterwards.

 

I purchased a solar battery tender for my '99 XK8 which gives the battery a little hello during sunny days.

I am fortunate to have a window close enough to the trunk.
Purchased at Harbor Freight for $ 14. Well worth it.

I also own a portable battery jump box. I connect the jump box to my battery cables before I remove cables from the battery when you disconnect for any reason. SOP . Helps prevent computers, windows, etc from going crazy.

 

I plan on calling my roadside assistance which is Triple A (AAA) to jump start my XK8 so that I can drive to Auto Zone an buy a new battery. My question is: Does AAA know how to correctly jump start a Jag XK8? Anyone had previous experiences with AAA?

Thanks for all your help !

 

There is always a certain level of risk when you have a stranger jump-start a car with complex electronics. Experience levels vary widely among all personnel, including AAA. Proceed with caution, and ensure that he follows the jump-starting process exactly as spelled out in your owners manual....

 

Since my XK can open its trunk with a completely dead battery by the keyswitch, I just pull the battery in the winter. You can't have acid ruin your paint if it's nowhere near it! I've worked on enough cars and motorcycles with corroded battery trays (not just from water!, acid damage) that combined with me throwing a tender on it, I just pull the battery in the fall and not worry. I know todays batteries aren't like those of old, but you can't fault my paint damage logic!

 

Update, my 2001 XK8 just taken out of storage. Battery was dead as a door nail,
bought a new AC Delco battery and installed it. Started right up, re-programmed the windows and off I went. But.............. The Restricted Performance light and Engine lights came on. So, I dropped it off at my mechanic and will know the cause and issues later today. Will advise

 

Just got the bad news, needs a full tune-up, points, coils, filters etc;
should be about $1500.00 - OUCH !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Perhaps you should get another opinion.

A. These cars do not need 'tune-up' in the conventional sense.

B. The car does not have points.

C. It is rare for more than a single coil to fail.