Got a SOS Low Functionally alert, and after searching the forum, found out about the odd little batteries involved. It was also mentioned in the thread about how sensitive to the main battery the car is. During the dealer inspection they noted a weak battery. I installed one of these last night:

Powertex BCI Group 49/H8 Lithium Lifepo4 60amp hrs , https://powertexbatteries.com/produc...guar~md_f-type

Which was their recommended battery for the car. I put it on a charger and charged to full strength. Started it up and drove it for about 15min. and it ran fine. This morning when I started it, everything was flashing like crazy and car ran poorly.

Any ideas?

 

Did the hazard light warning triangle light go off after ten minutes? If not that is the issue. You will need to disconnect the battery for a minute to correct the issue.

 

Two possible things. 1) the battery management system in these cars is fairly complex. Did you register the new battery to the car on installation? 2) you installed a lightweight lithium-iron battery. The stock battery is a 12V lead acid AGM type. I have no idea what the battery management system expects for charge/discharge curves, but that might also be an issue. And, it could be #1 and #2 combined that's confusing the system. I'd start with registering the new battery in the BMS. You said you charged the battery before install, that's good. Was the old battery also fully charged when removed? If not, that could cause the BMS to have some hiccups possibly.

 

First, and I hope this is it, could just be the battery is not holding a charge. Many basic things can cause this. Now, my saga.

I had this exact problem with my 2016 F-Type. I was driving and all of a sudden more warning lights (including the SOS one) then I knew even existed. It also showed "Limp Mode" or something like that. I got the car home and called a local, non-dealer, shop that I had dealt with in the past. He said it may be a battery problem but that based on what I was telling him, I needed to charge the car overnight and bring it in the next day. I already had a C-Tek charger. The car was maybe 3 years old with no prior issues and was used a few times a week so wasn't like it sat for months.

The next day the car seemed fine but I took it to the shop. He said he was seeing so many codes, I needed to get it to the dealer. On the way (about 15 miles) the lights came on again. I was able to get it to the dealer.

I paid a $300 diagnoses fee. The next day they tried to charge me to re-charge the battery saying it was too low for them to start working on the car. I explained I paid for them to diagnose it already and they needed to do whatever it took to do that.

So, car was at dealer for 6 weeks. They needed to work with Jaguar HQ (or whoever they call for mysteries). A few times they told me they "thought" they had resolved the issue only to find out after test driving, it was still there. They tore the car apart and eventually narrowed down the issue. Not using proper terms here so forgive me. But, they said there are a clump of wires that run from the front to the back of the car with 3 (I think) connection plugs. Front and back seemed fine but the middle had a frayed wire. In the course of all this, the connected and reconnected the wires and the problem never reappeared.

They think that as I drove and the car flexed, it may have caused the problem with that wire. Car in shop for 6 weeks (2nd time) and lord knows what the bill could have been. Decided to sell it about 6 months later. Said never again will I buy a car so sensitive with the only dealer not able to fix it for 6 weeks. 4 months later, bought a 2020 CPO. Love the car but hate the potential for a large repair bill. Moral is, sell it while it's still under warranty.

Gave you the long story but best of luck.

 

Can you measure its voltage?

I’ve not measured the charging voltage my car produces, but I’m skeptical it would be this high.

 

The first thing I'd check is the battery terminal connections. Just because the nut on the pinch bolt is tight does not mean the clamp is tight. Expose the battery and see if you can move the cables on the posts. That was the problem the only time I had symptoms like those.

 

You may also want to check the alternator to make sure it's (re)-charging the battery. A year ago I would get an intermittant low battery notification 2-3 times a month and then while on a trip all hell broke loose and the christmas tree blew up the dash. Had it enclosed trailered to the dealership a hundred miles away and the alternator was bad.......fortunately it was still under factory warranty and Jaguar's roadservice so it was brought back home at no cost to me.

 

I drove it for probably 10min and everything was flashing on and off, not just the hazard light. Even the windshield wipers jumped a little.

 

Thanks for the tips/suggestions. I did not 'register' the battery to the car, as I read that unless you wanted the start/stop working (I don 't) you did not need to have the dealer do anything. What I read in the threads was it was plug and play.

I've been driving the car for a month with no issues around the alternator not charging the battery. What I don't know is this is a battery issue, or related to the SOS low functionally issue.

 

I've got a litle voltmeter that plugs into my 12V dash socket and when running I've seen 14.7V when the alternator is doing its thing.

 

I need to clarify. The triangle should go out 10 minutes after the car is parked and turned off. If it does not the battery is being drained and you will need to disconnect one of the battery cables for a minute to correct the issue.

 

That has nothing to do with the start/stop. On your year, the start/stop has a connector near the battery. If it is plugged in, it works. If it isn't, it's disabled.

 

Also note, there's a second, small rechargeable battery in the cubby between the seats. This is for the built-in cell phone to call back (SOS service). My understanding is that the message "limited SOS functionality" is often this small battery needing replaced. There's a thread here with pics and the procedure, FYI.

 

Ok, first thanks guys with help debugging! I knew there was fuse somewhere about the start/stop but did not know where, so now I know its in the battery area. Just as an FYI, it does not function now. I did find the thread about the SOS battery between the seats. In reading that thread, it said the main battery could be a part of the issue, and as stated, I already had a weak battery. So I was hoping replacing that would resolve the SOS error. Then the flashy thing happened.

Now things have taken a turn. Got home tonight, checked all the connections were tight, it fired right up and I let it idle for 10min, no flashing dash. Drove it around for 10min, no flashing dash, came back home and let it idle for another 5min, no flashing dash. So...mmmm?

I'll drive it to work tomorrow, see if I make it.

 

GREAT that the symptoms went away...but remember, IDLING won't help that much to recharge your battery.

Give the F a good run of at least 30 minutes! It's a tough job, but SOMEBODY has to do it.



Low voltage creates all kind of warning lights on today's cars as the systems reset. Its not just Jaguars.

 

I took my son to school this morning in the Jag and it ran fine, it's only a 10min trip. It's raining so I'm not driving the Jag into work today, but next opportunity I'll thrash it on some back roads.
I certainly understand about the electronics on modern cars, I bought my M car with only 5600 miles on it and the GPS/maps/windshield wipers kept malfunctioning. Replaced a rear turn signal bulb that was out and all malfunctions stopped? Weird.

 

If you're routinely taking short 10-minute trips, this can definitely cause low battery states. An alternator needs at least twice that time to truly start charging above and beyond what was 'consumed' in starting the car, so you're not even getting back to the charge level before you started it. Plus, you're not really getting the oil and other fluids up to true operating temperature which can create condensation/corrosion issues in several components.

Like CarBuff said, it's a tough job but driving it like it was meant to be driven for a good 30+ minutes is just what the doctor order. But even then, I'd have it on a tender if it wasn't being used.

 

That's not typical, I just have been dropping my son at school recently, and then come back home before I leave for work. My cars are not garage queens. I've been driving the Jag back and forth to work several times a week, its a 30min drive. I have favorite back roads, so sometimes my 'errands' take a little longer and may involve triple digit speeds . I also will be autocrossing it when the season starts, I typically visit the drag strip a couple times a year, and yes I own a Dragy...

 

Thought I would bring some closure to this thread. I've not had any further flashing dash issues, the SOS low functionality error has not returned so far, no low battery warnings. The jag just sat in the unheated garage for 4 cold days, and it fired right up tonight.

 

Still using the lithium ion battery? Any issues since last February? Thanks in advance.