I started the car the other morning, and the yellow/amber light came on along with the skidding car symbol, and following message displayed in the mileage area. DSC NOT AVAILABLE, PARKBRAKE FAULT, TRAMSMISSION FAULT. It went off after restarting the vechile. The following day the vechile would not start, 30 minutes later it started just fine. After driving for 20 minutes, the same lights came back on and the vechile shut off and now the red light appeared with the engine symbol in red as well. I had the car towed home, and the following day the car started up just fine. Drove it and dropped it off at the dealership yesterday and now it won't start there either. What is going on my vechile that I just bought for my daughter one week ago?

 

Sounds like a failing battery issue! There are many posts about that.

 

Get the codes. Some auto parts stores will read them for you. Then post them here or go to www.CanOBD2.com and see what they mean. Watch out! Those warnings can lead to a P0121 code which means a wiring check should be done first and replace the Throttle Body (dealer money maker) as a last resort. If you read through the tech questions you'll see that a lot of folks got the Throttle Body replaced just to have the problem come back. I haven't run across a starting problem with TB problems and so the codes will be a big help. Since it is at the dealer, demand that they follow the Jag tech manual and go the the wiring checks first.

 

You can go through all the above, get charged the BIG bucks and waste alot of time. Replace the five year old battery and she'll be fine.

There are Jaguar specfic codes in the FAQ Section here in this forum.

 

Probably checking the battery would be a good place to start.
What does the dealer say?

 

Just hung up the phone with the dealer, and they CLAIM it was several wires that wasn't plugged in properly. They replugged everything back in the proper spots and it's running just fine. (so they say). They said they wanted to make sure nothing else pops back up so they would keep it overnight and drive it and keep it idled just to make sure everything stays in working order. I told them I would pick it up tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed and I'll be replacing the battery once I get it back. Thanks everyone for your assistance. )

 

Avoid anywhere like that. Some of the meanings will be wrong (yes, really, and it can cost you big bucks chasing the wrong thing). Be sure to use the proper jag data - which also gives the possible causes, as a bonus.

Quick example, P1582.

Note that the same number even with the same make can mean different things on different models and/or years and/or engine sizes. This DOES apply to jaguars.

 

The reason that I recommend www.CanOBD2.com is that you can put complete info in including your VIN number and get recall bulletins, find the plug location for code readings, code definitions and get how to help at the "Repair Solutions" feature.

 

i dunno...Rick is likely correct with the weak battery diagnosis. i'd have my doubts with the dealer and the "some plugs weren't plugged in", etc. How'd those plugs come loose/ They're clipped in.

 

All good - except for the codes. They'll never get that stuff right so should probably remove it as it'll cause endless grief, not to mention that the real jag data tells you the possible causes for your specific car.

It only seems to give a summary for a recall. Those are available all over the net. May as well use an official source

 

The dealership called and said when they were test driving it earlier, the transmission light came on, so it'll be Monday before the transmission tech can look at it. Ugh. I guess I'm glad it's doing all of this there instead of while I'm driving it. I'll keep you all posted on what's going on.

 

Before your dealer tells you the tranny is toasted, please do yourself a HUGE favor and report back prior to giving them the go ahead on mechanics, other than replacing the battery. BTW Auto Zone sells a good battery for $140.00 and change installed! Unless you have the Zone card then its $120.00 installed.

 

Psst....listen to Rick....you can tell he's making sense cause his lips are moving....

(I should go buy one of those for my wife's 05.... it's still on the orig. and I expect any day she'll be ringing me on the phone holding forth about all kinds of stuff that's wrong with her car....)

OK..just axt her if she had $150 to throw at her car....."What for?"
"Your battery is 6 yrs old...lotsa bad stuff gonna happen, light show, world ending, etc. etc..when it goes bad...mos' likely all reversible but why take the chance?"
"Can I do it next month?"
I cobbed a line from an old oil change commercial, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later..."

I bought an AutoZone battery a couple of years ago for my daughter's 03....it required a re-charge the following day...but there was plenty of time for a slow-charge whilst I R&R'd the alternator. It's been fine ever since.

Now reflecting, in the days leading up to the first no-start, it turned on headlights at odd times, spurious warnings/cautions come and go...if I'd only been smart enough to get to the forum then....

 

My wife's 2005 S-Type also has the original factory battery. No electrical gremlins yet. But I check those cells at least every couple of months (especially during the hot-weather months) and add water as required. I also keep the trunkwell where the battery lives squeaky-clean and dry, along with the terminal connections on the battery itself. I believe those maintenance actions have helped to prolong the life of our original battery. We'll see how long it goes before the well-publicized electrical gremlins start to show up....

 

Good point Jon!

I need to check connections and cells on my daughter's before she heads back to school. Absolutely ignored that over Christmas and on yesterday's spot-check! I don't know....I've generally treated batteries as set-n-forget...til they remind me something is wrong.

Don't remember that one on the list of common maintenance items thread

 

My battery was only 3 years old when it went bad. It was fairly new just before I got the car, so age is no indication of longevity. The dealer did give me a "discount" on the new one (from their higher prices).

 

True enough on one end, you can't say, "My battery < Xyrs old so I'm good!" On the other hand, I think once it exceeds Xyrs of service you are running on borrowed time and failure is in your future. That may be acceptable: if all travel close to home, relatively safe area, and someone normally readily available to come get you....go for it. But these S-types...AND my dsl Excursion are particulary fussy about weak batteries (if it helps, Ford recommends batt's always replaced in PAIRS on the diesels, even so maybe only one failed, so there is always someone with a rougher row to hoe) For all my rolling stock, I'd peg X=5-6 yrs. Could be different for others.

BTW - George! if you're looking....what kind of longevity do you get out of those Optima's? I considered them strongly back in the 80's for my CJ (kills any batt at 3 yrs due vibration, destroyed cell, shorted post) but at the time 5 x the cost of regular battery and I didn't imagine them lasting 15 yrs.

 

So I go to pick up the jag today, and they said everything was fixed. The reason why the check engine light came on was because they found and repaired a leaking manifold tuning valves. So I get the keys and go get into the car. Turn the key and NOTHING happens. Instead all the same lights come back on. DSC NOT AVAILABLE, PARKING BRAKE FAULT, TRANSMISSION FAULT.

After having a slight fit, the guy cuts the vechile off and turns it right back on and all is well. Everything is working perfectly fine. However I NOTICED ALL MY GAS WAS GONE AND NOW I'M ON E, but he drives it around the block a few times, cuts it off and back on, and evrything is in working order.

Like a dummy, I go ahead and take the car on home,......or so I thought. That's right, it cuts off on me on the same street as it did last time. Three blocks away from the last spot. As my daughter and I coast to the side of the street, I call the dealership and the guy sounds dumbfounded and tells me to tow the car back to the dealership. I told him I would see him at 8 in the morning.

Should I tell them about the info that GenDoraMike posted on Bodytech's post? to clean off the wires on the throttle? Ot should I let them figure it out. I don't have to come out of any out of pocket funds. It's all on them.

Any suggestions? Or how would I do this on my own?

 

Read the codes and let us know what you are getting. For instance if you have a P0121 code in means in most cases a loose connection and is often cleared by cleaning the TB plug and you are back in business. Tell us the codes and we will try to help and ask the dealership what codes they had. Your traction control could be a bad connection or dirt on one of the sensors. Take one thing at a time and get the codes. A weak battery will cause some strange things and should not be taken lightly. These cars do not do well with a weak battery. You have a team of people that want to help but need additional information.

 

This is what I found on my xk8 P0121 code http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepTB.htm your car is a 05 S-Type