yes its the factory battery

 

pops my factory Jaguar battery lasted 5 years 2 months.

 

I called and determined that this car has a boomerang hidden theft recovery device.
Has anybody any experience on where this might be hidden.
I am pretty good at finding non - stock things but....
Installer wants $70 to locate and remove - that is find, however means I have to get the car to them 10miles away, leave it during the day business hours etc and get back to pick it up.......more of the problem than the $70.

Pete

 

All you really want to know is where it's powered from, I reckon.

 

usual places for those a behind the driver or pass kick panels. Or hidden behind modules in the trunk.

 

I'm having this problem as well in my 2001 S-Type 3.0 - based on what I've read here, I'm hoping it's something simple like the ignition switch.

Heading out to a buddy's today to see if we can fix it. He's good with electrical and a real car buff. Rebuilt a Jensen-Healey engine in high school!

 

I have an opposite problem, the battery looses its charge after I drive the car for a 50 miles trip or so. I installed a voltage indicator in the center console power feed and it shows decreasing voltage as my trip goes on.
The Paramus NJ dealer, after charging me of course, said it is the alternator a $1.5K job!!! and my mechanic says the alternator is fine but it does not charge the battery, and of course this is the second New battery I installed, charges fine when on a charger and it checks out.
Does anyone know of a similar problem, could it be something in between the alternator and battery? Thanks

 

Yes this is NOT as good as a current recorder, but does give some indication of my declining battery voltage, not the crash after "12volts".
ALSO - this is an AC voltmeter on DC, so overall all the readings are slightly higher than 12Vdc (meter reading 13.8 or so on true 12V).
Peter

 

I expect it's much colder where you are than here (probably about 0 C in my garage as it's not much below zero outside) but after 4 days my STR voltage was 12.06 and I put it on charge "just in case". Two more days later after I stopped charging it, it's 12.40 and I've not bothered to put it on charge again yet. (It's not been started as too much snow.)

It's a 2yr old battery, vented lead-acid type.

 

Can the electrical portion of the ignition switch assembly be changed without removing the entire switch assembly?

 

Somebody above said 70mA being ok. But that's pretty high. I would expect after 40-45min it being some where around 30mA. There are 4 relays in the trunk box, that stay energized during the 40min window. Now if one of those is sticking, it will cause a drain. If the GEM or the REM modules, or any module for that matter wakes up, it will engergize those relays as well. There is a link leak that is placed in line to the FEM. An old TSB from back in the day, to address battery drain issues, I'm not saying that is the problem. A drain could be from anywhere. I have seen clusters cause drains on these cars, as well as A/C compressor relays cause drains too. S-types and older XJ 300's seem to be our most common models to have drains.

 

The 70mA reading after 40 min, over time will cause a drain, like if the car sits for a while.

 

days of sitting i mean.

 

Not very scientific, but the new electrical portion of the switch is in.
I have been opening the drivers door once a day to check if there is still battery power, and yes so far it appears to be holding. I am not driving the car now.
The elect portion can come out by removing the lower dash cover, the Drivers side air vent tube, and the bottom steering column cover. You can then reach to disconnect the wiring harness, and then press the locking tabs and get the separate the elect portion from the rest of the switch.
It is not easy, takes strong fingers, and contortions of the wrist, but I got it done.
Pete

 

Hi Pete
I read your post,
and i do think i might have similar problem with the electrical power drains.
and it was sugessted to check the ignition switch as well.
it seems that you this the repair yourself?
can i know where did you acquire the parts? i tried looking online, but mostly the ignition search show XK8 models or XJ.. but not S type R
( i own 05 STR)

thanks

 

I bought the switch at the dealer, it was about $75.00.
It was tough pinching the release clips with your fingers in a difficult place to get to, but after about an hour of wrist stretchs, scrapes, and finger pain I did get it apart.
You have to remove the bottom dash cover panel, and the bottom steering column cover panel, thats basically how I got enough room.
I took the radio out, but there is no usable access from there, only helps you see things, It was a guess at the time, but for anyone else now I would say doing that was no help.
I sent the old switch to GUS to investigate.
IF you are not driving the car, you might charge the battery, and just unplug the wiring harness and see if it still drains - just an idea. I bought a nice clipon DC ammeter, but it won't go over the battery lead in the back, will have to make a special wire for this to VERIFY that this has solved my problem. So far, it seams like it is fixed, but I havn't monitored the current draw from the battery to be 100% certian.

Good Luck
Peter

 

HI pete
by anychange you still have the part number for that ignition switch?

and from your last report.... you said....
IF you are not driving the car, you might charge the battery, and just unplug the wiring harness

can i know which wiring harness your talking about?

thanks

 

I'll get P/N its in the garage

Wire: The electrical portion of the Ig switch is what we are talking about, it has a rectangular connector with 4 or 5 wires, It is much easier to press its tab and pull off than the two tabs which hold elect switch assembly to the rest of the ignition switch.
It would be helpful to lookup and understand what circuits the wires are, and what they are doing to really judge if disconnecting it might prove that this is the cause of your battery drain.

Pete

 

I have not received the part yet and will but will post when I have it in hand.

 

I received the switch today and will post the results in about a day or two.