In the last two weeks I've had a series of electric fault issues with my 2004 S-type. Have 129,000 kilometres on the vehicle. Occasionally, the volume control on my steering wheel will work and seconds later it won't work... and then it will work again. Sometimes my window will not go up unless I hold the button down. Other times the window will rise with a touch of the button. The latest issues is that the radio turns off when I use a turn indicator. After a view seconds the radio comes back on. It's all very strange and I don't know where to start. I don't trust my dealer to give me a straight answer.

Thanks

 

Check your battery. Usually electric glitches are caused by a dieing battery so thats definitly a good place to start.

 

Battery is probably a good place to start, but your faults do not sound like the "normal" dead battery weird symptoms.

 

If you are still on the original, I'd definitely replace it. Have a replacement for the 05 awaiting installation as I type so as to (hopefully) avoid these and the more common electrical glitches....

 

I concur with the "replace your battery" sentiment, especially for a seven-year-old car....

Spend enough time here on the forum and you'll learn that as the factory batteries in these cars begin to fade away, it plays havoc with the electrical system in ways you would not expect. Random codes get thrown, things work sporadically or not at all, etc. Our 2005 model still possesses its factory battery with no issues yet, but I check the cells every month or two and keep the water levels where they should be. That seems to help prolong battery life, at least here in our relatively moderate climate....

 

I am having electrical issues as well. 2002 Stype 4.0 Though slightly different,
started when I was in FL for spring break, car had trouble starting and when it did start I would get random light errors however the lights would still be working. I took it to a mechanic in Daytona and he told me I had a loose connection and after that the errors went away however the car still had trouble starting until I got it home and put the battery in the charger.

Charged the battery and the car ran fine for about a day and a half. Started right up and my check engine light went off after I put back in the fully charged battery.

Went to start the car this morning and there was no response. The Alarm still clicked on and off via the remote and the trunk lid opened but that was it. My brother jump started me. I drove about 3 miles, to run errands, turned off the car and it was completley dead in seconds. No response from anything electrical.

When my brother jumped me I recieved a CAT error message, but it immidiatley went away. Then when i shut off the car, there was a Gearbox Fault error briefly, which is why I tried to immidiatley restart it. However, car runs just fine. Shifts fine, no odd engine noise, plenty of power. All regular maintnence has been done and the engine was out for repairs less then 2 months ago.

Is it possible I just need a new battery, car can jump then run. But thats it. I just drove the vehicle about 2600 miles round trip. There were no mechanical issues.

 

Yes
"..car can jump then run.. ".... big clue...

 

Just took the battery to Autozone, they tested it as a good battery, but I am going to replace it anyway.

If in the event the battery drains and dies and will not restart without a jump, is there anything immidiate I could try?

Im very paranoid. I have had so many odd little issues with this car. Most of them easily fixed, but it just seems like something new every other week. Without this forum I think I would have stabbed my eyes out.

If I didnt love the car it would have a 4 Sale sign it already.

But its still less maintenece then my SAAB required. 3 Turbos in 5 years. 1 new trans. But it survived to 220k miles.

 

It is very possibly the battery, I think it would do no harm to replace it if it is more than 2 or 3 years old.

 

Nice

 

Time there was a FAQ. AZ always seem to say the battery's good when it isn't. Don't ask AZ.

That would be the FAQ: Should I go to AutoZone to get my battery tested? NO.

 

Battery was bad. It charges on the charger to full but wont hold it.

Got a new Gold Top. Its fine now. Still had a connection to my driver side tail lamp coming loose. It feels snug when I re-fit it, but still keeps coming loose. The fastner is clicking properly, but it has some wiggle and the lights are grounding to the frame. Had to tape it. Seems to have fixed it.

I do a lot of business at auto zone. Did not know that had a rep for improper battery testing.

 

It may not be improper testing. Their machine just doesn't seem to detect a slightly weeking battery for some reason.

Many owners here have taken their batteries to AZ for testing and come back stating that it tested "good".

They ended up replacing the battery and problem(s) solved.

 

Probably tests older-type cars OK, but the new cars have many computer modules so the battery really matters a lot. AZ are going to need a tester that copes with that. Someone in authority could do with realising there's an issue to fix. (Some of the modern Lexus etc cars have 30+ computers.)

 

I've experianced this first hand with 2 GM cars also. One not so new. 92 Camaro I recently did some paint work on. It sat in a spare stall I had cause the owner didn't want to drive in the salt. So I went to start it and the battery had gone dead. Grabed my booster pack to fire it up. Guess what? It started but wouldn't run. Holding the throttle down it would keep running but very rough and you could smell raw fuel. Let up and it just died. Once the battery was fully charged, it ran perfect as before.

A 2007 Grand Prix I had acted much the same with a weak battery. Only it was spitting out erroneous codes about the EEC system and random missfires. So not just a Jag problem. Although the multitude of electronics in a cat obviously agravates the situation.