Hi Guys.

Battery light came on the dash and eventually the car cut out with the usual warning messages etc that happen when the battery dies.

Re-charged the battery and the car starts fine for a while, then dies again. I can also hear a whine from the engine that wasn't there before, so i suspect the Alternator has died.

I've done a bit of reading and it seems to be a bugger of a job to replace, does anyone have any experience to confirm this?

I'm quite handy under the bonnet but if it's a tough job I might have to bite the bullet and get a mobile mechanic out.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Edit ** It's the 2.7 diesel**

Thanks
Neil

 

Bogeyman

Can't help help you out in the replacement difficulty. You did state V8 or V6 or possibly a diesel. Different engines have more or less working room.

I recommend to you to either rebuild your current or purchase an OEM alternator. After markets do not play well in our vehicles.

 

I'd suggest some basic troubleshooting before replacing the alternator.

For any electrical troubleshooting, always start with a fully charged battery, so connect a charger overnight before doing anything else.

At the rear power distribution box, check fuse F30.

With the battery fully charged, disconnect the charger and put a voltmeter on the battery terminals. You should see approximately 12.6VDC with the engine off. Now start the engine, and if the alternator is charging properly, you should see an increase to approximately 13.5VDC.

If no increase, check the voltage directly at the alternator. Shut the engine off for safety as you connect the leads. Put the meter's red lead on the big insulated terminal. Put the black lead on the alternator case. Then start the engine and look for approximately 13.5VDC. Normal voltage here but not at the battery indicates a wiring problem between the two.

If you're only seeing approximately 12.6VDC at the alternator, then it is not charging. Make sure all electrical connections are clean and secure before condemning the alternator itself.

Also make sure the drive belt tension is correct. A slipping belt can mimic a dead alternator, so look into that. You mentioned a new whine from under the hood, which could be a slipping belt.

If the alternator needs to be replaced, look for an OEM replacement. As previously mentioned, aftermarket units don't work well in a Jaguar. They charge okay, but the electronics don't properly talk with the rest of the car and the battery light will always be illuminated.

 

Thanks very much Karl, just what I needed.

 

Neil, you may also want to post your enquiry on the UK forum as most of the members on this forum are from North America where Jaguar didn't offer a diesel variant of the X200.

 

Ok, thank you.

 

You're welcome.

One more thing: If the alternator is bad, consider having it rebuilt instead of trying to find a replacement. That way, you get to keep the Jaguar-specific internal electronics that will communicate properly with the rest of the car. Many times, the only fault with an alternator is the brushes have worn out, and that's an easy fix.

If you can't find a local rebuilder, supposedly you can swap over the control module to the new aftermarket unit, but I'm not positive about this.

 

Or obtain one from a breaker that formerly resided on a 2.7L diesel...giving you some time to have yours refurbished. Whatever you do....don't buy an aftermarket alt. and surrender your OEM one for a core! Pay the core charge, keep your alternator and swap the control module as Karl mentioned, or have yours rebuilt. An aftermarket alt will charge just fine and you can drive the car...but you'll have a constant Batt light.