Hi. I'm a new owner of a 2001 XJ8. Sorry for a bit of a long post but it's an odd one and I want to try to give all the details.

I drove my car around one day and when I got home and turned it off, I got some weird flashing lights and blinking across all of the dash. After this, the car was fully dead and I couldn't start it again. I checked battery voltage and it was normal but I connected a battery charger and it showed the battery was low. I charged the battery and tried to start again and it was still completely dead (no lights or any power at all). I ended up trying some things and eventually did a ground bypass by connecting my battery to the body using cables, which immediately fixed the issue. Car had power and started up fine. But the next day, I undid the ground bypass and car was still working normally, even though the ground bypass was no longer in place. The next time I drove the car, I noticed that after about 10/15min with the AC on, I would start getting errors: ABS light comes on and also trac/asc not available. If I turn the AC off, the errors stay but will go away after a restart. I think this is what lead to my car dying originally as I did have the AC during that drive (and headlights on) and i believe I did get some warning lights, which I didnt notice/ignored. I've now confirmed that after about 10/15min with the AC, the same errors reappear. I've checked battery voltage while I have the errors and it's still fine. I'm pretty sure that if I keep driving with the AC on for longer, I'll get the same issue and the car will eventually die. Maybe the AC is draining the battery somehow?

Not sure what to do next, besides not use the AC! Any thoughts is appreciated!

 

You've posted in the wrong forum.
the X351 runs from 2010 - 2019.
2001 is an earlier generation and completely different configuration than the X351 XJ.

 

Hi Krizpi,

I have moved your post from the forum for the X351 to the forum for the X308, which is the Jaguar factory project code for your 2001 XJ8.

The first thing I would recommend you check is the accessory drive belt or serpentine belt to confirm that it is in place with good tension and is not glazed and slipping on the various pulleys.

The second thing I would do is to have your alternator tested. Many auto parts stores have analyzers that can test your battery and alternator.

The third thing you could check is the engine ground strap, between the vehicle body and one of the starter bolts. Oil contamination and corrosion often add considerable resistance to this critical ground path and cause poor battery charging and low voltage to many important electrical circuits.

An important thing to know about Jaguars is that, more than many other vehicles, they require strong, healthy batteries. If your battery's resting voltage is below 12.6 volts, or if its actual Cold Cranking Amps capacity is lower than its rated capacity, your Jaguar will have electrical gremlins.

Cheers,

Don