New fully charged battery, no power to car.
 

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this forum. Here is some background to my problem, I bought this 2001 x-type for my first car around three months ago, it has about 110000 kms (68000 ML). I have a new battery which I have charged fully at home before using, it's been working fine since I put it in about a month ago. Car was working fine yesterday during a 2 hour drive. Today I am getting no power at all to the car, no response from either of the car keys, no response in gauge cluster when turning the key. I have checked the battery and it looks fine still. More than 80% charged.

What should I check? Battery cables? Fuses? I have no idea where to start. Car is old, granted but is really fresh on the outside and inside as it hasn't been driven that much by the previous owners and mainly during the summer.

Please let me know if I should add anything or refer me to any older thread discussing this (I couldn't find any).

Any help is much appretiated! Been using this forum before for minor stuff and you lot seem really helpful. :)

Thanks in advance,
Arvid

Update:

I've checked all coloured small & large fuses both under the bonnet as well as under the steering wheel, none of which are blown, I haven't checked the big black/grey boxy fuses though since I don't know how to see whether they are busted or not..

Have you checked that the battery clamps are completely tight?

Hey Steve, thanks for your tip.

Yes, they are clean and more than tight enough. Must be something else.

Is the red alarm light by the shifter flashing?

When you open the door do any of the interior lights come on?

Have you tried to jump start the car? If so, what happens? Will the engine turn over, but not start or is there no sound at all.

Any recent work or modifications done to the car or a new amp or sound system installed?

How was the car running just before? Any lights on the dash?

If you turn the key to the second postion can you hear the fuel pump run a few seconds?

Maybe take the battery to one of the auto part store chains and have them load test the battery.

When you say looks fine, what actual voltage when the headlights are on?

Answers in bold.

Well.. as of now the headlights are never on, as the car doesn't get any electricity at all when turning the key.. :)

Try asking on UK forum.
https://www.jaguarforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

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Load testing is done by a fairly expensive unit for shops. It can be done in or out of car. Takes between 30-45 minutes. The crap ones at AutoZone, etc. Do not really test it properly. The unit fully charges the battery then does a pull down load test. It will show if battery is good, weak or bad, bad cell(s). Had my new battery (18 months) tested a couple of months ago because the battery light came on after working on light modifications all day. To my surprise and delight, my CCA was ~ 50 amps higher than the battery rating. The light apparently was caused by the lights drain on the battery and a weakening battery cable. It's done it 3 times now after working on lights a significant amount of hours.


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Thank you Dell for your explaination.

I just very much doubt the problem is with the battery as it registers completely fine with both my eletrical meter and measures fully charged with my car battery charger. Maybe one of the big Ford-labeled uncoloured fuses are simply burnt? Problem is I have no electrical knowledge and don't know how to check them. The transparent coloured ones I can see are fine through their plastic.

Simplest thing would be to try and jump start the car to see if there would be ANY change (clicking, faint lights, etc.). If there is then you know it is battery related. If nothing changes, then probably time to take it to the shop. Hard to believe it would be a fuse, because if it was a fuse that would cut power to the whole car like you describe then there would have been a major issue that would have manifested itself in a way that would have gotten your attention.

I understand, thanks for your answer.

Re my previous car a 98 Ford Mondeo /Contour, so from the same parents.
Over many months I had the same sort of problems, that very very rarely happened.
By looking at the wiring diagram I then carefully inspected a large square 50A fuse ( with a plastic window ) and found it had blown .
At first inspection it looked ok BUT had reconnected itself for 99% of the time. I could hardly believe my eyes.
I suspect the previous owner may have sold the car due unreliability.

The source is the battery.
Is it an acid battery or a modern optima......the optima must be on a constant charger on a modern car or all the relays drain it over time.
IMHO They are the worst unless your driving a 1955 chevy .
Second just put a test light across both posts. No light its dead.
If it sat for 6 weeks and optima, that's it.
Get an old fashioned battery. Then clean all contacts. If you have no lights , no dash, no door. It cant be anything else, unless a mouse ate the hot feed.
Good luck, the xtype is a simple car...…
report back.
GTJOEY1314
If you replace the battery and it works, they check voltage output from the alt. itcould be its not charging.....

Hey everyone, thanks for being so helpful and thank you for all your feedback. Brought my dad over earlier to help me look at the car. He said pretty much the same thing as gtjoey above - it has to be the battery. Basicly we went with his car to where I bought it (they are the same company that make those batteries) and they checked it out and as a surprise to myself it was a faulty battery and pretty much leaking power constantly even right after being charged. They refunded me with a new one and now everything works just like before.

Now this post feels like a big waste of time for both me and you but at least I (and hopefully someone else who may be reading this in the future) learned that factory fresh car batteries can be faulty. :)

Keep your receipts!

Peace :icon_pala:

Atta boy!
Now Enjoy that ride, just make sure the alternator is charging as well to make sure all is good.
But you should be set!
Drive on...…
GTJOEY1314

Hurray for dads. Grandads can be even more helpful at times.
So glad you fixed it. Asking the forum was not a waste of time really.

It is always best to start with the simplest things first. Glad you got it resolved.

Now, time to post the codes you are gettig from that check engine light. Probably something minor as well. Good luck with your car!