Charging System Fault
#1
10-25-2018, 06:25 PM
Charging System Fault
So I've had the car three weeks and the first gremlin appears. Today driving home from work the display said CHARGING SYSTEM FAULT accompanied by a red battery and a red exclamation point in a triangle on the screen. I got the car home OK and called the dealership where I'll drop it off tomorrow morning. Has anyone else had this error? The car is a 2016 XF Prestige with about 26,800 miles on it. I'm assuming it's the battery or alternator?
EKinSC
EKinSC
#2
10-25-2018, 10:35 PM
#3
10-26-2018, 05:40 AM
Yes the belts looked OK. I headed to the dealership this morning from my house a 28 mile drive. The charge fault light came on almost immediately. I left the climate control and radio off but had to have headlights. I was headed down I85 and started getting other faults like ABS, dipped headlights, traction control, etc. I headed off the interstate and made it to a grocery store parking light as a gearbox failure warning appeared and I lost power steering. The car died and is stuck in drive. I called Jaguar roadside assistance and they are sending a flatbed to tow me to the dealership (9 miles - almost made it). We will see what the dealership says. I'll post an update when I hear from them.
it's been probably ten years since I've been stranded in a car (That was my X-Type). I'm sure a lot calmer about it. I guess getting old does the to you!
EKinSC
it's been probably ten years since I've been stranded in a car (That was my X-Type). I'm sure a lot calmer about it. I guess getting old does the to you!
EKinSC
#4
10-26-2018, 10:33 AM
#5
10-26-2018, 10:45 AM
The car did sit at the dealer about six weeks before I bought it.
Got to the dealership but it was an adventure. First the tow driver couldn't get the tow hook in the bumper. We called the dealership and they said it was a left thread so it threads in the opposite way you'd expect. The dealer said it was ok to drag the car. The tow driver didn't want to and spent about 45 minutes getting it loaded. He did drag it a couple feet but he moved the truck several times to get under the car. I gave him a nice tip for all his extra work in the rain.
At the dealership a mechanic showed us where the transmission and brake release lever under the hood is. I had googled it but never found it. It's really easy so I'm going to post a picture of it in a new thread in case anyone else is stranded and needs the car in neutral.
The dealer gave me a new range rover as a loaner and im just waiting to hear back what it is.
EKinSC
Got to the dealership but it was an adventure. First the tow driver couldn't get the tow hook in the bumper. We called the dealership and they said it was a left thread so it threads in the opposite way you'd expect. The dealer said it was ok to drag the car. The tow driver didn't want to and spent about 45 minutes getting it loaded. He did drag it a couple feet but he moved the truck several times to get under the car. I gave him a nice tip for all his extra work in the rain.
At the dealership a mechanic showed us where the transmission and brake release lever under the hood is. I had googled it but never found it. It's really easy so I'm going to post a picture of it in a new thread in case anyone else is stranded and needs the car in neutral.
The dealer gave me a new range rover as a loaner and im just waiting to hear back what it is.
EKinSC
#6
10-26-2018, 11:24 AM
Just transmission release. If it's in park and the battery is dead you need to jump it to release the p brake as well. What you went through is what I dreaded happening after not finding anything in the owner's manual so I started asking questions. Didn't know about the LH thread and am surprised the tow truck person couldn't figure it out. Print this out and keep it in the car:
https://aaacampus.aaa.biz/wp-content...F%20QRG%20.pdf
https://aaacampus.aaa.biz/wp-content...F%20QRG%20.pdf
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MeatBag (10-23-2021)
#7
10-26-2018, 11:28 AM
Yes the tow driver said he had never seen a left thread hook before. I tried it too and didn't even think of that! We are able to start the car with a jump to release the brake but the rotary knob wouldn't turn from park.
Thank you for the pdf I'll definitely add it to the owners packet.
EKinSC
Thank you for the pdf I'll definitely add it to the owners packet.
EKinSC
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#8
10-26-2018, 06:40 PM
Got the car back and it's safely home now. They said the battery was completely dead (7 volts) and wouldn't hold a charge. Total bill was a bit over $300 for a new battery with the checks and everything. Everything worked fine on the drive home so I'm happy. The service at the dealership was very good and they were very attentive.
EKinSC
EKinSC
#9
10-26-2018, 07:02 PM
#10
10-26-2018, 07:16 PM
It's a 2016 with about 28k miles on it and I bought it at a different dealership in another state so I understand being charged for it. If I'd bought it at that dealership I'd have asked for them to cover it. Unfortunately the battery and other normal wear items aren't covered by the warranty so I'm stuck with it.
EKinSC
EKinSC
#11
10-26-2018, 07:28 PM
I think you will be very happy with your purchase.
#12
10-26-2018, 10:19 PM
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#14
10-28-2018, 05:50 PM
#15
10-28-2018, 08:47 PM
Symptoms of parasitic electricity draw when motor is off. Hard to pinpoint if that's the case. Warranty. I'd check about the battery under warranty as suggested.
#16
10-28-2018, 09:17 PM
I had driven it about 30 minutes tonight when the light came on. I headed to the dealership with my friend following me in my other car. Like Friday I didn’t make it. I ended up making it to a Walmart parking lot before everything died. Same symptoms with the charging system fault and battery light first followed right before shutdown by all kinds of other errors. A tow truck flatbeded the car to the dealership and I’ll call them in the morning.
im not sure what to think. It’s a brand new battery and it made it less than two hours driving time. If it is a parasitic drain when the car is off why did it just start? The car was driven to me from out of state when I bought it and I drove it regularly for three weeks without problem before the first charging system light last Thursday night. I’m thinking it’s the alternator and/or the belt. Both were looked at Friday and were OK according to the dealership but those are the two options I see. We will see what they say tomorrow. I hope they have an answer for me.
I did did find a warranty book online and it did note batteries are excluded from the warranty but should have their own warranty. I’m still going to ask about that too.
EKinSC
im not sure what to think. It’s a brand new battery and it made it less than two hours driving time. If it is a parasitic drain when the car is off why did it just start? The car was driven to me from out of state when I bought it and I drove it regularly for three weeks without problem before the first charging system light last Thursday night. I’m thinking it’s the alternator and/or the belt. Both were looked at Friday and were OK according to the dealership but those are the two options I see. We will see what they say tomorrow. I hope they have an answer for me.
I did did find a warranty book online and it did note batteries are excluded from the warranty but should have their own warranty. I’m still going to ask about that too.
EKinSC
#17
10-28-2018, 09:46 PM
#18
10-29-2018, 07:57 AM
That is true it could happen. I called the dealer this morning and the advisor apologized for the car not making it thru the weekend. He said it takes a pretty major system to drain a battery in an hour. He said it could be a sensor causing something to run or a wiring harness type issue. He said they would get it going and have a technician drive it a few cycles overnight to see what happens so they can fix it before giving it back to me.
EKinSC
EKinSC
#19
10-29-2018, 11:10 AM
If I were you I'd do some checking once you get the car back to make sure it's solved and give you some piece of mind. Easy to do, you need a DVM. A quick battery health check is possible just by reading across the battery after the car is off and no electrical equipment used for at least 1/2 hour (this part very important, even opening the door or even touching the handle causes a draw), Pop the hood when you stop then wait and take a reading off the jumper terminals. Take a reading at night then in the morning before starting the car and it should be down only about 30mV. This won't tell you if there's enough amperage available to start the car but it will give you a quick battery health check. If the quick check shows >25% and it won't turn over then the battery is bad.
12.68 V.........100%
12.45 V............75%
12.24 V............50%
12.06 V............25%
11.89 V..............0
12.68 V.........100%
12.45 V............75%
12.24 V............50%
12.06 V............25%
11.89 V..............0
#20
10-29-2018, 11:24 AM
If I were you I'd do some checking once you get the car back to make sure it's solved and give you some piece of mind. Easy to do, you need a DVM. A quick battery health check is possible just by reading across the battery after the car is off and no electrical equipment used for at least 1/2 hour (this part very important, even opening the door or even touching the handle causes a draw), Pop the hood when you stop then wait and take a reading off the jumper terminals. Take a reading at night then in the morning before starting the car and it should be down only about 30mV. This won't tell you if there's enough amperage available to start the car but it will give you a quick battery health check. If the quick check shows >25% and it won't turn over then the battery is bad.
12.68 V.........100%
12.45 V............75%
12.24 V............50%
12.06 V............25%
11.89 V..............0
12.68 V.........100%
12.45 V............75%
12.24 V............50%
12.06 V............25%
11.89 V..............0
Thanks that is a good suggestion. When you say take a reading off the jumper terminals. I know where the positive terminal under the hood is. When the tow driver jumped it he put the negative on ground. Is there a negative terminal under the hood as well? I don't recall seeing one.
EKinSC