hi i am new to site but have been looking on here frequently seems to be cleaver people on here hope some one can help me .i have a 1996 x300 4.0 lwb sovereign rhd problem is the car will start if the interior light works when you open door ,if it doesn`t come on it wont start also no exterior lights work ,dash lights work .have new battery checked fuses etc i unplugged the light control ecu in the boot and reconnected it and after a bit it started .the nearest dealer is 100 miles away .any ideas would be greatfully appreciated as i would hate to park it up regards john

 

Hi John. Nice to see another Irish based x300 owner! I'm based down in Kenmare, just in case you ever find your way down south. Whereabouts are you?

As for your non start issue. Given that you have no lights and the fact that it did start at one point, it looks like something intermittent that you may have inadvertently disturbed/rectified during your investigations.

I'd suggest an electrical connection, most likely an earth strap. There are several in the engine compartment and also the earth strap in the boot at the battery should be looked at. Earths may "feel" fine, but should be examined, undone, cleaned, and tightened.

There is also a cut off switch which can be easily reset, just by pressing a button and this switch is behind the front footwell panel on the passenger side ( I think) If not, check the drivers side, but others will chime in.
Hope this helps and do keep us posted.

 

small world i am in Glenbeigh not far from you ,it`s a wierd problem i have power to the seats all the time even when key is out of ign. the batt goes flat after a few days now it won`t start .i messed with it and it started then next morning nothing and when you turn the key the red air bag light comes on and the orange bulb failure .might be a job for maguire and patterson LOL .I have looked at this forum before and noticed your car and that it was in ireland and felt sorry for you with the cost of tax here ,its a joke .i will undo all earth connections and clean and tighten again and see how we go .
regards john

 

Hi John, and ye, don't get me started on tax!! I drive tour coaches during the summer, here and in the UK and have passed Glenbeigh a million times doing "The Ring".

As to your problem, if your battery is any way suspect, you will have problems starting and you will get erratic dash lights, what's sometimes called the "Christmas tree".
These cars are very power hungry and power sensitive, so anything below par will cause issues. You say your battery went flat, but owners on here, myself included, have left their cars parked for 6-8 weeks at a time and it starts first time. Your battery shouldn't drain so easily.

Also, it's normal for the power seats to work without any ignition, that's how they are set up.

So, you have to check for a battery drain. If you have a multimeter, check across the battery terminals, ignition off, and you should show about 12 volts (and then with the engine running it should show around 14 volts)

If something is drawing power, voltage will be lower, so then, systematically pull fuses, one by one, checking voltage each time, and if voltage increases, then you've found what's causing the drain.

A bad earth can also still have similar results. As can bad connections at the battery.

Try a jump start from a known GOOD battery, and best to jump it at te battery as opposed to using the positive terminal in the engine bay.

 

i bought the correct battery 160 euro in lucas tralee last month and left it conected to my jeep for an hour to fully charge .i will check all the earths and the battery connections thanks for reply i will let you know how i get on

 

do you have a picture to share of the reset switch you mentioned? cause apparently there are none in all US X300

 

check your aux electric fan and make sure it is not running when the engine is shut off, if it still runs then that will be your culprit for running down your battery overnight. If that is the case then you need a new thermo control switch, located on the lower portion of your radiator left side facing the engine.

 

A common factor here could be the Body Processor Module.
Among other things this controls exterior and interior lighting and one of the outputs enables the starter motor. Without this signal the car will not crank. In UK spec cars it is located on the passenger side behind the glove compartment.

 

Another Irish X300? This is getting out of hand!! We should soon be looking at a possible meet. How many other X300/Jag owners do we have here in the South? Or even countrywide.

 

Hi John.

I tried to send you a PM with my phone number, given the fact that I am only an hour away from you, but your account seems to be set up, not to receive PM's. So, if you like, you could send me your number and it might help in the communications!!??

Regards.

 

Hi I have that same problem with my 97 xj6. I have been going crazy trying to figure out what is wrong with my car. I will give this a try. It makes sence for what is going on. Thanks for the info.