XJ XJ6 / XJ8 / XJR ( X350 & X358 ) 2003 - 2009

Are the keyfobs somehow famous for this? (random/temporary malfunction)

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Old Jul 26, 2024 | 05:43 PM
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Jaroslav Záruba's Avatar
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Default Are the keyfobs somehow famous for this? (random/temporary malfunction)

When I got the car roughly a year ago the "lights" button did not work. So I ordered a new remote, paired it with the car, worked like a charm...
Then, roughly a month ago, the remote ceased to work. Earlier that day a buddy of mine unknowingly sat on the keyfob for 10-15 minutes, so I suspected a button remained depressed during those couple of minutes and thus drained the battery. I replaced the battery, worked like a charm...
Today the two red buttons on the keyfob refused to work. Each 10-15 attempt at pressing the "lock" button did its thing; the "lights" button didn't do isht at all. So I opened that thing, checked the battery (3.2V seemed okay enough), reassembled the remote again, and it works again...

Is this something these keyfobs are famous for? Something maybe mechanical? (There is a single screw in the upper right corner of the keyfob PCB, so maybe something gets loose in there?)
 
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Old Aug 4, 2024 | 01:35 PM
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My Car is a 2008 and I’ve had it for roughly a year and the key has always been problematic.

When I first opened it up I thought it looked like the previous owner had spilt coke on it. Cleaned it up and couple of buttons worked.

Since bought a new one and programmed to the car worked for a while but then stopped after a month of so, thought battery. Changed the battery and still didn’t work.

Reprogrammed again and work again for a bit.

Seems the programming drops out every so often randomly.

I’ve given up just use the key now.
 
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Old Aug 4, 2024 | 02:05 PM
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The only thing I noticed was that my X358 sometimes sits for (say 3~4 weeks) and the remote doesn't work, unlock manually and then it works again.
Has happened twice, car is on a charger, it's like something in the car "goes to sleep".
 
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Old Aug 4, 2024 | 02:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Jaroslav Záruba
Is this something these keyfobs are famous for? Something maybe mechanical? (There is a single screw in the upper right corner of the keyfob PCB, so maybe something gets loose in there?)
"Notorious" not "famous". The meant-to-be 'switches' and their elastomeric weather-cover are low-grade *****, as to design, material selection, and assembly implementation. The "good news" is the El Cheapo Chyna-made third-party ones are no worse, and are cheap enough to renew often.

The mechanical key is sound.
The passive responder code-capsule rarely fails.

If in doubt, leave the battery out, pretend it never HAD a remote and use the key.

End of problem. End of stress. A fine motorcar no more needs a 'remote' than a Rorqual needs a Moto-Guzzi.
 

Last edited by Thermite; Aug 4, 2024 at 02:27 PM.
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Old Aug 4, 2024 | 04:03 PM
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I have had my car car for 6 years now and the only problem I had was that the key fobs did not have the Growler, so that I had to adapt it with parts from an S-Type fob, but that is a totally different matter... no problems regarding the reliability of the buttons.

Best regards,

Thomas
 
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Old Oct 12, 2024 | 03:39 PM
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Default So apparently there used to be an after-market replacement for the keyfob

It looks decent enough:
...if I could get one with the proper frequency (315MHz) I would give it a try.

In the video description there was this URL:
http://www.on-lock.com/businessblog/...202004276.html
but the page doesn't seem to be pointing at any e-shop
 
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Old Oct 13, 2024 | 08:05 AM
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I picked up my 2009 X358 with 58k miles from a single owner. One of the fobs has a light switch that doesn't work so I've kept that as the backup. I've always felt that the buttons had too much play in them and felt cheap.
 
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Old Oct 13, 2024 | 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Jaroslav Záruba
It looks decent enough:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mp59frc5Vqs
...if I could get one with the proper frequency (315MHz) I would give it a try.

In the video description there was this URL:
http://www.on-lock.com/businessblog/...202004276.html
but the page doesn't seem to be pointing at any e-shop
Welllll.. My X350 came with but the ONE fob. I bought three aftermarket new ones, plus one 'valet' key .......nearly ten years ago.

Ten years have passed, but this seems to be the same goods:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364614659578?

"Proper freq" is easy. The Ford Transit van (and not-only) used the same family of keys for many years, and there are/were a lot more vans sold - and fewer of them scrapped - than Jaguars!

FWIW-not-much..

I had programmed the wireless 'remote' part so the Wife could lock or unlock the doors and such from a distance if raining, but....never got a round-tuit as to having the 'mechanical' keys cut, or the RFID capsule coded to the mothership.

So remote lock/unlock was ALL they could do. To this day, 10+ years in, I have but the ONE key!!

As only one of us can drive it at a time, as mentioned, I abandoned those and ceased freshing the battery on the ONE.

Wuddn' yah know it?

It's actually comforting to have it all work as simple-dumb-ignorantly as all of our other cars worked - since the last of the foot-operated starter models.

Otherwise, yes, those Chinese-made aftermarket ones DID work OK. I probably have the programming instructions and more than one "how to" article saved on-disk too.

Low-enough risk?
 

Last edited by Thermite; Oct 13, 2024 at 02:45 PM.
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Old Apr 17, 2025 | 05:30 PM
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Apparently TSB was issued in 2006, as mentioned in this post: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...49/#post923414
Situation: The remote control key fob fails to operate leading to customers using the mechanical key blade to lock/unlock the vehicle, and to turn off the alarm. The root cause has been identified as static build up upon the microprocessor housing.
 
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Old Apr 17, 2025 | 05:37 PM
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these remotes have a long long history. if you felt like it you can use the old 4 button ford cwtw remote from back in the day, literally 3 bucks a piece.
 

Last edited by xalty; Apr 17, 2025 at 05:42 PM.
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Old Apr 18, 2025 | 01:44 AM
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Jaroslav, May I ask where you bought you new remote from ?
 
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Old Apr 18, 2025 | 02:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob Hornby
Jaroslav, May I ask where you bought you new remote from ?
First I only replaced the half with the buttons: https://www.ebay.com/itm/166936091291
And then I got myself one extra whole key fob from here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/285520570939
 

Last edited by Jaroslav Záruba; Apr 18, 2025 at 02:16 AM.
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