So for a few weeks now my car has been cranking more slowly than normal when cold. It always starts and everything else is fine, so I've been second guessing myself if it was even happening. But tonight it was different. It cranked quite slowly, as if with a flat battery, and then fired up after maybe three revolutions and sounded fine, but the check engine light came on. I also had a message "Apply Parking Brake". I did and the red brake light came on on the dash. It's a bit odd though, I always put the brake on when I park.
The other weird thing that I've never seen before was the red light in the middle of the dash, the one that flashes when the car is locked, was flashing once the car started. It flashed a lot at first, then a few single times, then a few bursts. Then it changed between single flashes and bursts of maybe three flashes. This didn't seem like it was going to stop and I wanted to get home, so I started driving. The company I work for is on a numbered highway with a 50mph limit, so by the time I was out of the parking lot and up to speed the flashing had stopped, at most five minutes after I started the car. It didn't start again when I was stopped at traffic lights. When I parked at home I turned the car off and then started it again right away. It cranked at what I would consider to be the correct speed and then fired up.

Obviously the first thing to check in the morning is the battery voltage and the condition of the terminals. After that I'll have the code(s) read and see if there's anything to be learned there. The battery has a sticker on it that says 07/14, I think that's a July 2014 production date. It's a Jaguar battery.
Has anyone experienced anything else like this? Particularly the flashing lock light?

The only other problem I'm having with the car which I'm 90% certain is unrelated is that the steering is heavy when cold. The power steering fluid reservoir looks low from the outside, so I presumably need to add fluid and figure out where the fluid went...

Thanks for you help!

 

Sounds very like a power fault - and that's almost always a flattish battery. (Whether not charging, whether you don't do enough miles or whatever.) The modules cannot stand sagging voltages and report endless faults.

 

Yup the battery is the fault, or maybe the symptom. I last put a multimeter on in in January, it was 12.5V with the engine off. Now it is 12.15V with the engine off and 14.54V with the engine running.
Given how long this has been going on I suspect the battery isn't holding charge. I feel that if the alternator wasn't charging the battery I would have been stuck on the side of the road before now.

 

An idiot light comes on with about any vehicle, without enough charging of the battery going on.

 

I replaced the battery and things have been better, cranks quickly and no faults, until tonight. I wanted to continue this thread since it was recent and there are similar faults.

While driving home in on wet roads I suddenly got a number of error messages. I'd been driving for about 10 minutes and was doing a steady 50mph. I got ABS Fault, DSC Not Available, Restricted Performance. I slowed down and then stopped at a traffic light and all the errors went away, but they came back as I started moving again. I've read some threads on wheel speed sensors and in the morning I'll go investigate those, but I would like some thoughts on the other strange behavior I was having.
The windshield wipers were in the off position, but it had been raining earlier and sometimes I needed to do a single wipe of the windshield. When I did this the speedometer would drop to 0 and then rise back to 50, the engine would lurch, and the message display thingy would say "Low Brake Fluid". This would happen every time I wiped the windshield, about 5 times in 10 minutes. When I came to a stop sign all the errors would go away, but as I started moving, not only would they come back but the wipers would slowly rise, maybe 3" from parked. If I pulled on the wiper lever they would wipe and park correctly, but I'd get all the previous symptoms.
When I parked the car I turned it off and then started it again. The previous errors were now joined by the check engine light (not surprising) but when I wiped the windshield the engine cut out. I turned the ignition off, then started the car again and it started. I turned it off again and went inside.

In the morning I'll take a look at the wheel sensors. I also suspect some of the faults described in TSB XJ413-02a. The cruise control and tachometer have never worked since I bought the car, I just haven't prioritized that repair. Maybe it's time to.

Is there anything else I should investigate? I'll try to get the codes pulled as well tomorrow.

 

Since your battery has been just replaced, next step is the quality of the earth/grounds.

 

Check the ABS plug for corrosion
If you have SDD you will find codes re loss of CAN bus signals

There is a TSB for this exact fault which I have post a few time before

Cheers
34by151

 

Lots of codes. I've ordered the wires for the TSB repair, unfortunately it will take a week to get here.
Here are the codes: P1637, P1638, P1260, P1582, P1696, P0101, P1367, P1368, P1798, P1799, B1317, V1900, C1813, V2521
The majority of those are CAN bus errors.

 

While you are waiting check the abs plug for corrosion
Id just renew the ABS pins first and see what happens
If the fault reoccurs look at the ECU and IC pins and interconnects in the harnesses

I did my ABS plug some time ago but every now and then get a fault which is the IC plug

Cheers
34by151

 

I have finally resolved this. The problem was with one of the grounds behind the headlights. I decided to clean them to make sure that they weren't the cause. As I was gently brushing one of the studs with a wire brush it broke off. Looking at the broken part it was very clear that it had been over tightened and barely hanging on. Luckily, this was on the side with two grounds, so I removed the bumper and headlight, cleaned the other ground carefully, at attached all four wires to the one remaining stud. I was very careful not to over tighten the nut when I put it back on. Everything works now as it should! No ABS or DSC errors, the wipers no longer kill the engine, and the check engine light has stayed off! Just wish I'd thought of this sooner.

 

Good work and good info! Thanks for posting the resolution!

 

Happy end!
For once I was right...