A month ago I was unable to start my XJ8. It started after a quick jump. I took it to Sears and replaced my Duralast battery with a Sears Diehard. I didn't drive my car for about 7 dys. On Monday it would not start .... nothing. I took it to our import mechanic. They changed the battery (Interstate) and let the car sit to check for an abnormal battery draw. Nothing unusual I'm going pick it up later this AM. I shall return the battery to Sears. Has anyone ever had problems with a Sears battery?

Hope this is my solution!!!

 

If you bought it off the shelf at Sears, it may not have been fully charged and letting it sit for 7 days could discharge it.

 

put a sear battery in 2 years ago.
I found that after the car sat for more than 7 days, it did not start.
3 times I went away on vacation and the same thing happened.
Sears recharged the battery once and just replaced it the other times.
I spoke my jag dealer about this and they said it just seems to happen to their cars. I had a batter recharge adapter added, so I can just plug it in if I go away for a period of time. In fact, in the showroom the xj and xk the keep on the floor often has the recharger plugged in via a battery tender. The problem is common and the battery tender is often sold by the dealer. Something is running in the backgound when the car is off. I have a 2006 xj super v8 . I turned of the daytime running lites via the touch screen setting and have not had the same problem when I went of vacations last time. Twice sears said several cells were bad and the battery would not hold a charge. They gave me a new battery with no questions asked. The batter I orig. purchase from them was a higher output than the one that came in the car. I bought the care used and I
thought the first time it was just because the battery was 3 yrs old.

 

That may be a significant contributing factor in that the charging system is always working hard with the daytime running lights enabled. Maybe the battery never gets fully charged in that situation.

 

COuld be. I do not have daytime lights enabled and often the car sits for weeks at a time and always starts right up.

 

It sounds to me like Sears got a bad batch of batteries, I would go somewhere else. The group 49 battery is a large import type that is not used in too many cars due to its design to be used in the trunk. As a result, most battery companies buy this battery from a supplier and relabel it. I have looked at these batteries in three different places with three different brand names and the batteries were obviously all the same maker, being identical in every detail. The only one that was different was the Bosch version, they are all black cases, the rest of them are white cases with the identical built in folding lift handles, fill caps and so on.

 

Battery dead ;o( Car has been running great until yesterday. Wouldn't start. I hadn't driven it in 7 dys.
Back in July it sat at mechanic's shop for a week. Nothing drawing on the battery.
I shall have to jump start to take to import mechanic here in Lafayette. The Jag dealership is an hour away in Baton Rouge.
Any suggestions ? PLEASE!

 

I don't know if Jaguar still uses Interstate Batteries as a replacement but they did years ago when I was at the dealer.

Here is an old TSB

You probably need an H8

bob gauff

 

Bob,
I have a 2004 XJ8
Interstate Battery is a MTP-93 -- 850CCA - 1000 CA

Here's is the link
Automotive / Truck Batteries - Mega-Tron Plus 93 Automotive Battery 85 months 850 CCA

Just jumped it and let it run for at least a half hour.
Shall bring it to local import mechanic in the morning.
Could it be something electrical?
Thank you

 

The odds of having a consecutive series of bad batteries that all go flat in one week are just about impossible to imagine. Almost certainly there is some small electrical draw- somewhere. Are you sure that things like the glove box light are truly turning off when you close the glove box door? This wouldn't be the first time that it's something simple. Aftermarket alarm or remote starter?

First step, after you're finished using the car and plan to let it sit for a week, disconnect the battery. If when you come back it's still fully charged, there's proof that it's a parasitic load.

 

Nothing aftermarket ... all original stuff.
Would mechanic shop be able to tell, by code what caused it to draw on battery?

 

FWIW - Consumer Reports just rated the Sears DieHard Platinum or gold very highly. That's to say top 1st and 2nd place.

 

I very much doubt it. A glove box or trunk light that doesn't shut off is not a 'fault'.

 

The BCM will shut off any lighting left on for 20 minutes.

 

Left my "baby" at the garage this morning. Shop shall manually check wiring for "draws" on the battery.

 

Spoke to mechanic this AM. They can not find anything yet. Still trying to trouble shoot

 

Could my car alarm going off for no reason a few months ago be an answer to my dead battery problem?

 

What consequences would I have if I get shop to disconnect my alarm? My car is kept in a very secure area.

 

Aftermarket alarm or OEM? If it's aftermarket, see my comments up above.

 

Mikey, I do believe it's OEM. When I purchased the car, the remote key did not work, ie. lock, unlock trunk etc. I had to manually lock unlock doors and trunk. I took it to the Jag dealer in BatonRouge and they fixed so I could do all with my remote.