Hello all. This is my first post.

My grandfather recently died and left us his 2001 XJ8 4.0. We got three black-head keys with it, one of which has a fob. Yesterday my father left the key with the fob in the ignition and when my mother couldn't find that key she went to "unlock" the car with another of the black-head keys.

Not exactly sure what happened next, but the upshot is that we're now locked out. Inserting a black-head key into the door lock and turning counterclockwise (anticlockwise) results in a loud beep and five clicks from the locking system, but nothing else. The key does not turn the other way.

Trying the trunk (boot) lock, the key turns 15° clockwise and then stops without opening anything. It won't turn at all the other way.

From my research on the Forums it sounds like Valet Mode may be involved, but I can't seem to get any further.

Any suggestions from the cognoscenti would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

/adam
/2001 X308 4.0

Well, manual unlocking requires turning the key clockwise, whether for the door or the trunk. As for the trunk, you might try turning the key clockwise the 15 degrees and holding it there, while pushing on the trunk lid up and down - to see if that dislodges the trunk lid. However, not sure what good just getting into the trunk will do. Turning the door key the same 15 degrees clockwise should unlock all the doors. If the door key doesn't seem to want to go at all clockwise, you might try wiggling the key as you attempt to turn it, or push it in and out a very tiny amount as you attempt to turn it. Good luck!

There is also a way to get into the trunk by using a long thin screwdriver blade, behind one of the license plate bolts. Do a search on trunk or unlock trunk and see if you can find the threads about that.

Call a locksmith -- you'll get in your car in no time.

When you turn the key counterclockwise, the doors would normally lock. But since the key is in the ignition, it is making the beeping noise. Are you sure this is the right key for the car? I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can lock the door with a key that isn't 100% matched with the car, but you can't unlock it. I could be wrong though.


Valet mode doesn't affect the way the keys open the doors or the trunk. It keeps the fob and the interior trunk button from opening the trunk.

ANY TIBBE key will lock a Jaguar but only the correct key will UNLOCK the barrel.

bob gauff

very strange ... but useful to know anyways

They beep when you turn it left, because the key is in the ignition. The electronic system thinks the doors are open.

+1 Bob, I can use any key to lock one of our 2 Jaguars, but not unlock.

You must have a valet key, ablock. The valet keys get switched up over the years I guess, mine doesn't have one, and the one we got with the XK8 is black, bigger, and doesn't work.

Hi
You might try calling AAA auto club if you are a member of AAA. Ask them if they can open the door within causing any damage to your Jaguar.

They just might have had experience with this issue on other Jaguars.

Jim Lombardi

The US spec X308s have the 'hour glass' shaped door lock knobs and can be opened with a fiber box strap folded in half and fed into the door gap behind the rear of the window.

Just get a wedge of wood or plastic and pry the door glass area to feed the plastic strap into the gap.

Use the 2 halves to guide the fold onto the knob, pull back HARD AND UP.

The door is now unlocked.

I have had to do this at the dealer dozens of times over the years.

bob gauff

Thanks for the help, everyone. While the source of those black-head keys is still a mystery, you were right that they apparently don't belong to this car. I was finally able to find a friend of my grandfather's who had the other fob and key. I had a moment of panic when I tried the fob as the unlock button didn't work ("beep"), but the real key was able to open the door lock. So in the end I didn't have to resort to Bob's jimmying technique.

Thanks again!

/afb

I'm very surprised that your car was able to be locked with the key in the ignition. My Jag won't allow me to do that unless I locked the doors from the inside with the doors closed and I climbed out an open window. The fob nor using the key in the door will lock it, and pressing on the front door lock knob with a door open locks the doors for about .5 second then actually unlocks all of the doors. The center door lock button doesn't do anything when a door is open.


Maybe its a feature that the dealer can activate? Does everyone's car do the same as mine?

Burmaz, +1

I feel like I wouldn't be able to lock my key inside. Especially not
with it in the ignition.

I locked it in the trunk twice though,opening the trunk, tossing in the keys, getting a window cleaner and a rag, and then realising the whole car is locked, since I didn't unlock.

the hole behind my 99 xj8s license plate and 8 inches of rigid wire with a 1/2 inch 90 bend inserted at a 35 degree angle toward the center of the trunk push when you feel the resistance. Inside in less than 15 min. Thanks Jag forum.