Hello everyone,
New to Jaguar and very excited with my new toy. Just purchased a 2003 XJR in black with 85K miles and a thorough service history. The previous owner was a real character that didn't seem to appreciate the car and neglected it a bit. Thankfully he only owned it for a year and the prior 2 owners maintained a stellar service record, which I have in hand. (minus the last 12 months)

PO claims that the battery died a couple months back and he called AAA to jump it, big mistake apparently in the process of jumping it they damaged some of the electrics. PO said he replaced the binnacle @ $1,200 and the battery with a new Interstate model. From what I can tell everything electric works except I forgot to check the central locking when I bought it, which of course don't function correctly. Forgive me if this is redundant; I've searched for info but haven't found an example with the same exact issues/ curcomstances.

The Problem:
The key works in the driver door and boot, but only locks or unlocks those individual locks. The key fob releases the boot, turns on headlights, and arms/disarms the alarm perfectly. This is the tricky part, when I unlock with the fob I can hear the all the actuators try to push up the plungers but no action. When I lock with the fob no actuator sound at all. The lock button on the dash isn't responding. Gas cap seems to lock but not unlock. I've visually checked fuses 5 and 7 in the left heel box and 3 and 7 in the right heel box, all good. Suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to check all fuses with a meter. I also reset the computers via battery, no change. The rear left door lock plunger won't stay in the down position which I believe means the actuator is toast.

Any ideas?

I've seen some info that lead me to believe the fault might be the Body Processing Module, but I'm unsure what role the Security Module might play in this issue. Could this be an issue with the driver door module? I've found a cheap used BPM online and it seems pretty simple to replace provided its the correct part but I thought it would be worth asking you fine Jaguar enthusiasts first...

Thanks in advance for any input you can provide!

 

I should start with that actuator, as I can see how a broken one influences the central operation.
You can carefully remove the door card (don't crack the wood, slide it backwards before pulling) to get to the actuator.
Also check if all door handles (inside and outside) pull back to their flat position.

Finally, not related, by while you are at it, clean the inside contacts on the FOB button, especially the upper two's get dirty with residue from frequent use.

 

I had a very similar set of symptoms with a 2003 XJR I had in the past. I replaced both rear door actuators (picked them up used from another member on here). Everything worked perfectly after that.

I also cleaned out the FOB connections, as Eric recommended. My FOB was operating the lights and trunk like yours, but was unreliable when trying to lock/unlock the doors.

 

If the car's had a weird voltage issue (jump start) many fuses can blow, generally interior controls like doors and seats - going over each fuse and relay chases faults, then a hard reset on the modules can bring things back on-line....as it sounds like you have done...

You've just bought the car, along with it's issues so I'd take the advice from the above posters along with using the search function to read up on door card removal and actuator install as this is a fairly common issue (actuator failure).
Replacement of the BPM should only be considered when issues have been addressed with functioning parts but still present the same problem, as this will need programming to the car via Jaguar's proprietary software IDS/WDS or Autologic.
They obviously had the ignition on when they connected the jumper cables - Dopes!

 

Thanks for the input and advice gents!

The car has been stationary with the windows and trim taped up while I've been color sanding and buffing. One of the first things I did when after I bought the car was clean the fob since I've seen so many posts recommending it. Oddly enough, the fuel lid lock was working for about 5 minutes right after I cleaned the first fob, then and still nothing... coincidence I think.


Actually I noticed on the test drive that the driver door handle was slightly pressed in from the flat position. Thank you for mentioning it, I'll look into area and any adjustments I can make.

I had to order an actuator on ebay which will take a while to ship. Sadly there are no X308's in Junkyards near me, so we have to wait and see if that will be the fix. Meanwhile, I'll continue to check fuses and relays. I noticed the car was a bit hard to start after sitting for 3 days, wondering if I have failing secondary fuel pump or maybe or something draining the battery. After the hard start, I turned off , then on and it fired right up, first crank. Feel free to offer any other suggestions.
Thanks again!

 

You can manually operate your petrol cap if you're locked out or wish to lock it, pull back the carpet in the boot underneath it and you can push or pull the lock arm. I had a similar issue with the locks on one of my old X308's and it was just a fuse.

It's important to remember to ensure the car gets a full warm up and runs a while after starting, too many cold starts or short operations in succession could lead to bore wash.

 

I know this is an old thread but hope for a reply. I’ve acquired a 98 XJ8, 17,000 miles. Yeah, really 17,000. Has the exact problems described. Were you ever able to identify and correct the problem?

 

Well, I located the offending fuse that was responsible for the central locking failure. The 15 amp in the right rear footwell. Replacement cured all. For a short time. Fuse blew again. It’s a 98 XJ8 with 20,000 miles so it sat for a long time. Always garaged. Would the most likely culprit be sticking door mechanisms? Would cleaning and lube be an answer? Is there an easy way to determine which one?

 

Hi Mgorman,

I have merged your new post with this thread so all of your inquiries will be together.

Restrictions in the door lock actuators and linkage could certainly be a contributor to your issues. It may also help to study the circuits that share the 15A fuse you replaced. You can download the wiring schematics at this link:

Jaguar X308 Electrical Guide 1998

Cheers,

Don