I have a draining battery issue and have read some of the associated threads. I understand that the car needs to be put to sleep for a set time, with all doors, windows and hoods closed and security armed. When I try to manually "close" the door latches, the dash still recognizes the car door is open. I believe the same is true with the rear hood, manual closing not recognized, true?. Ultimately I need to have door, trunk and front hood open to access the fuses and battery in order to find the bleed, yet still be able to arm security system. Any suggestions as to what can be done to trick the car that each opening is "closed". Does this car have mercury switches in hoods?

Trickle charged battery overnight and have 12.5 volts. Armed alarm and vehicle sat overnight, next morning voltage read 12.1 volts. Took car for a short ride and battery back to 12.5 volts so I can deduce that alternator is working.

Tough to conduct bleed testing from outside the vehicle with everything shut tight. Seeking wisdom from the crowd.

Year 2000 XJ8

Bruno

 

I would start by having the battery load tested by a local auto parts store. I think it's failing, but if you have removable cell caps check to see if it needs water. You can close the trunk latch using a screwdriver and fingers.

 

But first, put your cell phone - in video mode - in the glove compartment, then in the trunk to see what lamp might be causing the drain.

Stories I could tell. Oh, I have already . . .

 

When I manually latch the trunk, the trunk courtesy lights go out, so I think I have that checked off.

Does anyone know if there are sensors on the front hood? I don't notice anything on the dashboard display when I disengage the front hood and lift it open.

Also I believe I was successful in arming the alarm with the front hood open, so that might be accessible once asleep.

My goal is to check the voltage across each fuse and use the appropriate fuse table from the
PowerProbe website https://www.powerprobe.com/fuse-voltage-drop-charts
which then let's you convert the millivolt draw to milliamps and find the parasitic circuit.

 

Already put my kid in the trunk, checked that off. Now if I could just squeeze her into glove box. Did phone test in glove box, light went out, checked off

 

Thanks, battery load test passed

 

For full disclosure purposes, I did remove the factory installed Motorola phone by unplugging it from connectors. Didn't cut any wires or leave any bare ones to short out. I don't believe that should causing any issues, correct?

 

12.5 isn't a full charge, you should be over 13.5. Do you have any corrosion on the battery cables? If so, you need to replace either or both with it, you'll not get the corrosion out of the cable no matter how you try.
Corrosion works against your vehicle in two main ways. First it prevents the battery from receiving a full recharge while running. That being, the alternator is not getting enough power to recharge the battery while its running the other electrical items.
Second, which is just the opposite of the first, is its not getting enough power out to the needed areas when the car isn't running or being started and it strains the battery beyond its limits.
If the car sits for periods over a week, it is highly recommended a battery tender of some type be used. These cars use power constantly, via the clock, ECU memory, security or any time the doors are opened. Using a tender will chase away many ghost issues with the battery.
Be sure to check your grounds also.

 

To add to that, you may try resetting your door module. Remove the door card and unplug the module for 2 minutes and reapply. Yes you can do a battery cable bleed, but removing the connection at the module is more effective.

 

All the advisories shown here say good voltage is vital to the car's electronics--preferably high twelves into the thirteen plus level. Sounds to me also that this battery is too far gone to reliably run Jaguar electronics.
For a reference comparison, my Jaguar's battery showed 13.05 volts at ten minutes after disconnect from charger. Then, after 4.5 hours with absolutely, positively no ghost 'loads' still showed 12.95 volts and 12.88 volts after 20 hours. That battery is a four year old Exide Extreme L-5/49 (Home Depot, $119.00 now).
As all others here, surely believe in maintenance chargers. Can save lots of troubleshooting 'false, problems. In addition, strong voltage--and fast fuel pressure rise:instantaneous on this one--gives fast starts that are good for everything-the starter and especially cylinder walls and everything else looking for oil!

 

I guess Jaguar owners simply accept that their cars have poorly designed electrical systems since maintenance chargers are so readily offered as a solution. I have owned other cars which were not started for weeks and months, yet still started with no problem. My car battery when charged is 12.6 volts and running with no loads reads 13.8 volts. However if the car isn't driven in 3-4 days in needs to be trickle charged. I guess it is what it is.
I bought the car used, and thought it strange, that the previous owner included the trickle charger in the trunk. Now I know why.

 

I understand your stance and can concur to a point. My Expedition could sit weeks and start right up, ...but that is if I didn't own a Corvette. If I didn't have this pile of plastic garbage as reference that eats batteries, I'd probably agree wholeheartedly. But in both cases, the addition of the battery tender has kept the power levels constant. The tender has also extended battery life, the Vette battery is 7 yrs old and the Jag is 9 now I think.
Prior to the tender, the Vette lasted about a week, the Jag roughly 3 weeks. But the Jag has the active alarm to monitor, the Vette is strictly a break alarm and not monitored.