Hello everyone, this is my first problem with the XJR, so my first post on this forum. I live in Switzerland and have owned a 98 XJR for a few months. Gray, 113'000 kilometers. Runs perfectly (except, see below).

The other day, I stored it in a garage and disconnected the battery in the boot as I do with my old cars, before closing the boot... I had never tried to open the boot manually. Big mistake. Impossible to open it with the key (I have to try with the other key, but the car is far), nor with the remote control or the button since there's no battery. What can I do?

Do I have to remove the rear seat? Can I reach the battery that way?

Is it possible to connect cables on the engine side so that the Jaguar is powered up? If so, where?

Is there any other solution?

Thank you in advance for your help.

MA

 

If you NEVER use your key, the lock is probably seized or corroded. Spray some penetrating oil and work it back and forth.

It once took me 15 minutes to get a customer car boot lid lock working properly.

Use the mechanical lock every once-in-a-while to ensure this does not happen.

 

Thanks!!! It does not even move a little bit right of left. Anyway I will try to put oil in it as you said.
But if it does not work. Any idea of how I can put the electricity in it from the front?

 

Open the hood/bonnet for the engine and go to the right side of the engine. If you look down at the shock tower, just to the left of it there should be a thick black wire with a little rubber boot as a cover. Remove the little rubber cover and that will be where you apply 12+ volts and use one of the 4 shock mount bolts as a ground. From there you can go inside the car and push the trunk/boot release.

I highly suggest getting a dry graphite lubricant specifically for key cylinders and lube them all up so you don’t run into these issues.

 

Many thanks for your help, the oil helped to unlock the lock. On the other hand, I wanted to test if I could supply electricity to the Jaguar with the proposed technique. I found the cable but nothing happened. Is it because I used a Booster that doesn't deliver enough power? Does having the battery disconnected cut the circuit? Is it supposed to work even if the battery is disconnected?

Anyway, thanks for your help!!!

 

It’s possible your connections weren’t good enough. At a minimum the 12+ volts would’ve made it back to the positive battery cable in the trunk/boot. The ground at one of the 4 shock mount bolts (not the center shock itself) will be sufficient enough as a ground.