Hello, I have this frustrating problem with my XK 09 convertible that only has 3K miles on it. When I park on a steep slope, my car will not occasionally start after being driven, shut off, then returned to start within 30 minutes to an hour.

I press the start button, it just does nothing..the power works as the radio goes on though.

These are the exact steps I do.

1. Press button- car turns on, move to reverse, it dies...
2. Try to restart it and nothing. It cranks but does not go through.
3. Try to remove key while in park...it does not let me. Even though car is not on and in park, the key is locked in place.
4. I jiggle the shifter and wait for about ten minutes..it starts up

sometimes it never even started and got to reverse, it just did not start at all.

Sometimes I have tried to start it like 20 plus times before it goes through.

Any ideas..My dealer says since it does not record this problem, they dont know what the issue is. They want me to recreate it with them in the car which is not guaranteed. It has happened five times in less then a year and always with car parked on steep slope.

Has this happened to anyone else out there..if so, please post what the issue was as my dealer says they never heard of this happening on newer car.

 

This 2009 XK8 is a different body style than the 1997 – 2005 that I am a little familiar with and along with that I must assume that the electrical is different as well. Your examples 1 – 4 lead me to believe that the shifter selector switch might have a problem, the other is the brake pedal switch. The brake switch unlocks the shifter when the brake pedal is depressed. As for the delay in the restarting I am assuming that the starter is not turning. If that is correct it leads me to the brake and the transmission switch. Without a diagram of the electrical system it is hard to say and at this point I am guessing.

 

moved to the correct spot

 

Just a thought guys but are you setting the parking brake before you put it in park on this steep hill? Could it be that the strain on the transmission parking paw is causing a no start problem.

I'd bet your manual says to set the parking brake when parking on a steep grade

If you are not using your parking brake you should be!

Just another rambling thought from the village idiot.

 

Are you sure your car is a 2009 XK? I have an '07 XK and you cannot use a key to start it, there's no place to put it. You keep the key fob in your pocket, step on the brake peddle and then push the Start botton. I'm fairly certain the '09 uses the same system.

I occasionally have an issue where the starter does not engage when I push the Start button, even though I do not get the "Step on the brake" warning message. But it always starts on the second try.

 

Hello, Yes, I have the 2009 and you do not need the key to be put in slot to start it. It does not have the non key option installed. I will let everyone know if they find out what the issue is.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. (yes, I use the parking brake on steep slopes!..you have to in the SF area).

 

To start the car, you must first depress the brake pedal to engage the starter interlock switch and then press the start button. Your car might not start if you inadvertently step on the brake pedal several times before pressing the start button. Pumping the brakes adds pressure to the brake lines, which results in a high, firm brake pedal. If that happens, you have to step really hard on the brake pedal to make contact with the starter interlock switch.

 

There's a docking slot for your key in the back of the center console at the top. You will see a little door with an arrow on it. You can dock the key there if the passive function has become inop. The only model that doesn't have a docking station is the 2011 XJ. I'm sure future models beyond 2011 will follow suit.