Hello Everyone,

Decided to take the wife's new (to us) 2007 XKR convert up the California coast for the weekend and at the end if the first day the power seat refuses to move (passenger works fine)! Problem is I can't fit in the seat while on her settings and she's not too keen on driving all weekend! Anyone have any suggestions (fuse or relay to check etc)? Alas I don't even have the handbook with us to figure out which fuse to check!

Any help appreciated!

Paul

 

In the fusebox in the driver's side footwell, check F30 and F32. Both are green 30A fuses.

 

Appreciate the fast response! I popped the fuse box cover then then thought to check the seat again, and would you believe it the darn thing moved and went back to the memory setting just like nothing ever happened. Reading the XK forum, I think its time to change the battery to an AGM over these electrical gremlins, last week it was the passenger seat belt and airbag off warning going off for no reason. Anyway, thanks again and apologies for the typos (on an iphone in the boonies).

 

Another thing you might consider, is to "not" drop your seat all the way to the floor; stay about 1/2 inch or more off the bottom. Many a wiring harnesses get pinched under both front seats, when the seats are taken to their lowest point. I've had this in three vehicles: 1986 Saab, 1988 Ford Taurus, and a 2000 Jaguar XK8. Hope this helps!

 

Makes perfect sense Greg, appreciate the tip!

 

Gremlins!!!!!

 

Gremlins == failing battery

Usually !

 

I put the multimeter on the battery tonight and it seems well within spec (12.8V) after sitting for about 4 hours. That said, after reading the thread on the AGM battery I'm inclined to replace it, but out of curiosity I ordered a digital battery load tester tonight (Solar BA7) which should give me a conclusive condition of the battery one way or another (I also have a battery tender hooked up as the wife commutes about 5 mins each way).

Only other correlation I can identify is these "gremlins" appear after a bit of spirited driving, (nothing crazy), which may point to the charging system. Anyway, I'll try the load tester as soon as it gets here!

 

Well, I'm back-pedaling a little here...
I'm an EE, but you obviously know your stuff on electrical issues !
12.8V is excellent voltage for a lead/acid battery, and using a trickle-charger is really smart.
I'm inclined NOT to suspect your battery, unless the load-tester shows the voltage collapses under load.

I wonder if you have a marginal connector somewhere, and 'spirited' driving dislodges it ??
Also, the first owner of my 2008 had a warrantee problem with wiring 'trapped' under the drivers seat causing intermittent connections. The Work Order just said 're-routed wiring'.

 

Hello Jeremy B., I agree, my 2008 XK8 has a short on the driver seat, only when lowered to the lowest point (blow a fuse when moved fwd/back). Spoke with the Jag dealer service manager yesterday, he said the wiring under the driver's seat has been an issue for quite sometime; hit and miss per vehicle. Solutions: Rerun the wiring harness, or simply don't lower the seat to the lowest point (my car).

 

Checked the battery and charging system with the Solar B7 (excellent piece of kit for $50) and everything passed with flying colors. Battery is a Jaguar (Varta) and looks brand new, rated 800 CCA and tester showed something like 809 CCA with a low/high of 9.9 -14.1V at start. Charging system all tested good at light and heavy load, only anomaly was the battery was reading 12.43V on the tester tonight (and confirmed with a Fluke) vs 12.8V a few days back. I guess this rules out the battery/charging system for now, and no new gremlins so hopefully we're in the clear!

 

It was a beautiful day today in Atlanta, so I decided to take the XKR to run errands. I was out from 10AM to 4PM and put the top up and down at least 6 times, ran the AC and listened to my iPod. Every time I parked I put the top up and locked the car.

After my last stop, just like the OP, my drivers' seat died but my passenger seat worked fine. None of the driver's seat switches worked; DOA. Unlike the OP, I was able to comfortably sit in my driver's seat even though none of the power seat functions worked because I was able to adjust the steering wheel. Fortunately, it started right up and didn't have any other issues driving home. All other electrical accessories worked fine (radio, AC, garage door opener, park warning sensors, soft top).

I keep my car on a BatteryMinder all the time when not being driven and I've never had any problems until today. When I got home I plugged it in and hoped for the best, but didn't check the fuses.

I got lucky! After 3 hours the battery was fully charged and when I opened the door and pushed memory #1 the seat moved to the saved position. I then checked all the other seat switches and they worked fine.

I'll keep watch on my battery. If the seat stops working again, I'll replace the battery with an AGM. Fortunately, it wasn't a seat module, fuse or crimped wire. Just a gremlin...