Hi everyone, I just acquired my fifth Jaguar, a 2011 XK convertible with 64k miles (I just sold a ‘91 XJ-S coupe after 13 years, I had an ‘06 convertible for six years, and I still have an ‘01 XJR and an ‘11 XFR). I just completed a 500-mile trip in the XK and the car performed well, averaging nearly 28 mpg on the highway.

When I bought it, the owner warned me that he’d had the battery checked, and afterwards the top completely quit working (it’s raised and latched but the switch does nothing). I checked the cargo separator and it seems to be in place. I’ve not yet checked the fuse. Other suggestions? He has agreed to cover the repairs since the issue arose after I made the deal.

The other issue is a brief low thrumming noise that occurs on takeoff and sometimes at gear changes. It’s almost as if I briefly drove over a rub strip, but I really do not feel any vibration. I read through 20 pages of “noise” search results but didn’t find a match.

Any suggestions are most appreciated.

 

Steve will answer the convertible question, but here's the answer for the thrumming noise...

At 64k miles, it's time to change the rear diff fluid and to drain and fill the transmission with new pan, filter AND the mechatronic sleeve.

 

Thanks—I’d seen the posts regarding the e-diff on the XKR but wasn’t sure if the NA had the same issues.

 

Slightly different because of clutches and such, so maybe less noise. The fluid is still degraded though.
Also, for the top, have you reset both side windows according to the User Manual? The travel limits need to be set, both up and down.
You can easily check if accomplished... if you hold a window switch momentarily (a second or so), the window should fully open and close by itself. If not, the limits are not set.

 

I will have more time to try that in the next day or two; my XFR uses the same window reset process.

 

On checking, the front windows do operate correctly.

 

WhiteXKR would then say... "Press and hold the retract button for a good while, like a minute or so and see what happens".

Other than that, I have no idea. Do a complete manual reset of the top? That's probably what I would do next. No idea if it's the RIGHT thing to do, but it is listed in the manual to do it that way.
Course, maybe wait until your trans and diff fluids are changed. Don't need to be stuck with a lowered top in bad weather.

 

Yes, I’m going to get the fluids changed at a local independent shop and I’ll have the top checked at the same time. No sense tempting fate.

 

A good report—I’m not sure what did the trick, but the top is working. The two steps I took were to pull/check/reinsert the 5A fuse and to ensure the small flap at the trunk latch was seating properly, assuming that the system uses that to ensure the trunk is closed.

 

Maybe when you checked the battery you reseated the Boot Divider Sensor switch?

 

I never checked the battery; that was done by the PO’s tech. I did try several times to reset the boot divider, including right before I got it working, so that may have been the issue.