Even after installing a new battery my LCD screen on my 08 XK. So far it's done this at least 6 times in the last 7 months. I'm out of warranty not that that matters since the only Jag dealer in St Louis closed a few months ago.

The screen displays the Jag logo until I shut the car off and let itself shut off after about 30 minutes. Then it's a crap shoot if it works on the next re-start.

What the heck is wrong with my car?

Tom

 

Mine is doing the same thing. Dealer said to bring it in and have it reprogrammed.

 

My 2008 XK has also done it a couple times lately, not a complete freeze up but once the climate page was unresponsive and another time the radio page, but it fixed itself after I turned off car and let it sit for awhile. Maybe this is one of those quirks we have to live with.

 

I looked down while driving mine the other day and the volume display was blinking on and off like I was changing the volume on the main screen. I just turned the display off and back on fixing it for now.

 

Having been in IT for over 25 years, this sounds a lot to me like you have a faulty chip or something associated with I/O to the computer that is driving the display. While I don't know what the exact computer systems architecture is for the car, I can speculate that there is an ECU for main operational systems and other separate computers for various functions, one of which allows changes to user/driver associated car/comfort operations; this is the one which drives the display in the dash.

What may help is to try and pay attention to what is going on when it happens and be able to record that info. If it happens while you are driving and it seemingly occurs with no apparent outside cause, try and record road conditions, weather conditions, driving conditions (turning the vehicle, stopping, etc), basically any info you can record even if you would not remotely connect the condition to the problem. Sometime the weirdest of side effects occur with software and computers that you would not associate with a specific issue directly. And BTW, this includes any system the "display" allows you to affect, like the audio system, vehicle settings, climate controls, etc. Something may be occurring with these physical systems which the computer interfaces with that is causing it to hang.

This may also be a loose connector that feeds the data from the various systems which interface with the computer. Taking the sides of the center console off and inspecting the visible connectors and ensuring everything is secure may eliminate the problem.

Since the computer itself works and the display works, it is most likely not those items causing the problem, but something that it is interfacing with that is screwing things up. If it were a computer centric problem, the display would most likely freeze and not work at all.

And lastly, this will help tremendously. Get a 20 year old bottle of single malt Scotch and have some when this occurs - it will lesson the effect quite a bit.



If you have some detailed info now, or after gathering some info, report back and let us know what info you have compiled. We'll get this solved!!!!

 

My first indication of a problem usually occurs when I start the car and the LCD screen comes on but is stuck on the Jaguar logo. To get the Nav/Audio/HVAC screen to function I have to shut off the car and let it sit for about 30 minutes, during this time the LCD screen with the Jaguar logo remains illuminated. Only after the car's battery run down protection program kicks in will the screen turn off. Upon the next restart
the LCD screen and associated functions return.

It's very frustrating considering all the functions the LCD screen controls. I left work two nights ago, it was just at freezing and drizzly. Being able to use the heated seats/steering wheel would have made my trip home in a $90K much more enjoyable.

BTW the first two times it did this I was under warranty and took it to my dealer who claimed they had to connect the car to the ODBII port with something called IDS to un-lock the system and install new software. Both times they had the car for over 6 hours.

It appears Jaguars reputation for having "fritzy electrical systems" is alive and well in 2012.

Thanks

Tom

 

I am gonna do some research and see if there's anything that can be found on this.

How is it working now? Have you had other episodes with the headunit recently?

 

Well, it appears that I am now a charter member of the "locked screen" society. I called the Jaguar dealership and spoke with the Service Adviser, who has helped me in the past.

He knows that I keep the Jag, which is an 08, at our second home and it remains there for weeks at a time. He asked me if I lock the car, when it's in the garage. My answer was no, to which he suggested that this may be the problem.

According to Steve, the Service Adviser, unless the car is locked, it "wakes-up" about every 20 minutes, which will draw the battery down. If the voltage drops to around 9 volts, he believe this could cause the problem.

Regardless of whether or not this is the cause, I was pleased to learn that locking the car will help to prevent a dead battery.

 

That's a great tidbit of info. Thanks for sharing!

 

Yes, it locked two days ago. This Anomaly ruins the driving/ownership expense.

Tom

 

That describes a poorly designed/engineerd car. I seldom lock my my (it's a vert so why bother). But I'll try it.

Tom

 

Dave

The thoughts of your service adviser are so interesting that my XKR is now locked in my garage. I tend to dirve my car every second or third day so if what he says is true, my battery is getting cycled rather a lot.

 

Diid the Jag Tech say why the car does this and what's looking for? I went through my Owners Manual and there is no mention of this.

This sounds a lot like the infamous Dead Battery Syndrone (DBS) that plaqued the 2005 to current Corvette. Lots of goofy suggestions by dealers all over America, to include the requirement to move the FOB at least 100 feet away from the car. Some owners have taken to wrapping their FOBs in aluminum foil. That's why I'm skeptical when dealer tech make claims, yet nothing from the manufacture.

Tom

 

Well, you can get a battery minder at any Autozone and put it on when you are not driving it. This will help the battery stay at the required voltage.

Do you have an AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) battery? Those tend to be more robust compared to lead acid batteries.

As with any computer, without the proper power level they will "lock up". Also, over time, an unregulated power supply will damage discreet components. That isn't a fault of electronics design.

Low power/voltage levels will definitely play havoc with volatile memory. And if there are routines "running" in the computer when the car is "off" (which I'm positive there are) and the voltage level drops to a point where the software can't execute then this will obviously cause the computer to not be able to operate properly.

As far as poor design, if power really is the issue, then the battery minder should solve this problem, even leaving it unlocked. Short of putting a secondary battery in the car for maintaining the electronics I don't know what can be done about the design of the cars electronics when it is left parked and not being driven to keep the battery "topped off".

The battery minder is an inexpensive thing to try. I drive mine everyday (with the exception of weekends sometimes) and have never had this issue. However, when I bought the car I had issues with the memory position of the seats and mirrors and other stuff. I bought a new AGM battery a couple weeks after getting the car and have not had any electronics issues.

 

He did say that the car performs some "routine" functions and to be honest I should have paid better attention to what he was saying. He also added that simply walking by the car, with the key in your pocket, can "wake-up" the systems as well.

Funny you mention the DBS problem with the C6 Corvette, as I sold mine before buying my XK. The Corvette had numerous dead batteries and I ended up installing a battery tender. I was hoping to not have to do this again.

 

I recently had the screen lock as well on a cold morning. No fun at all! I typically drive the car to work every day however this time the car sat for a week in my garage. The screen freeze has only happened this one time fortunately.
I have just put a battery tender on yesterday since I haven't driven the car for two weeks now due to traveling and horrible weather!
I can attest to how annoying this is and add that the backup sensors won't work either since it uses the stereo for the sound. I almost backed right into a wall expecting the sensors to stop me!

-Dan

 

I have had this issue with my 08 XK and I read on another thread that setting off the alarm via the key fob essentially reboots the system that runs the LCD screen. Any time my LCD locks up, after a few days of sittin,g I set off the alarm and it is good to go. As always, your results may vary...

 

I bought and installed a new AGM battery after Jaguar claimed (one two occasions while I was under warranty) that my batteryand alternator "checked out" good. My 08 XK is a DD, it may sit for a day or two during bad weather.

My drive to work is just at 15 miles and takes between 30 and 40 minutes. I would think that would be sufficient to charge the battery after it's morning start up.

Most of my occurances happen while the car sits at work for 9 hours or so. I really don't have any ability to use a battery tender under these circumstances.

Very annoying on an car this expensive.

Tom

 

My LCD on my 08 XKR locked up a couple times in the morning about 2 mths ago. After I went a few miles and stopped, it was ok when I restarted. The weather has gotten warmer and it didn't lock totally anymore but then it took about 1 minute before the homepage would display and for the radio and backup to come on.

I called service rep at Jag dealer a couple of weeks ago and she said to bring it in to have it reprogrammed. I took it in yesterday and they tested battery first and found it to be bad so they replaced battery under warranty and forego-ed the reprogramming.

Really weird because there were no other signs of low battery. My 07 XK battery went after 1 year and when it did there was no lights, no start, just nothing.

Went out this morning and as soon as I started it there was the homepage, radio and backup. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Thankfully, I have had virtually no problems with the touch screen. My personal Jaguar gremlin consisted of the refusal of the gas gauge screen between the speedo and the tach to "light up" when I started the car. I would have to push the start button in the accessory mode three or four times to make the screen finally light up...

Anyway, I have a suggestion. I have discovered you should lock the doors using the electric door lock EVERY TIME you leave the car. If you fail to lock the doors, all sorts of electrical stuff that you thought you turned off when you killed the engine, actually stays "on" for some 25 minutes until the battery save circuit kicks in and shuts everything down. Add a few short trips without giving the alternator adequate time to charge and wa la, the famed electrical gremlins come to visit or worse, a dead battery.

I learned this the hard way. Living way out in the country the way I do, I never locked the doors when I got home. After months of dealing with gremlins, I finally put the XK on a amp meter and monitored the draw after I shut the engine down but did not lock the doors. I saw with my own eyes a 25 minute + draw significant enough to get my attention. I next experimented by again hooking up the meter and watched as I shut the engine down then pushed the door lock button. The car instantly went to sleep and the draw dropped to virtually zero.

No gremlins since.....