My 2006 4.2 xk coupe with 76000 had an old and flat battery replaced by me and a few days later when trying to start it it cranked for several seconds, and for three tries total. I then gave it throttle and it started with a cloud of fuel smoke. Now appears normal, should I be worried

 

What color was the smoke?

Black exhaust smoke indicates a rich or flooded fuel mixture, which can occur if you pump the gas pedal while starting. Pumping the gas pedal was OK ffor cars with carburetors but not for fuel injected cars.

White odorless smoke indicates water in the fuel mixture, which can occur from a blown head gasket. If you're burning motor oil (bad rings), you'll smell it.

If your car doesn't make any strange noises, doesn't have any loss of power, starts right up (push and hold the start button first, then tap the brake pedal), and doesn't continue to spew excessive smoke, I wouldn't worry about it. It is normal during cold weather to see white exhaust smoke.

 

No! do make sure the new battery is fully charged...........by external source.

Good luck, Adrian

 

The ECM loses its adaptations when the battery is disconnected, and it reverts to a default fuel map. That may mean it's running rich, until it manages to re-learn what the engine actually needs. Here's the full re-set procedure:

1. Connect the battery cables and tighten to 5 Nm. Ground cable must be connected last.
2. Install the battery cover and close the luggage compartment lid.
3. Start the engine and allow to idle until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
(n.b.: when you first switch on, the display will ask you to press the brake pedal & apply the electronic handbrake, to recalibrate)
4. Switch the engine off.
5. Restart the engine and allow to idle for approximately two minutes (this will allow the ECM to learn the idle values).
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal, select drive and allow the engine to idle for a further two minutes.
7. Drive the vehicle for approximately five miles/eight kilometers of varied driving to enable the ECM to complete its learning strategy.
8. Reset the audio unit and climate control assembly to original customer settings.
9. Reset the door window motors (wind down & hold until there's a click, wind up & hold for another click).
(n.b. store your current seat positions in M1, then adjust & store any other positions you used to have)

 

If you had a Ctek or another smart charger hooked up when you pull the positive terminal from the battery you wouldn't have to reprogram any of the cars features. The obvious issue would be to make sure you protect the positive terminal from shorting when you remove it. I used to slip an old glove on the terminal as I remove it.

 

I would not recommend leaving any charger connected with the battery removed. Chargers of any sort do not necessarily supply clean DC without being connected to a battery and could potentially crash the computers in the car or at worst even damage electronics. If you want to maintain the settings in the car, temporarily clip in another battery.

 

Yeah, I'd use a maintainer battery, but only after i'd locked the car first & waited for most things to power off.

There's neat little trick that a Jag service guy showed me: with the hatch open, you can use the shaft of a screwdriver to close the hatch lock. Just insert it in the lock groove at right angles to the lock and push upwards. Once the car thinks the hatch is closed, it will happily allow you to lock it (but only use one press of the button if you have the full deadlock/volumetric alarm system, or the volumetric sensor will go off).

Then wait 5 mins for the power drain to decrease, connect a jumpstart battery, then disconnect the main battery & replace it. The only thing to remember is to unlock the car and press the hatch-opening button before closing the hatch, so the lock returns to the correct position.