I've got a fellow up the street who has a dead battery on his dad's xk8 and can't get the key to work in the trunk lock. I know there are terminals on the right hand side near the fuse box under the hood but I'll be darned if I can find any with juice in them on my car.

Any one have a pic or a diagram?? Thanks

 

These terminals can be used to charge the Battery or power the car so that the Trunk can be opened with the button on the dash.

They can NOT be used to start the Car.

 

Thank you Paul. That's just what we need.

 

Paul, I like your post, I've added it to our FAQ for quick reference!

 

The only thing (electrically) between those terminals and the battery is a 250 amp fuse (for my MY '01 anyway). So, the terminals can be used to start the car, but it would require some care and would make sense to try only in a very special case ... i.e. if there's no way to get into the trunk to attach jumpers there.

If locked out of the trunk, dead battery, no access to (or time to use) a charger, I would try this:
- attach jumpers to the under-hood terminals
- with the cables attached, try again to get into the trunk
- if still locked out of the trunk, allow some time for the (hopefully not completely comatose) battery to absorb some charge, say 10 minutes.
- remove the cables and check to see if the battery has at all come to life ... just a quick flick to the "start" key position should tell.
- if the battery is still completely dead, abandon the attempt. Otherwise ...
- reattach the cables and try to start the car.

If it came down to this, or having the car towed, or doing something destructive to get into the trunk, I'd be comfortable trying it.

 

Or you could use the key

 

My caution against Jump Starting using the referenced Terminals was to prevent blowing the 250 amp Fuse between the Terminal and the Battery. The current path from the Battery to the Starter is fused with 2 250 amp fuses in parallel).

 

I agree, definitely not the way to go if there's any way into the trunk.

I would use it in a pinch though. Often a starter won't draw more than ~ 300-350 amps and if the on-board battery is not completely dead it can contribute enough to make things work.

Not a killer if we do blow the 250 amp fuse.

 

Just for the record, the 'key" in this case won't work. It's possible the lock is us or that somehow the Valet mode has thrown things out of sinc. Regardless, key is not an option.

 

Thank you to RJAG for posting this question for me it was a great help thanks for all the answers its been a great help

 

I've successfully jump started my mother's XK8 with a portable jumper pack on the fuse box / suspension post on the passenger side. Attempts to use the drivers side terminals didn't work.

This was after trying to jump start the car using a jumper pack and another vehicle (GMC Yukon) connected to the dead battery.

I wouldn't use these terminals if my only option for jump starting was another vehicle versus a jumper pack.

I'm baffled how Jaguar could design a car with a remote battery and not put a dedicated jump terminal under the hood that goes directly to the starter.

 

Thank you for this!

My Xk8 has the Arden wing on it, which in their brillance, completely covers the trunk lock button and keyhole (although it does look sexy).

It's a beautiful 75 degree night with low humidity, perfect for a top down cruise, well until I realized the Xk8 was dead.

So I looked around for a sec, and realized there was no way into the trunk except for providing external power. So I ran inside to the laptop and found this.

I have the car car charging now, hopefully this battery will come back from the dead.

Take care and thanks again,

George

 

I got stuck on a road trip - with a dead battery and no way into the trunk for a hot shot. I called the dealership and they told me about the method of doing a hot shot to the fuse area in front of the passenger area. I'd called Triple AAA so they talked directly to the dealership and it worked in a few minutes - enough for me to hit the trunk button on the left of the steering column. Then I was able to get into the trunk. I was unaware about the method on the driver's side. I have a '99 XK8.

 

Was your key also locked in the trunk?

People get so used to using the remote that using the key slips their mind.

 

Dear Moderator:

No. My key was not locked in the trunk. See above posts.

 

I think many owners have the same problem I do, the trunk key lock simply doesn't work. Mine won't budge and I'm not going to try and force it for fear of breaking the key.

 

It is probably just seized up from not being used in years. I have had that problem with some locks before and sprayed some penetrating oil or other lubricant in them and left it a day or so and then the lock would work. It is worth a try, if you haven't already done so. I am talking not just about the lock itself, but any other moving part that you can get to.

 

I also can not locate my under hood terminals in my 97 jaguar xj6 please help.

 

There is a terminal that will work on the other side of the car, too.

In the Box behind the shock tower, under a rubber plug.

 

Welcome to the forums. Your car is a X300 and you should post there in the future. The XJ6 has a fuse box on both sides of the engine and each has a + terminal covered by a rubber boot.

When you have time, please visit the new member area and introduce yourself:

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