I’ve been experiencing a recurring problem for about a year now. I have looked through the forums many times and haven’t found my problem anywhere. I hope the moderator will direct me if I’ve overlooked something and am posting a new thread where this has been dealt with. If not, I hope someone can help.




My 01 XK8 has a new battery new alternator and some new wiring.




Each of those repairs fixed my problem for the short term but it keeps coming back.




Right now, I have the symptoms of those things having a problem, but I just had them rechecked again today even though they are all new in the last year and everything that has been done seems still fine. However my symptoms are just like that of the battery or alternator failing.




-My convertible windows do not put themselves back up always when I shut the door as they automatically should.

-About half the time when I turn the ignition off, she makes a clicking noise and the battery keeps draining. She will not power down fully.

-The only hack that I have found for this may seem crazy, but so far it works every time. I take the actual key and put it in the trunk keyhole and open the trunk. Then I open the ignition so that the battery is on but I do not crank it. I wait 30 seconds to 5 minutes. And then I slam the trunk as hard as I can and all the dash lights come on and everything resets. This allows me to turn the car off properly so that the next time I want to start her, the battery is not drained.

-As mentioned, this has been coming up throughout the last year and I have been replacing the items noted above (alternator, battery, wiring) and the car improves for a while and then the problem starts again.

-This last time now, the clicking noise has gone away, but she’s doing the same thing of not shutting down properly, just without the clicking to cue me. I have to realize each time that she has not shut down by the fact that she doesn’t ding when I take the key out or other usual noises and sights that would have normally been generated by the electrical system e.g. interior lights coming on, beep when I lock her with the key, etc. None of those things happen when she is faulting like this. So each time that happens I do my crazy hack.




Obviously I would like for this to go away. Our next guess is to swap out the fuse box. But if anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. Because otherwise, my baby runs like a demon!




Thank you for any help.

 

Well your hack to fix it seems slamming the boot lid. I would disconnect the battery and then verify that the HIGH voltage connections are clean and tight from the positive cable. Next I would remove the fuse box from it's mount and (1) push in and insure each wire is tight and (2) remove and clean the connector to the SCLM (security control locking module), it is mounted beneath the fuse box.
My suspicion is the connector is either dirty or loose. Maybe both.

 

01XK8,

Sorry to hear about your battery drain. My 99 XK8 car doesn't beep when I close and lock up the car, so maybe the car thinks something is open so that's why it won't go to sleep mode.

A common fault is the car key hole behind the steering wheel. There's a little gate which sometimes clogs up so won't close so the car thinks the key is in 100%

Another forum member, right now, Michelle in Michigan, is going through the same problem so here's a link to her ongoing thread. Maybe it'll give you some ideas where to start.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-blues-223113/

Your symptom of slamming the trunk makes me think that a bad switch, a chaffed grounded wire, that is causing the problem. A few simple checks first. Do you ever get the door open warning on the dash? When you shut the car and open the driver's door, does the overhead lights come on, door puddle light switch on etc. Are the trunk lights on/off 100% of the time?

You did mention new wiring that has gone in. The old wiring surround is quite brittle now so maybe something got damaged during the install and is shorting to the car body. Finding it is a problem. In Michelle's post, John gives good technical guidance on how to track it a battery drain.

 

@avern1

Thanks for your input.

Just slamming the trunk won’t actually fix it. It is that very specific sequence of keeping the battery open for a bit and slamming the trunk while it’s open that works as a temporary hack in the moment. I discovered it on accident about a year ago when the alternator went.

We have tried most of those suggestions to fix it permanently. But will revisit and see if we missed anything. Thank you!


@DavidYau

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions. We’ll see if any of that fixes it and keep you posted.

And thank you for the link to the Michigan Blues one. It does seem similar. Still a bit different. But more similar than most of the things that I’ve been able to find on the forums.

Appreciate the help from both of you. I’ve had my black cat since April 2007 and she’s a beaut! Just want to get this one figured out. Thanks so much.