Hit bump in the road, ABS light came on, orange warning light came on, and the message in the trip computer read "Traction Control Fail.... Stability Control Fail" and kept flashing.

When I got home I turned the car off, then back on, and everything was back to normal. I hooked up a code reader but only got P1111, which from what I gather means: 'system check; everything is normal' more or less.

Then the same thing happened yesterday - hit bump, all of the above went on again, but when car was switched off and back on, all was back to normal and no codes aside from P1111.

There was no loss of performance in either case; switching the traction control on and off again while driving had no effect on the lights or message (I have the basic version - XK8 with no winter package).

So I'm happy nothing is out of whack, but still doubtful. Anybody got theories about these gremlins?

 

Uh yeah. Sounds like my car. I haven't 100% tracked it down yet, but I'm betting I have a poor / intermittent wheel speed signal. Try using your cruise control and see if the car surges forward when you hit a bump as well.

 

Wheel speed sensors - that's what I was thinking. Have to give the cruise control a try, thanks.

 

ABS systems and the codes related won't be able to be read by your scanner, you'll have to spend $500 at least to get that feature...until at least the Torque app gets the upgrade, or you can create your own custom sensors using the PIDs for jaguars ABS system. With the ABS, could be connector, wiring harness, or wheel speed sensor. Trial and error of parts w/o at least tying it down to the correct corner, would be frivolous. You could pay the dealer ~ $125 diagnosis fee, then move forward with your investigation (after cleaning your wheel speed sensors and doing some connector exercising to rule out that possibility of course) wish you luck!

 

Good points. And yeah, I was using Torque with my Android phone. Might want to hold off till I rule out the actual problem.

Cruise control still works when the lights do what they do, BTW.

 

I am following this thread because I have the same intermittent problem. It is strange that it doesn't completely fail and makes it difficult to debug. Is there a design fault in the ABS system that has been improved in other cars or newer XK's?

 

gchin, the big design 'flaw' was a solder connection in the older units, resulting in random, unpredictable trac control/failsafe and ABS errors all at once, often correctable by a simple shutdown and restart of the car. A scan of the car's codes, if showing a ABS pump motor failure, that is indicative of this very fault. It usually takes some prelim investigation before resorting to pulling the ABS module and sending it off to be rebuilt. Lots of success stories though when it is tracked down and resolved.

 

Had this exact same thing happen on the way home yesterday. ABS light on the Tach and a "Traction Control Fail" notice with a yellow light on the Speedo. No apparent loss of function. Didn't try the cruise control. Got home and turned off, then restarted the car, no more warning lights.

Don't really remember hitting a bump (I could have, just don't remember it), just looked down and the warning lights were on.

Just had front brake pads replaced a week or so ago.

Anyway, will wait to see if it happens again before I get too worried I think.

 

I would follow H2o boys' advice and clean wheel speed sensors and check connectors and wiring. You can't believe the number of "ABS & Traction Control" warnings these things cause. Jack