I have a 1999 Jaguar XKR. The memory seat/steering wheel function doesn't work. I have followed the correct procedure for setting the memory on settings 1 and 2. It beeps and the light shows to indicate it has stored the settings, but when you press 1 or 2, the seats don't move back.

In addition the steering wheel adjustment only works intermittently. When set on manual you need to jiggle it up and down to get it to work... once it gets going it seems to be OK.

Any ideas??

 

Welcome to the world of non-Asian electronic controls. In my old Acura and in other Asian vehicles I have been in over the years the electronics for things like this were flawless. In my 2005 XKR it is sporadic at best. The memory seat function is the biggest joke. If I set everything to a memory location (1 or 2) and then decide to test the functioning sometime later, the seat often moves into some random ridiculous position (generally bottom moves all the way forward and seatback also moves to some random position). So I set again and it works for a while but then at some random time the system seems to lose the saved position. Luckily, I am pretty much the only drive so don't have to deal with this much if at all. Still in a car that was almost $100K new you would have thought that the memory seat position would not be so flaky.

Doug

 

You're not wrong Doug... typical UK electrics, even if Ford did own it at the time.

Just wondering if anyone else has come up with a solution to this if it's so widespread... some sort of reboot of the onboard computer perhaps??

Andrew.H
Western Australia

 

Most likely the postiion potentoimeters attached to the motors are not working reliably and that is why the memory function does not work. Removing the seat, opening up the potentiometers and applying a lubricating type contact cleaner might help...or might not. They can be replaced at considerable cost, but they do have a limited life. For most people it is not worth the trouble.

If you search, there are a number of threads on the steering wheel adjustment. The simplest solution is to exercise it across the range of motion a dozen or two times and see if it just starts working reliably. There are other solutions that have been posted (do a search) that involve removing or adjusting an internal pressure spring adding lubrication inside the gearbox. Your mileage may vary. The root cause usually is the motor draws too much current because of excessive friction and the safety circuitry turns it off.