Hi. I recently bought 2000 XK8 in the UK from a private seller. For a short while it was a real dream, but then decided to turn nasty on me. It keeps going into safe engine management mode, with a variety of messages - ASC not Working, Traction control Off, driver's Air Bag warning....
I immediately took it to my normal trusted garage for replacement cam chain tensioners, a full service and diagnostic check, to no avail. The old plastic cam tensioners needed replacing but had not at that point failed.
It is now with a reputable Diagnostic Specialist in the Exeter area - who are, so far , also scratching their heads, They and my own garage both suspected the throttle body, but this has been checked (temporarily replaced with new), and produces the same glitch. All inlets/ hoses seem air tight, and no apparent sensors at fault.But still the problem persists.
Both my own garage and the specialists suspect (noting that S/H electrical parts have been fitted) that the previous owner (who had the vehicle for 6 years) most likely had unsuccessfully tried to cure the glitch over a period of time. Sadly, it ran for my first 20 or so miles during testing and after purchase like a sowing machine.
If anyone has any suggestions or had similar experience (preferably with a happy ending!) I would dearly like to hear from them. Otherwise, any contacts to assist in euthanasia would be a help.

 

Better diagnosticians than me will be along soon, but sure seems like an electrical issue to me. I would start with the simple things to check like battery voltage and main grounding points. There is a main ground strap in the battery area that could be corroded (UK car after all). Lots of stories on here of it failing and causing glitches.

 

I wouldn't have bought an XK* that ran like a sowing machine...



Misspelling jokes aside, it sure sounds like what would happen with our cars when the battery voltage drops just a tiny bit under 12V.

 

+1

If you don't know the history or age of the battery, best off just to replace it and start from new. These cars can be quite fiddly about voltage and battery quality.

I had a questionable batter cause a similar list of errors and putting it on the charger overnight would hide them for a start or two, which may well be what the previous owner had done before you picked up the car.

Next thing would be to post the diagnostic trouble codes, as that is a critical piece of information that can point to the real cause.