Hello! I have a 2001 XKR. I recently had it serviced - replaced the AC condenser, radiator, etc. Yesterday I left work and noticed that the steering wheel was moving by itself;; every 10 seconds or so it would move down ~2mm and it did this until it was bottomed out. The control doesn't work at all - won't move up/down or in/out. When I got home and turned off the ignition and removed the key, the steering wheel went full up as it should. Then, this morning, I also couldn't get it out of Park. I had to remove the screw and do it manually - and the steering wheel situation is the same. Except it also moves up ~2mm occasionally.. I tried a reset (disconnect battery) just to see if anything would change - it didn't. ??? I tried the memory settings (there are 2) and the steering wheel does move up/down and in/out accordingly.

 

How old is your battery? Crazy things happen at random in these cars when their batteries begin to fail....

 

Turn the column switch from AUTO to OFF to see if it stops moving upon exit?

 

That's a possibility; one of the reasons I had it serviced recently is it was totally dead after not being started for 3 weeks.. The shop trickle-charged the battery and "it was fine"......but it might be the problem.

 

?? I noticed the switch has 2 positions but I didn't know what it was for..

 

Measure your battery voltage at the battery terminals with the engine off, and again with the engine running. Report those voltage measurements here for further advice....

 

I replaced the battery. Same problem. the shop also mentioned that the alternator is putting out 11.9V so I wonder if that's causing trouble..

 

Engine off: 12.65V On: 13.9V

 

The Column/Seating AUTO/OFF is explained in the owner/operators manual. (the one nobody reads)

After a customer pay (repair out of new car warranty) seat wiring repair, many customers turned the AUTO feature to OFF so the seat back/forth movement would not chafe the wiring and cost $1500 for a harness and labor.

It's cool to have the seat move back/forth to ease egress and entrance but the more the seat moves, the more things wear.