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Where do i start. It first started with a battery drain. The electrician checked all the 20 modules and found 2 modules were draining and so we had 2 modules replaced... it worked great for 3 weeks... then one morning it would not even budge however all interior lights dashboard lights we on but just wouldn't make a sound when we tried to start. it Jump start no worries. Took it back to the shop and we put in a new battery to see if it was a bad battery... well a few days later same thing. we noticed after new battery installed and when we jump started it took a few goes to crank over but it did. The shop said the battery light came on one time and it turned off, they wanted to see if it failed again but it didn't. They installed a new alternator then a few days later, same again. interior lights and dash board lights working however wouldn't even click over again today. Again jump start and it takes a few cranks and it turns no worries. i then noticed the airbag light was on for the duration of my trip but the next 2nd trip the light didn't come back on. I want to clarify that once i jump start it i no need to jump start it for the rest of the day. It runs there after, after stopping and starting. The shop tested the battery and its fully charged. its now in the shop.. they seem to think its a ECM problem as random lights will come on like the battery light then it came off and today the Airbag light came on and didn't turn on after i stopped and restarted. we have ruled out the there is no battery drainage anymore. i've had the car since april and its been a nightmare. we bought from a dealership "as is" the first 24 hours we had to return the car as it had bad gas fumes and was leaking oil. The 1 month later this electrical/ battery drain who knows nightmare. Of course alot of time had passed to even take it back to the dealership as we bought " as is" Besides this my gas tank only reads under 3/4 when i fill up so i just monitor my mileage. I can put up with this but geez this electrical fault i can't. i have turned to this page of some venting and hopefully possible some ideas of this nightmare. Thanks for listening
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2005 S-Type (added by GGG)
Last edited by GGG; 08-23-2017 at 01:55 AM.
Reason: Add Model & Year
No problem and I understand in the heat of the moment it's easy to forget!
It's a bit hard to read because it's all jammed together but in 2005 the only recall for the S Type was the gas tank seals.
The main symptoms were gas smells and sometimes problems getting the gas pump to fill the tank.
Any problems like that?
Do you know if the recall has been done?
Can you DIY the repair?
I think the advice above and what you have been doing is the right direction to go. It's a current drain from something and they can be hard to find. In fact some people give up and just run a battery tender on it when parked.
Or another way is a battery cut off switch. There was a battery in the past that would disconnect one of the terminals if the voltage dropped to a certain level. But now they have very slick units out that are all automatic and protect the battery in other ways as well.
Take a look;
Of course neither of those ways fix the problem. But I think sometimes you have to do what you need to do. The battery cut off is $90.
How much have you spent so far and it's not fixed??
But don't give up. I chased a drain for over 2 years. It was an aftermarket towing setup. Just plugged in-between the factory wire plugs so hard to install wrong. Turned out that was somehow triggering the car so it would never go to sleep or somehow keep waking it back up. I measured the current draw and never did see one and finally by luck just thought to disconnect it.
I actually bought a better clamp on ammeter because I was positive it was a current drain! Meter would measure to .001 amp and you need that as this stuff is all Milli-amps. Most modern cars run about 35ma-65 ma drain without causing any problems but each car and manufacturer is different.
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We used to REMOVE something very similar on PDI (pre delivery inspection ). Stopped the battery going flat when cars left standing or stored.
we called them transit relays. XJ40,XJS, XK8,XJ8,X300.
Thanks clubairth1 for an awesome reply. So, this morning i went out and everything was dead, couldn' even unlock. The mechanic shop said if i had problems to call them out as they want to see for themselves. So they came out and one jumpstart with my trusty battery pack and it turned over no worries. They took it to the shop and the alternator is faulty which they just installed a new one last week so its under warranty.
so far i have spent $2800 which included labor of finding the parasite drain, 2 new modules, a new battery and a new alternator. The shop has been very accommodating and helpful. They have given me a rental during some of the time as well as picking me up and dropping me off places. After the first time they found the battery drain and installed the modules my car worked for a good 3 weeks and then suddenly it wouldn't turn however the battery wasn't dead and the interior lights and dashboard lights were on. Jump starts always works. Then we wanted to rule out battery, so we installed a new battery... worked for a few days and then again same thing..interior lights and dashboard lights were on but would not click over and then when i jump started it took a few goes to crank over. So back to the shop it went... the electrician said he say the battery light come on one time and then went away.. they were thinking alternator, so they installed that last week, then yesterday same thing again "interior lights and dashboard lights were on but wouldn't turn or even click.....jump started and it took a few goes and it cranked over....i can drive it all day running errands no worries too... the electrician suggested i drove home and if i have this problem to call them and they will come to my house, well today it was dead as door nail and they have found out the new alternator they put in last week was faulty so anyhow, this is where i am up to now.
In regards to the gas tank. I bought it from a dealership who kindly fixed the gas fume smell within 24 hours of me buying it however its only now the gas mileage reading not working correctly which is the least of my problems that i can put up with as i have been monitoring the milage when i fill up.
wow on your 2 year dilemma and i am like you, i will find a way to beat it if this problem doesn't get resolved. Your priority Starter idea is something that was brewing in my head for awhile now. I hope once i get it back with a new alternator i hope the problem is resolved! I will keep you posted and thank you for taking the time to read my post and offer solutions. It helps knowing i am not the only one out there with a demon in my car LOL I only need the car for 2 years as i am moving back to Australia where i am very certain i will not be buying a jaguar sad to say
Have you checked for water into the boot/trunk.
I had an s type that was draining the battery. Water in the boot had travelled up the loom and somehow found it's way to the drivers seat module. Keeping the module awake. New loom and module ( jaguar warranty) .
took along time to trace that one.
Ideally you need an amp clamp on ur battery, then pull fuses. But you can't put the fuses back in as that sometimes wakes the modules up.
I think jaguar shut down time is something like 30-40 minutes?? Someone might confirm.
you are looking for a drain of around 80milliamps or less.
does the car have any non jaguar accessories? Tracker fitted?
all interior lights and sunvisor lights turning off ok?
Talking about aftermarket accessories fitted, does it have an aftermarket stereo? They were common for causing a battery drain in the early years.
Or an aftermarket amplifier in the boot for the sound system? I've known these to be wired in directly to the battery so they are always live.
Plus with it being under the rear shelf it's not immediately obvious that it's there.
I would be looking at any non jag accessory first, just un-plug it and see what happens.
If that doesn't find it, and I know this is a pain, but is it possible to unplug one module at a time, leave it overnight, and see what happens to the battery level?
Electrical gremlins are a nightmare to solve.
You have made sure the interior light goes off when you leave the car overnight haven't you?
I did it once and it flattened the battery.
oh how i wish this would be the case. it would be a easy fix. no, i double check and double check. My electrician tested all the modules and found 2 faults. one was the interior light module and another one. It was replaced and for 3 weeks worked great
Have you checked for water into the boot/trunk.
I had an s type that was draining the battery. Water in the boot had travelled up the loom and somehow found it's way to the drivers seat module. Keeping the module awake. New loom and module ( jaguar warranty) .
took along time to trace that one.
Ideally you need an amp clamp on ur battery, then pull fuses. But you can't put the fuses back in as that sometimes wakes the modules up.
I think jaguar shut down time is something like 30-40 minutes?? Someone might confirm.
you are looking for a drain of around 80milliamps or less.
does the car have any non jaguar accessories? Tracker fitted?
all interior lights and sunvisor lights turning off ok?
my electrician tested all the modules, and found 2 faults and replaced 2 modules. i bought off a carlot in April and everything from sight looks non aftermarket such as radio...
i bought off a car lot in April and everything is original. my electrican tested evety 20 plus modules and found 2 were faulty and replace 2.. then 21 days later we are back to a problem
Originally Posted by stevep10
Talking about aftermarket accessories fitted, does it have an aftermarket stereo? They were common for causing a battery drain in the early years.
Or an aftermarket amplifier in the boot for the sound system? I've known these to be wired in directly to the battery so they are always live.
Plus with it being under the rear shelf it's not immediately obvious that it's there.
I would be looking at any non jag accessory first, just un-plug it and see what happens.
If that doesn't find it, and I know this is a pain, but is it possible to unplug one module at a time, leave it overnight, and see what happens to the battery level?
Electrical gremlins are a nightmare to solve.
Have you checked for water into the boot/trunk.
I had an s type that was draining the battery. Water in the boot had travelled up the loom and somehow found it's way to the drivers seat module. Keeping the module awake. New loom and module ( jaguar warranty) .
took along time to trace that one.
Ideally you need an amp clamp on ur battery, then pull fuses. But you can't put the fuses back in as that sometimes wakes the modules up.
I think jaguar shut down time is something like 30-40 minutes?? Someone might confirm.
you are looking for a drain of around 80milliamps or less.
does the car have any non jaguar accessories? Tracker fitted?
all interior lights and sunvisor lights turning off ok?
The electrician checked all the 20 modules and found 2 modules were draining and so we had 2 modules replaced... it worked great for 3 weeks...
1. Clean and secure all earths.
2. Have your mechanic methodically and systematically work his/her way through the link Karl posted in #4 to Cat-as-Trophy's excellent current drain article.
Alternatively, you could continue throwing parts at it and becoming increasingly frustrated. I even have tips for this method, though I by no means endorse it: Start with ignition switch, then replace the Multi-function switch.
Can you post how many ma the car is drawing? Even if you can see what it starts at and if or how much it falls off?
When I was working on my S Type I saw a statement that Jaguar considers any drain 50ma and less as normal. This does match what I have read from other manufacturers and from electrical repair shops.
The electrician checked all the 20 modules and found 2 modules were draining and so we had 2 modules replaced... it worked great for 3 weeks...
My experience with electronics in general is that the modules themselves are usually quite robust. Most problems are due to connector issues or bad inputs. I'd be very suspicious of replacing 2 modules but having the problem continue.
What is your level of experience with a meter? If you follow that guide, referenced in a previous message, you should be able to find the fault, or at least which fuse is supplying the fault. You have the advantage of being able to spend enough time to isolate the fault, even if requires pulling one fuse at a time over the course of several weeks. Meanwhile, a shop would bankrupt you doing the same thing.
That's a good point because every time you pull a fuse you now need to wait for the car to time out and go to sleep.
I spent a LOT of hours just waiting for the car to shut down. Lucky I am a home shop guy so I just worked on other things until it was time to go to the next step.
Kind of boring and long winded but I don't know any other way?
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08-22-2017, 01:18 PM
Battery drain. Intermittent electrical fault?
