In the process of trying to track down my "warm air from vents" problems, I decided to run the engineering diagnostic test. My battery voltage is 11.7 and I believe I have the original battery on a 2006 S-Type. Two questions:

Is there a way to determine if the battery is original by way of numbers, codes or labels on the battery? I cannot find a date anywhere.

Is only 11.7V low enough to consider replacing the battery. I double-checked the voltage with my multimeter and it shows about the same reading. Other than the AC problems, only other electrical problem I'm experiencing are "check fuel cap" errors occasionally, radio cuts in and out and fuel gauge doesn't "full" after a fill-up. In a few days the gauge will give the correct reading.

Should I return to the dealer for a Jaguar battery or will some of the speciality battery shops be sufficient? I replaced a 1998 XJ8 battery once from a "Interstate All Battery Center" retail outlet and it was the correct size and worked fine. And I'm sure I saved a few dollars over the dealership battery.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Earnest

 

Hi Earnest,
Battery voltage is way too low, it should be 12.4-12.6V. If it is original to the car then on top of the negative post you will find a 4 figured number. The first 2 will give you the week and the second 2 will give you the year.

Try a full charge overnight first and if it doesn't hold then replace it.

Hope this helps,

 

Thanks. You know your stuff. My battery was made in Week 24 of 2005. Not a bad run for an original battery in a 2006 S-Type. Will give it a good charge tonight and report back.

Earnest

 

Charging and testing are a waste of time on a battery manufactured in 2005. Replace the battery.

 

+1 Time for new battery. Price compare Jag vs. Autozone, NAPA, Pep Boys, etc. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples regarding cranking power.

 

+2 replace the battery with new. Bosch seems to be the best bang for your buck w/ 36 month free replacement.

 

Thanks for the info on a new battery. I'll be shopping around. My location has a CarQuest Auto Parts. I'll see if they have Bosch battery for the S-Type, as well as AutoZone and Nappa.

 

I stopped by the local AutoZone store to check on their battery choices for my 2006 S-Type. The have a Duralast that exceeds the factory specs in cold cranking amps (900 vs 680 factory). It also has a five-year warranty.

While there, I had the sales guy do a "load test" my current battery and it tested at 50% charged. Luckily, it still starts the car, but dying for sure.

But my questions is I notice a rubber tube that comes out of side of the factory battery near the positive post and runs into the back bumper area. Not sure where it goes from there. Appears to be some kind of vent or vacuum line.

Is this line important to keep connected on the new battery? I'm not sure if the aftermarket or non-jaguar battery has this connection port. Or will I have to stick with the OEM battery because of this connection.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

The pipe you refer to is the battery vent pipe. Not all batteries have them. If the one you are considering has a vent then just reconnect the pipe to it.

 

Here's my $0.02

I purchased a Duralast Battery for my 1997 Jeep - I wasn't happy with it. Regarding the warranty - 5 years is not bad but how many months will they it's replace the battery free of charge? (I'm going to aim at either the 12 or 18 month mark, if that) then after that replacement value will be "pro-rated".

Look for a Pep Boys around you - they carry the Bosch battery. Many members (including myself) have purchased this battery and have had no issues. They also carry an 8 year warranty (36 months - free replacement) - also look online for coupons, discounts, etc.

I recently purchased a Bosch for my 04 XJ8 that had the original Jaguar battery (8th week of 2004) with my 20% off coupon I found online I paid only $90 for the Bosch replacement battery and it does have the air vent as well. This is important to use.

Hope this feedback helps...

 

Excellent price. I think I paid around $130 when I replaced mine last year and didn't get as long a warranty from NAPA.

I now keep my car connected to a Battery Tender trickle charger when parked overnight, as I don't drive it every day. When I do drive, it's usually short jaunts that may drain the battery more than charge it, esp in summer with the A/C on full blast, daytime headlights and Pandora working overtime. Battery Tender keeps the battery at full voltage so I hope to avoid those annoying electronics glitches for which these cars are famous, and I also expect it to prolong the battery's life. In the winter, my car should start right up on those cold NJ mornings. Bought mine on Amazon for ~ $50. It's money well spent IMHO.

 

For what it is worth, my battery has been progressively becoming a problem even when I left the trickle charger on over night. Took the forms advice and tried to purchase a Bosch replacement, unfortunately they seem to be only sold through Pep Boys, which are not located in Bend or Portland Oregon. A fellow Jag owner suggested I try Batteries Plus, all though I was quite skeptical at first, they had a Durcell AMG Battery, installed it within 15 minutes, it has a 48 month warranty for $219.00. The dealer was closer to 400.00.

 

I too have been unable to locate a Bosch battery, as there is no Pep Boys in my area. But I've almost settled on an AutoCraft Gold brand from Advance Auto Parts for $154.99, minus a 15% promo code. It has the vent tube ports is supposed to be an exact fit my 2006 S-Type. It has a three-year free replacement warranty. Cranking exceeds the factory battery that I currently have. I might try a CarCraft here in town to see what they offer.

 

I'd be curious to know if Ford carries a comparable Motorcraft battery given that some of the Motorcraft parts used on our cars were manufactured by Bosch.