I have an 2003 X-Type, 2.5L.
A couple of week ago I went to start the car and all it did is a series of clicks. I tried for a couple of minutes and then the car started and continued to work correctly. When I got home I checked the codes and it showed codes:
P1603
P1000
I cleared the codes and the car continued to work correctly. Today the wife took the car for while and came back and when she was going to go out again the car would not start. I checked the codes and it showed:
P1603
P1000
P1603
I cleared the codes and checked the battery and the negative contact was full of corrosion.



I disconnected the battery cleaned the contact and the car would not start and only click. The battery seemed strong as all accessories work OK, but I connected a charger/starter in the start mode anyway with no luck. I checked the codes and it showed:
P1638
p1603
P1793
P1000
P1603
P1793
While checking the battery I notice a wire with a connector behind the battery compartment that is not attached to anything:



The connector is in the center of the photo (green) and the wire appears to be attached to the wiring bundle behind the battery and is only about 6"-8" long. Any ideas on what the connector is and where it should be plugged? Would this be causing the problem?
I cleared the codes and it will still not start and now I consistently get the codes:
P1603
P1000
P1603
P1793
My preliminary research indicates that it might be an ECU communication problem or maybe a bad ground connection. Could it be a bad starter since all I hear is clicking? Any idea on how to identify and fix the problem? Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

 

When you cleaned that nasty cable, did you look at the other end of the cable? Bad grounds are often found there.

1603 could be:
Battery disconnected while the ignition is switched ON
B+ power supply circuit: open circuit
TCM failure

1793 could be:
TCM Power supply circuit: open circuit (fuse)
TCM Relay failure
TCM Relay ground circuit: open circuit, high resistance
TCM Relay supply circuits: open circuit (fuse)
TCM Ground circuit: open circuit, high resistance

With all that mention of high resistance and battery thrown in for good measure, I would be looking at your main ground cable, both ends. Next step would be find the TCM fuse and check it.

Oh, the green plug is used in shipping.

 

Thank you so much for the reply
Quick questions, where is the other end of the ground cable located? Can I access it by removing the battery and tray? Do I need to access it from the bottom? Do I need to place it on ramps? Considering that the car will not start and is sitting on the driveway the later might prove difficult.
You mention the TCM. I take it that the TCM relay in the Power distribution box in the engine compartment, is there also a fuse and where is it located? Is there a procedure to test the TCM relay? I do have 12VDC power supply I can use.
Finally, I have read about moisture getting into the TCM, is this also a possibility?
Thanks in advance for your help, it is indeed very much appreciated.

 

Don't worry about that green connector...It was only used during shipping across the Atlantic when it was new..I'm a local illiterate and can't remember exactly what it was used for..I think a battery tender was hooked up, not sure.

But There is a couple of ground points you might want to clean and reconnect..one is in the left front area just under the headlights and the other one is on top of the transmission..which will require you to remove the battery and battery box to get to.

 

Only 40 degrees today in Kansas City, but tomorrow it will be in the 60's so I will give it a try. The one under the headlights (driver side) do you access it from the engine compartment or from under the car? Thanks.

 

Yes, It's under the bonnet (Hood)...I think I remember it as being a 10MM bolt

 

Now it is getting weird. I checked the two ground connector mentioned and both looked clean; I removed them and cleaned any way.



and...


After cleaning the contacts, I tried starting the car and all it would do is click. I opened the fuse box in the engine compartment and verified with a voltmeter that all fuses were OK. I also took all the solenoids and cleaned the contacts with electronic degreaser/contact cleaner and place them back making sure they were well sat in the receptacles. I tried to start the car and now there is not even a click. I tried reading the codes and the reader says unable to communicate.
I thought that maybe the battery was low, even when all the lights seem strong, so I connected a external charger/starter and when I turn it on, all the lights in the car including dome and dash start blinking and there is a clicking behind the dash as long as the charger is connected.
I am starting to think that my car is possessed.
I believe the relays can go only in one direction so I am sure they were no placed incorrectly. Is there a chance that the starter relay was flaky and removing it made it worse? Also, the fuse box looked slightly different than the one I printed from the manual. The manual seems to indicate a couple of extra fuses that are not present.



Any help that you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Money is really tight and taking it to the dealer is an absolutely last resource option.

 

With the looks of the Neg cable on the battery post you first posted..I would venture to say the cable(s) are bad..this is a common problem with these X-types cables..Mine did the same thing and it turned out that the cable develops a high resistance either at the connector ends or internal to the cable itself...But to make a long story short, I replaced all of the Red cables (+) all the way to the Alternator via the starter motor and the one to the fuse box, and the all the Black (-) cables...I use OE Jaguar battery cables to make sure everything looked original (cost a little over $200.00)...But some folks have fashioned their own out of standard cables and connectors you can get at any auto parts store...This did the trick and the mystery electrical problem disappeared.

Good luck

 

Lights, radio, fans, horn are all working OK and seem to be getting enough juice. I am wandering if the connector at the starter need to be cleaned. Also I am not sure why the codes cannot be read; sound like the computer is not getting power; any chance that while cleaning the relays contacts something got damaged? Is there a procedure to check the relays?
I also read that the TCM module under the dash on the left side gets moisture and contacts get rusted and create problems. Does it sound like any of these items could be causing the problem?
Thanks again for your help.

 

As DPK said above, with that amount of corrosion on the picture, the negative wiring harness is likely damaged. This same exact issue happened to me several years ago; error codes, transmission fault message, clicking, etc. I replaced all the cables as well as the battery and that resolved the issue.

 

Thanks for the replies. The positive cable was absolutely clean in the first place so I am thinking that this is not an issue.
The negative cable had all that fluffy greenish white crud at the battery terminal but the other two ground points were very clean. Is there a way to test the negative cable, maybe measuring the resistance with a voltmeter?
The ground cable looks relatively simple and, as far as I can tell, going only to the two ground points. It should not be terribly expensive and hopefully will solve the issue.
Does any one have the part numbers for the different cables?
Again, thank you all for the help.

 

Once again..do not expect the cables to be okay, even if they look okay..they are deceptive and fail internally without signs..

 

Thanks DPK. I just talked to a friend that is the head of a large fleet maintenance shop, and he indicated that he has the equipment to test the wires by applying a load at one end and reading the results at the other; pretty much the way batteries are tested under load, which by the way he indicated might also be shorting. I will see if I can take the components to his shop and have him test them for me.
Does any one have the part number for the wiring harnesses?
Thanks again.

 

Here are a couple of cables on ebay and they are new

This positive one goes from the battery POS post to the Stater Motor then to the Alternator..There is another short POS cable bolted to this that goes to the Fuse Box..You'll have to call around for that one..I can't find it myself right now...But, that one is probably Okay as that is the one that feeds the whole car's electrical system through the fuse box.
New Original Jaguar Positive Battery Cable Assembly x Type 2002 2009 C2S22082 | eBay

and this is both Negative Cables..
Jaguar 2001 2006 5 x Type Negative Battery Cable C2S44634 | eBay


Why don't you PM Brutal or some other Jagtechs here to see if they can get you the Part Number for that Short Pos Fuse Box cable..

 

Thanks DPK. I called the Jaguar dealer and got the same numbers you mentioned, $91.20 for the Negative and $94.34 for the positive. They are dang expensive for such simple cables.
As far as I can tell the positive was very clean and I suspect it is good; it is as you described it with a special connector that plugs to the starter motor and continues to the alternator and this is why it is pricey. The negative likely needs replaced and it seems like such a simple cable that makes it hard to justify paying the Jaguar dealer price. I would have though that there would be aftermarket cables but I have not been able to find one so far. I guess it would not be difficult to make one out of 2 gage wire and connectors.
I will also get a replacement battery. The Interstate battery I have is just about 6 years old and even with the prorated discount it is more expensive than most. I read that when there is so much gunk on the terminal it is because there is a hairline crack and the electrolyte slowly seeps out. Any recommendation on batteries? I see good reviews for the Sears Diehard Gold but I cannot seem to find a match for the Jaguar X-Type (Group type 92???).

 

You can make your own cables, Just take the ones that are on there off and take them to a autoparts store, have them help you. Also, you can test your battery by turning the car on, not start, then turning on the fan to high and turning on all the lights. Let it sit for about 60 seconds and try to start the car. If the battery is good the lights shouldn't dim much and the fan should keep going.

 

Problem solved!!!
The night before last following my friends advice I connected the battery to a trickle charger and let it charge overnight. In the morning the voltage was 13.5V and I connected the battery back but the result was the same.

I went to check the fuses and I notice a diode next to fuse 36. I remember removing all the fuses and relays the evening before, cleaning the contacts and checking for continuity. The direction of the fuses is not important bud diodes are unidirectional. I could not find any information on this particular item and on a hunch I reversed the direction and now I have connection to the computer and I am back to hearing clicking when trying to start even when using a battery booster.

The lights and radio and fan did not change when I tried to start, but probably the starting motor was not engaging anyway. Voltage between the positive connector on the alternator and the negative battery post was exactly the same voltage as that between the battery terminals, also, the voltage between the positive and any ground location in the engine bay was the same as that between the battery post. I understand that this is voltage and not current but still, encouraging.

I found a couple of dealers selling the cables on eBay, and one of them, a Jaguar dealership in California, lowered the prices to about $150 for both shipped (local dealer was about $200.

I checked the cables for resistance according to several method I found in the internet and they checked OK. I thought I would order the cables anyway but before that I called the shop that installed the battery (Interstate 85 month pro-rated warranty) which I seemed to remember was bout 4 years old. The shop found the information and the battery was actually 6 years old...how time flies by, so I thought I would start by replacing it since it was probably overdue. The replacement battery was lot more expensive was even with the prorated discount (~$200).

All the 20% discount coupons I had for Autozone and Advanced Auto parts applied only to mail orders and they do not ship batteries. I found one at O'Reilly's for $110 with a$20 rebate on top. They tested the battery and it was indeed toast. The battery in question was physically a lot smaller than the current battery and was rated 700 CCA. They checked the larger size that was rate 740 CCA but the price was $180.

I went to Wal-Mart and they tested the battery again and it indeed showed as being bad, I ended up getting the MAXX-H7, which is their top of the line battery for $140 plus tax and it is rated at 790 CCA; Consumer Reports rates this battery high.

I connected the battery and the car started perfectly and runs like a dream...I guess it was the battery all along. I noticed that many manufacturers have changed their warranties and no longer offer an extended pro-rated warranty and only have an exchange warranty for anywhere between 12 and 36 month. The Wal-Mart warranty is 36 month exchange and 60 month pro-rated. I have never had a problem returning or exchanging items at my local Wal-Mart so I am not worried about it.

I notice that the old battery had indeed a hairline crack at the negative post and I understand that the electrolyte seeps up and creates all that gunk:



This explains the gunk.
In any case, there are two cables on eBay at a great price:
Positive cable:
Jaguar C2S22082 Battery Cable Positive Battery Cable Positive | eBay
Negative cable;
Jaguar C2S44634 Battery Cable Negative Battery Cable Negative | eBay
Hopefully someone can take advantage of the offer; they are original Jaguar parts sold by a Jaguar dealer.

I have learned a lot about the electrical system in the last few day and I wanted to thank all that posted advice; without the guidance, I might not have been able to figure out the issue.

Hopefully this detailed description will help someone else in the future.

This site is indeed a valuable resource for Jaguar owners since most auto shops do not seem to understand the idiosyncrasies of our cars. Again, thanks to all.

 

WOW excellent, glad you got it back up and running again..good job...But a word of advice coming from someone whos been there..My 2003 devolved bad cables at about 70,00 miles..I'm just saying, if you got the cables already and if you can afford to hang on to them, do so..this way in the future if and when they do go bad, you'll be ready with the new set..

Happy Trails

 

Thanks DPK. I did not get the cables since it looks like mine are OK. I posted the links with the hope that someone else might get them at that price.
I might go ahead and get them anyway as the price is pretty good.

 

one thing that may be the problem is you may not have the correct size battery. although all of your lights are on it may not be the correct size to adequately start the car.... if it was too small to begin with it may have started the car because it was new but once it has aged a little it may not start it as it should. I had a bmw 745 once and i went to walmart and grabbed the cheapest battery off the shelf i could because i thought all batteries were the same. it wasnt untill about 3 months later that i noticed the car draggin to start that i realized the battery wasnt strong enough