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Hi,
My battery finally died. I was looking for a step by step guide to remove the existing battery and replace it. Not sure if this is a dealer thing.
This happened yesterday and I was about to leave for a business trip so I did not look carefully but it does not look super straightforward
thanks in advance
It is very easy, no need to go to the dealer. The battery is located in the trunk area next to the spare. Just lift up on the cover, use the plastic hook to strap the cover to the edge of the top trunk edge and you will see it on the right side. I suggest you buy the new battery first so you can have it available to immediately swap out with the old one instead of removing the old one and taking it to the store to do the core exchange. This way you wont loose any of your settings.
It is very easy, no need to go to the dealer. The battery is located in the trunk area next to the spare. Just lift up on the cover, use the plastic hook to strap the cover to the edge of the top trunk edge and you will see it on the right side. I suggest you buy the new battery first so you can have it available to immediately swap out with the old one instead of removing the old one and taking it to the store to do the core exchange. This way you wont loose any of your settings.
+1. Easy fix. No need for dealer with basic tools and knowledge. Make sure to get an AGM battery. They are much better than regular lead-acid types.
I also suggest DIY. The dealer will install a Jaguar-branded Varta battery with a 2-year warranty which is inferior to an AGM battery that you can buy from Advance Auto or Pep Boys with a 3-4year warranty. I would suggest that you remove the spare tire to make it easier to get the old battery out and the new one in. Oh, and make sure you check for a coupon for Advance Auto or Pep Boys.
I also suggest DIY. The dealer will install a Jaguar-branded Varta battery with a 2-year warranty which is inferior to an AGM battery that you can buy from Advance Auto or Pep Boys with a 3-4year warranty. I would suggest that you remove the spare tire to make it easier to get the old battery out and the new one in. Oh, and make sure you check for a coupon for Advance Auto or Pep Boys.
I agree with the posted process, and would add that A) look underneath the car, and locate the threaded portion of the battery hold down rod, and give it a shot of oil. That will help you to more easily unscrew it; B) disconnect the negative cable first, then the positive. Upon re-install, connect the positive cable first, then the negative; C) with the spare tire out, take the opportunity to check it's air pressure.
This is also a good time to hook up a remote charging leads if you intend to plug it in to a battery maintainer. I got mine from Sears for $26, I'm on my second one, as the first one lasted 8-10 years. The voltage and charging are automatic on the newer version, and it comes with multiple leads.
Follow the suggestion about spraying the retainer stud threads under the car BEFORE trying to remove the battery hold down bracket.
We don't know where you are and those threads are exposed so in salt country they WILL be rusty and you stand a good chance of breaking the retainer stud off.
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The battery on my 2015 XF 3.0 was not holding a charge and my dealer did not replace it with factory Varta. They replaced it with Interstate AGM 950 CCA battery.
Even though my XF's battery was only 2.5 years old, I was getting too many "low battery" messages on the touchscreen, to make me comfortable. (I know the car gets a number of "short hops", which contributes to this).
So, I decided to replace the battery. I know that my local dealer generally uses Interstate as their replacements, but after I retired from full time work, I spent a few years working part-time for Advance Auto Parts. Therefore, I generally continue to do business there.
I decided to try an AGM battery, this time, and got one from Advance. As I was installing it, I read a label on it that said "made in Germany", for whatever that's worth....
Follow the suggestion about spraying the retainer stud threads under the car BEFORE trying to remove the battery hold down bracket.
We don't know where you are and those threads are exposed so in salt country they WILL be rusty and you stand a good chance of breaking the retainer stud off.
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If it's completely free, I would take it. But they charged me for a half hour of labor (my factory warranty had run out) and gave me a Varta battery that lasted just a few months. It was inferior to the AGM battery I bought for about the same price.
It should be H8 size. Double check on the size chart from wherever you buy to make sure. I would agree with AGM as a better type
High CCA and reserve capacity as you can - should be 800-900 CCA and 150+ reserve time (or equivalent Ah capacity)
In many brands that's the 'platinum' model
I went with duralast plat from autozone
Definitely reiterate - spray the bolt that goes through the floor of the car - look underneath the rear trunk area. It rusts and breaks - I know for a fact...
It should be H8 size. Double check on the size chart from wherever you buy to make sure. I would agree with AGM as a better type
High CCA and reserve capacity as you can - should be 800-900 CCA and 150+ reserve time (or equivalent Ah capacity)
In many brands that's the 'platinum' model
I went with duralast plat from autozone
Definitely reiterate - spray the bolt that goes through the floor of the car - look underneath the rear trunk area. It rusts and breaks - I know for a fact...
Thanks for the tips I am also interested in changing my battery. I didn't get any low battery messages or battery faults. Is there a way I can test the battery to know if I should change it ?
Also, what about calibration. Jaguar dealers calibrate the battery for the car. What are your thoughts is this needed and a DIY way for this ?
I don't think the calibration thing is real... batteries charge up and down all the time and the car seems to manage just fine. I replaced mine a couple of weeks ago and no calibration needed. You need to reset clock and do the window auto up/down settings (well covered elsewhere in forum)
Two ways to check battery. The 'proper way' take it to auto zone or similar and they have a battery tester that puts it under load to see if it performs properly. That checks if it can hold charge, so is the real test
However you can also use a simple volt meter to test the voltage and see how well charged it is. Look online and there are tables that show you the levels - as far as I remember something like 12.2V is about 25pc charged and 12.7 or so is nearer full. Possible that the battery is just a bit low due to stop start or lights/radio etc. But if you do it after a decent run that will give you a good indication.
If in doubt and it's more than a few years old I would change it as it causes issues and is a relatively low cost to avoid lots of frustration...
One further thing to note is when jumping the battery is to hook the negative terminal to the lug in the trunk and NOT the negative post of the battery. Otherwise the BMS can't take those amps into account when monitoring the battery condition.
This is from the shop manual;
"The battery negative terminal is fitted with a battery monitoring system module. The module is integral with the battery
negative cable and communicates with the RJB via a LIN (local interconnect network) bus connection. The battery condition
information is passed to the ECM which controls the generator output accordingly."
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Also from that document;
"If a new battery is fitted, the battery monitoring system module will require re-calibration using a Jaguar approved
diagnostic system. Replacement of the battery monitoring system module requires no action as the module will re-calibrate
automatically."
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Last edited by clubairth1; 05-09-2018 at 07:24 AM.