Twice last week my wife went out to drive to work and no sound from the radio. Once at the beginning of the week and a second time a couple days later. The second time confirmed to me that it needed a new battery. When these things start happening it is a tell-tale sign.

I took it to the dealer and told them what happened and that it needed a new battery. They weren't sure but tested the battery and it was indeed bad. They put a new Interstate battery in. I don't know if it was an AGM battery but it was covered under warranty. I asked why they did not use a Jag battery and they said they would not hold up and the Interstate batteries worked better! Interesting.

We've talked about this extensively on the XK forum, but if you start experiencing weird things like the infotainment screen freezing, buttons not responding, other things like memory or radio (etc) not working, get your battery load tested; it's most likely the culprit.

I personally recommend an AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) battery. They are designed to be cycled and maintain a steady voltage under heavy current draw. They will also last longer than a standard lead-acid battery.

 

It seems that there is something seriously wrong with the batteries Jaguar is using. Combine that with the HUGE current outflows under normal operating conditions (such as the motor off but door open, or motor off and accessories ON) seems to me that this particular brand of battery is unable to stand up to those repeated large current out and inflows. No excuse that you have to have a factory battery changed on your 2011 model.

Yes, AGM is a much better solution for the Jaguar but, as long as my XJL and XF are under factory warranty I will also tend to have the service replace my batteries. That, of course, implies a potential failure and being stranded somewhere... Both this and the British forums have threads on the battery issues for the XJ and XF. Appears that people who switch to the AGMs report no further problems. However, the "test period" for those AGMs is short as of yet and they are around $300 vs. free dealer replacement.

A week ago I begun using automatic float chargers on my Jags for times when they are parked for more than a few days or, regular chargers any time I have to do some work on it that requires open doors and the accessories On.

Albert

 

I agree...while the car is under warranty if they have to replace the battery 5 times then they will have to...However, the Interstate battery they put in (I have since found out it is *not* AGM) supposedly lasts longer than the Jag OEM battery. I don't know who Jaguar is sourcing their batteries from for their factory...but they need to move to AGM...it would save them money in the long run.

But with the lead-acid Interstate battery, as you say that means we may be at risk of needing a new battery on a trip, etc. Luckily there should be a Jag dealership most everywhere we can go in the US...

Once the warranty runs out and the battery needs replacing I will definitely put an AGM battery in.

On the time period, I put a new AGM battery in my 2010 XKR when I first purchased it about 13 months ago. I have never experienced any of the gremlins...I did the same with the 2007 XKR I had...never had any electrical issues (I had the car for about a year).

 

Cheers Albert, rscultho. I too am quite disappointed with the battery performance on my 2011 XJL. Just the other day I was cleaning the seats and interior leather trim and within 5 mins the chime goes on indicating a low battery and for me to start the engine. It was such a waste of gas to run the engine for 20-30 mins while I cleaned and then conditioned all the leather seats, doors, and trim...sigh...felt like I ran through a quarter tank of gas (exaggeration, I know, but it certainly "felt" like it)!!!

@Albert, what are these "authomatic float chargers" and "regular chargers" you mentioned using while you work on your car with the engine off? Any ones you recommend and what are the price points? Thanks in advance...cheers mate!

 

Not surprising, the least. That is exactly my experience with the battery.

To answer your questions: the "automatic float charger" is a battery charger with a very low current output that is designed to keep a battery charged when the car sits for extended periods without being started up. The word, "automatic" is very important as it means that it shuts the charging off automatically when the battery is fully charged. As opposed to "manual" trickle chargers that keep on charging as long as it is plugged in and could overcharge the battery. These "float" chargers generally provide not more than about 0.5 - 1 Amp of charging current.

Here is the one I purchased recently. I actually got 3 for my 2 jags and my lawn tractor.


A regular charger that I referred to is something that you could purchase in any auto parts store. Also, they come in all kinds of charging current outputs, automatic or manual. I have several, the one I mentioned has a max. charging output current of 16 Amps. That is the one I use when I do something that results in open doors, accessories panels ON, etc. Just be sure to connect the charger correctly; The Red Pos charger lead to the battery Pos terminal and the Black Neg charger lead NOT to the battery Neg terminal but, rather, to a chassis ground connection. If you connect the charger to the Neg battery terminal the little device mounted on that Neg terminal will net sense the incoming charge currents and the car computer will still issue a low battery warning even if the battery is fine.

Below is a link for a 16 amp automatic charger. In my case I prefer a low ampere auto charger for float charging for 1) it is better for the battery to be charged with lower instead of higher currents, 2) just in case the auto feature fails and the charger keeps charging, you can probably get away with it if you are only charging 0.5 amps but, you will have some serious battery damage and possibly car damage if your charger keeps on pushing 16 amps into a fully charged battery for extended periods.


I am feeling quite confident that Jaguar has a bad batch of batteries in our cars, besides the issue with the very large current consumption. My car is 9 months old, with 7K miles, nearly all is from long, non-stop driving which is ideal for battery charging. Just recently I started my car a few days after a 150 miles drive, only to move it out to the drive way to wash it. When I was done with the wash and got ready to drive it, I got the low battery warning. That, with the car instantly locked as I exited from the previous trip, all my interior lights turned OFF centrally and the headlights set to turn off instantly with the engine. So, the battery is already showing definite signs of weakening. When my 1-year service comes up in August, I will be requesting a new and a different brand of battery. (if the original lasts that long...?)

Albert

 

Thanks again Albert mate, much appreciated. I just have two more questions for you:

1. When you connect the automatic float charger, given that the battery is in in the trunk, do you leave the trunk open when you have plugged in the charger to the positive terminal of the battery, or is there some other way to connect the charger to the terminal without having to leave the trunk open or smash the charger wires by closing the trunk?

2. Where on the chasis do you connect the negative termal to? In my wife's SUV it is fairly clear where to mount a jumper or charger negative terminal to on the chasis once you open the hood, but on my XJL I'm not so sure, given that the body is all aluminium. Would appreciate your tips/help/advice.

3. Given your warnings about the regular high Amp charger, I am hesitant to get one and use it when I am working in the car with the engine off. How do you use yours without running the risk of overcharging the battery?

Cheers!

 

Aluminum is a better conductor than steel so, don't let that worry you. If I have charger leads that are long enough than I connect the Black, Neg lead of the charger to one of those bolts on the LEFT side of the trunk as you face it. One has two black wires connected, the other one has nothing connected, at least on my XJL.

If your charger leads are very short you can connect them to either of the two bolts in the chassis right above the battery that fastens down the black battery cable. Or, you could connect them to the connector directly below and ahead of that device with the white-flat-top that is installed on your Neg battery post.

The one reason I mentioned the opposite side of the trunk because that is what usually factories and experts recommend; make you last, NEG, connection AWAY from the battery, if possible, just in case that the battery blows up when you make the connection. The battery has sulfuric acid in it and spraying it into your face is not a good option. Having said that, there is an extremely small possibility of that happening with a float charger. More likely to happen when you are giving a jump to an other vehicle and that vehicle would have a short circuit in their electrics. The leads on my linked float charger are rather short so, I connected the NEG lead to one of the bolts just above the battery.

Since the float charger wires are very small I do not have any worries about closing the trunk on them as the wires come out at the bottom of the trunk lid. There is enough flex in the weather seal to accommodate the wires without crushing them. When you do that just keep an eye on the wires to make sure that you do not see any wear or cut in them. Really should NOT be an issue.

Last question; When I use my 16A charger I basically keep an eye on it, even though it is an automatic one that is supposed to reduce and stop the charges as the battery is nearing full charge. I made it a system that when my high current chargers are connected I actually make a note and pin it to my PC, which I check most regularly during the day.

So, say, I need to work on something that requires the accessories to be ON. I know that it will pull about 16 Amps from the battery so, I connect the charger as described and, when I am finished doing my task I look at the Ammeter on my particular charger to see how many Amps it is still pushing. If it is pushing the full 16 amps, I leave it on because it tends to indicate a still discharged battery. Keep an eye on it, like every 15 -30 minutes and you should see the charging current dropping from 16 to 10-8-6-4-2 which means the battery is nearly fully charged. If the charging does not drop and continues at 16 AND you hear bubbling from the battery (electrolyte is boiling, which is the sign of a charged battery) than I would get suspicious of the charged and disconnect it. Then, I would let the car sit for 15 minutes and take a DC volt-meter read. A freshly and fully charged battery with nothing using power (no lights on, no instrument panel on, etc) should read mid to high 12V ranges. If it reads low 12Vs or below that would indicated a partially discharged battery in general or, a bad cell if it happens after you charged it for a while.

Hope this helps, don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Albert

 

Cheers Albert, thank you SO much my friend! I really appreciate all the help, advice, and detailed explanation. Thanks for putting up with my questions, even though some of them may have been naive!

 

You're very welcome. Anytime. That is what these forums are all about.

Albert

 

I have been following these threads with interest as I typically have to leave my XJ garaged for two weeks many times a year. I was expecting to have to purchase a battery tender, given all of the problems with battery drain.

First time, I left it for two weeks locked and it was fine. Last time was one week, unlocked and it was fine as well. No low battery indicator. The next time, I will try two weeks unlocked to see if it is OK.

The 2013 has two batteries since it has the eco start auto start/stop function. This may help as compared to the 11 and 12s.

 

I've just returned home after 3 weeks away on holiday so may be coming a bit late to this thread. I wanted however to share the experience of what happened upon my return today ....

I've only had my 2012 XJ a couple of months and almost half that time it has spent laid up in a car park - it was one of those valet parking lots where they move the car around a bit so it has probably been started 2 or 3 times but only driven a very short distance. Prior to the holiday the car has already been returned to the dealer to investigate a 'Low Battery - Start Engine' warning. Apparently a software update has been applied but the message persists - compounded now by a new fault (the result of the software update?) where the AM/FM radio loses all the presets every time the ignition is switched off.

Given this history it was with some trepidation that I approached the car today expecting a dead battery. It wasn't, thank goodness and having started the car and driven off I thought all was well (aside from the FM radio problem which is outstanding to be resolved). BUT ... roof blinds wont open, sunroof wont operate, front windows wont one-shot close, rear windows wont operate at all from any switch, rear doors remain locked once car is globally unlocked and can only be opened if you are holding the key fob.

Are all these symptoms 'low battery' related? Anyone experienced similar issues?

 

Ohh, and on the float charger question - I can thoroughly recommend the CTEK range of chargers (Swedish I think and very nicely built and packaged). In the UK a mid-range one is between £50 and £80 - a very worthwhile investment if you have an XJ I think ! These chargers are designed for continuous use and have quite sophisticated battery reconditioning cycles. Look here for info MXS 5.0

 

Hi, I would suggest all of the above problems are to do with excess battery drain, it sounds as if a hard reset, disconnect battery wire for 5 minutes and then reconnect would probably reset these items, you will need to radio code to put back in after I think.
I have not had this on the current car but have known a friend have it on a car in the past.
Sometimes a whole lot of dashboard warning lights can happen for the same reason.
Best of luck.

 

Well the car has been at the dealers all this week and I got it back today. Turns out that all the gremlins I was experiencing was due to a software problem. When the car went to the dealers in April to resolve the frequent 'Battery Low - Start Engine' warnings a set of software updates were applied. One of them got corrupted and left me with an FM radio problem (presets were lost when ignition switched off). When I went on holiday and left the car for 3 weeks the battery got low. Because of the software problem systems were not shutting down properly and therefore 'failed' in an error state. All sorts of issues ensued; central locking failure, windows locked out, sunroof wouldn't open etc. this week the software updates have been reapplied correctly and all of the faults have disappeared. Fantastic!

 

Looks like I am due for a dealer visit and most likely battery replacement. I have been getting low batt. warnings after only a few days of parking a car. Today, Monday morning, I went to open the always-locked door and a battery warning popped up immediately. This after my 150 miles freeway drive just 3 days ago, Friday night.

I am going to ask for a new AGM battery, even if I have to pay a price difference. We'll see where that request will take me. The dealer visit will have to wait until mid July, which is my next drive near a dealer. In the meantime the car is on constant battery conditioning charge.

Albert

 

I will be really interested axr6 whether replacing your battery fixes the problem. Please let us know