If you're asking about the Bluetooth disconnecting, I have yet to replace the battery. I therefore am assuming this is a "gremlin"

 

I'm not sure, I have intermittent problems connecting my phone to a variety of cars, not just my XKR. Let me know if you ever find a solution!

 

I've seen the passenger airbag light come on as if someone's in the passenger seat without a seat belt on (solved by battery tender) after being told probably related to battery

 

AGREED!!! THIS IS CONCERNING...HOW DO WE FURTHER INSULATE?? The rest is present on both of my XK's. Once bought new and driven only in good weather.

 

Lothar52, what do you mean by "the rest"?

 

Rust

 

I assume the exposed wire connectors have some kind of water compression seal. However, the wires look to precarious for my liking under the car installed in this manner. The many single wires going into the connectors are too fragile to be left unprotected exposed in the undercarriage. At least a rubber protective boot should be covering the connector and the many fragile wires shooting out. Just doesn't look right...

 

Heat-shrink tubing should be available from any electronic parts store - you can certainly find it on eBay. it comes in various diameters, so if you buy a range of sizes, you'll always have one that fits. Undo the connector, select tubing with a diameter just big enough to fit over the larger half (a bit of slack is OK), cut a length of tubing long enough to cover the whole connector and some of the wires each side, slide the tubing onto one side, reconnect, position the tubing so it covers the whole connection, then heat with a hairdryer. The tubing shrinks down onto the connector and the wires, forming a (hopefully) watertight seal. If you need to separate the connector in future, carefully cut the heat-shrink (make sure you don't nick the wires).

 

Is it possible that shrink wrapping could actually trap more moisture in there?

 

Yes, that's possible, especially if you can't get a 100% seal, and that's difficult if you're dealing with a bundle of wires - probably a good idea to strap the sealed connector so that any water on the wires would have to flow uphill to get in. I have to say, I'm probably not going to do it myself unless I start having problems or I see something that's obviously Not Good.

I haven't heard any reports of connector corrosion causing trouble, though maybe that's merely because our cars aren't that old. But my XJS and XK8 were 20 and 16 years old respectively when I sold them, and the only electrical problems I had were with poorly done repairs on the XJS - I found wires that had been twisted together and taped up by some bogan mechanic.

 

The way I look at it is the connectors must have some sort of compression seal to water proof the wire connections in the connectors. By wrapping the connectors and extended wires with a water proof material should act as a first defense from the elements keeping dirt and water from entering with little chance of trapping moisture within the primary alleged water proof connector if done properly. The next time I get under my car I will take the time to wrap a water proof material around the connectors and seal both ends with some sort of compression cramp after inserting silicone.

 

I was actually considering doing the shrink wrap but now this is starting to sound like a job!

 

You could plasti-dip it.

 

Im just not going to drive it in cold wet rainy snowy or bad weather HAHA. In the garage it is!! Ugh...in Ohio that leaves me approximately 20 days total per year.

 

I love my Jag way too much to constantly fight the electrical gremlins. So, here's what I've done.

First, when I bought my used 2009 XK in 2012 with 19,000 miles, whether I needed it or not, I put a new AGM battery in it.

Next, I bought a CTEK Smart Charger which I use on a regular basis.

Lastly, I bought a Booster Pac TCB ES5000, which is a self-contained, sealed, and rechargable 12 Volt, 1500 Peak Amps, Jump Starter with a DC Outlet on eBay for $129 with free shipping. This is the exact unit that AAA uses when they come out to jump-start your car. I keep it in my trunk because the way it's made, you can lay it on its side without any worry of leakage of any kind. It's about half the size of a briefcase with jumper-cables attached to it and a handle for easy carrying. I set up a reminder in my iPhone to remember to recharge it overnight every other month.

By taking these steps, I've had no gremlins pay me a visit. If and when they do ... I'm ready for them!

 

Just be careful if you do. Many forms of silicon sealant contain acetic acid which may corrode the metal parts of the connector, including the connections. I wouldn't worry about factory sealed connectors or wiring. Corrosion or cable damage is rare (in my experience) these days. Much of the wiring is copper with a tin, nickel or silver plating which prevents corrosion, even if exposed.


Changing the OEM wiring may have an advantage if there is a known issue, but you need to consider some things:


Power rating = cables are sized per their current rating (or frequency for signal wires - bus traffic etc.) and if they are bundled or not. In a bundle they cannot dissipate heat so they could exceed the rating. This leads to overheating, greater resistance, more heating etc. (in some cases).

Vibration and noise = Nice loosely bundled cables absorb vibration. If a cable is incorrectly restrained, it can lead to the vibration being transmitted to the fixed point - maybe the connector??? a larger cable bundle may resonate at a different frequency that the single cables leading to an annoying rattle or rub.


Signal compatibility = although modern data buses are extremely robust with lots of error checking, moving wires into close proximity could have unexpected consequences. Turn on the audio system and the current spike could induce a signal in the wire next to it. Now Jaguar have professional automotive engineers designing this stuff and thousands of hours of testing. Coupled with EMI/EMC testing, international certification requirements which could be voided (possibly along with your warranty if it's an electrical issue), this would be my main reason for leaving things alone unless there was a real know and validated issue with the wiring.


Loom mechanical load = much of the wiring may seems to just "flop around" and there may be an issue with a particular wire but I don't know. However, Jaguar have the ability to model and test every possible extension of a cable during normal operation (suspension compression/extension, maintenance (on a ramp with suspension unsupported), and possibly under failure conditions such as a flat tire. They will also have done a comprehensive maintenance assessment and planned the disassembly instruction around standard loom lengths. Could be that some connectors are not required to be disconnected because the component in the way can be moved of the way.


And there are many, many more.


Anyway, just the thoughts from an aerospace electronics engineer with close to 30 years experience dealing with military and civilian aircraft, advanced military imaging systems, and now oil and gas safety. I would be very reluctant to change anything unless it was vital to reliability. Everything behind the top covering is designed to be just good enough (on every vehicle except those used in motorsports and maybe some custom coach builders). That's why it looks so pretty on the surface - so you forget that it's just the same as a Kia under the skin (just joking, but you get what I mean).

 

Wow! Now, that's some tech. I'll never worry about those exposed wires again. Thanks for that in depth assessment.

Everyone has their area of expertise. Mine begins and ends with efficient loading of my dishwasher.

 

Well I didn't say you never have to worry again - after all it is a Jaguar. But if you're not having issues like seeing chaffed or crushed wiring then I'd leave well alone until something developed. Again, I'm not saying that it couldn't be improved upon by someone with the right skills who cared enough to modify it, but the point of my original post was to warn DGL about the implications of using silicon based sealants with an acid base. You can get ones without acid as a solvent so if you feel the need, wrap and goop away.

 

This won't solve the exposed wire situation, but here's some mighty impressive Canadian technical achievement.

This Canadian beer machine is the most amazing technology at the Olympics | For The Win

 

The hell with wrapping my connectors and wires I'm going to find one of those red machines. Wooohooo we need to export those red machines south of the border, especially to Florida, Arizona and Southern California.