Hello all,


I posted this in the Intro section and rec'd several nice welcome responses so I thought if I reposted here I may get some suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to read this.....


I am a snow bird and spend eight months a year on Singer Island in Florida along with my 2008 XKR convertible. This car stays in Florida all year. I purchased it new in Pittsburgh and got delivery in December 2007. Only has 55,000 miles, looks and drives like new if you are able to ignore the blank computer screen (again). Bought my first Jag new in 2000, an S type, loved it and kept till late 2012 when normal age issues began creeping in and it was time to move on. My point in making note of this is simply that I'm a Jag vet that loves his car and has learned to live with the unique personality traits that develop with all cats. I am not an alarmist but my current frustration level is at an all time peak. Venting thru Google lead me here and I must say I am really impressed with this resource. I have been doing some extensive browsing the past few days and can not tell you how many times I have smiled when coming across issues I have encountered over the years. For example I now know that it is not just me that has always thought my headlights were not aligned properly! Many, many others have suffered from the $19 duckbill leak that costs about $1,300 to have fixed (parts not included).

So my current issue is my computer screen. First time it began flashing and telling me to "insert disc now" (what disc?) was about 30 months ago. I replaced the original battery and life was good, for awhile. October of 2018 the flashing began again, then just a flashing leaper and eventually blank. Had the battery checked, it was fine. Brought to my local indie Jag guy and he showed me a JTB describing how it needed to be rebooted and only Jag dealer can do it. Unfortunately my local dealer is Jaguar of Palm Beach which is really McClaren, Aston Martin and jaguar (very small lower case on the jaguar). They did the reprogramming and it did nothing; they removed the unit, replaced it with one that was working from someone else's '08 XKR (unknown to whatever poor customer happened to have his in for service that day) found that worked and concluded I needed a new computer and touch screen for $6,500 plus tax. I told them forget it, put mine back together and I will come get it. When I picked up my car it worked perfectly and continued to work perfectly till I came back from my annual four month stay in Pitt earlier this month. The flashing screen redeveloped and the actual full screen would come on once in awhile then quickly revert back to the flashing mode with just the leaper. So after reading this forum I did the "hard reset", disconnected the battery cables, touched them together (what that's supposed to do I do not know but since no one was watching I did it anyway), waited twenty minutes, reconnected the battery and voila! The screen no longer flashes, it is simply blank, black.

So what's next step? Buy a new battery, the non acid based type and see if the screen comes to life? If it does I promise to always double lock with the fob and put a CTEC charger on the car every night. That's probably my lowest cost exploratory option. Any ideas?

Hope this was the correct place to put this way too long sad sack saga.

Thanks for listening, I feel better already.

 

Your post was automatically locked for moderation which is why it has received no replies. I can't see any problem with the content and have now unlocked it.

Graham

 

Because your XKR isn't driven daily, if you don't keep it on a smart battery maintainer (CTEK brand or equivalent), your battery will slowly discharge, which will result in all sorts of electrical gremlins. Use a conventional battery charger to fully recharge your battery and then keep it on a maintainer. And always lock your car, even when parked in your garage, to minimize battery drain. If that doesn't work, then you probably need a new battery. Consider an Absorbed Glass Mat type, instead of the OEM wet cell "flooded" type. The Florida heat is your battery's enemy.

There are lots of threads on this subject, with many different recommendations. Here's one that includes pictures of how I installed mine:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lay-ups-73471/

P.S. I've kept my both of my Jags on battery maintainers since the day I bought them. I use a BatteryMINDer brand maintainer on my XKR and a CTEK MUS4.3 on my XJ. While they both work well, I prefer the newer model CTEK because it has specific programs for different sizes of batteries and cold weather. My XJ has 2 batteries, a full size AGM and a small auxiliary AGM for the Stop-Start system. I use the Motorcycle Program for the small battery and the Car Program for the large battery, with separate pigtails permanently attached to each battery for quick connection to the maintainer.

 

So a couple things here. As Stuart said, get it on a maintainer but have the battery load tested at an auto parts store. Don't just assume and replace. Take your pick of maintainers but buy a good one. I use a Schumacker 2.0 amp maintainer. The Ctek's are made in China but have a good reputation.

I don't understand your rationale for replacing lead acid with an AGM as a solution. Please elaborate. You don't need to replace lead acid with glass mat if you use a maintainer vs a trickle charger. A Maintainer will turn itself off and on as needed. Though if you do switch to an AGM, you'll want a maintainer that can be set to accommodate the difference. I think Ctek is your friend there.

But all that said, yeah, this does sound battery related.

FYI, the disk insert was your car telling you to insert the navigation disk in the trunk. It either wasn't reading it or it was missing.

You haven't mentioned what codes the techs found at the dealership. It would be helpful if they gave you a list to post here.

 

Although the X150 was not designed for AGM (different alternator and charging profiles), many Forum members have made the switch without any reported problems. You're right that doing so isn't necessary (or recommended by JLR), particularly if you're using a maintainer. Nevertheless, AGM is a superior technology worth considering. I'm still completely satisfied with my OEM wet cell and see no need for AGM (except for owners who don't want to use a maintainer). My XJ is another matter because it was designed for AGM.

Advantages of AGM: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/..._glass_mat_agm

 

mussach,

If you've never updated your original nav maps, here's how to do it.

The update with the most current USA maps for X150 models is from Volvo, not Jaguar. I have it in my 2009 XKR and it works great, notwithstanding the loss of the cool British bird's voice.
For details, see my Post #5: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...update-203360/ and: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-191140/page4/ in particular, my Posts #67, 106, 107, and 141.

Stuart


__________________

 

About 6 weeks ago I was in the hospital for 8 days. When I left the hospital, I started my car (which started right up) but I had a blank screen. I drove the car home (about an hour) but had no screen for the entire trip. I tried restarting several times with no change. When I got home, I tried restarting again figuring the battery had charged but still no screen. Then I locked the car with my key fob and unlocked it, and voila the screen came back and has not acted up since. I would tend to agree with others here that the battery voltage level is low and causing the problem. Try charging your battery fully, then lock and unlock and see what happens.

 

Wow, just wow. Of all the weird glitches...

Also glad you're out of the hospital Ted. I hope all's well.