Battery dead, top down-can't get to battery HELP!

XK8
1

Jag XK* 2007 convertible, in garage, top down.
Battery discharged, car won’t start.
With the top down, can’t get to the compartment in rear to get to the connection point on the battery.
Dealer closed _ Labor Day
Is there any way to manually raise the top?

Thanks

Hal

2

There are positive terminals next to the fuse box in the engine compartment where you can jump it off or charge.

3

I am new to the forum so just exploring. Regarding getting to the battery when it is dead and the trunk is electrically operated it sounds like the proverbial catch 22. But have faith in Jaguar. If you take a close look at the XK/XKR logo on the trunk lid you will note a small hole. Put you key in this and push and presto the trunk lid will open. I understand that in some cases you have to slide the logo up or down to reveal the hole.

Hope this helps.

Cordially

4

There is also a hot point under the hood that will allow you to connect a booster battery. Off the top of my head I believe it s shown in the vehicle care handbook.

5

Were you able to get the trunk open?

6

Yes, thanks. The key opened the truck, which gave me access to the hot point inside the trunk, under the little pop out cover on the left side.
Once I knew it was there, jumping starting it was easy.
But…
It turns out that the battery dying/gettng confused/whatever causes other problems — for example , also though I could get the car started, since it was misting rain I started to put the top up and it stuck just before closing. I used the little hex tool to move the top almost closed, but it wouldn’t go all the way, and a lot of the electrical ’stuff’ had to be re-set. So I drove slowly to the Dealer with the top almost closed, the windows down — because they wouldn’t budge — and left it. They took a day and a half, re-set/updated all the computer related stuff, changed the battery, checked the connections, etc. and said they ‘hoped’ that that would fix the problem.
We’ll see…
Hal

7

There are many TSBs for the XK8. I uploaded hundreds to the internet and GUS has them on his site.
Here are some related to your issue.

bob501-01AM Conv Manual Closing.pdf (42.4 KB)
501-11AM Convertible Top Electrical System.pdf (65.6 KB)

8

Thanks for the TSBs re getting the top up/down. That, unfortunately, was only a part of the bigger problem – which is, that for no apparent reason, every few weeks, the 2007 XK8 convertible won’t start. Actually, it worst that than: not only will it not start, it ‘freezes’ up parts of the electrical system, such that the top won’t go up/down, nor will the windows. The lights don’t work, nor do many of the electrical components.
According to my local Jap dealer, this is a “known” problem with these year Jags; there is no ‘fix’ per se; the only thing to do is bring it in to him (my local Jag dealer) and let them hook it up their computers and ‘reset’ everything. As you can imagine, this is more than annoying.

He tells me the only ‘fix’ is to keep the Jag hooked up to a tickle charger when not in use. I ask, what if I take a trip, leave the car at the airport – trickle charge not possible. He shrugs, and repeats’, Well, it’s a known problem…"
I ask, Jaguar, if it’s a 'known problem", why hasn’t Jaguar itself come up with a fix? After all, they’ve had ten years!!!

Excuse the rant, I love the car – but I"m getting fed up with Jaguar!!!

Hal

9

Thanks for the TSBs re getting the top up/down. That, unfortunately, was only a part of the bigger problem – which is, that for no apparent reason, every few weeks, the 2007 XK8 convertible won’t start. Actually, it worst that than: not only will it not start, it ‘freezes’ up parts of the electrical system, such that the top won’t go up/down, nor will the windows. The lights don’t work, nor do many of the electrical components.
According to my local Jap dealer, this is a “known” problem with these year Jags; there is no ‘fix’ per se; the only thing to do is bring it in to him (my local Jag dealer) and let them hook it up their computers and ‘reset’ everything. As you can imagine, this is more than annoying.
He tells me the only ‘fix’ is to keep the Jag hooked up to a tickle charger when not in use. I ask, what if I take a trip, leave the car at the airport – trickle charge not possible. He shrugs, and repeats’, Well, it’s a known problem…“
I ask, Jaguar, if it’s a 'known problem”, why hasn’t Jaguar itself come up with a fix? After all, they’ve had ten years!!!
Excuse the rant, I love the car – but I"m getting fed up with Jaguar!!!
Hal

10

I have a 98 and I’ve left it sitting for days at a time and never had a problem with it not starting, let alone any of the problems you have described.

11

Sorry I did not see that the car is a 2007MY
I left the dealer in 2006 so I never worked on the later generation of XK.
I never went to new product training for that Model.
I don’t have access to later TSBs but you might find that info on the internet??
You might try Gus’s site to see if someone posted the info to his site???

bob

12

That’s fortune, but regrettably not my experience.
Not only did my dealer/service manager tell me it is a ‘known’ problem (more than once) , many of the Jag forums have posting reporting problems similar to mine, going back years.
What should I do?
There is no other Jag dealer/service facility anywhere nearby.
Should I write Jaguar itself, outline the problems, enclosing copies of the service tickets?

Thanks
Hal

13

  1. Did this well know problem originate with the redesign and what years is it a problem? I’ve not had these problems with my 98 and I’ve let it sit for days at a time.

  2. What I’ve learned about multiple, mysterious electrical based problems is check for poor grounds.

14

Lets be careful here. This is a 2007 XK, NOT an '96-'06 XK8. The cars are VERY different, especially regarding the convertible top. There is actually a dedicated forum now on this site for the new XK

If the new battery has not solved your problem, I need to ask how often you drive the car? If you do not drive it regularly, you may not drive it enough to replenish the standby drain on the battery. If this is the case, a $50 battery maintainer like the CTEK 3300 IS the answer.

If you are continuing to have electrical problems with a new battery, and you are driving the car regularly, the first place to look on a 2007 XK is at the battery cables. They often go bad at the terminal to cable crimp at the battery. A quick check is to tun the car for a few minutes, with the radio and AC on and then (carefully) see if one or both of the battery cables has become very hot. If so, replace that cable. The ground cable is usually the one that has the problem.

Steve

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