Remote not working on XJ8 - HELP!!

[ChampagneCharlie]

Please can anyone help? I have just tried to get into my Jag and the remote isn't working. Tried new batteries to no avail. I urgently need to at least get the car open to move her but I think if I use the key the alarm will go off. Is there anyway of disabling the alarm once I'm in the car?

[jaguar steve]

Hello CC

Yes you can

Open the drivers door with the key. You will hear a beeping tone inside the car.

Put the key into the ignition and turn to position 2 (all the warning lights on the dash on) within 10 seconds or so. This will stop the beeping and cancel the alarm.

[ChampagneCharlie]

Hello Steve
Thanks for your help! I'm in the car and I have moved it out of the way. The car battery was flat and it looks like there is some kind of electrical fault draining it.
I certainly owe you one!!!

[jaguar steve]

Are you sure there's an electricial drain, and it's not just the battery that's failed?

You could try disconnecting the battery - make sure you've got the radio code 'tho - and charging it for 24h before you look any further. Don't shut the boot with the battery disconnected unless you are SURE - try it first - that the key will open the boot again manualy. The boot lock mechanisms often sieze up through lack of use and if you shut the boot with no power....I'll let you guess what happens next.

Don't let anybody mess about with the electrics on an XJ. Take it to an expert who you trust. It's too easy to do £100's damage to the various modules if you don't know what you're doing.

[ChampagneCharlie]

Hello again Steve
I have got the battery on charge now but when I put it on charge whilst still connected the battery charger went quite odd ... over to 4 then back to 1 and the needle was moving all the time ... I disconnected the battery and have started charging it like that ... I'll see what happens in the next 24hrs!!

[Jaguar steve]

I'd expect a very flat battery to draw a lot more than 1 to 4 amps when initially put on charge - perhaps more like 15 to 20 amps.

If everything in the car was switched off and the electricial system was drawing a varying current -which you saw on the charger - whilst the battery was connected to the car then you may have a problem.

I'd suggest you don't charge a battery whilst it's still connected to the car 'tho. The rectifiers and voltage regulators in most 12v chargers are not very stable and you run a bit of a risk of damaging the electronics. All you have to do is disconnect the -ve cable on the battery to isolate the charger from the car and make external charging safe. If it's still connected, swich the charger off before you disconnect the leads to avoid a spark.

[lowdrag]

If it's a car you are not using every day then this is useful:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUNSEI-SE-135-2W-Solar-Car-B...

I have one for my clasic Jaguars and it works a trest.