The £403 fuse

[New Relic]

I think I'd be inclined to be talking to Citizen's Advice Bureau.

[Simpo Two]

AA is here! We'll save any fighting for later....

[Simpo Two]

Righty-dokey, we're making progress. The car went back to the (indy) dealer yesterday on a low loader and I was relieved that it failed to start for them too. They say they suspected the starter motor, have removed it and found it to be faulty. The warranty company (AA) has approved the repair and new one will be fitted tomorrow. Hooray. Let's hope that was the problem.

That just leaves me with the local garage, who had at the car last time it failed to start, and who removed the starter motor, found it to be OK, replaced a blown fuse and presto, the car worked again. All for £253. The dealer's response was - 'We're not paying for a blown fuse'. Would I be correct in assuming that if the fault was intermittent, that it's possible both garages are correct and I just have to suck up the first bill?

[SpeckledJim]

I suppose an intermittently dodgy starter motor could be fine when tested, and also cause a fuse to blow.

Then when the fuse is replaced, the intermittently dodgy starter motor chooses to behave itself until later.

So it was only ever one fault. Perhaps.

Think you might have to chalk this one up to experience.

[Simpo Two]

I think so. The only complication is that the fuse is not directly for the starter motor but for a control module. They say the module 'appears OK', and whilst I think it might have taken a beating and been compromised, they won't fit a new one as the warranty only covers broken items. They have suggested they could swap the module from another XK, but that would be an unknown quantity too. It seems they'd rather save the money and let me take the risk. Perhaps I'm worrying unduly but I wonder how many 5-hour round trips in a breakdown truck are deemed reasonable.

[fatjon]

It was never the fuse or battery. The click is the solenoid pulling in on the starter but when they are going south the first symptom is that the solenoid clicks in but sometimes doesn't quite pull in far enough to close the contacts to spin the motor. Had several XJ/XKs and it's a well know fault. Not even unique to these cars either. It's also dead easy to test for it if you find a real mechanic. Check for 12V on the small terminal (solenoid coil) on the starter when in the crank position, if you have 12V there and 12V on the big terminal and the motor doesn't spin it's knackered.

[Simpo Two]

The breakdown man said he couldn't so anything on my driveway due to the undertray - but I presume you mean the starter motor not the solenoid was at fault? Sadly when the local garage tested it it worked, otherwise I'd have saved myself their bill.

Anyway, I took much of Saturday out to collect the car and it seems fine now. Despite being XK specialists they said it was the first time they'd known a starter motor to go. 2006 car with 68K miles.

[fatjon]

The starter and solenoid are one unit but from experience it's the solenoid bit that fails.

[Simpo Two]

Ah right, so if it has a new starter motor it has a new solenoid too. Thanks!

[johnxjsc1985]

would a diagnostic check not have helped identify the problem ?.
Having bought cars from a distance previously after having a problem with a Range Rover a few years back I only buy local now its just a real PIA to start travel around the Country.
Hope everything is ok now and you enjoy the Car.

[Simpo Two]

Thanks - it seems the starter motor was on best behaviour when tested the first time. Car seems OK now.

If Jaguars had a warning message that said 'Blown Fuse' it would have saved a lot of trouble

The car is great; I feel good each time I get in it. By contract the XF before it was just a car - but when I got that XKs weren't on the shopping list and it was the least worst option.