Hey, All! Happy Spring!

Saturday evening, my XF wouldn’t start….

I ALWAYS wait for the completion of initialization. Dash lights, clicks, hums, chimes to complete. Once complete, I turn to start.

This time though….a few hours after a car wash (in a conveyer type)…the car and everything was dry. I went to put the car in the garage for the night.

The first iteration gave a weak half-crank (maybe quarter crank) then nothing. No turn over.

The next and subsequent crank attempts (3)….nothing. (I had lights on the dash, the hum and clicks and chimes per usual) and once initialization was complete, nothing. No weak crank. Nothing. I gave up and started looking through the forum.

The next morning I came out to try again. Same results. nothing. ……The last time, I disconnected the negative terminal, gave it a few minutes, reconnected it and…. Fired right up! Like It never happened! There are no lights on the dash. No codes.

So, guys (and girls) what is the culprit? The battery, starter, alternator, ECU, SKREEM, grounding cable?

Last year I replaced the cam and crank sensors. Over winter I changed the oil, filter, spark plugs, coil packs, and wires. Oh, and the GD automatic shift assembly after I spilled coffee on it. … and big thanks to you guys for walking me through the fix and where to get a shift assembly. You guys are great!

As far as I know, the battery, starter, alternator are all original.

This car has 54k on the odo, and is not driven hard. ….a cruiser. It’s an ‘04 NA.

Thoughts?

thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Not impossible that there may have been a corrosion layer between the battery post and terminal, and that by removing and replacing, you broke through it. OTOH, it may have been some of that good old fashioned Mercedes FM. Love these mercs, but their electrical systems leave a lot to be desired.

 

I’ll try cleaning the cables and terminals. ….I also disconnect the neg when I’m doing any maintenance just to be safe. While I’m at it, check that other braided ground underneath the car.

This is the first time it’s happened and I’d love to nip this in the bud before it gets worse. …like ECU or SCREEM issues.

This is one year anniversary of ownership and seems like all I do is more preventative maintenance than driving. Shoot, I’ve put on maybe 2000mi since taking ownership from my ex’s parents. They had it for 12 years before me.



2004 LTD Coupe #002614 (53k a/o 10/2021)
Summer Only Driver
Blaupunkt Fresno 421 (BT/AM/FM/AUX only)
TSW Snetterton (18x8 & 19x9.5)
Hankook Ventus V12 EVO2 K120 (245/35/18 285/35/19)
Sprint Booster V3
NW Single CAI w/ 74mm TB
Eurocharged Tune - Stage 1
Ansa Muffler - UN0827
Strobing 3rd Brake Light
Non-Ethanol Only, 91 or +
OEM cover, wheels, radio in storage

 

Don't waste your time. Instead, do James' or my mod here and forget about that stupid design:
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...le-engine.html

I do wonder about the battery terminals/clamps as well.
BUT: How old is that battery? Now, keep in mind, I had a battery die three months after I bought it.

 

If they are not causing problems why replace the cam and crank sensors, spark plugs, coil packs, and wires.
Money wasted, if it ain't broke don't fix it.
It has not got a lot of miles on it.
The original battery was a Varta, I doubt that is what is in the car. Great batteries though.

 

I agree with if it ain't broke don't fix it but not when it comes to the crankshaft sensor. It has happened to me when I was in a drive thru, heavy traffic at a red light etc. I just change it every 3 or 4 years and it is not expensive or difficult to change.

That Varta battery was magical until it started to crack at the negative post.

 

You guys are great!

it’s not an original battery. It’s a Farm n’ Barn. (Farm & Fleet). Perhaps it’s time to replace it.

 

Only a few companies make car batteries these days mainly Johnson Controls if I am not mistaken. After that you are mainly buying the warranty and it is luck of the draw on how long it will last.

These cars are super picky when it comes to battery voltages etc so replace every 4 years or even less.

 

I agree with you 180. I have some maintenance records that came with the purchase, I didn’t see those done, and as a way to learn the car and be in front of preventive maintenance, I thought why not. Yes, it’s early per the schedule, but mostly did it for the education. It certainly was premature of me to do those (not the oil/filter, as it sits in the winter months). The previous owners, took very good care of it as a summer only non-aggressive daily cruiser just as I have.

 

Very early production.

 

You can unscrew those six plugs with a cross on them and check the electrolyte level. Be careful though. You might be able to get it to work a little better.
Do not leave the white overflow container on the forward face of the battery when you replace it, put it into the new battery, it maysaveyou body damage from leakage.

 

My gut feeling is that your car wash caused the initial start failure as a result of something not electrically conducting or going to ground. Then disconnecting and reconnecting the battery once the moisture related issues were gone allowed the system to properly reboot and enabled the engine to turnover.
If your battery is weak it could be the next culprit for the following reason. If the battery voltage to the ignition module is below approx. 4.5volts the module will not pulse.
Just a couple of thoughts.