Well I was minding my own business, sitting in my recliner watching the football game Sunday and all of a sudden I heard the 2008 XLR-V car alarm go off.

I thought that was odd since the car was in the garage with the door down. But in the past on occasion, I had shifted in my seat and set it off with the other keys in my pocket.

However, when I couldn't turn it off right away by resetting the button on the key FOB, I took a quick trip to the garage. I was able to witness firsthand the alarm sound get slower and slower and then the interior lights went on and faded off. The next step was the weird one---the doors locked and there was NO power whatsoever to the car.

So the doors were locked, the key Fob wouldn't work nor would the spare FOB and the trunk and hood were locked down. A real interesting problem..on a Sunday afternoon.

THE XLR ENTRY PROCESS WHEN THE CAR HAS NO POWER THAT MOST OF US SHOULD BE SURE WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

1. On the left rear bumper down low there is a small square painted the same color as the bumper. It has a small a seam that runs around it.

2. Sit on the ground behind the car for ease of access.

3. Take your hard key out of it's slot in your key FOB 2007 through 2009 or locate the back up key for 2004 through 2006 models.

4. Take your fingernail and carefully locate the small gap at the bottom of the square.

5. Then gently insert the tip of your key in the slot and pry up the square to expose the hard key hole behind the bumper.

6. Carefully at first insert the key in the key hole and carefully and very slowly turn the key as far as it will go to the right. (Here's a place where some WD-40 should be applied for on-going preventive maintenance while you are in there).

7. Then manually (it's heavy since there is no motor assist and you are fighting the fluid in the trunk shocks) and slowly raise the trunk assembly as far open as you can while sitting and then stand up and raise it up as far as it it will go.

8. Locate a small access panel about 2" high and 4" long on the lower left side of the top storage area wall just behind the top and luggage separater panel and close to the bottom of the compartment. It tucks into the carpet at the bottom and folds upward.

9. Open it gently by folding it upward and you will see a small "T" handle.

10. Pull the "T" handle gently to the rear of the car (its attached to a cable that is attached to the door).

11. The drivers door will pop open.

12. You can then gain access and see if any lights are on whatsoever. In my case NOPE!!!

13. Locate the Hood opening lever on the left side of the dash.

14. Pull the lever and open the hood. Then go to the front of the car and located the hood safety latch, slide it open and raise the hood.

15. Look for the battery at the right rear (PASSENGER SIDE) of the engine compartment.

16. Attach your Battery Tender or Hot Shot after taking the necessary precautions. :cheers :cheers wait for quite awhile even over night.

17. When the car has enough charge, START THE CAR AND LEAVE IT RUNNING.

18. Re index your windows while the door are closed --a requirement. You CAN do this by pushing the up window button until the window is all the way up and holding it for 3-5 seconds. This is very important so that the windows "drop" when the door is opened to allow the glass not to hit the top when you close the door.

19. Close the door and put the window down with the car still running and in park of course.

18. Open and re close the trunk so that it is properly secured.

19. Carefully insert the bumper tab back into the bumper where it belongs.

20. Drive the car to the dealer or your favorite battery store and see if they will test the battery to see if it is worth saving or replace it while you are there.

21. I am told by the dealer that the alternator will keep the proper electrical current flowing while you are drivng the car to the shop even though the battery is lower than desired.

22. Enjoy the car again. :cheers :cheers :cheers

FWIW: In my case, I am not a big fan of rollback trucks, AAA Road Service or other companies that will come out and screw something up while they learn how to get into your car. So I am satisifed with not having the car for a brief period while it gets charged up for me to drive it to the dealer and get a new battery under warranty.

OH YEA as I write this I am now on step 16 enjoying my beer(s).

Had a similar situation, but because mine is always garaged when not in use, I have made it a habit to always have the windows down and can reach in and pull the handle next to the seat. It's helped me twice, the first time it went dead and I recharged it... the second time when I had to smarten up and go get the old battery tested and replaced. However on the positive side it gave me two chances at step 16 :cheers

Thanks for the post, at least I've got an idea of what I would need to do, should I be traveling somewhere and lose power. I noticed the tab on the bumper, but really never read the entire process of how to open the car. Good info :cheers

Had a similar situation, but because mine is always garaged when not in use, I have made it a habit to always have the windows down and can reach in and pull the handle next to the seat. It's helped me twice, the first time it went dead and I recharged it... the second time when I had to smarten up and go get the old battery tested and replaced. However on the positive side it gave me two chances at step 16 :cheers

Thanks for the post, at least I've got an idea of what I would need to do, should I be traveling somewhere and lose power. I noticed the tab on the bumper, but really never read the entire process of how to open the car. Good info :cheers
My recommendation is to do a dry run and see if you can get in and find everything in the comfort and warmth of your garage before you actually have to.

While you are there WD-40 the key lock assembly to ensure it works correctly when you want it to.

Once you have gone thru the process you may appreciate my hesitation in allowing a uneducated tow truck driver to figure out how to do all of this in less than comfortable conditions while you wait nervously.

Regards

Excellent suggestion. And upon completion I'll toast you with a cold one :cheers

I used to live up your way and know how cold and snowy it gets up there. So "an ounce of prevention...." I wouldn't want to be sitting in a parking garage or lot and be trying to get the car open for a hot shot!!!

I LIKE FORIDA IN THE WINTER!!!!

Regards

Lubricate the key lock with graphite, please don't spray vegetable oil (WD40) in it.

Guys
I have heard so many stories about XLR batteries. Soon as I bought mine I went out and bought a battery tender. I also bought a tender connection lead about 18 inches long and attached it to the ground and hot lead and put it just under the back of the hood near the passengers wiper and when the battery goes dead I can hook up my tender without opening the hood. The lead I bought has a nice rubber end cover on it so it is protected from the weather. If I don't move the car for a couple of weeks I just plug it in because
Bob

I am a Battery Tender user too. BUT if you get a dead cell all of a sudden a Battery Tender won't be of any use.

Regards

Ha welll I've got an 06 InfraRed V series and I left my backup key all the way down in Friendswood, TX. Was having the car detailed at Bubbles Hand Car wash over near downtown Houston when the battery took a dump. Never will I make the mistake of operating the car w/o the backup key and yes you can call me Captain Stupid for that one.

Having your car dead at the car wash is my definition of fun.... Finally got backup key brought to me, broke into the car via the listed directions and got a jump start. Needless to say I took the ride to the dealership since my bumper to bumper warranty is still good. New battery has now been installed and I have purchased a 4 bank battery tender at amazon.com and will leave the XLR on the battery tender 100% of the time it is in my garage the way I do my motorcycles from here on out.

On a site note the dealer was kind enough to show me how to escape the car in event of a power failure as opposed to being locked out as I was. He said some poor elderly woman called Cadillac Roadside Assistance in such a panic stricken state because she was locked in her car that they simply could not get her to follow the simple directions over the phone to free herself so she had to remain locked in the car until they could arrive some 3 hours later (she was in BFE apparently) :cool:lol:cheers

Unless your XLR is for daily use I highly recommend keeping the battery tender on the entire it so your vehicle remains in fully charged and storage mode since so much of it is electric.

Hi Gang,

Here's my latest battery problem and fix!

A couple of months ago, after I finished installing my dual Electric Superchargers, I was road testing them and they seemed to be intermitten. I also noticed that the voltmeter was fluctuanting between 14 and about 6 volts.

The car was running normal except the boost was varying with the voltage. I stopped my road testing and drove back home and checked out the electrical system and could not find any problems.

I've had the car out several times since then without any further problems until just the other day. I was sitting in the left lane of a two lane in each direction highway amongst several other cars at a stop light and when the light changed, I stepped on the gas pedal and the engine did not rev up but stayed in idle. I had the top down and the car was moving very slowly because stepping on the gas pedal did nothing! I turned on my emergency flashers and using hand signals, inched my way to the right side of the road, checked the DIC and there were NO MESSAGES!
I shut off the engine and waited a couple of minutes and started it up and it ran fine!
I drove home and put it in the garage with the Battery Tender connected and let it sit. I went out today to take it for a drive to the beach and after disconnecting the Battery Tender, which indicated the batery was fully charged, closed the hood, got in the car and tried to start it but it just went "click click"! Then this message appeared in the DIC, " Check FSP Lamp".
I went and got my shop manuals and could not find a listing for an FSP lamp and in the DIC section I could not find this message listed.

Now I know that I'll be 70 yo in a couple of months and I'm sure I read that message right but as they said in the movie 'Bucket List', "There are three things that a man has to do when gets old..." The problem is, I can't remember what they were but I'm sure one of them had something to do with your memory.

Anyway, I decided to trouble-shoot the electrical system again as the dash voltmeter read 13 to 14 volts.

I decided to connect my VOM (Volt Ohm Meter) directly to the battery terminals instead of at the end of the battery cables which is easier.
While trying to connect to the battery's negative terminal, which is under the fender, I felt the cable move!
Further investigation revealed that the cable had not been properly shoved down on the battery post and the 10mm nut was lose and I could turn it with my fingers. After correcting this situation, the car started up without having to jump start it!

Now, I had this battery installed at a Cadillac Dealer in June of 2008 and it has not been touched since then.
So, my conclusion is the mechanic that replaced my battery did an incomplete job on my XLR!

What this has taught me was when your XLR starts doing weird things and giving you all these dillerent messages on the DIC, the first thing to do is check the battery connections and make sure they're clean and solidly connected.

In the mean time, I'll keep trying to be the first to cross the intersection in style.

Jack

Jack:

Well written and so true!!

It's like the old one "the car won't start" and the obvious but often overlooked response is "do you have gas?"

Why do these batteries seem to go dead so quickly? I've had cars that sit for in excess of 6 months and will start right up. Just a few weeks of not driving our XLR will result in a dead battery. Does the car computer and security use that much power?

Yes! The vehicle slowly drains the battery, constantly transmitting when parked to activate the fobs' reply when it gets within three feet, and monitoring switch status for the alarm system.

Your dealer can rule out a higher-than-normal parasitic draw. Otherwise, a Battery Tender is your best bet to keep your battery fully charged and performing at its best.

CC :cheers

Yes! The vehicle slowly drains the battery, constantly transmitting when parked to activate the fobs' reply when it gets within three feet, and monitoring switch status for the alarm system.

Your dealer can rule out a higher-than-normal parasitic draw. Otherwise, a Battery Tender is your best bet to keep your battery fully charged and performing at its best.

CC :cheers

I suspect also that these batteries are more vulnerable to loss of charge than older style lower tech batteries, never mind what the battery specifications state.

I suspect also that these batteries are more vulnerable to loss of charge than older style lower tech batteries, never mind what the battery specifications state.

I have been having 'deck lid non-op' problems when the engine is not running. When the engine is running, the deck lid and top work correctly under all conditions. When the ambient temps are above (aprox) 105 F, my deck lid will not raise off of the latches. (engine not running) I was directed towards 'low fluid levels' but the top and deck lid ALWAYS work when the engine is running. I charged the battery, and the engine actually started more quickly, but it was not hot enough to test the deck lid problem. I now feel that 'underhood temps' are lowering the output of the battery, when I need it. I do hear the pump motor running when the deck fails to rise, and I can 'help it up' durring failure. I am leaning toward going with a new/larger battery, but I'm open to input. Fluid level is correct. Thanks !

Hi AzGeo,

I had the same problems with my 06 XLR last month after getting my car back from the paint shop for some touch-up work. What happened while it was there, was the battery in the FOB went dead and the employee got the hood opened and thinking the car's battery was dead, connected a 'Rapid Charge' charger/jumper to the battery and suceeded in shorting out a cell plus weakening the rest of the battery so it only had a resting voltage of about 10 to 11 volts. This is not enough voltage to run the hydro pump to lift the trunk lid.

I added a second voltmeter to my system that is connected directly to the battery and it displays the CORRECT voltage continually!
I suspect that our car's charging system hits the batteries with very high current when they start because my added voltmeter shows the battery voltage at 15 volts for about 20 to 30 seconds after the engine starts.
The Alternator in our cars is rated at 150 AMPS, that's a heck of a surge!

And, yes I did have to replace my battery, third one in three years! I'm just going to chaulk it up that this car is going to have to have a new battery every year...
Jack

Thanks, this car got a new battery in March of 09 when I bought it. It is an 08 demo and has a very small warranty history. I think the underhood heat along with the entire vehicle being very hot, causes the battery to loose charge and the deck lid lift to fail. It always works when the motor is running, so 'low voltage or low current' seem to be my problem. Thank you for your input.

I have been having 'deck lid non-op' problems when the engine is not running. When the engine is running, the deck lid and top work correctly under all conditions. When the ambient temps are above (aprox) 105 F, my deck lid will not raise off of the latches. (engine not running) I was directed towards 'low fluid levels' but the top and deck lid ALWAYS work when the engine is running. I charged the battery, and the engine actually started more quickly, but it was not hot enough to test the deck lid problem. I now feel that 'underhood temps' are lowering the output of the battery, when I need it. I do hear the pump motor running when the deck fails to rise, and I can 'help it up' durring failure. I am leaning toward going with a new/larger battery, but I'm open to input. Fluid level is correct. Thanks !

Very hot weather can punish a battery as much as low temperatures. Indeed, low temperatures cause reduced battery output which extends crank etc. but do not really harm the battery (as long as it doesn't freeze), really hot conditions are bad. The heat shield is in place isn't it? (A foam rubber sleeve round the battery.)

My 2005 XLR needs a new battery. I had to jump start the car today.
After I jump started the car, several things happened.
1. T/C light on the dash is always on.
2. The information screen on the dash says
I should not go over 80 mph.
Gas cap is open
Service car soon
and other messages
I bought a battery at Pep Boys and the service manager said the problems my be due to low voltage and he said they may go away after I install the battery.
Are there any instructions I should know about, when installing a new battery?

All is not lost. Any time the battery voltage is low, the XLR is prone to frightening, wallet-puckering, dealer-salivating schizophenic behavior. Jump-starting a battery induces a large jolt of current throughout the system which can cause all manner of abnormal behavior. The XLR is more dependent on stable voltage than the International Space Station. At least it has redundancy -the XLR doesn't.

Replace the battery, re-index the windows and then evaluate how the vehicle is behaving. Chances are, your problems will dissipate. If not, report back and someone will have the answer you seek.

You are not the first. Nor will you be the last. I might be next! The XLR is very picky about where it gets its voltage. Read the posts here and you'll be amazed by the wierd problems bad batteries have caused. If your XLR is acting strange, the battery is the first suspect on the list of components to check.

CC :cheers

I hadn't driven my 05 XLR for about 4 weeks and the garage got fairly cold that may also have been a factor. I was in the process of putting a Battery Tender on for the winter and cover my Baby up until May. Well the Battery Tender directions says not to put a battery tender on a battery if it isn't fully charged. Well when I got out of the car the driver window opened about 1 inch. So I opened up the hood to disconnect the terminals to put a battery charger on my battery. Well when I got out of the car, I noticed my headlights and tail lights were on but were very dim. As I was finding the right wrench to take off the battery terminals, the headlights and tail lights started to flicker steadily. As the battery had less voltage, then the headlights became a strobe light flashing real quick. This then stopped and I started hearing clicking going on around the engine. Eventually I got the terminals off the battery that shut off everything. So I now have the battery on a slow trickle charge. So tomorrow I will take off the charger. Is there anything I need to do before I re-attach the terminals to the charged battery? Hopefully the driver door will open once I attach the terminals to the charged battery. Someone mentioned to re-index the window. As I understood from a prior post, is all you do is lower you driver window all the way down and then back up and keep the window up button depressed for an extrac 3-5 seconds after the window is completely closed? Does this also have to be done for the passenger window also? Thanks in advance on any feedback that you can provide to prevent from damaging any of the electronics within the car ! Best Regards.

It's kind of hard to follow your post, but it sounds like your battery was fairly low to begin with. A cold garage isn't as bad as a hot garage as far as lead-acid batteries are concerned. Ask folks who live in the South and they'll tell you how heat saps their batteries ability to hold a charge over time.

Each window has a regulator and needs to be re-indexed if the battery has been disconnected.

When a (lead acid) battery enters a low-charge state, the sulphur in the electrolyte (sulphuric acid) clings to the plates and hardens (crystalizes.) If the battery gets too low and the sulphur is allowed to crystalize, (this can occur within hours) it decreases the surface area of the plates which affects how much of a charge the battery can hold. The Battery Tender (and similar products) pulses the battery to keep the sulphur in solution, extending the life of your battery. If your battery's cells are already sulphated, it's too late. Keep the Tender on it until the battery is fully-charged. Re-start the engine, re-index the windows and shut the engine off. With the Battery Tender installed via the supplied inline plug, you don't need to deal with disconnecting the battery while the vehicle is stored for the winter.

I picked up a really nice thick, tan, flannel winter (indoor) car cover from Griot's garage that safely protects the vehicle during long storage periods. I liked it so much, I ended up buying one for my other car too. Now I never worry about scratching the finish when I'm in the garage.

CC :cheers

Guys,
I just bought a 05 XLR and the first thing I told them to do was replace the delco with a red top optima...if the whole thing is so dependant on stable voltage, there is no other choice....I put blue tops in my boats and never been dissapointed...and red tops in my yukon xls...

I hadn't driven my 05 XLR for about 4 weeks and the garage got fairly cold that may also have been a factor. I was in the process of putting a Battery Tender on for the winter and cover my Baby up until May. Well the Battery Tender directions says not to put a battery tender on a battery if it isn't fully charged. Well when I got out of the car the driver window opened about 1 inch. So I opened up the hood to disconnect the terminals to put a battery charger on my battery. Well when I got out of the car, I noticed my headlights and tail lights were on but were very dim. As I was finding the right wrench to take off the battery terminals, the headlights and tail lights started to flicker steadily. As the battery had less voltage, then the headlights became a strobe light flashing real quick. This then stopped and I started hearing clicking going on around the engine. Eventually I got the terminals off the battery that shut off everything. So I now have the battery on a slow trickle charge. So tomorrow I will take off the charger. Is there anything I need to do before I re-attach the terminals to the charged battery? Hopefully the driver door will open once I attach the terminals to the charged battery. Someone mentioned to re-index the window. As I understood from a prior post, is all you do is lower you driver window all the way down and then back up and keep the window up button depressed for an extrac 3-5 seconds after the window is completely closed? Does this also have to be done for the passenger window also? Thanks in advance on any feedback that you can provide to prevent from damaging any of the electronics within the car ! Best Regards.

There are a number of points here.

1/ Yes, you have to re-index both windows, your procedure is correct, press and hold the button for about 3 seconds after they reach the end of travel (both up and down).

2/ From your description, your battery is very low indeed. Battery tenders have a very restricted capability to recharge a battery, the current they deliver is very low, typically under 1a, 0.5a or less is common. At these rates, they won't recharge a significantly discharged battery such as yours. I don't think you will do any harm, (check the manual with the tender), but you won't do much good either.

3/ Chemically speaking, low temperatures do less harm to a battery than high ones. However, there are some additional factors to consider.

3a/ To protect a battery from freezing, it needs to be fully charged. A discharged battery will freeze up at higher temperatures. This ruins the battery.

3b/ While the battery is suffering less self-discharge effects at lower temperatures, its capacity is reduced too. This is something of a vicious circle, a cold engine requires more effort to crank it over, a cold battery has less energy to provide that cranking, typically there is a greater load on the alternator in cold weather (headlights, wipers on etc.) and if your typical journey is short, the battery gets increasingly discharged, making it harder to start (even longer crank times), resulting in even more energy pulled from the battery. It is well worth keeping the battery in top condition in winter, using a tender if you drive infrequently or short distances. The XLR attempts to counteract these effects by increasing the level of charge in the battery under certain conditions. High temperatures reduce the life of a battery but otherwise are not too bad.

CC has discussed sulphation, a problem these small package, high output batteries seem to be more vulnerable to than batteries of yore.

HTHs

PS, allowing the discharge headlamps to flash will be very bad for them indeed.