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XJS Lights problem

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Lawrence

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I have a 96 XJS celebration. I've suddenly got the following 2 problems:

1. My dashboard instrument lights and rear lights go off when I switch on full beam - both work when I am on dipped.

2. My side lights don't work.

Is this a bulb of fuse problem?

I am not mechanical and would appreciate any pointers.

Thanks,

Lawrence
 
Since the lights seem to work at some time or another that would rule out a fuse, likewise a dodgy connection, bad bulb or poor earthing. My instinct says to check out the switch, alternatively there may be a relay involved, this car is newer than the ones I am experienced with. Most likely culprit is a switch in my opinion. I'm sure that other members will have other ideas for you. One of the guys is a Jaguar mechanic by trade, you could try e-mailing him. His member name is Diggs, he is at diggsyb@hotmail.com good luck.
 
Sounds like when you select full beam it creates a short to the other lights. The face lift XJS is notorious for haveing light problems and this is normaly a problem with the link harness that goes from the main harness in the engine bay to the lights which would also cause the problem with your side lights. See if you can get a good look at it and see what kind of condition it is in.
 
"Harness" is a term used to describe a collection of wires, usually held together with cloth or plastic sleeves. Basically he is saying that this may be a wiring problem, but using a slightly more technical term for it. If you are really not a DIY type then I might suggest a visit to a dealer, the '95 is new enough for them to be familiar with it, and you never know, this being a common problem they may have issued a recall notice for this, in which case you get it fixed for nothing! Good luck.
 
Sorry for useing technical terms it must be a habit formed from useing them all day at work. The wires go from inside the engine bay normaly zip tied to the inner wing. they should have a yellow or black block connector (It is round and about an inch in diameter). You should be able to easily find the harness by following the wires that come from the lights. Haveing thought about the problem more there is a chance that it could also be caused by the lamp control pack situated behind the head lights. or the switching mechanism in the steering column. if there is a short it should blow a fuse, try and see if this has happened. the fuse boxes are in the front foot wells. It c ould also be a blown relay.


Sorry I cant be more specific its a strange fault and I dont recall ever seeing those exact symptoms. Its a hard one to diagnose without seeing the car! If you have anymore questions dont hesitate to ask.
 
Thanks very much Steve/Diggs.

I will have a look at what you suggest and see if I can fix it myself. The problem happened around the time of severe rains, so I wonder if water may have got in somewhere.

Diggs are you based in England?

Lawrence
 
I had a look at a celebration today. Jaguar appear to have changed the link harness on the very late face lift XJS, probably in an effort to fix the problem. The lamp control module is the next suspect, located on the left side of the engine bay, it is a black box matbee 3 inches high and 1.5 wide and it is marked "lamp logic module" make shure this is dry and in good condition. this unit contaians relays (electronic switches) try and listen for a click inside the module. it should sound when you turn the lights on. (easier if you have a second pair hands when doing this). in the UK a new module costs arround ÂŁ60 (dont Know what that is in dollars). If the car came to me the first thing I would do is substitute this module. but that would not cost me anything to try beacause if that did not solve it I could put it back on the shelf. If you have a main dealer near you take it to them and see if they will diagnose it for you but not fix it then you could do the work your self this should save you a bit of money..
 
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