My 04 XJ8 Engine Malfunction light does not work. Here in California your car must have an operational Engine Check light (Jaguar's Engine Malfunction light) or else it cannot be SMOG tested. I paid my independent service man to replace the bulb, but he later told me it is not a serviceable item. So, I bought a used instrument cluster and put it in my car. All the dash lights worked, including the Engine Malfunction light. However, the car will not start with the new cluster. I took the car to another independent shop after he told me he could reprogram the new cluster, but he changed his mind after looking at it. I called the local Jaguar dealer and spoke to the service manager. He told me that you cannot reprogram a used cluster. The only way to resolve the problem was to purchase a new cluster from Jaguar who will set it with the proper VIN, and the local Jaguar dealer can complete the programming.

Well, I cannot believe that my beautiful Jaguar is dead in the water for want of a led bulb. I need help here.

What options are open to me? Can I take the old cluster to an electronics shop and have the LED replaced? I called one and they said that they could do that, but I am concerned that they will damage the cluster when they open it up. For one thing all the needles will have to be removed to take the face off the cluster. I tested them and they do not want to come off. Any advice there?

Can I have the electronics shop change the processor from my old cluster to the new one? Same problem about opening up the cluster.

Jack

 

Hi Jack,

In my mind there shouldn't be too much of a problem opening the cluster. Afterall, company's offer a replacement dial face (white, red, blue etc). Also, people change the dash illumination colour by adding different coloured LED's.

Personally, what i would do is to refit the orignal cluster into the car and make sure the car runs. Use the replacement one as an experiement, eg strip it appart and re-build it again. If when you plug it into the car, all the functions work (appart from the engine not starting) then you have a chance that you will be able to swap which ever component you seem fit.

If all else fails, if you can find where on the board the faulty LED is, solder a seperate led on a length of cable - fit it in a discrete place, put the whole lot back together again and inform the tester where and what the LED is for.

Hope this goes someway to helping,

Regards,

Adam

 

Hi Adam, Thanks for the encouraging words and new idea. You are right, it should be possible to remove the face. I'll give it a shot.

Jack

 

Personally, I wouldn't mess with the instrument pack too much. It is the gateway module that all the networks communicate through. Easy to get into trouble.

Look up these two outfits and give them a call about the Check Engine Light not working, see if they could handle it.

BBA reman. ABS, ecu's, throttle bodies, air mass meters, and catalytic converters
Automotive Scientific Inc. Your #1 Source for ECU, TCU, ABS, EBCM, Climate Control and Speedometer Repairs

Both of them handle a wide range of modules etc.

Good luck!

 

Just a follow up on my engine malfunction light problem.

First, the light is a LED mounted on the instrument cluster circuit board, and is not replaceable.

I purchase a used instrument cluster off EBay but the car will not start with that cluster. Apparently the VIN must match the other compters. The light did come on with the new cluster.

I disassembled my original cluster and found that the previous owner had blocked off the area for the light to pass through. I removed the packing and discovered that my engine malfunction light was on all the time. I reset the computer and now my engine malfunction light works properly (on at startup only). I reassembled the instrument cluster but now the speedometer and temperature guage do not work.

So, Now I am operational but without a speedo or temp info. I bought an electronic speedometer designed for a motorcycle and installed it in the top left corner of the dash, near the vent outlet. So now I have speed info.

I plan to install an aftermarket temp guage but need to research for a place to connect the sensor.

I am sure that all new cars have made it hard to replace dash lights, but Jaguar really did a poor job of it. The Jaguar solution to my problem was to buy a new instrument cluster for $1200. Jaguar would burn my VIN number in the new cluster, and then the local dealer would burn in the rest of the information (mileage, etc). The labor for doing all of that would have been pretty high I am sure.

Anyway, here are my findings:

1. Don't bother buying a used instrument cluster.
2. Be extra cautious when installing the pointers back on the instruments.
3. Learn some new curse words unless you want to use the same ones over and over.

Jack