So my wife says the radio doesn't work. I check the fuse and the fuse is blown. I put another fuse in and everything is fine until we hit a bump in the road and the radio goes out again. Put another fuse in and it blows too. Do some checking and find the antenna ground wire is loose but after tightening it the radio works again until we hit another bump in the road. So here I am looking for some help before I have to pull the trigger and go to the dealer. I think it has to be a short but These cars sure aren't like American cars. Help please.

 

So After reading my post I feel bad as I just barge right in sorry. First of all I have a 2001 xj8 Vanden Plas. My wifes car. Her Pride and joy. any way we had a terrible experience with our mechanic and the car has since been having minor things happen. This one being the radio blowing the fuses like I said in my first post I stll looking for shorts and frayed wires. Thanks in advance.

 

My wife used to have a 2001 XJ8 that started blowing a particular fuse regularly. Finally it got to where the instant you put in a new fuse it would blow. It was the fuse for the steering column, shift interlock, visor lights etc. I was stumped.

I tried to remember the last time any part of that system was affected by repair work. I remembered we had recently had a new headliner installed. I checked the wiring that goes to the light inside the visors and sure enough they had badly kinked the drivers side wire just inside the headliner. Every time my wife had moved the visor it rubbed the wires. Eventually it wore them bare and the problem started. It turned out to be very easy to fix, but rather hard to diagnose.

I don't know if any of that helps...

 

Sorry to hear abbout the bad experience with your mechanic.... there is one in every Town i beleive..
If this was happening in my car i would most defenitely check that the connections to the cower anntenna, CD-player, power amplifier and related looms in the trunk. Also check for loose wires in the plug... if an arc is jumping across it can blow the fuse..



If nothing found in the trunk i would check behind the heelboard covers so nothing seems to be loose.

Last but not least i would pull the radio itself out and check for loose contacts and that the quite big ground wire is sitting tight.. in that area there is some metal brackets etc. that has sharp edges and the loom to the radio has some extra lenght.. there can be a chanse that a lead has been worn and bouncing against someting sharp..
Make sure you have the code to the radio, if you pull the contact to the radio (or the car battery) all settings are lost.

You might need some extra spares of fuses for this.. with the radio on and playing music... and with acess to suspected problem areas.. check i if you can make the fuse trip by carefully poke around...