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Headrest Lamps won't turn off - 1990 Vandenplas Majestic
I recently purchased a 1990 Jaguar (great deal and only has 46k miles on it!). After I bought it, we realized it isn't just a used jaguar, but a pretty special model so we are super excited!
I am now finding myself with a problem, however. The seats have lamps built into the headrests, and they are not turning off when we turn the car off. I have searched through the manual but unfortunately it doesn't even mention the headrest lights. Has anyone had this issue? Any ideas on how to turn them off? It might just be a switch I'm not seeing, but there are so many gizmos in this car, it's hard to tell what deals with what.
I appreciate any help as the lamps are draining the battery and this is going to be a huge pain if we don't get it fixed!
Welcome to the Jaguar Forums. It's great to have you with us.
Do the lamps on the backs of the headrests look like this?
The dark rectangle at the left end is a switch. If I recall correctly, it has a "rolling" or "sliding" type of action. You push it upward or downward to turn the light on or off. I don't recall which direction does which. Try sitting in the back seat with the engine off and the doors closed and wait about one minute. Then move the switches on the lamps to both positions to see if one position will extinguish the lamps. The reason you need to wait a minute or so before trying the switches on the lamps is that the Central Microprocessor (CPU) overrides the lamp switches to turn the lamps on when a door is opened, irrespective of the positions of the lamp switches.
Thanks so much! Glad to be here! I will give it a try. I will take a picture of the light, too, if it is different from above. The "switch" is a roller and we did give that a try, he problem is that it only dims, it doesn't turn it off. Last night we turned off the car and waited outside for 15 minutes but they never went off. I'll let you know for sure how it goes. We are taking it in tomorrow to have a mechanic take a look at the fluids/battery/etc as it has been sitting in a garage untouched for the last 5 years. If we can't figure it out, maybe they can! Either way, I will keep you updated.
We tried your suggestion of sitting in he backseat and trying to turn the lights off via the roller switch. The switch dimmed the lights but doesn't turn them off completely. We also found a small circular switch under/to the left of the steering wheel that is supposed to control all of the dome lights, but turning that does absolutely nothing. Could it be Related? An electrical issue?
Something else we noticed, could be completely unrelated, but while we were hanging out in th backseat with the car off, we heard light clicking/turning, like a small motor was running somewhere. The sound seemed like it came from the passenger side in the rear. Have no idea what that might be. It was going th entire time we were back there (about 15 minutes)
Additionally, I took your suggestion and posted in th new member forum.
We tried your suggestion of sitting in he backseat and trying to turn the lights off via the roller switch. The switch dimmed the lights but doesn't turn them off completely. We also found a small circular switch under/to the left of the steering wheel that is supposed to control all of the dome lights, but turning that does absolutely nothing. Could it be Related? An electrical issue?
Something else we noticed, could be completely unrelated, but while we were hanging out in th backseat with the car off, we heard light clicking/turning, like a small motor was running somewhere. The sound seemed like it came from the passenger side in the rear. Have no idea what that might be. It was going th entire time we were back there (about 15 minutes)
I believe the round knob on the left side of the steering column only controls the lighting in the instrument cluster and possibly the center column (radio/climate control). I don't think it has any affect on dome lights or other interior lighting.
One possibility is that your CPU has been doused with water and the connector pins have corroded, causing a short that is powering the seatback lamps. Corrosion on the CPU connector pins is relatively common and occurs when the condensation drains below the A/C evaporator in the center console become clogged with deteriorated foam insulation, which allows water to pool below the evaporator and to slosh out onto the CPU when making left-hand turns. Unfortunately Jag-Lovers is still transitioning photos to a new server so you can only see my thumbnails, but at the link below I identify the CPU location to the right of the center console behind the knee bolster and glove box:
Regarding the small motor sound, my first thought would be the power antenna motor. The antenna mast has a long linear gear "cable" made of flexible Nylon that wraps around a reel inside the antenna motor housing inside the right rear fender. When the teeth on the Nylon cable become damaged, the motor cannot raise and lower the mast correctly, nor can it sense when the antenna is fully raised or retracted, so it may run for an extended period before it finally shuts off. The antenna mast is easy to replace and new ones are available on eBay for around USD $12.00.
Another thought is that sometime between the '90 and '91 model years Jaguar added a "fan blown aspirator" to the climate control system. The aspirator has a small electric motor and is located in the passenger-side knee bolster below the glove box, behind a small cover with holes like a salt or pepper shaker.
Is your car equipped with automatic seat belts? Could the sound be one of the motors running?
The fuel pump is located in the fuel tank right behind the rear seat. It's unlikely that the fuel pump would continue to run, but it would be worth checking out.
P.S. I somehow missed the fact that your car is a Majestic! A rare and wonderful top-of-the-line model, and at such amazingly low mileage. Please post lots of photos for the rest of us to drool over!
08-08-2017, 06:13 PM
Headrest Lamps won't turn off - 1990 Vandenplas Majestic
xj40 Majestic
