I need help installing opera/reading lights into the back interior of my 84' XJ6 S3 I am installing them in the exact factory location as the car they were removed from.
The opera lights are out of an 87' XJ6 S3 VP. They came complete with light, base, light cover, original wiring, screws and even the panel piece they were installed onto (ripped right out of the other car whole ).
Because they are complete and on the original panel piece, I can see exactly what I need to do to affix them to my car.
However I don't know how my interior side panel comes off my car or where to pull the power for the lights from ( from the little interior sidelight or the other way from the trunk area ?, which would be the easiest or correct/original? ). Will I find it pre wired already?
Most importantly, I really want to pull the side panel off gently and correctly because I don't want to bend it or have it misshapen. I need it to go back on exactly the same. The door felt and headliner both connect next to it, so I do not want it flagging and looking warped.
What do I have to remove first to loosen it off the car without pulling at it? Do I take out the rear seat and back shelf? Do I take off the upper grab handle ? How do I get at the little sidelight wiring if I need to, how much of that do I need to disassemble?
Also, the original mounting has a thick metal piece with a sharp point embedded in the side panel foam which the opera light screws go through. If that metal piece is not already installed in my 84' (which somethings has been the case with other stuff such as I found out with fog lights). I will have to transfer over the metal piece and embed it to the existing panel to offer the same amount of stability to the light base. Or should I now just find two used rear post panels from a black interior VP and install them also ( hassle ) ?
Now this last question may seem funny to those who do electrical, but how will I wire just a single hot wire? What grounds the light ?
Thank you in advance for your advice and time helping me.

 

Going from years-old memory....

I think the panel is over-lapped by the "cantrail" trim....so, yes, you'll have to remove the overhead assist handles so the cantrail can be pulled away just a bit. Then the c-pillar/sail panels just pull off with finger pressure, overcoming the grip of the retaining clips. You may have to partially remove the felt door opeing trim. Be very careful here as it likes to sorta fall apart, the felt coming away from the "core".

Hopefully others will chime in to verify if my memory is correct.

The lamps ground via the mounting screws. The single wire is voltage supply. I wired mine to the tail lamp circuit so the lamps would operate only the exterior lights were on. Look for a red/slate or red/orange wire going into one of the bulb failure units in the boot, behind the carpeted bulkhead trim panel.

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks Doug,
Sorry to have to ask ,but, what does the bulb failure unit look like ? Should I run an inline fuse from that tail lamp wire ? Should I fish the wire through the rear seat back area to the boot or can I do it running down from the top rear shelf ?

I got the c-panel halfway off and I can see the panel already has the metal mounting bracket piece embedded in the panel. So at least that is easy.
Thanks again for the help. I did not find the opera light pre wire as I had hoped for, did the 84' XJ6 Vanden Plas even come with the reading lights ?

 

Like this but your may not have the black bracket

Jaguar XJ-S Bulb Failure Sensor



Can't hurt but not essential, IMHO, the tail lamp circuits are already fused.



I removed the seat back ....but can't remember the exact routing I used


Yes, they did

Not sure why they are not pre-wired....as so many other optional items ARE pre-wired on Jags. Mine weren't pre-wired either <shrug>

Cheers
DD

 

Doug, I went around the trunk and found the two wires going up to the trunk light. I think the power wire is green and orange. What do you think about using that instead of the rear tail light? I'm more than apprehensive about running wires off the circuit board.

Also, the opera /reading lights installed without too much trouble, but the c-panel is quite delicate and I elected not to take it all the way off. I removed just enough to install the light and run the wire down the inside to the back seat corner. I did see a grommeted opening on the drivers side bottom corner in the trunk to fish the wire through from the back seat.

Thank you for your help,

 

the wire for the Vanden Plas gooseneck lights IS in the wiring harness at the location where Doug said, but it is taped over at the factory when the car is not a VDP model, you have to remove the C pillar cover to find it. In my '84, I saw the connector with electrical tape over it when I was redoing the headliner years ago, but I was never interested in the rear lights so I left it alone.

 

Hi Jose,
Thank you for your response. I would like to use the correct wire connect... so can you be more specific before I look again . I took off about half the c-panel, pulling it enough away to look down at the rear window heater wire connect. Is all the way down at the end? Had you taken the c-panel all the way off ?

I know the wire I am looking for is purple. The panel is tightly tucked in down toward the boot end behind the seat belt and rear shelf. So is it down there ? I was trying to avoid pulling out and putting it all back and never having it look as it had before.

I figured they would wire them all the same. but so far all I found was the heater wire, a hard cable going up (sunroof?) and a large rubber tube in the inner wall.
Thank you in advance,

 

I remember (this was back in 1991), I had removed everything, including the complete rear seat, the entire roof and pillars were in the metal. The wire was in the bottom of the "C" pillar, folded over itself and taped over but I could see the purple wire in the wiring harness that traverses from the interior to the trunk through a huge rubber grommet. you can see this grommet/harness from the trunk if you get on your back with a bright light and look over the inner wheel well;

I think you'll have to pull the C pillar cover, and it would not hurt if you remove the seat and the seat back, (remove the two screws on the front bottom edge of the seat, then you pull it up and pull forward, then you'll see the seat back or "squab" has two screws at the bottom, remove those and then you push the squab up to release it from the rear top brackets and move it out of the car).

note that the same purple wire is also taped over itself in the right side front center console harness for the gooseneck Map/Reading Light which came in Vanden Plas cars only.

I can't guarantee your car is the same as mine, I have heard that some early 1984 cars did not have this wire, or at least it couldn't be found for being buried. For example my '84 did not have the Center Mounted Stop lamp wiring that came in 1985-86-87 cars, I had to improvise by splicing to one of the rear tail lights when I decided to install a center mount Stop lamp. .

 

Hi Doug and Jose,
Thanks for the advice, it wouldn't happen without you. The lights installed and work fine. One interesting aspect was that I found the purple pre-wire lead down by the corner of the rear doors slightly under the door sill plate taped to a wiring harness. This may explain some conflicting reports that some XJ6's report not having the pre-wires installed.

Additionally , I had to run a separate ground wire couple inches over to one of the overhead assist handle screws in order to ground the lights before they would work. This is because the C-panel no longer fits absolutely tight to the car, which would have allowed for the lights to ground themselves.

Finally, Jose, after you mentioned the front right wiring harness also having the purple pre-wire, you have me thinking....can you tell me more specifically where the front map/reading light would mount/install? Would you happen to have any photo reference or suggestion. I can't find a picture or reference at all. Which XJ6 VP years did it include?

 

I've been trying to find a picture but no cigar; the light is similar to the ones you just mounted but attached to a chromed gooseneck, a "map light". I recall it mounted to the top of the console panel. Also I recall seeing it in a 1984 Jaguar accessories catalog, but it came standard in the Vanden Plas.

I installed the rear center console extension from a Vanden Plas which has a cigarette lighter and chromed ashtray (see picture), and I had to find the lighter wire connector which is also a purple wire, found it in a bundle of purple wires (3 purple wires if I recall), which were folded over themselves and taped because my XJ-6 is not a Vanden Plas. When I got the console extension hardware I also got the wiring harness section for the rear lighter.

 

Jose, Thanks for the center console extension thought and photo... Now that I've found one....What do you have to do for the install ? The wiring I think I know how that would go ( but were exactly was the purple wire ?), and how much of the console do you have to disassemble or is it just a matter of going from the top of the center console glove box from behind ?
I will have to do a color change or recover because I understand they did not import black interior VP's, just Doeskin or Magnolia , although I found one in dark blue. Any advice on that?

Also, If you still come across a photo of the front seat Goose neck map light the was in the VP XJ6's I would like to see it.

 

Glenn, I routed the new wire harness without removing the entire console, only parts of it; Here's how I did it: (for this job, you'll be looking for a 3-wire rubber plug, not just 1 purple wire);

1) remove the original "shorty" console rear extension, (move front seats forward all the way, remove 2 chromed screws at bottom edges of extension, then pull it UP to disengage two plastic pins, pull the plugs from rear window switches;

2) slide front seats back all the way, remove the console's hinged cover, cover stay, and black plastic tray, Remove the Ski Panel screw, disconnect all the window switch plugs, raise panel UP from the rear over shifter and slide panel back from under radio panel to remove. (kinda tricky but doable with patience).

3) remove two screws at bracket located at inside center of console looking down, now you can raise console about 2" inches, that's all that is needed;

4) remove air vent panel located at front of console, passenger side, left knee of passenger; fold the carpet down out of the way; look in the main wiring harness for a black rubber plug with a red/white wire, (lighter light), purple wire, (12v for lighter), and a black Ground wire; It's plug and play.

5) run the cigarette lighter harness (rubber plug goes all the way to the front), starting at the rear of the console, leaving about 3 inches of wires at the rear; Follow the existing wiring harness that is already there, using vinyl ties to secure the new lighter harness to the existing harness exactly on its side, running it under the bracket like the existing wiring harness, you'll make two 90 degree turns, until you get to the front where the other plug is; Connect the rubber plugs together. Now you have a working Vanden Plas rear lighter.

6) the extended rear console section (Vanden Plas) mounts exactly like the "shorty" section, same pins, same screw location, you first engage the two pins then push it down, using a pick tool through the new console extension screw holes to find the mounting holes.

By the way, I also installed the Vanden PLas rear Headrests, that was a lot easier; The Rear seat Back has the mountings already in place, all you need is the headrests and the slip-on nuts. You need to use a coat hanger from the bottom UP to punch a hole through the four mounting sleeves on the seat's top shoulder so the headrests will go in.

As to upholstery colors, Vanden Plas also came with Biscuit color interiors, just like the Standard XJ-6, I found my Vanden Plas rear console and headrests in the same color as my interior, it just depends on the year; In the two later years they only came in the two colors you mention. Jaguar was wrapping up the XJ-6 in favor of the XJ-40 for the American market, so interior colors like Biscuit, Grey, and Black were dropped.

I will find the picture of the console gooseneck map lamp eventually. I'm sure it is shown in the 1983-84 Jaguar Accessories Catalog.

 

Hi Jose, It will be a few days until I get to use your installation instructions.

I will either dye or recover the console extension piece when I get it because the likelihood of me finding what I need in black is not good.

I do have a question...while I have the center console opened up I will be looking down at the termination point for all the fiber optics. Is there a brighter/or newer type blub I could replace at this time or is that better left alone. My optics all work, but they are on the dim to dimmer side.

Also, thanks for the idea on the headrest. I have done that. It was one of the first things I did and it was a nice addition.
Thank you,

 

Glenn:
you can get Jaguar interior dye in any color from several vendors. One of them is the famous Leatherique
Home Page | Leatherique Restoration Products

you can get it in a spray can, their dyes have the right tint and sheen.

I fixed my Opticell with the help of Mike at Jaguar Clock jaguarclock.com
Mike is an electronics wizard and he designed and built a LED array for me which replaces the miserable 3-watt bulb. I can actually see the Headlights switch illuminated now, and that switch is the farthest from the Opticell which gets zero light. (I sent him the Opticell unit shown in the picture). Mike has done other mods for me and he fixed the clock in my '65 S type, it actually keeps time now and ticks like a real clock.

Mike's mod resolved "the Opticell light problem". you'll have to contact him and almost "beg" him, (he is very busy with his classic Jaguar clocks business and doesn't need the money), tell him you want one just like Jose's. I can't guarantee he'll do it, he told me he didn't have time to do more of them. Look at the pictures below showing the Opticell unit, bulb socket, original bulb, then the modified Opticel LED array, and the Opticell led's lit. The amount of light these led's produce is amazing, and NO HEAT.

WARNING: if you use a more powerful incandescent light bulb, you will melt the Opticell lenses and the optical cable tips, it won't tolerate any bulb higher than a 3 watt bulb, so the only way to increase light 10-fold is to use powerful LED's that direct light FORWARD and at least 7 of them. You also need a circuit board to keep them aligned and soldered, and that's where he did his magic. Otherwise there was no alteration to the bulb socket, it's totally reversible if someone wants to go back to the original poor lighting

 

Hi Jose. I have my request out to Mike at Jaguarclock. I assume it is pretty easy to take off the backend light socket with the small wiring harness section. If Mike will indeed do it, I thought I would send him just that section and that way I don't have to disturb the fiber optics side or anything else around it. Is this how you might approach doing it?

Along the same line, Doug mentioned not using the rheostat on the other dash panel light switch to make them a bit brighter. How would you do that? Can you still use the same knob, but not as a dimmer? It sounds like a good simple solution but how would you bypass the rheostat? Sorry for so many questions.
Thank you for your help,

 

Glenn,
to properly remove the Opticell you need to remove the "ski" panel (ashtray/shifter console panel). the Opticell is held to the shifter's steel frame by one screw, not easy to get to, it's under the opticell unit, I used a phillips bit with a 1/4" socket, a small extension and a small ratchet. I also tape a small magnet to the socket so the screw does not fall into the darkness.

once that screw is out, you can disconnect the 2-wire plug, then you can rotate both halves of the Opticell and separate them. you don't want to kink or remove the optic cables, best to leave them alone. I sent the bulb-section of the Opticell to Mike, I had a few spare optic cables with a spare lens-section which I sent to Mike for testing, but I did not sent him the lens-half that was in the car. Once you have the Opticell removed and separated, and just for fun, (in the dark), get a flashlight and place it against the lens-half of the Opticell, and you can see how all the optic lights come alive at the dash, it's like magic.

bypassing the dimmer/rheostat will NOT improve the Opticell light output by much, certainly not by a factor of 10 which is the desired result. A lot of work for little gain in light output because the bulb is still going to be 3 watts, (remember that if you put a 4-watt bulb, say goodbye to the Opticell, it will melt the lens). The desired modification is a lot more output with zero heat. LED's are the only solution.

 

Hi Jose, Well I am glad I asked for your opinion on removing the Opticell light socket. Not so straight forward. When I decided to replace the shifter position indicator panel in the same area, I thought that would be somewhat simple too. Not at all. It was minor surgery,especially the rivets you have the grind out.
The dimmer/rheostat bypass question referred to other instrument panel indicators that are also dim that I didn't think were on the fiber optic system, such as the speedometer, tachometer, oil/temp. I thought they were regular bulbs. The only lights that seem to be of adequate brightness are the warning, headlight,fog light indicators, but they only come on when in use.

 

then I misunderstood, I though you were talking about the Opticell. I have not bypassed the other instruments lights from the rheostat-dimmer because they are sufficiently bright for me and because I don't want to defeat the dimmer function.

if you want a lot more light in those instruments, you can try the LED's from v12s - Official Website (expensive). Also they sell a LED bulb for the Opticell but I haven't tried it because I already fixed the problem.

 

Hi Jose, Would you please send me a photo of the screw extraction tool(s) you described to remove the Opicell light socket (don't laugh).

--" I used a phillips bit with a 1/4" socket, a small extension and a small ratchet. I also tape a small magnet to the socket so the screw does not fall into the darkness."--

I know this is a big request, but I want to get the tool and procedure right so I don't go crazy getting the screw out of that dark squeezed in area under the Opticell.

I'm hoping Mike at Jagclock will do the light. I looked at the one on V12 site and it looks to have less LEDs in the cluster. Also, some of the other LED light applications on the site seem as though they might be too bright for the dash.

I think I may try cleaning the rheostat contacts and replacing most of the regular blubs I can get to ( I will do this when I am installing redone dash wood ).

The other stuff on the V12 website looked interesting, but I am not enough of an expert to tell which iteams are usable and which ones might be expensive overkill. Example : tricky Dual Electric Fan Systems vs Remote Oil filter Relocation Device....I wish I knew if any of those upgrades increases miles per gallon.
Thanks again for your help,

 

Glenn, I'll get you a picture tomorrow; One way to "clean" the rheostat is to turn it from one extreme to the other, right and left, about 40 times, that's all. It's the same principle as cleaning a volume control when it sounds scratchy.

if you want a little more miles-per-gallon, (expect only a little more), install a K & N Air Filter. that's one of two things you can do. The "plus" is that once you install a K & N air filter, you never have to buy another air filter again, they last forever. It also gets you a little more horsepower, (only a little more). K & N part number E-2350 for the Series 3 XJ-6.

my '84 still has the original Fan and auxiliary fan, I see no need to replace them with dual electric fans or remote oil filter devices, Jaguar did their homework pretty good and I stopped trying to outguess Jaguar engineers years ago.