Hi All,

Hoping someone can help some pointers with fog light issues! Bit confused by their wiring!

Front left - has two black wires down to it from a whitish connector on the red wires in the loom above
Front right - has only one black wire down from the white connector - don't understand! - should't there be an in and an out for the series on each!?

Front left - gave off a little bit of light, though is pretty rusty from water ingress and looks original
Front right - did not work when I bought the car, though looks fresh and new and probably been replaced

So I bought two bulbs (H2) and now they have finally arrived and tried them I have them nothing from either lamp!

I do get 9-12v from the wires on the left lamp though not consistently, but nothing from the right.

On the lights themselves it looks like the neutral just goes to the casing?

Does anyone have any recommendations for inexpensive OE looking fog light replacements that will be easy to connect?

Also shouldn't there be two wires going in and out of each?

And any pointers as to how to find the cause of the lack of consistent power?

(PS have checked fuse and noticed was incorrect at 35A (should be 20A) but it's intact, so someone must have put the wrong fuse in the past)

Thanks in advance, Al.

 

the XJ-6 is pre-wired for auxiliary lamps, fog or spot, from the factory assuming your car is a Series 2 or 3 up to 1987, or a V12 up to 1992 in the Series 3 body. After 1987 came the XJ40 and I don't know about that one.

there are red wires with yellow stripes located on the left side of radiator bottom and front side. They are normally taped over by the factory.

yes each lamp should have two wires, one ground, one hot. And you connect those to the red wires.

then you need to remove a "C" clip at the headlights switch to activate the Fog lamps position.

the whole job is very simple.

In my 1984 I have both fog and spot lights in one housing using a European headlights switch. Switches for American cars are different and don't have as many light combinations as the European switch.

if you want to learn how/why, go to my website:

https://jagupgrades.webstarts.com

 

Hi,
You should already have the Euro switch since you are in GB. Are the lights factory installed / what brand are they ? I have a 1985 Sovereign ( German market imported to USA ) with the factory lights. I had to remove them and clean all the internal connections as well as all the ground wires. It's been awhile so I need to go back and look at them to make sure I describe everything correctly ( colors etc ). I've been going through the whole car doing a NOT-rolling restoration / with lots of TLC as I get time & money ( it was parked for 20 years ).

I'll post more detailed info / pictures tomorrow !
Cheers,
Brian

 

Thanks Jose and Kudzu,

yes it's a 1985 Sovereign, so fog lights standard, and upon first arrival the front left did work,

they say valeo on the back

but i need at least one new one so maybe better a pair,

but it sounds like i need to trace the wires somehow to find out why no power to the right and intermittent power to the left!

 

actually they say valeo on the back

but cibie iode 35 on the front!

not sure if valeo bought cibie at some point!?

but either way I think they should have some sort of reflector in front of the bulb and mine lack that!

 

Hi,
I just looked at the car to refresh my failing memory !
Mine are Cibie as well. Didn't take them apart again but I don't remember a reflector in front of the bulb, but will check later it needed.

On 1985 Left hand drive Sovereign,
Left side at bonnet hinge = I have 2 red with yellow stripe wires ( feed in and wire going out to right lamp ) going to the white connector / jumper along with the black "hot" wire from the fog lamp.
Right side at bonnet hinge = I have one red with yellow stripe wire going to the white connector with the black "hot" wire from the fog lamp.

Both fog lamps have the ground connected to the case inside. Each lamp mounting bolt going into the brackets coming from the bumper has a BIG ring connector with ground wire that splices into the ground wires for the bonnet headlamps, which then are fastened / grounded to the body.

I think they are on fuse #1 in left inside fuse box which I believe you have already found.

I would start by "rolling" the fuse to clean the contacts. I like the "side to side" slide which works well too, just use a non-metal stick.
Then remove both the white connectors and clean / scrape them as well as the wire bullet connectors.
Finally clean or install new ground wires from each lamp as above. The bumper itself is most likely not making good enough contact to function as a ground path.

The ground wires were the culprit in keeping mine from working, so maybe start there.

Cheers,
Brian

 

the type of lamp or brand name does not matter, you can install whatever you want, fog lights or spot lights. Original ones sold by Jaguar dealers were Bosch and they were as effective as a candle in the forest or a kerosene lamp.

yellow lights for Fog are the most effective for my taste, the yellow color penetrates fog better than white light.

I have both yellow fog lights and powerful 100 watt white spot lights in my XJ. Same ones used in giant motorhomes.

The bad news is that the way Jaguar designed the auxiliary lights circuit, the headlights go OFF when you turn ON the fog lights. I never cared for that. I know there is a reason but I still don't like it, so I remedied it with the Euro headlights switch.

 

Managed to get a couple of original unused cibies on eBay which look nice on,

had another fiddle with the switch and it seems that they come to life with the engine running, don’t really understand why as hadn’t done anyth8ng to the wiring so not sure why that would be rather than ignition 2, but glad they seem to be working now, maybe it’s a dodgy ground...

seems one of the headlights goes dim when the fog lights are switched on

of course as soon as that seemed fixed the engine spluttered and cut out again......

 

the headlights switch is HOT all rhe time, even with keys off the ignition switch.

A thick brown wire from the switch connects to a plug in the main wiring harness which is then connected to the firewall HOT post on the driver's side inside the car and in the engine compartment.

you need to disconnect the battery when working with the headlights switch. It is very easy to fry the wiring.

The auxiliary lamp's HOT wires connect to the RED/yellow striped wires found hidden behind the passenger side of the.radiator.