I own a garage queen 1995 JXS with 60,000 miles. The reason I bought the XJS couple years ago and put it in storage; I will sell it one day and make a nice profit. I paid $4,500.00. I only take it on the road every other week so I won’t get flat spot on tires and keep the engine rotates. Several months ago, the brake suddenly pulls to the left. I checked pads and the front seemed low. Without checking this forum, I replaced the front brake pads assuming is as easy as any other Jaguars. After replacing the pads, I tried to bleed the brake system and not a drop of brake fluid came out to the front passenger caliber. In addition, brake fluid barely bleeds to the front driver side and the rear brakes.

Mistake number 1. I used a vacuum pump, hook to all the bleed valves at brake calipers and nothing changed.

Mistake number 2. I then used air compressor, set at low pressure and tried to pressure from bleed valves....Nothing came back into the brake fluid reservoir. I removed the front passenger side brake hose that connect to the brake caliber, brake fluid came out the hard pipe that connected to the brake hose. The flex brake hose was completely rusted inside and was completely clogged. Brake fluid in brake caliper was full of rust. As such, I removed all four brake hoses in inspected. All four brake hoses were full of rust and black brake fluid. I went to our friendly Rock Auto, purchased all new brake hoses, and replaced all hoses. I vacuumed out old brake fluid out from reservoir and add new brake fluid and retry to bleed system and still nothing. At this point, I went on the forum and started to search for answers.

Mistake number 3$1,000 dollar mistake made. I completely clogged up several internal filters of the ABS actuator when I attempt to push brake fluid back into the reservoir. I removed ABS actuator and realized brake fluid was not flow to all of the outlets that lead to the brake calipers.

I read somewhere on this forum that a member here was successfully replaced an ABS actuator from an early 1990 xj6. (Don't believe everything that you read online) I was fortunate to purchase a used one at a local junk yard for $50.00. The harness was identical; all the small hard hoses from ABS actuator looked similar but not exact the same length. I swapped all the hard hoses from my 1995 ABS actuator to the XJ6 abs actuator and installed.

I went onto this forum and started to read how to bleed XJS brake system and did it successfully. I started the car and there was a fully lit ABS fault warring that stayed on the whole time. The brake seemed to work but without ABS assist. At this point, I was stumped. I decided to remove the XJ6 ABS actuator and took it apart and see the internal wires when compared to the XJS ABS actuator. To my surprise, all the internal solenoids looked identical for the XJ6 and XJS. I carefully unsoldered two clogged solenoids from XJS ABS actuator. All it took was a light grip, light wiggle, and pull it directly upward. The XJS solenoids were indeed completely clog from my doing and assuming the brake fluid has never been bled from the previous owner. I removed the clogged solenoids and replaced them with solenoids from XJ6. Solder the film wires was not as difficult as I thought. I installed the original XJS ABS actuator bled the brake system and.....ABS light went away but....however, I get brake warning and ABS light on when brake hard or suddenly.

Before this happened and months ago, I did went to this forum and enquired about a clicking relay noise when braking. Some one here indicated that was normal (false info again). This brake relay click since day 1 when I bought the car and there was neither brake nor ABS warning light. This lead me to believe the brake accumulator is bad since the brake pump turned on every time I brake. I replaced the brake accumulator with a Borsch accumulator ($80.00) that was specific for
Mercedes. Voila, all brake issued solved. My apology for this long thread. I hope someone will eventually read this and avoid making the same mistake.

However, if someone has a bad XJS ABS actuator, one can replaced with internal parts from the early 90s XJ6. I just found another early XJ6 at the junkyard; I will go a pull the brake pump and ABS actuator for spare parts. Used rebuilt XJS actuator is listed at $1,000 on EBAY. XJS part is getting super rare and expensive. Rebuilt XJS ABS actuator is not that difficult.

 

Cool. Ive had to replace my brake fluid 4x in the last couple years due, a leak, standard maintenance, and because I forgot I had done it already. So now I make sure to log and replace the fluid every 2 years just to be sure there is no rust or debris. New hoses are next so new fluid will be going in again. Its the best maintenance for XJS since its going to be prone to age

 

Well done annamiata!

An expensive, time-consuming but ultimately rewarding exercise. And you've learnt the 2 valuable teves abs lessons - Never push fluid back via the valve block to the actuator. And always bleed the brakes through the proper process, starting with the low-pressure circuit.

Good result!

Cheers

Paul

 

Great thread! Thanks for all the info,,, and warnings, I need them. For spares I would love the bits from an XJ6 and I will look. If you don't mind, would you be willing to post a photo of the LOOK of the XJ6 assembly just so I'll know what I need to be looking for in the eBay ocean?

I have a question, after I blather a little.

When I got my car I ended up probably pumping 2 gallons of fluid thru the system - what funn. I've never used any kind of device to bleed brakes and really didn't know of any back then - newbie... At this point I have heard of all kinds of devices for all kinds of things on the cars I have and more and more, as I settle into being an owner of all kindsah cars, I think I'm naturally leaning in the direction of doing things the old fashioned way (whatever that means)...when possible and practical. Whenever I try and take a short cut i end up going the long way round. It's inevitable

Q: So I have NOTHING to compare my XJS brake pedal to. For firmness or aoftness I mean. About how hard do y'all have to push the pedal in your cars to get the car to stop and/or keep it at a stop, even. Compared to other cars I own, and I'd attributed this to the age of the car or something (which makes no sense) the brake pedal is significantly harder to depress for the same amount of reaction-stopping. I guess what I'm trying to say is that mine is a tough/hard pedal.

What is your experience, as far as pedal resistance, with the peddle in your car?

 

XJS pedal is firm and doesnt require much pressure for the braking to begin. Its firmer than new cars, but with some give when the system is pressurized.

 

If I ever had an issue like that with the ABS system, I'd seriously consider ditching it. I have a pre-ABS brake pedal assembly sitting in my parts stash "just in case" but there are other options available too. I'd have to take a long look at one that uses the power steering pump to provide assistance or an electric one.

 

It is firm, isn't it...? Thanks. I didn't know if it was the norm, or just mine, a problem, bad pads (wrong material), or what...

 

Early 90s xj6 ABS actuator looks almost identical to XJS ABS actuator. One of them a just a bit thinner but it does come with spacer. However, the solenoids are what you looking for and not plug and play replacing of entire unit since the internal wires are not the same.

 

Understood... Thank you. I'm on the hunt then, spares. Always in the hunt... Be well

Something like this?

 

JJJ,

That item in your link is the equivalent of the later system that was only fitted to XJSs from late 1994 VIN 198335. It is nothing to do with the teves system prior to that VIN.

Cheers

Paul