An alternative is to remove the switch from the bracket. It takes a 5/16 (or 8 MM) socket and some form of flexible driver as you have to work around the brake pedal and height of the switch itself. Cut the zip-lock tie that holds the wires to the bracket and then remove lower nut and loosen a turn or two the top nut and the switch can be removed. This is actually the method documented in the Service Manual.

 

That procedure on my page. I thought about it after I replaced the bracket.

Link JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

thanks jsulliva, you were right, the rockauto part just came in and the intermotor Sls503 switch looks to be the exact same switch as the oem, even down to the Jaguar emblem.

 

I just did it using the method of removing the switch from the bracket since i had to do it solo.
I definitely don't recommend this method, It is very difficult to maneuver the top nut off and it seems to me that it would have been far easier to have just aligned the new bracket with the holes. If the space is too tight for your hands to align, it is then way too tight to remove and replace. It ended up taking me well over an hour as well as banging up my hand pretty good. I also dropped a wrench while trying to maneuver and that took a lot of time to locate. You also risk damaging the switch when you reinstall it. Perhaps there is a specialty tool that makes it easier but nothing I had seemed to help. Definitely would not go this route if I were to do it again. That being said, it did work and I no longer get the "check rear lights cruise control not available" indicator.

 

It is too late to help you, but for others that follow, you do NOT remove the top nut on the bracket, only loosen it a couple of turns. If you do that and remove the bottom nut completely, the bottom of the switch swings out and the top of the switch slides off of the stud holding it. That is why the top of the switch has a slot for the stud, not just a hole, and under the top nut is a plastic counter-sunk spacer/washer.
A flexible socket driver helps in getting to the top nut. And I dropped my tool once and it was hard to find - I used a magnet stick tool to find it. It is a pain either way, but think of the money you are saving in doing it yourself!
Best regards, John

 

Uggh! I should have just done that then, would have saved me a lot of hassle. After removing the switch from the new bracket, I thought about just loosening it but figured it would be too difficult to position the new switch back on without damaging it.
Honestly the worst part was loosing my wrench down some black hole in there, It was a real scare because I could not find it anywhere and did not want it messing with the operation of anything or rattling. I scuffed up my hand pretty good looking for it and ate up half my work time. Strangely enough it had slipped all the way down behind one of the interior panels. Still worth doing it yourself and saving 340 on parts and labor over the dealer. I definitely would not take it to a random mechanic unfamiliar with this, his frustration alone may result in a wrench through the window.

 

Gentlemen

This is a plea for help. Based on the excellent guidance provided above I removed and tested the switches from my 2006 XK-R. Both switches test fine with my handy-dandy meter and show low contact resistance. When I re-installed the part everything worked just fine (warnings went away, cruise control cruised etc.) for a week or two and then the problem came back.

Before enduring the untold agonies of removing the part again and (worse) shelling out hard earned $$ for a new switch can anyone suggest what else I should check? I'm inclined to suspect the wiring somewhere but have not seen that mentioned. I know that Jaguar wiring leaves a little to be desired (I had to fix the look in the boot lid a while ago) but am not sure if this has been seen as a cause by anyone else.

All pointers gratefully received :-) On a separate note if you know of anyone who might be interested in my Montreal wheels please send them my way. I have an ad posted in the appropriate section of this site.

Thanks

Nick

 

Nick,

I think you may just need to replace the switch. Mine seemed OK, but in service, it was not.

Best of luck,

Joe

 

Nick,
I did the same as you, once!
The switches seem to test OK, but one or the other is occasionally not making or breaking contact within the appropriate timing specifications, and the computer detects it. You use your brakes all the time, and it only takes one instance where either is off.
You need to replace the switch assembly. Rock Auto has Standard Part SLS-503 for under $60, or I can send you a rebuilt switch assembly. If interested, please see my post regarding this on an exchange basis for $25 (plus you have to send me your old one after replacement).
Best regards,
John

 

I thought I'd keep this thread updated as to part availability and price.
I just checked out RockAuto.com and they now charge $105 for this part plus $15 ground shipping!


The cheapest one that I can now find online is at www.advanceautoparts.com and their part number is S42007. Initially the price is $91.99 but if you enter WD28 as your coupon code (thanks frugalmechanic.com) it gets you 35% off! Couple that with their free shipping and it drops the price to $59.79 dropped at my door.


Myself, I am going to take jsulliva's offer to get a rebuilt one for $25 plus exchange because I appreciate someone making the effort to save us money.


Cheers,
Dan.

 

Let me just give a plug for John's service. The refurbished bracket arrived quickly, was (relatively) easy to fit and works like a champ. The best $25 I have spent in a very long time!





Oh, and on the note of fitting it I can recommend a technique that worked for me for putting the bracket back in place:
- Arm yourself with a stick about 2 feet long and free of splinters (I used a 2' x 1" dowel).
- Lie on your back in the drivers side foot well with your head nearly on the brake pedal
- Lift the bracket roughly into place with your right arm hand
- SHUT YOUR EYES
- Feel around for the screw hole with your fingertip
- Move the bracket so that the first stud locates with the hole you just found
- Using your left hand press the brake pedal using the 2' stick
- Rotate the bracket into place and engage the second stud
- Carefully remove your hand - the bracket will stay in place

- Open your eyes and climb out of the car
- Using a magnetic socket and extension carefully engage one of the nuts on the stud. Apply a couple of turns
- Engage the second nut and tighten
- Tighten the first nut.

I found that the moment I shut my eyes I was able to get a much more accurate feel for the location of the stud hole.

Finally if, like me, you drop one of the buts down into the bowels of the car you need a magnetic retriever thingy and a 4" x1/4" steel rod. (Note that stainless won't work since it is non-magnetic). Place the rod on the end of the picker-upper and carefully feed it down into the bottom of the well where your nut currently sits. The 4" extension will fit down into the very bottom of this well and allow you to reach the nut where the magnetic end will not fit.

None of this will make sense until you are either lying on your back looking at the underside of the dash or scratching your head wondering how on earth you are going to rescue that d****d nut!

YMMV

Nick

 

The instructions are great, but I could not get the switch aligned no matter what I did....I removed the seat, and had my wife guide me to see the studs...after an hour of futility, I grabbed the switch, cleaned the ends of the studs and soldered a blob of solder on them....then I took some copper wire, threaded it through the holes, and soldered the ends to the studs...Finally, I pulled the wires, and the studs miraculously appeared where they should.,...I then used the wires to guide the nut, and started them by hand, and finally took the 8mm deep socket, dropped it over the wire, and finished tightening them....took 5 minutes. I just could not get the studs into the holes otherwise, and my back is killing me.....but the wires worked like a charm....and I left about 2 inches of wire on the studs in case I ever have to do it again

 

I used monofiliment fishing line tied onto the two studs. My wife was under the dash on her back pushing the new switch into place while I was standing over the engine pulling the fishing line through the stud holes towards me. The two studs popped into place pretty quickly, and I got the two nuts on them as fast as I could. I think this is the easiest and fastest method. The smaller the person on their back under the dash, the better....

 

Thank you. I just drove mine the other day and my son, following, said that I had no brake lights. I also have the notorious stuck in park problem. I'm hoping that these two problems are related and that a new brake light switch will cure the stuck in park problem. Thanks agin for the detailed procedure.

 

Hi All,
I have just received my replacement brake switch and have been struggling to replace the old unit, I have read all ideas and suggestions on the forum and have also spoken to my local dealer who want 2 hours labour to fit.
I found this piece of info where Jaguar only allow .2 hours to do the job.
I wonder where the name of main *******s comes from?
Page 6 of 6 Bulletin Number 206-07 Date of issue 04/98 Amended 04/02
Parts Information:
DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER QTY
Brake pedal switch XK8 LJB 6420BB 1
Brake pedal switch V8 XJ Series LNB 6420BB 1
Brake pedal - V8 XJ Series MNE 5373BB 1
Brake pedal gasket - V8 XJ Series MNB 5412AA 1
Brake fluid - V8 XJ Series MNA 7829AD 1
Warranty Information:
FAULT R.O. TIME
CODE NUMBER DESCRIPTION ALLOWANCE
HJ BB 42 70.35.01/01 Install brake pedal and brake pedal
switch - V8 XJ Series 1.7 hrs.
QN FB 42 86.65.51 Install brake pedal switch - V8 XJ
and XK Series 0.2 hrs.

 

I would assume .2 hours is a typo. Not sure even the world's fastest mechanic could do the job start to finish in 12 minutes.

 

I don't know for sure, but on some Jaguar models, 0.2 hours (12 minutes) to replace the switch on the bracket (as opposed to removing the bracket with the switch) might be doable. I doubt it on the XK8, as one really needs to remove the seat in order to get under the dash where the switch mounts on the bracket, and the time to do so would put you over.
I found it fairly easy to remove the switch from the bracket rather than to remove the bracket with switch attached but others disagree.

 

Many thanks to jsulliva for the supply of a replacement brake switch, with the help of my daughter we removed the seat and she spent the next hour trying to loosen the top nut, with my patience level drawing to its end I decided we should try the other route and go from the engine compartment. Success we replaced the switch in about 10 minutes she managed to locate the holes second attempt. Thanks to all for the advise given
Peter

 

Peter,
Thanks for the kind words. The top nut is a bit difficult to get without a flexible socket driver (Craftsman and Snap-On both have a 1/4 inch drive tool that looks like a thick, tightly wound spring) and a socket (8 MM, but 5/16 will also fit). Might also have luck with a small wheel type of socket driver. And I am glad the other method worked for you. Now if you can get someone else to do the work, you are really in luck!
Best regards, John

 

Thank for the Info.
Replaced my xk8 brake light switch with a switch from a xj8 (Junk yard $6). Cruise is now working!