Hello All...

Since owning this car, about 6 months, there's a problem I've tried to chase down but cannot. I get a steady glowing orange light in area just over the message center when I turn on exterior lights AND of course the "CHECK REAR LIGHTS" message. Although ALL lights work fine...

From a great post on JF I learned that its possibly a ground problem. So I went ahead and removed both rear bulb panels in trunk, drilled holes thru the ground circuit/metal strip in the panel, riveted a loop/ring wire connector and hard ground them,,, grounding both to the body of the car,,, with no effect.

So, I traced wiring to two grounding posts/bolts to the right of the battery, found in the battery compartment when facing the trunk. Both are clean with good/clean connection. There I find two posts/bolts with several ground wires terminating, grounded into the body of the car. So, what I've learned, as far as I've gotten, is that of the two, if I remove the 10mm nut on the post/bolt CLOSET to the front/interior of the car and pull the wire loops off of the bolt (there are 3), with one of them, the interior trunk lights AND the reverse lights will go off. If I return all other loops to the post, leaving off the loop that grounds the reverse and trunk lights, NO DASH MESSAGE or orange light. IF I reattach that ground, reverse lights and interior trunk lights come back on BUT, the "CHECK REAR LIGHTS" message and glowing orange return.

Whats up with that? Its odd. Un-grounded, no lights no message. Grounded, lights work but with message.

I am insecure, uncertain - basically dumb - when it comes to electrical problems.

Any suggestion would be super welcomed.

 

Check the correct wattage lamps have been fitted. Also check that the lamp bases are clean and the lamps are seated correctly.

 

Hi... Thanks. So, Ive checked both reverse lights and the interior trunk lights and all seem properly seated with a clean connect. I didnt check wattage tho... GOOD point!

 

Not sure on a Jag but if the bulbs are different brands it could trigger the fault light. So verify all taillight bulbs are the same wattage left to right and the same brand and all are silver not brass bases.

 

Interesting Granrtorino... I will and I had never considered this idea. By chance - are you aware of the "proper" wattage? Is there a standard?

 

I caused this same problem, I inadvertently shorted a tail light and blew a resister in the trunk mounted electrical box that controls that warning system. In an effort to get the light working again I bypassed the resistor. The light worked but I had the same rear light out warning. The fix was to either replace the resistor, there are 4 of them, all the same, all in row, so getting the value shouldn't be difficult it, or replace the box. I've seen then for sale on eBay.
Regards,

 

Hi Bear... That's great info,,,,

I also SHORTED and blew a fuse working on lights in the first week I got the car. My "check rear lights" has always been on. Is it possible (at some point) to let me know which of the relays you're talking about (is it a relay?) in the fuse/relay box in the trunk? I basically have a T shaped set of relays. Are those the ones you're referring too?

 

JayJagJay,
The box I referred to is the rear lamp control module, located in the trunk, next to the battery.
Pull out the module, release the connection and take the box apart. It comes apart easily as its not glued together, then look for a burned out resister or other circuit board problem. I took a quick look and see the module is no longer available new, but I found one on eBay, pretty cheap.
JAGUAR X100 XK8 XKR 97 - 02 REAR LAMP CONTROL MODULE LIGHTING MODULE LJA2245AD | eBay

Hope this helps,
Regards,

 

Perfect! Wonderful! Beautiful!

I turn a corner everyday and realize that this car is a million little bits and pieces... How could any average Joe know anything about that little bit!?

I appreciate this, Bear - and totally appreciate this site. Thank you!

Headed home to get into it.

p.s. any suggestions about straightening a slightly bent and tapping flex plate, without doing you know what, lol...? Bent it when I locked it with a long screwdriver (don't laugh) while changing a cylinder head in the fall. Tap tap tap... Just mm's off now...

 

Jay,
By 2001 MY the separate lamp module was deleted and the functionality integrated into the Secuity & Locking module (also in the trunk).

If you know someone who is handy with a soldering iron, the resistors are easy to replace.

The information for both variants is here:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...7/#post1591738

The parts will cost no more than a couple of dollars.

HTH,
Mike

 

Good Morning. Just a quick update...

So yesterday I went out and gutted the trunk looking for the rear light module. Was getting a little frustrated, unable to find. I did although find the security module but was a little intimidated by that ... Im going to go back out today, pull up the fuse box again, disconnect it and open it up and see what it looks like inside. Is there a visible way to determine if a resistor is fried or will I have to use a multi-meter (which i dont know how to use)?.

p.s. no suggestions on straightening a super slightly misaligned flex-plate/flywheel, huh?

 

Hi Jay,
Going a little off-piste here as if you have taillights, then probably not the SLM UNLESS a PO has bridged out any damaged components as a means to get the lamps working again.


The trunk earthing issue is curious: presumably, if the trunk is closed and the reversing lights off, then the error message doesn't present itself?


The tail lamps should be 5W, and I believe there are two in each cluster (one paired with the brake lamp).


Sorry, I have no suggestions re the flexplate.


Mike

 

Hello michaelh *thank you!*

If you dont mind, and its prob elementary, but what do you mean by "PO has bridged out any damaged components as a means to get the lamps working again."? Whats "PO" and when you say "bridged"?

And, perhaps I mis-wrote. When I disconnect the ground wire attached to the grounding post in the trunk, reverse lights dont work, luggage compartment lights dont work BUT the "CHECK REAR LIGHTS" goes off. As soon as I reground, lights come back on and the CRLights signal returns.

Another thing is when I completely unplug the Security Module under the luggage compartment fuse box - no lights (of course) but no "check rear lights" signal on the dash.

I still have the question about visible way to determine if a resistor is fried with the naked eye and multi-meter.

 

Jay, the resistors you are looking for are inside the security module. If one is fried it will probably be black and slightly crumbley.
Put your DVM to ohms and go across the resistor, check the value against one of the others.

 

Jay,
Just to clear up the rest of your questions, PO refers to a Prior Owner.
A "bridged" component is one that has been "bypassed", or "jumped".
Regards,

 

Jay,
Apologies for not following up: one of those weeks, and thanks White Bear for translating yesterday's lunchtime brain dump.

My thinking on the bridged SLM components is partly due to your not knowing the history, and it is one scenario that will cause the warning to appear when the lamps are apparently working. But, the SLM isn't the easiest thing to remove and open up (well, mine wasn't).

The other is that the tail lamps aren't drawing enough current to trigger the sensing, and here I'm thinking along the same lines as Jimbo about clean contacts and proper wattage lamps - and that curious earthing issue.

One question - you do have both tail lamps on each side lit?

Fried resistors can be as obvious as this:


or much more subtle: look at the second resistor up from the bottom on the green board in my earlier post. Only the outer coating is split, although in both cases the board itself shows signs of scorching.


Mike

 

JayJagJay,
After reading down this Thread, I don't see where anyone has mentioned that the Bulbs should be checked.....Make sure they are 1156's for the Back-up & the British Fog light. The turn-signal should be an 1156 Amber and the other 2 should be 1157's.....The Guy that owned our Car may have put in LED's....and they will make your Check Rear Lights come on......Just a thought!

Billy Clyde from Houston

 

Hi! Thank you for that last peace of info. Bulb numbers. FT work and FT school hasn't let me get back in there. I will check resistors and just for the sake of it, replace all bulbs according to the info you just provided. Good looking out.

I'll post soon for this AND (most likely) when I embark on installing most all of my front end suspension parts in a week or two. That aughta be a test, lol. But I think I got this

 

Hello All. Sorry, its been awhile. Still very grateful and looking for suggestions. My problem is still unresolved.

So this is what I'm looking at. My all in one Security/Rear Light Module is located under the boot fuse box. Its not too hard to get at after removing three (3) 10mm bolts connecting the fuse box housing to the body AND removing/unscrewing by hand what looks like an antenna wire that screws into the side of the module, then lifting and un-clipping the module from under the FBox housing. I'm wondering what that antenna-ish looking wire is and will post a picture of it later --- unless someone here knows what I'm talking about and can name it w/o pic.

As far as resistors, the only one that I can see that looks to be discolored is the 5th in from the left (see image). Its not identified by the usual band code markings. Can anyone tell me what the rating is on these 4 beige colored resistors by the writing. Im not so familiar with electronics. I'm no electrician but am confident with a pencil soldering iron and will remove old resistor and replace IF I can figure out the rating. I will also borrow a MMtr from a friend and see, with resistors still in place, if I can read a noticeable difference in resistance across all. I hear measuring with components still in the board is not ideal even when disconnected.

I have all new bulbs coming in from Jag next week. p21/5w (thanks for that tip) and,
where the HELL did all the radio shacks GO, lol?

Always seeking support with the machine
Thanks in advance


?

5th in from the left is the only discolored. MORE, i need to know the ratings.

 

The link in post #10 will tell you what the values and ratings of the 6 resistors in your first picture. However, other than a very slight heat discolouration of the second from the left (R92), they all look good. It may be the light, but it would be worthwhile re-soldering the connections to them while you have things apart.

As you have new bulbs on the way, I'd wait until you have fitted them and then temporarily hook up the SLCM while it's out of the case. Turn on the sidelights and check whether the message has gone away. If so, it was the bulbs and you can button it all up.

If not, turn on the sidelights and measure the voltage across both R79 and R92 as the tail lamps are powered through these. You should see somewhere around 0.8V (set the meter to a low DC voltage range). If it's below about 0.6V then suspect bad contacts/wiring/earthing. Much over 1V and the resistor is faulty, but in either case the lamps on the affected side would be dimmer than normal.

The antenna wire you mention is just that:- for the key fob remote.

Please let us know what you find.

Mike