Finally got around to doing the sidelight mod. I followed Jose's detailed directions and pleased to report everything works! I did them in this sequence, each time checking for Parking, Turning and Hazard functions. 1st. LH front, 2nd. RH front, 3rd. LH rear and finally RH rear.

I tapped into the green flasher wires as instructed on the first three lights and the sequential flashing worked as you indicated. But, when I finished doing the RH rear, everything works, but the sequential flashing on all four has disappeared.

Now both front sidelights and front turn lights flash together and the rear sidelights and rear turn lights do the same. Otherwise, everything works as you said they would.

I'm not complaining, and do not understand what happened at that RH rear light to get rid of the sequential flashing that I agree (with Jose) looked quite cool. Thanks for the guidance.

 

I had heard of this mod but don't have the details. Can you please post a link to the original post so we can see the process? Thanks.

 

Here is the link.
Jag Upgrades Home

 

That's on my To-Do list, but probably not until the next rain.
(';')

 

Lnbr,
This is an easy and very cheap improvement - as if anyone could improve a Jag! follow Jose's excellent instructions and it will all go perfectly. The first front light takes an hour - as we are in training mode - but the second front is a breeze - as we have "been there done that". The rear ones are a 15 minute job at most. I'm so very satisfied!

 

best mod I ever made to my car!! it works 3 ways:

1) with the headlights switch OFF: Turn Signals and Sidelights flash / blink simultaneously.

2) with the headlights switch ON: Turn Signals and Sidelights flash / blink intermittently, what I call "The Christmas Tree Effect".

3) with the Hazard / Emergency Switch: all 8 turn signals and sidelights flash / blink simultaneously. You WILL be seen.

This is a Safety improvement that can't be beat for today's traffic.

 

Now that I think about it, we have a Long Jag club trip coming up end of May, maybe I'll just get this done and show off a bit. (did I really say that?)

Of course I'll give you proper credit, Jose.
(';')

 

basically Elinor you disconnect the factory GROUND (Black) wire from each sidelight housing, fold it back over the factory harness, tape it good, so it will not touch anything ever again.

then you add a new wire to where the ground wire was, and splice it to the hot blinker bulb wire, that's it.

I used new yellow insulation wire, to make the mod obvious. Sure you need to run this new wire to each blinker bulb socket, so I spiraled it over the factory harness all the way to the turn signal housing bulb socket at the front, the rears are a lot easier.

you also must isolate each Sidelight's mounting screws or studs from touching the car's metal body ever again, otherwise ZAP! (blown fuse). (The sidelight's GASKET will isolate the housing from the body, so nothing needs to be done with it).

in the front sidelights, I inserted plastic anchors in the two stud holes, then pushed the metal housing studs thru them, cut the excess anchor material off, then added plastic washers and nuts to fasten the sidelight.

in the rear sidelights, which have no studs, I used plastic / vinyl screws, nuts and washers from ACE Hardware.

Someone with electronic knowledge told me that what I did is called Floating Ground. Well, I do not speak Chinese, sorry.

For me the bottom line is that it works, it has caused no issues, (zero, nada), with my car's electrics, and that makes me a happy boy.

 

Elinor:


for me, I'm not going to mess with a ground isolation system. A concept for the perfect auto electric world .


But, kudos that accept the challenge.


Oh, better get after it. our weather guys say no rain in the visible future!!! Done for the year? Could be.


Jaguar and I on errands yesterday. It purred. An errant door card to reaffix. Hook and loop only partly successful. Generating new plan, short of removing the door card!!!


But, awoke with a really ore pair of shoulders. Why??? they have
behaved well for months!!!


Checked on Billy. Nibbling off a wild plum bush.


Carl

 

I had forgotten I did not use yellow wire at the rear sidelighta, I used black.

 

i wonder if that mod can be applied to a 1978 XJS, and is it possible to use the rear brake lights match up to the turn signal lights!

i have already put in LED bulbs , would your mod work in conjuction with them!

thanks Ron

 

Hi, I don't know if LED's will work with this mod, I only use the old Edison bulbs.

does the XJS have 4 sidelights that light up with the parking lights but otherwise do nothing else? If yes, then yes, it should work. Post a picture of your car to see what you have.

the way this works, you tap into the flashing signal that is generated by the flasher relay, so I do not think you can make the brake lights flash, UNLESS you add a wire from the flasher bulb socket to the brake light socket, and be prepared to blow a fuse if it doesn't like it, but I THINK you could, at least in theory?

However, why do you want the brake lights to flash / blink ? do you mean IN ADDITION to the turn signal blinkers? or to eliminate the blinkers ?

 

early XJS rear turn signal amber lights are barely visble in bright sunlight!

had few people blow horn and say use your turn lights, one almost rearended me,his brake squeeking to stop, this is Texas people drive fast!

ron

 

I have followed more than one Elderly Jaguar with less than adequate tail/brake lights. One or two, as Ron mentions, are virtually Invisible in bright sunlight.

LED upgrades are Well worth the small cost and readily available at just about any parts store.
(';')

 

there are solutions to that, if you think the XJ-S is bad, the classic S type is worse, so I modified my lenses and the position of the Brake and Turn signal bulbs to be seen, I also added a center-mount Stop lamp.

I also had the lower lenses reproduced in Amber to make the distinction, see the picture below. the Stops are now at the top (Red lenses), and the Blinkers at the bottom (Amber lenses). I had a similar experience in which a cop followed me to let me know he could hardly see my Stop lights when tailgating / bumper to bumper traffic, so I raised them.

Saul Chaplin of British Autowood saw my center stop lamp mod and he did the same to his 420, which is the same rear as my S type. He also inverted the Stops and Turn signals.

Ron, if you post a picture of the rear of your car, maybe we can suggest remedies.

 

there are solutions to that, if you think the XJ-S is bad, the classic S type is worse, so I modified my lenses and the position of the Brake and Turn signal bulbs to be seen, I also added a center-mount Stop lamp.

I also had the lower lenses reproduced in Amber to make the distinction, see the picture below. the Stops are now at the top (Red lenses), and the Blinkers at the bottom (Amber lenses). I had a similar experience in which a cop followed me to let me know he could hardly see my Stop lights when tailgating / bumper to bumper traffic, so I raised them.

Saul Chaplin of British Autowood saw my center stop lamp mod and he did the same to his 420, which is the same rear as my S type. He also inverted the Stops and Turn signals.

Ron, if you post a picture of the rear of your car, maybe we can suggest remedies.

 

I don't know why some of my posts appear twice, maybe Jim can delete the duplicate?

 

while on the subject of lighting, I've been asked where I got the combination Fog/Driving lights installed in my XJ-6.

got the kit at Walmart years ago.

then 10 years later I see the same lamps in a motorhome made by Alfateers, and they still fit them to their motorhomes!! Here's a link to the lamps:

https://store.alfateersrvservice.com...008-E12P1A.htm

 

Oops!
Never mind......

 

I too have concerns re the brightness of the lights. Do you have a part number for a suitable LED?