I'm installing a couple 12V accessories, and was planning on hardwiring them into the fusebox in the passenger's side footwell, but I can't find a ground attachment point. When I clip my circuit tester to the screw/bolt at the top of the fusebox, none of the fuses light up. I found I had to clip the tester onto the metal door latch in order to find an appropriate live fuse. I also tried popping off the dashboard side panel, but the screw/bolt inside also did not close the circuit; again, I had to clip the circuit tester onto the bare metal just beneath the A pillar to get it to light up on live fuses. I'm using a heavy duty circuit tester which has always been reliable. Am I missing something obvious? I had assumed the screw/bolt at the top of the fusebox would serve as a ground, but the circuit tester is telling me otherwise. Any help from the members who have done hardwire installations would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

On a XK the gnd would look like the attached jpg. Are you saying you have a ground like shown in the jpg attached OR are you talking about the bolt/nut that holds the fuse box to the chassis.

I don't have wiring for XF's. You can download diagrams off websites, unfortunatly I forget which one I got this one from. Cost me money to do so.

This might do til someone else answers your question.

EDIT: I got the electrical for a XK from this site http://www.jagdocs.com/index.php?mai...ex&cPath=68_91

 

Not sure whether this will answer your question but if you find a "all black" wire leaving the fuse box or just a part of the wiring in the fuse box to the right of the passenger foot well then it is usually a grounding wire……the black wires used most everywhere are grounds. Hope I am right because that is what I found.

 

Thanks chuckh007. I’d like to avoid splicing/tapping into the existing wiring; my preference is for a clean install with a fuse tap and ground bolt, so the original wiring is untouched. I’ll try to take a photo of what I’m seeing in the fusebox; the only obvious exposed bolt seems to have a sleeve of live wires running into it, which I think suggests my circuit tester isn't lying, i.e. it's not a ground?

 

I’m only finding two accessible bolts- one at the top of the fusebox:



and one underneath the dashboard side panel:



Neither of these are grounds according to my circuit tester. The two bolts screwed into the bare metal further back (just beneath the A pillar) would work, but are seemingly impossible to access without removing the dashboard side panel entirely, which I’m not sure how (or if it is safe) to do. Are these the bolts that other people are using as grounds for their hardwire installs?